![]() 3 Their arrival in a city might be signaled by a spike in reports of goods being shoplifted in large quantities.‡ Each group consists of members with distinct roles: "boosters" steal the goods "handlers" sell the goods to fences and others take care of transport and logistics. Organized shoplifter groups frequently comprise immigrants (legal or not) from the Middle East, South America, or Asia, perhaps because they can sell the goods to fellow immigrants who run small businesses.† They concentrate their activities in particular states, including Florida, Texas, Georgia, California, and New York. ![]() 2 Some research has claimed to identify psychological reasons for theft,‡ but this work has little relevance for policing strategies.ģ. Stores that attract juveniles, males in particular, are more likely to experience shoplifting and some behavioral cues have been found to be characteristic of shoplifters, such as entering the store but making no purchase and tampering with packaging. Many of them seem to believe that shoplifting harms no one except an anonymous business. These shoplifters differ little from a store's regular clientele. Main Offender GroupsĪs mentioned above there are three main offender groups: 1. 57, Stolen Goods Markets, for further information. ![]() It will be apparent that there are many gaps in knowledge, and that particularly lacking is information about the market for goods stolen by shoplifters.† Finally, it reviews responses to the problem, and what is known about them from research and police practice. It then reviews factors that increase shoplifting risks and it lists a series of questions that might help you analyze your local shoplifting problem. The guide begins by summarizing what is known about the main offender groups involved in shoplifting and by reviewing the police role in dealing with shoplifting. So long as theft and damage of goods, known in the retail industry as shrinkage, does not rise above 2-3 percent of goods sold, retailers may pay little attention to shoplifting, especially when stolen goods can be taken as a tax write-off. In addition, the stock control in shops is so deficient that few retailers know how many goods they lose to shoplifters or to their staff. They also know they have little chance of getting caught, and, if caught, they can often produce plausible excuses, such as forgetting to pay. People seem to have fewer inhibitions about stealing from shops than from private individuals. Self-service provides ample opportunity for shoppers to handle goods (many of which are prepackaged) and conceal them in clothing or bags. Shops contain new goods, temptingly displayed. It is not surprising that shoplifting is so widespread. Only about one in 150 shoplifting incidents leads to the offender's apprehension and subsequent police action. Though common, shoplifting is one of the least detected and reported crimes, according to (1) self reports, (2) observations, and (3) comparisons of marked items with sales of those items. For the most up-to-date listing of current and future guides, see General Description of the Problem Some of these related problems are covered in other guides in this series, all of which are listed at the end of this guide.
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