apparently shoplifting is legal...

[Guest LadyC]

i just ran up to the store a few minutes ago. as i was on my way in, the store's asst. mgr was following some scruffy grungy looking homeless guy out of the store telling him to drop the merchandise. the guy stuffed it down his pants and waved the employee off as if to say "shut up and leave me alone", and kept walking.

inside, i asked why the cops hadn't been called by another employee as soon as it occurred, and i was told "because metro (or local police dept) won't come out on shoplifting calls". i was incensed! i was then told that only if it is over a certain dollar amount in worth will they come, and nothing in the store that can be easily carried out is of enough value. she said because of that, the same shoplifters come back time after time, knowing nothing will be done.

and i've always wondered why the price of groceries in this city is so outrageously high! the cops don't care!!!

[Born Again]

Well, it's very believable actually... The company I work for has certain rules to apprehend a shoplifter- only managers are allowed to do it, but we must have 4 steps of proof in order for us to apprehend. They do this because of lawsuits in the past that have cost the company alot of money and the managers their jobs. Personally, it drives me nuts, but my job is much more important. I let them go and pray for them!

[Steff]

This is why they should privatize their security and hold the suspect. I find that unacceptable that they allow that.

[alecia]

Yes.. private security.

Stealing is always wrong, yes, but cops -should- have more important things to do than to chase down a bum that stole a $1 bag of potato chips... if Im being murdered I want to know the cops are coming, and they arent busy chasing a kid that took a candy bar.

Private security should deal with preventing such petty theft and similar crimes.

It isnt the fault of the police that they are outnumbered and have bigger fish to fry.. they deal with atrocities that one can only imagine. They have a high stress, high danger job, with psychologicial traumas, high alcoholism and a high suicide rate.. we really need to give cops a break and let them do thier real job, stopping -violent- and -dangerous- criminals, risking thier lives to protect you and me.

Edited August 21, 2004 by alecia

[Guest Gladiator4God]

a few months back here in Ohio the store my bro in law works for in columbus Krogers.....a lifter was shot n killed over steak by a private security gaurd

[hmh]

Don't blame you local police for not doing their jobs. I currently work in law enforcement and the reasons why many departments may not respond is because of such reasons as 1. not enough officers to respond to such calls, 2. the local district attorney refuse to prosecute such cases, 3. law enforcement agencies have set very restrictive policies that all but prevent their officers from even chasing after offenders, and 4. priority calls, such as burglaries or domestic disturbances, are in progress. Some of the reasons for #1 is because many law enforcement agencies are having a very difficult time finding qualified people to hire or their budgets are being cut to save the city/county money. Because of that reason #4 becomes the only calls police will respond. It is my understanding NYPD will not investigate any burglary loss under $10,000 and any robbery loss under $1000 unless someone was killed. Reason #2, with the district attorney not prosecuting cases. Most DA's will not prosecute because they feel it is a waste of time, money, and effort to prosecute someone who stole a bag of potato chips. I work in a area where the DA makes excuses in not prosecuting murder cases! And reason #3, many agencies do not allow officers to pursue offenders, in vehicles and increasingly on foot, because of the liability issues and because of workman's comp issues. Unfortunately, it boils down to money. And in a society that worships money more than God, this is the path we are following. :lightbulb:

[Guest shadow2b]

-Yes.. private security.

Stealing is always wrong, yes, but cops -should- have more important things to do than to chase down a bum that stole a $1 bag of potato chips... if Im being murdered I want to know the cops are coming, and they arent busy chasing a kid that took a candy bar.

-{The cops have More Important things to do??}-

-THAT IS A JOKE :x:

-yup the #1 priority of the PO-lice is to bring in"$$REVENUE$$"for the city-Ruling ELITE-I.E. mayor--city-council-members-judges--D.A.s lawyers--

-The #1 way they do this is thru Traffic-$fines$-in other words STEALING FROM THE CITIZENS of that city--any-city----one other lill-ole thang ya oughtta know-THE Supreme Court & ApPelate Courts HAVE RULED ALL TRAFFIC--LAWS ARE UNCONSTITUTIONAL-!!-& ILLEGAL!!--AMAZING HUHH??

But I guess ya didn't know that huhh??ohhh the Supreme Court has ruled that "The police owes the individual citizen NO protection AT ALL!!"The only protection the citizenry is owed is in case WE ARE INVADED BY A FOREIGN-POWER!!-ARMY!!---GREAT--I-DEE--HUHH??

[Guest LadyC]

yeah, true, there's a lot of crime in this city that is more of a priority, and should be. i guess it wouldn't bug me so bad if the pub at the end of the shopping center where the store is wasn't the favorite hangout of the local police. (no, they don't hang out drinking, they just hang out eating!) there is at least two police cars parked there most of the time during the afternoon and evening.

i do think private security should be on call. i'd hate for a bum to get shot over a steak, but i don't think it would happen more than once, after word got around!

[Guest shadow2b]

- i'd hate for a bum to get shot over a steak, but i don't think it would happen more than once, after word got around!

-SHOT??over a steak??T-bone or rib-eye??hmmmmm???Interesting concept-

--SHOT??--SHOT??WeLLLLLL, at leest that one par-tic-u-lar THIEF wudden be adoin NO steelin fer awhile...

-IF??PEOPLE--specially GOD'S PEOPLE would STAND-UP--STAND-TOGETHER--& YELL AT THOSE "PUBLIC-SERVANTS"??COPS??-CITY-COUNCILMEN/GALS--OR just run the council & the "Public-servants??"COPS??outta the state then ELECT GOD'S PEOPLE TO THE CITY-COUNCIL--TO APPOINT A CHIEF OF PO-LICE--{Christian of course!}whose job would be to SEARCH for GODLY-MEN & Women{who wanted to "Protect & Serve} that Would OBEY GOD'S WORD which IS to "Cherish & Protect"that which GOD has given you-----THEN you might SEE a Difference in the thieves walking out of stores with LOOT they had just stolen----

-MY personal O-Pinion as to what should be done to shoplifters-----ahhhhhhh-Back to the days of "Yesteryear"---Put the thieves in a STOCKS Like in the pilgrims days

when a thief--a man beating his wife-or wouldn't work to provide for his family--they were locked in a STOCK on the public square & rotten-eggs--rotten tomatos--

ole lettuce were left at the foot of the stocks & the folks came by & threw this garbage at the Offender-----for two or three days--the IDEE was to humiliate the guy & send a real strong message that community would NOT tolerate shiftless men or women or thieves-----Didn't really hurt except the O-ffenders dignity--a mite-------THE WORSE the OFFENSE the longer they stayed in the STOCKS-----

Great I-DEE-I Think------

[Guest LadyC]

Didn't really hurt except the O-ffenders dignity--a mite-------THE WORSE the OFFENSE the longer they stayed in the STOCKS-----

dignity? WHAT dignity? lol, sorry, but if you could see some of the bums around here, you'd know that there is no such thing among them.

there is a career bum that works the dayshift at that store's location. i have seen him there, looking grungy and dirty, with his unkept hair and his walking cane and his knapsack every day for as long as i can remember. well, ever weekday anyway. i have also seen him get picked up for lunch, and then picked up again in the evening. the car (nicer than what i drive, by far!) pulls up alongside him. the bum throws his knapsack, his cane, and his sign into the backseat and climbs into the front. if it's at lunch time, he gets dropped off one hour later, like clockwork.

these people have no dignity, but i dare say a lot of them probably make a pretty decent (tax free) income!

the one doing the stealing last night though, i think he was a true homeless person. he looked the part. but he didn't look like he cared a whit about dignity.