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Shoplifting
 

What is shoplifting?

Shoplifting is the illegal act of taking goods from a shop without first paying for them.

Why do people shoplift?

There are a number of different reasons why people shoplift, some of these are:

  • A lot of shoplifters are of the younger generation so they are in their early twenties or they are youth’s. They may shoplift because they do not have a lot of money of their own or because the things they see in the shops tempt them, yet they know they cannot afford these items.

  • Some shoplifters actually take goods without paying for them as a profession. They are professionals and they cause stores to lose out on a lot of stock and income.

  • Some people shoplift as a way of getting money or as a way of funding a drug habit. They may shoplift for other people or they may do it themselves and then sell the items on to other unsuspecting people.

  • There are some shoplifters who steal due to mental health problems. A good example of this is kleptomania which is basically an impulse to take things.

What happens if you are caught shoplifting?

If you are caught shoplifting, there are many possible consequences that you may be faced with, some of these are short term and others are long term.  For information regarding the powers of store detectives in relation to shoplifting please see the relevant article.

The main consequences of being caught shoplifting are:

  • Depending on the severity of the shoplifting offence  – prison

  • A police caution

  • A criminal record

  • You may end up being arrested and taken into custody.

  • You make a bad name for yourself and can be banned from the particular store.

How does shoplifting affect others?

Most people believe that shoplifting is essentially a victimless crime as in most cases nobody else is involved. This is not the case; the general public have to pay increased prices that can rise by as much as 10% to cover losses made from shoplifting.

The victims of shoplifting are:

  • The family of the shoplifter

  • The store owners and their families

  • The store workers

  • Yourself – the shoplifter

  • The general public

The retail outlet is also affected in many ways by shoplifters, there is the inconvenience caused, the loss of stock and it is also time consuming for store owners to deal with the effects of shoplifting.

    
 

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