The Issue

Why Should We All Say No To Shoplifting?

In simple terms…To foster honesty, character and integrity in our youth today to ensure a better future for all tomorrow.

  • Today, 50% fewer parents than in years past talk to their children and teens about why shoplifting is wrong.
  • 89% of kids who shoplift know other kids who shoplift and 66% hang out with those kids.
  • 1 in 4 youth admit to having shoplifted beginning between the ages of 12-16...92% of those same youth say they are satisfied with their ethics and character.
  • 60% of adult shoplifters know others who shoplift, up from 10% in 1979; clearly demonstrating that shoplifting is becoming less fearful, less shameful and more accepted.
  • Shoplifters say they are caught only 1 in 49 times they steal.
  • 55% of adult shoplifters started in their teens.

A recent NASP survey asked hundreds of judges, prosecutors, probation and law enforcement officers if they thought shoplifting was a Gateway Crime – "a crime with little or no consequence which acts as an initiator to other criminal behavior".

79% of those justice professionals said "YES", adding that in their experience shoplifting is a gateway to greater acts of shoplifting as well as more serious crime; explaining it is not the theft itself, but the act of "getting away with it" which precipitates future crime. If, in the opinion of justice professionals across the nation, shoplifting is often the starting point to future criminal behavior – employee theft, burglary, fraud, embezzlement – the importance of proactively addressing it becomes much clearer.

Unfortunately, there is a tendency by adults, teens and youth across the country to regard shoplifting as "no big deal" or a "victimless" crime. We often hear from the parents of juveniles caught shoplifting, "what's the big deal, it was just a small item", or "kids will be kids". But when given the facts about shoplifting those same people often have a change of heart. Consider the following.

Shoplifting is one of the most prevalent crimes in the U.S., averaging about 550,000 incidents per day, resulting in losses of more than $35 million each day to retailers and a drain on our economy.

But the losses don't stop there. While it is very important to recognize that the losses affect retail profits and our economy, they affect you, your family and the local community where you live and work. Consider:

  • The higher prices consumers must pay to cover losses from theft.
  • The inconvenience and invasiveness of security measures to consumers when shopping in stores.
  • The reduction of staff or wages for employees when stores lose profits.
  • The loss of community jobs when stores are forced to close.
  • The loss of state and local sales tax revenue for local programs and services.
  • The added burden on the police and the courts.
  • The loss of the communities' quality of life.
  • The added financial and emotional hardship on families resulting from the arrest of a family member.
  • The corruption of our youth and our future workforce and economy when dishonesty is not effectively addressed at its most fundamental level.

Shoplifting steals from you, your family and the community. Since the crime directly affects so many people, it is essential that parents and other adults collectively and consistently respond to shoplifting with a message that promotes honesty, character and integrity amongst our youth. This will help ensure a better future for all.