NCJ Number
194801
Date Published
August 2002
Length
60 pages
Annotation
This guide is designed to help police officers understand the crime of retail burglaries and effectively analyze and respond to this problem in their communities.
Abstract
This guide is one of a series of guides designed to help police officers understand and confront various crimes or social problems in their communities. This issue deals with the crime of burglaries of retail establishments. It begins by reviewing what is known about these types of crimes. There is little published information about retail burglaries, in part because retail burglaries are usually considered less serious than residential burglaries. However, the author points out that retail burglaries have consequences not only for the employees of particular retail establishments, but also for the community in general. Burglaries of this nature can affect the viability of a store and its employees, as well as the neighborhood or community that depends upon its’ good and services. The guide lists risk factors that contribute to retail burglary, including the location of the establishment, its size, and the type of goods it sells. The author then offers several questions designed to help local law enforcement officers analyze the extent of this type of crime in their communities. Then the guide offers suggestions for effectively combating this crime; suggestions such as targeting repeat offenders, establishing shop watch programs, and assisting shop owners in upgrading external security. Finally, the appendix offers a graph that summarizes effective responses to retail burglary.