Violence in Shoplifting
Violence in Shoplifting
This is something that I stress in my Shoplift Prevention Training Seminars. It is important to remember that most shoplifters look just like you and I. Shoplifters can be male or female: young or old: dressed in business suits or in raggedy jeans. Often professional shoplifters will dress up. Therefore it is important to remember that you cannot pick out a shoplifter simply by their appearance, their ethnic background, or their social economic background. By only focusing on one specific group or characteristic, you may be mistakenly missing a shoplifting incident occurring right in front of you.
This rule also applies, when you apprehend a shoplifter, there is a false notion that all thieves will act a certain way. It is true that the majority of suspects caught will comply with your request, this is especially true when more than one employee is present during the apprehension of the suspect, but there are always exceptions to this rule. Some will run and others may resist. With shoplifting on the rise there are more and more violent altercations that occur between thief and retailer.
In some cases it is easy to spot a potential dangerous situation. These would be the drug addicts, vagrants, and alcoholics. Addictions and abnormal physical requirements can lead to desperate actions and can drive people to theft and other crimes. These desperate individuals who are engaged in the act of shoplifting are generally easier to detect because their actions are often careless, erratic and clumsy. Sales staff and management must take extra precaution because often these thieves are under the influence of a substance and have an obsessive physical need for a substance. This combination can create a high potential for violence. You and your entire staff should be aware that desperate people may take desperate actions, which may include the use of a weapon. All staff members must carefully survey the situation, obtain a good physical description of the suspect and should make their own safety as well as other staff and customers a priority. Let security or police handle these types of criminals.
In other cases a violent situation may not be as easy to recognize. In my seminar I advice retailers to consider the suspects demeanour. Be aware of the following potentially dangerous situations:
- Is the suspect drunk or under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
- Is the suspect becoming more agitated or in anyway more agressive?
- Is the suspect becoming more verbally abusive towards you or other staff members?
- Is the suspects temper increasingly becoming worse?
- Is the suspect moving toward you or staff members?
One or more of these conditions may signal the possibility of a potentially violent incident and although you may have the legal right to use reasonable force to detain the suspect it is Not Recommended. A better choice would be to back off and let this person go. There is no way of knowing if the suspect has a weapon in his or her pocket or the potential level of violence. Call the police ASAP and let them deal with this person. Having a good description of the suspect and the direction they headed will be valuable to the police. If possible from a safe distance follow the culprit to their vehicle and attempt to get a vehicle description and a license plate number. Remember your personal safety, the safety of all your staff members as well as your customers should be the number one priority.
Violence in Shoplifting - To learn more about this author, visit Fred Tarasoff's Website.
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There is no real profile for a shoplifter. Contrary to the stereotype, shoplifters come from all walks of life and range from the well-to-do to the homeless.
This is something that I stress in my Shoplift Prevention Training Seminars. It is important to remember that most shoplifters look just like you and I. Shoplifters can be male or female: young or old: dressed in business suits or in raggedy jeans. Often professional shoplifters will dress up. Therefore it is important to remember that you cannot pick out a shoplifter simply by their appearance, their ethnic background, or their social economic background. By only focusing on one specific group or characteristic, you may be mistakenly missing a shoplifting incident occurring right in front of you.
This rule also applies, when you apprehend a shoplifter, there is a false notion that all thieves will act a certain way. It is true that the majority of suspects caught will comply with your request, this is especially true when more than one employee is present during the apprehension of the suspect, but there are always exceptions to this rule. Some will run and others may resist. With shoplifting on the rise there are more and more violent altercations that occur between thief and retailer.
In some cases it is easy to spot a potential dangerous situation. These would be the drug addicts, vagrants, and alcoholics. Addictions and abnormal physical requirements can lead to desperate actions and can drive people to theft and other crimes. These desperate individuals who are engaged in the act of shoplifting are generally easier to detect because their actions are often careless, erratic and clumsy. Sales staff and management must take extra precaution because often these thieves are under the influence of a substance and have an obsessive physical need for a substance. This combination can create a high potential for violence. You and your entire staff should be aware that desperate people may take desperate actions, which may include the use of a weapon. All staff members must carefully survey the situation, obtain a good physical description of the suspect and should make their own safety as well as other staff and customers a priority. Let security or police handle these types of criminals.
In other cases a violent situation may not be as easy to recognize. In my seminar I advice retailers to consider the suspects demeanour. Be aware of the following potentially dangerous situations:
- Is the suspect drunk or under the influence of drugs or alcohol?
- Is the suspect becoming more agitated or in anyway more agressive?
- Is the suspect becoming more verbally abusive towards you or other staff members?
- Is the suspects temper increasingly becoming worse?
- Is the suspect moving toward you or staff members?
One or more of these conditions may signal the possibility of a potentially violent incident and although you may have the legal right to use reasonable force to detain the suspect it is Not Recommended. A better choice would be to back off and let this person go. There is no way of knowing if the suspect has a weapon in his or her pocket or the potential level of violence. Call the police ASAP and let them deal with this person. Having a good description of the suspect and the direction they headed will be valuable to the police. If possible from a safe distance follow the culprit to their vehicle and attempt to get a vehicle description and a license plate number. Remember your personal safety, the safety of all your staff members as well as your customers should be the number one priority.
Violence in Shoplifting - To learn more about this author, visit Fred Tarasoff's Website.
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