CPD, shops prevent shoplifting with simple tactics

Shop owners deter shoplifting with multiple forms of surveillance.

By Samantha Sunne

Published April 16, 2010

Missouri law allows store staff members to chase after or detain a shoplifter in their stores, Columbia Police Department spokeswoman Jessie Haden said. But CPD prefers the staff act as witnesses rather than law enforcers themselves.

"Put the liability on our shoulders, as police officers, rather than taking it into your own hands," Haden said.

Shoplifters could become combative, changing the situation from a theft to a robbery. Haden said police officers refer to that situation as "shoplifting gone bad."

"If a person is going to become combative or wrest away, the best thing to do at that point is to become a really good witness," she said.

Stephen Weiss, owner of Columbia Photo and Electronics downtown, said he trains his staff to write down a description of the clothes and physical attributes of a shoplifter. He said his employees might follow a thief just long enough to get a description of his or her car and license plate number.

"If we catch someone stealing, we're not chasing after them," Weiss said.

Tiger Spirit sales associate Elizabeth Nicodemus said employees there would never chase a thief out the door. She said her store has the personal contact information of one of CPD's downtown police officers, whom they can call in an incident of theft.

Haden said most shoplifters are arrested only once. They usually go to city court, attend a class and are served with probation. A very small percentage of shoplifters are repeat offenders.

"Generally a shoplifting arrest is pretty low-key," Haden said.

Weiss said Columbia Photo deters shoplifting with overt and covert surveillance, meaning the store has cameras customers can see and ones they cannot see.

Suspicious behavior includes a customer who is constantly looking around the store, asking for a lot of items to be brought out or is wearing a large coat, Weiss said.

"It just doesn't look right," he said.

Nicodemus said a common sign of shoplifting is when a person from a group of customers asks a lot of questions to distract a salesperson. She said Tiger Spirit deters shoplifting by having an employee keeping an eye on customers at all times.

"We do have cameras in the store, and on big days, like game days, we hire a Columbia police officer to be in our store," Nicodemus said.

When a thief is arrested, police check for prior stealing offenses, Haden said. In Missouri, a third stealing offense generally counts as a felony. The severity of the charge depends on the suspect's prior offenses and the length of time between them.

Haden said CPD works with storeowners in the area to teach them and their staff how to act safely in incidents of shoplifting.

"We can be helpful sometimes in talking with businesses and their employees about how to successfully deter some shoplifting and then how to safely deal with it," she said.