Shoplifting and burglary problem in the United States
Whether you are working individually or as a group, you should act as you are community polcing officer(s) as you address your issue. One of the main topics of the textbook is the problem solving model SARA. I suggest that you set up your project using that model.
Scanning – problem identification. I have given you the problem in the original letter but you should explain to me that you thoroughly understand what the problem is (ie. what type of crime it involves).
Analysis – This was done earlier in the semester when you submitted your project question/inquiry AND what information was returned to you in the follow-up letter
Response – This is where the bulk of your work/research is. How would you respond to this problem if it was real. This is where you use multiple methods such as crime prevention (CPTED), problem solving (how would you catch these criminals) and how would you tie in the community (and other stakeholders/partnerships)
Assessment – What could you do to determine if your response was effective (running crime stats, if you made arrests, community surveys…)
Remember, everything that was listed in your response letter is there for a reason. Maybe its a cue to try surveillance. Maybe its cue to communicate with other sections/agencies/neighbors, etc. If it is in the letter, you can do something with it.
Your project should go just like that- What is your problem, what did you uncover, how did you attempt to problem-solve it, how would you figure out if your plan worked.
Shoplifting and burglary problem in the United States
Shoplifting and burglary have been an issue affecting American businesses, making them register losses and deterioration of business, and there is a need to analyze and assess the issue with the view of developing relevant countermeasures to protect the businesses. Shoplifting and burglary negatively affect businesses inclining them to make significant losses. Shoplifting is classified under larceny, and it involves stealing or taking things or commodities needed or desired from a store (Smith, 2013). On the other hand, burglary entails the intent to steal and perform a crime on a business or business property. The two practices negatively affect businesses where different parties such as career criminals or amateurs use different tactics to steal commodities and products from stores and business establishments. Law enforcement needs to develop strategies, solutions, and policies to prevent and eliminate shoplifting and burglary in the interest of business prosperity and stability. Shoplifting and burglary have a significant negative impact on businesses; thus, there is a need for law enforcement to adopt the relevant strategies, policies, and solutions to prevent and eliminate shoplifting.
Scanning: problem identification
Shoplifting and burglary in America is a real issue that has a significant negative impact on businesses. Shoplifting and burglary are serious issues because they can be done by almost anybody in society, causing significant losses to businesses. People of every race, nation, gender, ethnicity, and social class engage in shoplifting (Smith, 2013). Statistics from enforcement agencies indicate that there are more female shoplifters as compared to males. People from poor neighborhoods or backgrounds are more engaged in shoplifting as compared to those from rich backgrounds. Consequently, the method adopted in shoplifting includes walkout/pushout and concealing. Concealing takes the hiding of shoplifted items in pockets, bags, clothes, or personal items. Walkout or pushout takes people filling shopping carts with unconcealed commodities and walk out of the business establishment without paying for them.
A survey by the National Security Survey revealed that in 2012 shoplifting made American retailers lose approximately $14 billion annually. Retailers lose 0.6% of their inventory through burglary and shoplifting. Businesses employees and stores engage in theft, fraud and enable shoplifting with outsiders (Smith, 2013). Therefore, shoplifting and burglary is a serious crime that needs to be effectively countered in the interest of business stability.
Response: Solutions and methods to address shoplifting and burglary
There is a need to address shoplifting and burglary through the adoption of crime prevention, solving the problem by apprehending the shoplifters, and engaging the community to reduce shoplifting cases by the law enforcers. In this regard, the police need to use the informal police sanctions or cautioning approach is adopted by the police for parties found guilty in engaging in shoplifting and burglary (Hayes and Downs, 2011). In the police sanction approach, the first offenders are offered an option of participating in programs that are instructed about shoplifting harms as an alternative to prosecution. On completing the program, the charges are dismissed and erased from the records to ensure the offender does not have a criminal record. The police sanction incorporates counseling, meeting store owners, youth workers, and workgroups to ensure that shoplifting is prevented. The informal police sanctions programs are vital in ensuring that re-offending among shoplifters is avoided and there is a reduction in shoplifting and burglary.
The law enforcement agencies need to for task forces with the owners of businesses and stores to effectively eliminate shoplifting and burglary, especially from organized theft groups. The organized theft groups operate across regions; thus, the local police need to develop a partnership with state and federal law enforcement agencies while cooperating with business and store owners (Lasky, Fisher and Jacques, 2017). The law enforcement partnership is vital in dismantling the individual or group shoplifting groups. Therefore, law enforcement needs to partner with each other and the retailers and manufacturer to ensure that shoplifting operations are effectively eliminated.
Law enforcement needs to ensure that shoplifters are arrested and prosecuted to reduce the number of shoplifters in society. The businesses need to be advised and encouraged to report the shoplifters to the law enforcement agencies (Lasky, Fisher, and Jacques, 2017). In this case, law enforcement should apprehend, arrest, and enhance the prosecution of shoplifters. The shoplifter is subjected to fines and jail terms, thus creating a deterrent effect on society. The police officers need to recommend high fines or reasonable jail terms to ensure that an effective deterrent effect is created.
The law enforcers need to launch a public awareness campaign in collaboration with stores and businesses to discourage potential shoplifters from engaging in the crime. The public awareness campaigns against shoplifting inform the public on the disadvantages of shoplifting, encouraging people to report shoplifting and burglary incidences, and increase information about the consequences of apprehension (Carmel, 2011). Public awareness campaigns can be done through public service announcements, classes, pamphlets, and posters. This approach ensures that communities and law enforcement can cooperate in curbing shoplifting and burglary in society.
Additionally, law enforcement needs to develop a policy of advising businesses and stores on precautionary measures to adopt to prevent and eliminate shoplifting in their business establishments (Carmel, 2011). In this regard, businesses need to adopt technology in preventing and deterring shoplifters, such as installation and monitoring CCTV, attaching ink tags to merchandise, and use of advanced surveillance electronic systems. Additionally, shoplifting policies such as the use of civil recovery policy can be adopted shoplifters and burglars can pay for their crime through the restitution process.
Assessment
There is a need to conduct an assessment as community policing officers to establish the effectiveness of policies and solutions to curb shoplifting. In this regard, the community policing needs to conduct surveys in their region on the shoplifting and burglary statistics. The statistics need to be compared with earlier statistics before the implementation of policies and solutions. This approach determines the effectiveness of the policies and solutions. Additionally, one needs to evaluate and assess the general trend on shoplifting and burglary to ensure the improvement of the policies and solutions to address the arising issues.
Conclusion
It is evident that shoplifting and burglary in a business establishment is an issue of concern due to its impact on the business; thus, there is a need for community policing officers to adopt different strategies to curb shoplifting. The policies against shoplifting are directed towards prevention, addressing the shoplifting incidences, and creating awareness the society to avoid engaging in shoplifting incidences. The strategies to curb shoplifting will be effective through cooperation and coordination between law enforcement agencies, the community, retailers, and manufacturers. The different policies against shoplifting need to be used collectively to achieve the highest levels of success in preventing and eliminating shoplifting and burglary.
References
Carmel‐Gilfilen, C. (2011). Advancing retail security design: Uncovering shoplifter perceptions of the physical environment. Journal of Interior Design, 36(2), 21-38.
Hayes, R., & Downs, D. M. (2011). Controlling retail theft with CCTV domes, CCTV public view monitors, and protective containers: A randomized controlled trial. Security Journal, 24(3), 237-250.
Lasky, N. V., Fisher, B. S., & Jacques, S. (2017). ‘Thinking thief’in the crime prevention arms race: Lessons learned from shoplifters. Security Journal, 30(3), 772-792.
Smith, B. T. (2013). Differential shoplifting risks of fast-moving consumer goods (Doctoral dissertation, Rutgers University-Graduate School-Newark).
