A message to you if you are a store employee.

In store employees, I get it, it can be so aggravating to see someone walk away with a huge basket full of merchandise, but you don't understand shoplifting and the people who do it.<br><br>I can almost guarantee that nearly 90% of shoplifters are stealing because they don't have enough money for the things that they need and want. There is a HUGE difference between need and want, but to the impoverished, needs often become wants.<br><br>Example: soap is a need, as it is used for basic hygiene. Luxurious soap from bath and body works is a want, because it's not absolutely necessary, but someone might want a soap that smells good and feels good to them. This is just one single example as to what a need is versus a want.<br><br>A lot of people are also shoplifting because they feel they are in some way "sticking it to the system" or somehow getting back at "the man" for the injustices that have been committed against them. However, this is not usually the case. Shoplifting is almost never an act of "rebellion."<br><br>As someone who has worked in retail as a stock clerk for years, I can confidently say that the majority of the time, when you call the cops on a shoplifter, they are going to receive little more than a slap on the wrist.<br><br>Example: I had a buddy of mine as a teenager who used to regularly steal expensive cologne from a department store. They caught him, called the cops, and the cops didn't even bother showing up. They told him to never come back in the store and that if he was ever caught stealing inside the store again, he would be arrested and charged with trespassing. They also told him that the charges would be dismissed if he agreed to not sue the store, as they had made a huge mistake by apprehending him. He had been lifting the cologne for almost a year without ever being caught. How much money did the store lose? I'm not sure, but it was a lot.<br><br>Now, as a former stock clerk, I can say that if you ever want to be angry about shoplifting, you should be angry about the huge corporate companies like Walmart, Target, and Walgreens that are silently allowing shoplifters to walk by without even as much as a second glance. They would rather lose money than be sued and bothered with the bullshit that comes with apprehending a thief.<br><br>I have worked in multiple Walmarts, and not once did they ever call the cops on anyone that I had personally caught shoplifting. In fact, they told me to let them go, as it "wasn't worth the hassle."<br><br>I worked in a grocery store that I personally caught a woman stealing hundreds of dollars worth of groceries by hiding them underneath a vest that she was wearing. She did this almost every other day, and not once did they ever call the cops on her or even bother asking her questions. They just let her go, and told her not to come back, as she had already been banned several times before.<br><br>You see, apprehending and prosecuting a shoplifter is expensive, as well as a huge hassle. They have to afford to pay lawyers, as well as afford to pay the security guards their hourly rate for the time that they are sitting in court waiting for the case to be settled, as well as the cost of the merchandise being stolen. Also, if a person is banned, you have to put up posters with their picture on it, as well as train every employee as to who they are and what they are accused of stealing. Then of course you have to afford to pay the salary of the employees who have been mandated to testify in court.<br><br>Now, as an employee, it's easy for you to say, "well the cops should apprehend more people." But the truth is, the cops don't give a shit, and will almost always side with the store if they choose not to apprehend someone. <br><br>A lot of you will say that it is so "frustrating" to see people walk away with things that they didn't pay for, but the truth is, the majority of the time, those people need the shit they are taking, and would much rather buy it. Also, most won't ever be caught.<br><br>I hope this helps clear things up for you. As a former retail employee myself, I feel the need to let you see things from a different perspective.<br><br>Take care.<br><br>Edit:<br><br>Wow, this blew up.<br><br>I just want to say that I am NOT encouraging shoplifting. I am simply offering an explanation as to why it is so prevalent. Also, I am in no way saying that it is okay or justifiable.<br><br>However, I am saying that it is not right to criminalize shoplifters.<br><br>Did you know that if you get convicted of felony shoplifting, you will be barred from ever receiving any kind of government benefits? You will not be eligible for student financial aid. You will not be eligible for help to pay for college. You will not be eligible to receive food stamps or welfare benefits. <br><br>A lot of people rely on these things in order to survive. I personally rely on a combination of student financial aid, food stamps, as well as welfare in order to feed myself and my daughter. If I were to be caught shoplifting, I would receive a felony charge, which would effectively ruin any chances I would have at getting a good paying job, as well as receiving any benefits that I might need to not only survive, but to thrive as a human being.<br><br>I just want to say that I am not encouraging you to go out and steal. I am just saying that you need to understand where people are coming from before you judged them. I personally haven't shoplifted in years, because I am now in a much better financial situation than I was in the past. However, there was a time in my life when I had to steal food in order to eat. There is no justification for that kind of behavior, and I fully understand that. I can't go back and change it, I can only move forward and do better in the future.