AUGUST 2008: AROUND THE STATE
THE
5-FINGER DISCOUNT GETS BIGGER
STATEWIDE Shoplifting is an enduring nuisance but in tough
economic times the problem goes from bad to worse.
As unemployment rises and goods become pricier, the temptation
to steal only intensifies. “We have long seen the inverse
relationship between the economy and crime,” says
Portland State University criminologist Lynette Feder.
“Often they’re doing it just to get by.”
It’s the staples such as food and clothes that are being
targeted, says Mark Doyle, president of Jack L. Hayes
International, a national loss-prevention firm based in
Florida. The company publishes an annual report on nationwide
shoplifting trends. In 2006, thieves stole more than $6 billion
worth of goods from 23 major retailers.
Exact figures are hard to get because businesses generally
don’t elaborate on their own shoplifting headaches to
avoid being seen as a place that attracts criminal activity,
says Robert Swanberg, owner of Gateway Services, a
Portland-based security consulting firm. Also, many businesses
deal with caught shoplifters internally, often with civil
citations or threats to prosecute if they return.
But even those crimes reported show an increase. In Portland,
crime was down in all categories for the first half of 2008
except shoplifting, say police, which is up 83 incidents from
the same time period last year, 2,142 to 2,225. Eugene police
have seen an 11% jump from 2006.
Dan Floyd, spokesman for Safeway in Oregon, says shoplifting
is increasing, with food and easily resold items such as baby
diapers and shaving razor blades being hot targets. Shoplifting
accounts for $10 million in annual company loses in the state,
says Floyd.
Many of the bigger retailers are less focused on small-time
shoplifters than they are on organized retail crime. Last year
Floyd, then a lobbyist for the Northwest Grocery Association,
spearheaded and helped pass a bill mandating stronger
enforcement and stiffer penalties for people in possession with
intent to resell stolen merchandise worth more than $5,000.
Swanberg says laying off workers in a faltering economy only
compounds the problem. Fewer workers on the floor emboldens
thieves, leading to more swiped goods. “The big stores
suffer the most,” he says.
Target, which has 17 stores in Oregon, says it’s also
seeing more theft. In response, the company is training workers
in preventative customer service skills, using more
surveillance equipment and pushing for stronger shoplifting
laws.
For some business though, shoplifting is a boon. “I am
getting more phone calls every day,” security firm boss
Swanberg says.
JASON SHUFFLER
