How to Define Shoplifting

Many crimes involve the illegal seizure of property or money. Each type of crime is described with a term based on its specific details. The basic definition of "shoplifting" is "the act of larceny in a shop," but the specifics of shoplifting are as various as the shops themselves.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

Understand the Specifics That Constitute Shoplifting

1. Watch the shoplifter select, conceal and leave or attempt to leave the store without paying for the item. This constitutes shoplifting, as the shopper intended to deprive the store of the appropriate payment.
2. Realize the official charge filed against the accused shoplifter will most likely be referred to as "petty larceny." Some cases, in which larger amounts of expensive goods are stolen or elaborate premeditated schemes are employed, may involve burglary or grand larceny, which are considered felony offenses.
3. Double-check each customer's account name and number. In some states, charging items to a fake account is considered shoplifting.
4. Look for less obvious forms of shoplifting. Many shoplifters alter price tags, change containers and use other methods to pay less than the proper amount for retail goods. Most states define these actions as shoplifting.

Define Types of Shoplifting

5. Understand that professional shoplifting is performed by repeat offenders who generally steal in order to resell the items for profit. These professionals may work in teams or employ sophisticated technology.
6. Realize that juvenile shoplifting, or shoplifting attempted by children and teens, is one of the most common types. Juvenile shoplifting is motivated by factors such as low self-esteem and peer pressure.
7. Establish loss prevention policies that discourage employee theft. When employees abuse their discount or use their access to private areas of the store to remove goods from the premises, this is considered shoplifting.
8. Review the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention Web site for facts and statistics on shoplifting as well as definitions of the crime (see Resources below).
9. Hire a security professional who specializes in loss prevention if you need to develop a shoplifting prevention strategy for your store. This person can further define the most common forms of shoplifting and help you identify ways to minimize the problem.

Tips & Warnings

• Store security or other personnel who may be responsible for detaining shoplifters should be trained to recognize probable cause for shoplifting, as so-called bad stops can lead to false arrest lawsuits.
• Do not deny detained individuals access to water or the bathroom. Improper treatment of an accused shoplifter, including the use of excessive force, can harm your case.
• Failure to identify and prosecute shoplifters can make your store a target for this kind of thievery. Instituting a loss prevention plan that targets all kinds of shoplifting will keep your store's profit loss to a minimum.