NEW WAY OF DEALING WITH SHOPLIFTING? REPORT ON AN EVALUATIVE STUDY OF THE PROCEDURE FOR DEALING WITH SHOPLIFTING IN THE CITY OF HAARLEM

• NCJ Number: 67378
• Author(s): O J ZOOMER; J L P SPICKENHEUER
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 45 pages
• Corporate Author: Netherlands Ministry of Justice
• Publication Format: Document
• Publication Type: Program/Project Evaluation
• Country: Netherlands

Annotation

RESULTS OF A PRELIMINARY STUDY ESTABLISHING TESTING CRITERIA ARE USED TO EVALUATE A NEW PROJECT IN HAARLEM, THE NETHERLANDS, FOR DEALING WITH SHOPLIFTERS OUTSIDE THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM.

Abstract

THE PRELIMINARY STUDY MEASURES THE SHOPLIFTING RATE IN HAARLEM, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE SHOPLIFTERS, TYPES OF THEFTS, THE LENGTH OF TIME BETWEEN THE THEFT REPORT AND THE FINAL COURT DECISION ON THE MATTER, THE NATURE OF COURT DECISIONS REGARDING SHOPLIFTING, AND THE RECIDIVISM RATE OF SHOPLIFTERS. THE SAMPLE CONSISTS OF 338 SHOPLIFTING CASES INVOLVING 413 SHOPLIFTERS REPORTED TO THE POLICE IN HAARLEM FROM OCTOBER 1976 TO OCTOBER 1977. THE NEW PROGRAM TO DEAL WITH SHOPLIFTERS SEEKS TO PROVIDE AN ADEQUATE SOCIAL REACTION AFFECTING SHOPLIFTERS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT AS WELL AS VICTIMS AND THEIR ENVIRONMENT. SHOPLIFTERS OF GOODS VALUED BETWEEN 50 AND 250 GUILDERS ARE REFERRED TO A CENTER RUN BY MEMBERS OF THE HUMANITAS ORGANIZATION OF THE GENERAL REHABILITATION ASSOCIATION OF HAARLEM AND ARE NOT PROSECUTED IF THEY GO. HERE THE SHOPLIFTERS DISCUSS THEIR SITUATION WITH VOLUNTEERS, AND MEASURES ARE SOUGHT TO MODIFY DEVIANT BEHAVIOR WITH REFERRALS TO APPROPRIATE AGENCIES. IN THE SHORT RUN THE PROCEDURE PROVES EFFECTIVE FOR KEEPING AT LEAST SOME SHOPLIFTERS OUTSIDE THE FORMAL CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM. THE CENTER ALSO PROVIDES AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO GATHER INFORMATION ABOUT THE PHENOMENON OF SHOPLIFTING, IF THE INTAKE PROCESS IS STANDARDIZED. ONLY ONE OF THE 33 SHOPLIFTERS FOLLOWED IN THE STUDY SAMPLE COMMITTED FURTHER OFFENSES IN A YEAR, BUT THE SAMPLE IS TOO SMALL FOR DEFINITE CONCLUSIONS ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS. ALL INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE NEW PROGRAM DOES LITTLE TO REDUCE THE WORK OF THE PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE. THE OPTIMUM LENGTH OF TIME BETWEEN START OF THE EXPERIMENT AND EVALUATION DEPENDS ON A NUMBER OF FACTORS SUCH AS THE TIME NECESSARY TO COMPARE DATA FROM THE PRELIMINARY STUDY, THE FORM OF THE EXPERIMENT, AND THE TIME IT TAKES FOR RECIDIVISM OPPORTUNITIES TO OCCUR. SEVERAL NOTES AND TABLES ARE SUPPLIED.