NCJ Number
67759
Journal
Security World Volume: 17 Issue: 5 Dated: (MAY 1980) Pages: 38-41
Date Published
1980
Length
4 pages
Annotation
THIS ARTICLE COMPARES MANAGEMENT REACTIONS TO SHOPLIFTING DIFFERENT RETAIL STORES AND ALSO COMPARES POLICIES OF STORES WITH SECURITY FORCES TO POLICIES OF STORES WITHOUT SECURITY FORCES.
Abstract
RESEARCHERS INTERVIEWED 243 RETAIL MERCHANTS IN A SMALL NEW ENGLAND CITY, 98 OF WHOM HAD APPREHENDED SHOPLIFTERS DURING THE LAST 12 MONTHS. THEY ALSO INTERVIEWED 76 NEW YORK CITY STORES THAT HAD APPREHENDED SHOPLIFTERS. THE SMALL CITY RESPONSE RATE WAS 88 PERCENT, WHILE NEW YORK'S WAS ONLY 51 PERCENT. IN BOTH CITIES, 63 TO 64 PERCENT OF THE STORES DID NOT CALL THE POLICE WHEN THEY COULD HAVE, WHILE SMALL CITY STORES WERE 11 PERCENT MORE LIKELY TO USE POLICE 50 PERCENT OR MORE OF THE TIME. IT WAS ALSO FOUND THAT NEW YORK STORES ARE MORE LIKELY TO ASK ALL SHOPLIFTERS, REGARDLESS OF AGE, TO LEAVE AND NEVER COME BACK. SMALL CITY STORES SEEMED TO BE MORE LENIENT WITH YOUNGSTERS UNDER 10, WHILE NEW YORKERS WERE MORE WILLING TO CALL THEIR PARENTS AND WOULD TRY TO SCARE SHOPLIFTERS BY PRETENDING TO CALL THE POLICE. NEW YORKERS WERE MORE WILLING TO LET TEENAGERS GO WITH JUST A WARNING OR TO CALL THEIR PARENTS, BUT SMALL CITY MANAGERS WERE MORE LIKELY TO CALL THE POLICE. WHILE 67 PERCENT OF THE NEW YORK STORES TOLD OTHER STORES OF AN APPREHENSION, ONLY 43 PERCENT OF THE SMALL CITY STORES CONTACTED OTHER STORES. ONLY 12 NEW YORK STORES AND 10 SMALL CITY STORES USED SECURITY. IT WAS FOUND THAT STORES WITHOUT SECURITY FORCES WERE LESS LIKELY TO CALL THE POLICE AND HAD A MORE LENIENT POLICY TOWARD SHOPLIFTERS. ALTHOUGH THERE WAS A WIDE VARIATION AMONG STORES IN THEIR POLICY TOWARD SHOPLIFTERS, THE ARTICLE CONCLUDES THAT HAVING A SECURITY FORCE APPEARS TO HAVE AN EFFECT ON THESE POLICIES. CHARTS ARE INCLUDED. (JLF)