CRIME Spotted a shoplifter yesterday

annieosage

annieosage

Inactive
I was at Walgreens getting a couple last minute items for my trip coming up this week. As I stood in line with one person at the checkout in front of me, I watch this homeless looking dude near the front door, arms full of merchandise, grab his backpack and skateboard, and quietly walk out. He didn't run just casually walked out as the alarm rang.

I looked at the cashier and I didn't think he noticed. I said, "That guy just walked out with a ton of stuff". He said he knew but they are not allowed to do anything. :eek: I said so technically, I could walk out with the stuff in my cart and you couldn't stop me? He said yes that's right.

I mean, how do they stay in business?? I never would have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes.
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
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annieosage said:
I was at Walgreens getting a couple last minute items for my trip coming up this week. As I stood in line with one person at the checkout in front of me, I watch this homeless looking dude near the front door, arms full of merchandise, grab his backpack and skateboard, and quietly walk out. He didn't run just casually walked out as the alarm rang.

I looked at the cashier and I didn't think he noticed. I said, "That guy just walked out with a ton of stuff". He said he knew but they are not allowed to do anything. :eek: I said so technically, I could walk out with the stuff in my cart and you couldn't stop me? He said yes that's right.

I mean, how do they stay in business?? I never would have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes.
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That's how we end up with "food deserts"... certain demographics rob them blind and they eventually shut down completely.

Summerthyme
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
That's another reason for masks to go away. The stores get good photos of the perps and the police post them on their face book page, but they are a lot easier to identify with less of their face covered.
 
helen

helen

Panic Sex Lady
I almost got fired just for following the guy outside to see what he was driving. They recovered hundreds of dollars of stuff, nearly a grand that he carried out in his arms. I told the cops where to look. They had to have an eye witness to do a search.

Workers comp claims for an employee getting hurt or killed cost more than the value of the stolen items. That's why they have that rule.
 
Meemur

Meemur

Voice on the Prairie / FJB!
Bubble Head said:
Saw one walk out of a Kroger (King Sooper) pushing a shopping cart full of food. Nobody stopped him. Don't know if he just put it in a car and took of or split it up in the lot.
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They will stop them here if they have a whole basket. Those who are stuffing a loaf of bread and a few cans of soup into a messenger bag are generally ignored.

I've never see shoplifting first thing in the morning, which is generally when I go. It's mostly night shift workers and seniors.
 
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Leela

Veteran Member
Geez, we walk out with full shopping carts outside after leaving the check stand, and then transfer the contents into our car where we have shopping bags. It minimizes the time in line for everyone and we make sure our bread doesn't get squished.

I used to work at a 5 and dime store when I was in college, once saw a geezer cop a razor. He needed it (pretty fuzzy gray face) , and I didn't wan't to raise hell to go after him.
 
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parsonswife

Veteran Member
Millwright said:
Cheaper than hiring door security.
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Cheaper than lawyers. I was told There was a lawsuit about 8 years ago where the "victim” was"profiled" by store employee and "harassed" and "intimidated" when they were asked to show what was in their jacket.

And the store lost....now most stores around here aren't allowed to stare, say anything, photograph or follow anyone. It's open season for thieves. That why cheap sunglasses are $20.
 
Jackalope

Jackalope

Irregular
Our local Walmart and Rural King (middle TN) both fully prosecute shoplifters, even if the items lifted are less than $5.00 total. In fact, the police have a designated, marked parking spot right in front of the Walmart. Supposedly, due to the high arrest numbers of the shoplifters, it has skewed the overall crime numbers for the area. The shoplifting arrests and total stolen amounts are published in the local newspaper, and they definitely tally more than all other crimes.
 
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helunnjr

Contributing Member
When I was a HS teenager working at A&P in Orlando (5 decades ago) I watched a guy push a huge frozen fish down the front of his pants. He made a small purchase and beat feet out of there heading to his apartment for a feast.

Not so fast! I engaged him in conversation outside for about 5 minutes while he suffered and then finally told him to come back later with the label so I could write it off on our loss sheets. He did. 3 hours later it was accounted for and I never saw him in our store again. Wouldn't put the fish back out there to sell....

Henry in 29 Palms
 
Calfisher

Calfisher

Veteran Member
At a WM in Az. two ladies with two full carts walked right out between the self checkouts. When we got to our vehicle they with the two kids were piling the goods into the car right next to us. I just could not let it go and walked back to the store and advised a police man. He was in the process of arresting someone for stealing. His partner went over and asked them to produce a receipt for the items in the cart. Busted! The next time we were in that same store, I asked one of the security people that I recognized from that day. She said both ladies had warrants for the same thing. They went to jail and the two kids went to CPS.
 
Ractivist

Ractivist

Pride comes before the fall.....Pride month ended.
Witnessed the same the at a Walgreens a few months ago. Same response. No pursuit, and yes I could walk out with nothing being done........ actually left my small purchase of cheaters, went back five minutes later, and rebought them....as they went out with the following customer.
 
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Thunderdragon

Senior Member
annieosage said:
I was at Walgreens getting a couple last minute items for my trip coming up this week. As I stood in line with one person at the checkout in front of me, I watch this homeless looking dude near the front door, arms full of merchandise, grab his backpack and skateboard, and quietly walk out. He didn't run just casually walked out as the alarm rang.

I looked at the cashier and I didn't think he noticed. I said, "That guy just walked out with a ton of stuff". He said he knew but they are not allowed to do anything. :eek: I said so technically, I could walk out with the stuff in my cart and you couldn't stop me? He said yes that's right.

I mean, how do they stay in business?? I never would have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes.
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It has kind of become an honor system. I see it often. Unfortunately, the dummies like me..or us I should say..subsidize it by paying.
 
tiredude

tiredude

Veteran Member
This is funny........ so I 'saw' something yesterday too. I was in the grocery store...... three pick a ninnys running around wild....i said to myself this aint good (two girls one boy....8 year olds....)I go to checkout and the kids leave..... didnt have a thing in their hands.... I load up and start driving home......there they are walking on down the road...... happy as can be.....with a kool aid drink and a snack in each hand......fact is they stole their lunch.......
 
Terriannie

Terriannie

Has No Life - Lives on TB
Maybe stores don't say anything or chase thieves for fear they'll tell their buddies and be targeted by a gang? (Of course, we know they would do that anyway. ;) )
 
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summerthyme

Administrator
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Terriannie said:
Maybe stores don't say anything or chase thieves for fear they'll tell their buddies and be targeted by a gang? (Of course, we know they would do that anyway. ;) )
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Well, yes... but its the Suit and Tie brigade they are really afraid of... lawyers! Poor Tanisha trips and skins her knee running from security, and suddenly Stop and Rob is paying her 10 million bucks because it ruined her online sex tape career!

Summerthyme
 
K

KFhunter

Veteran Member
annieosage said:
I was at Walgreens getting a couple last minute items for my trip coming up this week. As I stood in line with one person at the checkout in front of me, I watch this homeless looking dude near the front door, arms full of merchandise, grab his backpack and skateboard, and quietly walk out. He didn't run just casually walked out as the alarm rang.

I looked at the cashier and I didn't think he noticed. I said, "That guy just walked out with a ton of stuff". He said he knew but they are not allowed to do anything. :eek: I said so technically, I could walk out with the stuff in my cart and you couldn't stop me? He said yes that's right.

I mean, how do they stay in business?? I never would have believed it had I not seen it with my own eyes.
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Honest people pay for their crimes, you have a license plate, assests to seize, and can pay, so you'd get punished.

The homeless guy has none of that, there's no incentive to bust him, they can't squeeze him for cash, he's already a net drain on the system, and there is freedom from prosecution in that.
 
Walrus Whisperer

Walrus Whisperer

Hope in chains...
About 10 years ago, I darn near got knocked over by a guy running out of Walmart here. He was being chased by 2 people. I assumed he had stolen something valuable. Never seen that before or since.
 
Satanta

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
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Besides Worker Safety there are the Lawsuits.

Even back in the 80's I was told that, if someone came in and demanded money, offer to carry the Cash Register to their car-comply and be nice and friendly as it's not worth dying over Insured Money or Goods.
 
Satanta

Satanta

Stone Cold Crazy
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KFhunter said:
Honest people pay for their crimes, you have a license plate, assests to seize, and can pay, so you'd get punished.

The homeless guy has none of that, there's no incentive to bust him, they can't squeeze him for cash, he's already a net drain on the system, and there is freedom from prosecution in that.
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Yeah, when I was Homeless I knew others who were as well. They had a circuit of places they'd hit once a month-restaurants mainly where they would eat their fill, then complain and get a free Meal Voucher for later.

One guy had a timetable where, once a month he'd do something to get busted and go into County for a week or so-three hots and a Cot plus showers, play all the cards and basketball you want and a communal TV with a movie night every week.

Some of them were so well known the Cops greeted them by name, did not bother to cuff them and ride them to jail in the front seat. Did not bother fingerprinting or mugshots-just let them out on the sidewalk and they go on in and see which Cellblock they were sleeping in for the next week.
 
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H2O

Senior Member
Many years ago, I worked for a large local department store in the Baltimore area (Hutzlers if anyone remembers that name), in the 70's they tried hiring off duty Baltimore City police as store security because of the high theft rate. Balt City cops were required to he armed at all times, at least back then. That ended real fast when one of the cops fired several rounds into a car of fleeing shoplifters. Lawyers shut that down fast.
 
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