apparently shoplifting is legal...

[Guest The Chief]

Having many years in the security industry (both military and civilian) I had to reply. A private security firm might be the answer; however, it seems that when these stores hire private security, they would rather go with "quantity" over "quality." A well-trained security force is not an inexpensive investment; it costs a lot ot train, equip, license, and manage a high-quality organization. Most stores that I am aware of hire the "dime a dozen" security firms which minimally train and minimally pay their "employees" due to rapid personnel turnover. There's no money to be made in training and posting people they don't think will be with them 3 months from now. To get a high quality security force in place just isn't feasible to most stores due to the demands on the parent organization for benefits to retain these high-caliber people (401K's, education, health insurance, etc) which are passed along to the hiring company. As an idea of the cost involved, one security firm I worked for charged the hiring company $38.00 per hour, for a minimally trained guard, who may see $6.50 per hour. You can imagine how much a well-trained, armed guard may go for!

[Guest The Chief]

LadyC, we have "professional" people like that in Raleigh, as well. One individual will hang out by Crabtree Valley Mall and panhandle among the cars stopped at the lights, then, about 5:30 or 6:00 pm or so, he takes his sign and can to his 2 year old BMW, throw his jacket and "tools" in the trunk, and head for his apartment down the road. He was asked once why he was always out there, and didn't have a job; his reply was to the effect that he earns more panhandling in a day than he used to make doing "honest" work, and the work was easier, lol! As far as I know, he's still there (and may have upgraded his BMW, lol).

[irishcowboy]

you know,

it all goes back to the basics.....

if we stop the kid stealing the candy bar, it might keep that same kid from murdering or raping some one later on in life....

if we stop the kids from doing wrong at a young age, and give them the proper punishment for the crimes at a younger age..... then they may be less apt to be committing harder crimes as they grow older.....

like the Word, we instill it in them, teach them at a young age, and they will return to it later on..... and stay with it more consistantly....

I have to agree thou, it does appear that the cops dont do much....

we have been having record high drug arrest, but we have a very low conviction rate.... so the drug dealers come to this area from other areas that have higher conviction rates.....

the cops do the arrest, and do the investigations and such, and every thing is good, but the person walks..... one person i know got arrested 5 times before he was removed from the streets ( drugs with in a school zone too )..... another one has been arrested at least 4 times, ( another one with in a school zone ) and has yet to spend a total of 24 hours behind bars, is bonded out with in an hour or so after arriving....

oh well.... maybe the stores need to have two security officers on hand at any given time.... one to witness and ensure the other one is not over steping their bou ndries.... and vise verse

mike

[irishcowboy]

LadyC, we have "professional" people like that in Raleigh, as well. One individual will hang out by Crabtree Valley Mall and panhandle among the cars stopped at the lights, then, about 5:30 or 6:00 pm or so, he takes his sign and can to his 2 year old BMW, throw his jacket and "tools" in the trunk, and head for his apartment down the road. He was asked once why he was always out there, and didn't have a job; his reply was to the effect that he earns more panhandling in a day than he used to make doing "honest" work, and the work was easier, lol! As far as I know, he's still there (and may have upgraded his BMW, lol).

Yea, seen this at Imperial Beach area ( by the navy federal credit union )

a man with a sign, will work for food and or money......

sits there quite a while some days..... brings in more in a week then i was bringing in in a month..... including BAQ and Comrats and COLA ...... and .....

he was asked one day how much he made doing that, and it came to about 500 a day..... and never lifted a hand to do a lick of work....

mike