Thieves often take aim at stores geared toward young people
Each summer, petty theft increases dramatically in stores across the Island, according to police and proprietors of retail businesses. Storeowners repeatedly catch shoplifters attempting to steal merchandise and turn them over to the police, but according to local law enforcement, some businesses are targeted more than others.
Lieutenant Tim Williamson of the Oak Bluffs Police said last week that shops offering merchandise that appeals to a younger clientele are the ones from which police most often receive calls. He added that storeowners whose shops are hit repeatedly are more likely to report theft.
"My belief," the lieutenant explained, "is that we notice it more in certain stores, because certain shop owners are more vigilant and bring it to our attention. But I think it's happening more than in just the stores where it's being reported. The stores that typically report it are the stores where the merchandise is more geared toward young people, so they seem to be targeted more."
Where it's happening
Lori Welch is the owner of Basics and Eastaway clothing stores, both on Circuit Avenue in Oak Bluffs. Her stores sell apparel, shoes, and jewelry that appeal to young people, and both businesses are frequent targets for shoplifters.
In the June 25 issue of The Times, police described a call on the afternoon of June 20, when Basics employees caught two young women attempting to steal merchandise. Melissa Boyd, 19, of Edgartown, had stolen the shirt she was wearing, as Michelle Plesser, 22, hid stolen merchandise in a baby carriage carrying two infants, according to the police report.
Ms. Welch said that in nearly 30 years of business, shoplifters have not been as big of a problem as they have been this year and that thieves have become more shameless.
"It's all over the place," she said. "It's happening in the dressing rooms, but it's also happening right on the floor, very brazen."
Who shoplifts and how do they do it?
According to Ms. Welch, there is no profile for a typical shoplifter. She has reported thieves whose ages range from teens to middle age, and she has caught thieves who looked clean cut, as well as those who looked disheveled. Of shoplifting techniques, she said, "People will try to befriend you, and then steal from you anyway. Oftentimes, people purchase something and steal something, so it's almost a false honesty."
Erick Anderson, owner of Trader Jack's on Circuit Avenue, agreed that the problem has grown dramatically this year, and most of the theft he has reported has involved high-school age kids.
"Honestly, I think it's worse this year than in years past," he said. "I think it's the economy. Kids just don't have enough money to buy things, so they steal stuff. They think they're entitled."
Lieutenant Williamson said most reported offenders are teenagers and young people in their early twenties. He said that charges are usually filed, but in some circumstances, he will try to avoid bringing legal action against minors. "If it's a 13- or 14-year-old, sometimes we'll just call the parents and let them deal with it, because to put the kid through the criminal justice system at that age is not appropriate."
Lieutenant Williamson also described some of the shoplifting techniques with which he's become familiar. For instance, shoplifting by concealment occurs when someone hides an item on their person or in a bag and tries to sneak it out of the store. Shoplifting by altering or removing a label or tag is another tactic. Shoplifting by transferring merchandise into a different container is yet another, and the lieutenant offered the example of a thief hiding a $15 item inside an item that has a $2 price tag.
What are the costs to the business owner?
Lt. Williamson said that business on-Island is like a food chain, and losses from one business get passed on to others, because successful shoplifters tend to become repeat offenders. As a result, the overall cost of theft affects Island businesses substantially, regardless of police involvement or returned merchandise.
"We came up with the statistic, that we could employ one fulltime year-round person at a very good salary for the amount of losses that we have," Ms. Welch, the Basics and Eastaway retailer, said. "It's hard enough with rent, and help, and healthcare costs, and 401Ks and all that, and then you add this as a cost on top of it, and it's really challenging."
Mr. Anderson said that he estimates Trader Jack's suffers a yearly loss of $7,000 to $10,000 from shoplifters, approximately one percent of total sales.
"I always involve the police to report a theft," he said. "You have to send a message, and you have to take it seriously, otherwise the kids will talk to each other and say, 'Hey, go here because he doesn't call the cops.'"
The emotional toll that a shoplifting incident has on staff is a side effect. In addition, stores may not receive full price for stolen merchandise, when reimbursement is ordered by a court. "Sometimes we don't get full retail value for the item," Ms. Welch said. "The courts are under the misimpression that our only cost is an item's wholesale value, but many more costs go into the overall value of an item."
What are the legal consequences?
In Massachusetts, shoplifting charges vary depending on the value of goods stolen and the number of prior offenses on a thief's record. But, Lieutenant Williamson said, police involvement may be initiated once probable cause is determined. "Two hundred fifty dollars is the threshold between a misdemeanor and a felony charge, and [shoplifting] is an arrestable misdemeanor," he said. "All I need is the shop owner to say, 'We stopped this person, and we found this item secreted under their jacket,' and just based on that, the officer can make an arrest."
For stolen goods valued at less than $100, a first offense fine will amount to as much as $250. A second offense will result in a fine of up to $500, and a third offense will be a fine of up to $500, imprisonment for up to two years, or both.
However, Officer Williamson said that if the retail value of stolen goods equals or exceeds $100, the punishment for a first time offense may be much more severe. If convicted, an offender could face up to two and a half years of jail time, as well a fine of up to $1,000.
Ms. Welch said in her stores, once a shoplifter is caught, he or she is served with a no trespassing order and banned from the store for life. Though legal action is taken against offenders who are caught, she said there is no deterrence for shoplifters who get away with stolen merchandise. "If you steal something and you don't get caught, you get it for free," she said. "It's just wrong."
What methods of security do storeowners use?
Store owners train employees to be aware of the possibility of theft and to watch for certain behaviors, but when stores are full of shoppers, and employees are busy helping customers, it is difficult to keep track of suspects.
Officer Williamson said that one of the best security measures for Island stores is a closed circuit video camera. "They're so cheap now, and the technology is so good that it's really worth it," he said.
Lori Welch has installed such cameras in both of her stores, and they have helped catch thieves.
Trish Lyman, manager of the Boneyard Surf Shop in Edgartown, said that clothing sensors are her store's preferred method of security. She said that since she has worked there, sensors have deterred, and exposed, many would be shoplifters.
"We have called the cops in the past, but the sensors make it harder to take things," she said. "For the most part, we catch people trying to walk out with stuff."
At Aboveground Records, at the Triangle in Edgartown, a more creative form of security is in place. Owner Michael Barnes said that his store uses sensors inside CD cases, but he also Scotch tapes CDs inside their cases to further deter theft, as employees are likely to hear the tape being ripped off. "Shoplifting used to be a bigger problem, but these days there are much safer ways to steal music," he said. "We try to protect the innocent people from stealing - the ones who didn't plan on it but think of how easy it would be to fit that CD in their pocket."
