Bacon's Rebellion

Democracy Thrives in Sunlight

Stopping Sticky-Fingered Shoppers

—

by

James A. Bacon
in

by Kerry Dougherty

This is not a column about bras. It’s about one more sign of the fall of civilization.

It starts with a bra, though. A simple, white, inexpensive sports bra.

I was in desperate need of a new one and I’m never going to splurge $68 at Lululemon for a swatch of Spandex to contain my modest endowments.

My undies come from less exclusive retail shops.

Which is how I found myself in the athletic wear department of one of these Virginia Beach stores yesterday where I found just what I needed for $16. I paid at the self-checkout and bagged my purchases.

As I went through the exit with several other shoppers, I heard that tell-tale ding, ding, ding, but figured it couldn’t be me because I had no high-ticket items in my bag.

Once home, however, I found a red plastic security tag firmly attached to my new bra. There is no way to remove these things with teeth or tools, so I headed back to the store with my receipt.

As the customer service clerk was removing the tag, I told her that I’d heard the alarm as I went through the door, but no one stopped me.

“We don’t,” she replied.

Continue reading.

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108 responses to “Stopping Sticky-Fingered Shoppers”

  1. Dick Hall-Sizemore Avatar
    Dick Hall-Sizemore

    The security tag serves as a deterrent to thieves in two ways. First, it triggers an altert if you try to leave the store without paying for the item. Two, as Kerry found out, if one is not caught upon leaving, it is really, really, difficult to remove the security tag. So, why go to the trouble of stealing it if you can't use it later? Stores know which items are highly susceptible to being stolen and thus put the security tags on them. For example, I have seen selected laundry detergents in a grocery store encased in a plastic box that the checker has to open.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      it’s 8:30PM 7/11. Are you satisfied with that? It was unscripted.

    2. Marty Chapman Avatar
      Marty Chapman

      Being apprehended, prosecuted, and potentially incarcerated also deters theft, at least in the short term.

  2. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    It's a bigger and bigger problem with more and more stores locking up more and more stuff. But they're also taking pictures at the door and started to use facial recognition and locally we're seeing photos of folks suspected of bad
    behavior on social media and people are getting caught. You gotta wonder where these folks come from and how they were brought up.

    1. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      They come from just about anywhere, but I'm not sure they are "brought up" at all. Many of them seem to have had a "free range" existence from the time they are toddlers…

      1. LarrytheG Avatar
        LarrytheG

        born innocent as all kids are … and………

  3. how_it_works Avatar
    how_it_works

    I noticed that the Manassas Mall Wal-Mart has all of the automotive bulbs locked up.

    Sign of the times.

    Can't figure out who was stealing them or why. It's not like you're going to get pulled over for a blown headlight bulb these days.

    On that subject, it really is exciting to see, after dark, an approaching vehicle with every single light on the driver's side not working. Headlight, parking light, sidemarkers all dead. Especially on a road with no streetlighting and no center line. Can't tell if it's a motorcycle or a car/truck.

    1. Nancy Naive Avatar
      Nancy Naive

      well, you’re supposed to stay on your side of the line anyway.

      For years the ABC store had vodka on the aisle closest to the door, and the cheap stuff too. I went in one day four years ago and they organized the store with bourbon and scotch on that aisle, and the most expensive at the front.

      Some time in the last two months they switched it back.

      1. how_it_works Avatar
        how_it_works

        There is no line on most of these rural roads (VDOT requires 3000 vehicles per day before they paint a center line) and I have no idea if the vehicle missing all if it’s drivers side lighting is fully on their side of the road until I am close to it, for obvious reasons.

        Probably half these vehicles have unrepaired damage on the driver’s side which is why the lights aren’t working. Can’t imagine how they got the driver’s side of their vehicle smashed up.

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          Riding over the line?

          1. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            I’ve had to flash my headlights at vehicles riding over the center of these roads several times recently. That’s during the day. I have no idea if painting a center line would help, but I suspect it would.

          2. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Well, maybe in your part of Virginia, they’re already seeing double by noon in which case lines would only make it worse.

          3. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Oddly enough, I've never seen such a problem with drivers over the center of the road where there are lines.

            Of course, if VDOT paints a line down these roads, you can rest assured that it'll be a double yellow even though you can see oncoming traffic for several thousand feet.

          4. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Oddly enough, I've never seen such a problem with drivers over the center of the road where there are lines.

            Of course, if VDOT paints a line down these roads, you can rest assured that it'll be a double yellow even though you can see oncoming traffic for several thousand feet.

          5. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Yeah VDOT! Ve Dig ‘Oles in Traffic.

          6. WayneS Avatar
            WayneS

            I've often thought that VDOT should adopt a new line configuration for rural roads which are typically unmarked.

            It would consist of a single yellow "skip" line (dashed) along the centerline of the road. Such a marking would be relatively inexpensive to put in place, it would clearly identify the middle of the road, and it would still allow [safe] passing.

          7. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            I think other states mark low-volume rural roads that way. Some states even mark suburban and city streets with a dashed line–I've never seen VDOT do that.

          8. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            ya'll gotta be kidding, right? Surely ya'll have seen how folks drive these days…..

          9. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Seems to work just fine in the states where they do it.

            I have no idea what the problem is in Virginia.

          10. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I have folks tailgating me when I’m 10mph over speed limit. People running red light and stop signs, etc.
            Crazy behaviors.. worse and worse…

          11. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Virginia is full of people who think they are very important and you shouldn’t be in their way.

          12. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            so, don’t give them more infrastructure to abuse …

          13. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Why? So they can turn 2-lane country roads into commuter routes?

            Virginia’s bass-ackwards approach to infrastructure.

        2. James Wyatt Whitehead Avatar
          James Wyatt Whitehead

          The vehicles you are describing. In Warren County they are considered Cadillacs. First class all the way.

          1. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Just as long as it moves when they push the go pedal, it's all good.

      2. Thomas Dixon Avatar
        Thomas Dixon

        I should have such acute awareness of my food pantry.

        1. Nancy Naive Avatar
          Nancy Naive

          Yeah well, it is my food pantry.

          I was just surprised they put $100+ bottles within 6 feet of the door. You put the turpentine where it’ll get stolen.

          1. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            is that self-checkout? ;-]

  4. Nancy Naive Avatar
    Nancy Naive

    or… we could hang children for stealing bread.

    1. WayneS Avatar
      WayneS

      Kickin' it old school…

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        really old school….
        https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R0wH4ZCdce0

    2. Marty Chapman Avatar
      Marty Chapman

      no need to hang them, your buds in Hamas can just sever one of their hands.

      1. Nancy Naive Avatar
        Nancy Naive

        If cutting off the offending member were the punishment, maybe Trump would have shown more respect to women. All in all, E. Jean Carroll is probably happier with the money.

        1. Marty Chapman Avatar
          Marty Chapman

          Alas Nancy, Hamas would require several male witnesses and a specific date of offense in Ms. Carroll's case. I am curious how far you will go with this off topic deflection, so please continue.

          1. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            And Hamas is on topic? Lead on, Macduff.

          2. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            Nancy, the original post concerned how society has come to accept low level larceny. Your response was to make an absurd statement. Did I miss something? Do you actually have a point to make?

          3. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            If no longer hanging children (London, 1700s) for stealing bread is your idea of “accepting”, why Hell, let’s do away with slavery then.

            How far would you like to revert? 10 years for shoplifting donuts? Lashings?

            It’s cost. During the 70s, a friend used to press charges for every bounced check in his stores. After a year or so, his HQ stopped him and put a limit of $100, or so. His zealotry was costing the company far more than the theft. His time in police stations, his time in court, and the company was rarely made whole anyway. And the criminal? They’d just come back and do it again.

          4. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            employees no longer get involved. If they get hurt or worse, the employer is responsible. THey are not police, nor trained or equipped, etc. Apparently this aspect has to be laid out chapter and verse for some to understand.

            BTW, Target is no longer accepting checks.

            Many retailers now capture images and are participating in facial recognition databases.

            Local LE is now providing images of suspected on social media.. and it's working.

          5. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            Nancy, what level of theft is acceptable to you? Can I stroll onto your property and walk away with your lawn mower, maybe a couple tools from your garage? Can I smash your car window and steal whatever I find inside? In the 80’s I was aware of several stores that displayed bounced checks from customers, a little shaming used to go a long way! Please note: as a retired cop I feel compelled to take a hard line against donut theft or any other possible interruption of the donut supply!

          6. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            None. But it’s not my decision. It’s the victim’s decision to accept the loss.

            But let me ask you some questions. Let’s take my friend’s case again. Someone drops a bad check on his store. The law requires he press charges and testify in court that it was the defendant. He wins.

            What does he win? The defendant goes to jail. How’s that compensate his losses?

            Are you willing to use tax dollars, your tax dollars, to compensate his company for his wages, and stolen merchandise?

          7. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            Nancy, the law requires no such thing. He is not compelled to press charges and as we see in Fairfax and Prince William the CA is not obligated to pursue them. The only efficient approach I can see is to deter crime. How do we do that?

          8. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Summary executions? You’re back to hanging children.

            1970s Chappy. He was required to go to the police station with the bounced check, fill out forms, and if it went to court (“my checkbook was stolen” defense) like every other victim, testified. The defendant has the right to confront accusers, remember?

          9. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Summary executions? You’re back to hanging children.

            1970s Chappy. He was required to go to the police station with the bounced check, fill out forms, and if it went to court (“my checkbook was stolen” defense) like every other victim, testified. The defendant has the right to confront accusers, remember?

          10. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            Required by whom? The store owner or his rep can pursue charges or not. He could also serve a no trespassing notice on the offender. So put up or shut up
            sister, what is your solution?

          11. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Required by whom? The courts. You have to report the crime before they can get involved. They don’t just charge people with crimes randomly. Well… anyway. All that costs in addition to the initial loss. You never answered, are we to compensate using tax dollars?

            Here’s a question. Why did AT&T report the recent data breach?

          12. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            Nancy, I understand your reflexive need to change the subject and expand the discussion to the point of absurdity. However, the story is about low level retail theft. What is your solution? Compensation for victims of theft generally comes from private insurance, if available.

            As the victim of a larceny you can report the theft and press charges or you can elect not to. You are not required or compelled. If you are trying to make the point that the criminal justice system is designed to protect the rights of the accused rather than compensate the alleged victims you are correct.

          13. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Not true, entirely. AT&T was compelled by law to report the crime for example.
            Insurance… make a claim and then pay it back in increased premiums.

            These low level crimes (all?) are perpetuated by two factors; minimizing the cost of reporting and enforcement by/to the victim, and the cost-benefit reckoning by the perpetrators. Hanging children was a maximal effort for controlling the latter. It didn’t work. Another is 3-strikes laws. They don’t work. No draconian measures have any real effect on this term of the equation.

            Since the victim is the ONLY party to the first term, and so long as there are “acceptable losses”, it is what it is.

            Let me ask you another question. No doubt on an individual basis, domestic violence enforcement has had a positive effect — some victim's lives have been saved, but what’s the cost of zero-tolerance? Cop sees a cut/bruise and an entire family is driven into great expense. More importantly, has it reduced domestic violence, or just the reporting?

          14. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Not true, entirely. AT&T was compelled by law to report the crime for example.
            Insurance… make a claim and then pay it back in increased premiums.

            These low level crimes (all?) are perpetuated by two factors; minimizing the cost of reporting and enforcement by/to the victim, and the cost-benefit reckoning by the perpetrators. Hanging children was a maximal effort for controlling the latter. It didn’t work. Another is 3-strikes laws. They don’t work. No draconian measures have any real effect on this term of the equation.

            Since the victim is the ONLY party to the first term, and so long as there are “acceptable losses”, it is what it is.

            Let me ask you another question. No doubt on an individual basis, domestic violence enforcement has had a positive effect — some victim's lives have been saved, but what’s the cost of zero-tolerance? Cop sees a cut/bruise and an entire family is driven into great expense. More importantly, has it reduced domestic violence, or just the reporting?

          15. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            Nancy, we are talking about low level retail theft. Domestic violence is another topic. Once again, what is your solution to low level retail theft?

          16. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Which is what the rest of the comment was about. The point about AT&T is that the government can compel victims to report. A smaller example if you need one involves traffic collisions over $X in damages.

          17. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            The government can compel witnesses to appear and can obtain information via subpoena. You are correct about traffic crashes. Once again, the article was about low level retail larceny. Do you have any further comments on this topic? If not, please feel to meander elsewhere.

          18. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            If I do, please feel free not to follow.

          19. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            I gather that large dose of your own medicine did not go down well?

          20. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            “ In the 80’s I was aware of several stores that displayed bounced checks from customers, a little shaming used to go a long way! ”

            Yeah, a real long way. It made the paper hanger drive to the next store. Did the owner ever get his merchandise back? Did the shamed thief make good?

          21. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            I await your proposed solution. Retailers seem to be leaving cities such as San Francisco due to rampant theft.

          22. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Problem solved. Okay, and the credit card companies pursue every fraudulent charge, right? Why not?

          23. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            NOT San Francisco! https://youtu.be/J5vnSDKHLho?si=eitrNrIMP2GVMBnX

          24. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            the tool section — store within a store — model is reminiscent of the electronics section in some WalMarts.

          25. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            oh they got other stuff locked up also..like wire, etc.

          26. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            But the tool section has its own checkout.

          27. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            where? Not in Fredericksburg.

          28. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            In that video.

          29. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            oh you're right, I had skimmed it… so, maybe a new thing for HD? So all the expensive stuff now in the store-within-the-store? At any rate, the "problem" is way more than urban areas these days. We have this kind of brazen shop-lifting going on in the Fredericksburg area, has been for some time. Walmart has door recipe checkers – with radios and cameras. Lots and lots of scumballs these days.

          30. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            And WalMart parking lots are hotspots of robbery, carjacking, murder, rape and kidnapping.

          31. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Walmart has stores within stores also in electronics, maybe jewelry, auto? etc?
            Costco got that fixed some time ago. We pride ourselves on not being 3rd world, but you
            know what, our urban areas have had steel enclosures for a long time so maybe we’ve got our
            own 3rd world issues… that our vaunted law & order ain’t fixing either.

          32. Nancy Naive Avatar
            Nancy Naive

            Which is why Hamas doesn’t run the court in NY.

          33. Marty Chapman Avatar
            Marty Chapman

            It took you two days to come up that? President Biden is not the only one who needs a nap!

  5. Eric the half a troll Avatar
    Eric the half a troll

    “Continue reading.”

    I think not…

  6. Teddy007 Avatar
    Teddy007

    The Democrats have decided that property crimes are not really crime but are just insurance issues. As Trump would say, people who pay for items at a store are being suckers.

  7. f/k/a_tmtfairfax Avatar
    f/k/a_tmtfairfax

    It's not small incidents that is the problem. A few years ago, I went on a tour the Fairfax County PD's office in the Tysons Mall. We were able to observe but not hear a detective questioning a suspect who was caught earlier in the day with $50 K worth of merchandise in her car.

    Later, we found out that she was part of a syndicate with a warehouse in New Jersey that sent members? – employees? – up and down the East Coast to steal merchandise for resale. I suspect this pattern continues today.

    1. LarrytheG Avatar
      LarrytheG

      It does and we see it in Fredericksburg but at the store level – it's just shoplifters and you don't know if they are unaffiliated or part of a gain until they get apprehended and that's the problem. Do we taxpayers want to pay for a lot more police to deploy primarily at the stores to go after the shoplifters? Store employees can no longer for fear of injury or death that the store would then be liable for. What's your answer TMT? I think NN was pointing out the tremendous cost if we went to more police to do it.

      1. f/k/a_tmtfairfax Avatar
        f/k/a_tmtfairfax

        If the alternative is continued crime, we need to spend the money on the police and courts system. Where can we get the funds? Eliminate the tax-exempt status of every entity that spends any money on lobbying or influencing public opinion. Ditto for any tax-exempt entity that has a lobbying or PAC arm. This would tax probably 90% of the nonprofits playing the political game in Washington.

        Treat any contribution to a private foundation the very same way as a distribution to an heir. If one can leave $13.61 million estate/gift tax free in 2024, any gifts (prior and at death) that exceed that limit are taxable. Put a limit on the life of private foundations. At the limit, any remaining funds or funds given to other private foundations becomes taxable.

        Participation by anyone here illegally in thefts beyond a specified amount or number of arrests results in summary deportation. Congress can also make such action non-reviewable in court. The accused's day in court is the criminal trial.

        It's a start.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          TMT – you want the Feds to do it?

          1. f/k/a_tmtfairfax Avatar
            f/k/a_tmtfairfax

            No, but the feds seem to want to spend money on all sorts of things, for example, the more than 200 federal programs to expand broadband access, why not this?

            The Tysons situation involves the Mall owners providing free rent for the rather large satellite police station and the County providing the officers and equipment.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Yep.. but money spent for the Feds is not recoverable as local spending unless you want a Federal program that will fund local security , right?

            Malls, typically will provide offices/substations that basically don't cost them much, if anything, and even then they can write off as an expense but that's nothing compared to the taxpayer cost of providing manpower to police the mall.

            In the end, I would think, customers will pay for the security in one of 2 primary ways. Either as taxpayers funding local police or 2. customers paying increased prices to cover either the increased costs associated with shoplifting shrinkage OR the costs of hiring security personnel to discourage/reduce shoplifting.

            Somewhere is the middle of all of this, there is a thought that GOVT is the solution if govt will arrest the shoplifters and sanction/fine/imprison them – but that has costs also that taxpayers will have to pay.

            NN says the above is far less words but many folks don't "get it" from his words.

      2. how_it_works Avatar
        how_it_works

        The Best Buy in Gainesville has a PW county cop inside. I think the cop is there whenever the store is open.

        The cop car is parked right on the sidewalk next to the store. I guess this sends a signal to the ne'er-do-well's of PW county not to bother with this one.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          Can’t some cops can work a second job as a security officer. We have Sheriff cars at the Walmart on a
          regular basis but they’re not in the car and I don’t see them on foot inside or outside.

          I cannot imagine a cop stationed at every Walmart, Target, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.. I think you’re probably have to double the force if that was going to be done. I would not be surprised to hear that a full-time equivalent would cost 100K a year, so the budget millions would add up quick. Then you’d also have to have more prosecuters, judges, jails, correction officers, etc…

          1. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            I think Best Buy is paying this cop to be there. Probably cheaper than the shoplifting that would otherwise occur.

            This cop has been there EVERY time I’ve gone to this Best Buy, going on a year now.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Down here, they have a civilian at the front door …. last time I was there, no cop. Maybe that’s changing?

          3. how_it_works Avatar
            how_it_works

            Might depend on the availability of cops.

          4. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            I had posted earlier, the Sheriff and Police down here are very much involved in the shoplifting issues.
            They getting film from the stores and putting on social media with rewards offered, etc… but they’re
            not staffing security at the stores and I don’t see any current deputies taking second jobs as
            uniformed security at the stores – yet.

            Many places like ours off of I-95 are targets for smash&grab type shoplifting. They pull an exit, go
            hit a store, get back on I-95 and head to home and then sell the stuff on FB Marketplace, Ebay, craigs list, etc.
            It’s not just in urban area stores anymore.

      3. Teddy007 Avatar
        Teddy007

        Business should be able to expect a level of law enforcement that is not dependent on what the business can pay.

        1. LarrytheG Avatar
          LarrytheG

          so, taxpayers pick up the costs?

          1. Teddy007 Avatar
            Teddy007

            Would one really want a society that one can only expect the level of law enforcement protection that one can pay for? Or does one want to do away with property crime laws.

          2. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Well, not an either/or proposition in my view. But one observation – do you want police posted 24/7 at some places and/or during all open hours at all stores? Is that what is meant by “enforcing” the property crime laws?

          3. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            Well, not an either/or proposition in my view. But one observation – do you want police posted 24/7 at some places and/or during all open hours at all stores? Is that what is meant by "enforcing" the property crime laws?

            Also, is there a difference between a fully-trained policeman and a fully-trained security person?

            And , who should pay for what and how?

            Obviously , customers are going to pay no matter what – whether it's taxes for police or security personnel embedded in the cost of goods and services.

            Perhaps the least costly, most cost-effective way?

          4. Teddy007 Avatar
            Teddy007

            I would prefer local law enforcement to show up each time a report is made and taken in information including surveillance videos. It seems that too many in law enforcement see property crimes as something beneath them.

          5. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            It's a matter of resources. Do you divert a policeman doing what only a policeman can do , to do something a security guard could do?

            Do you want to pay for the extra police, prosecutors, judges, jails, probation folks, correctional officers?

            We want what we want – but do we know the cost and are willing to pay for it?

          6. Teddy007 Avatar
            Teddy007

            A security guard cannot touch a person nor make an arrest. All the security guard does is call the police and fill out reports. That is not law enforcement.

          7. LarrytheG Avatar
            LarrytheG

            https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/28b8a40a4611976d68a9c9ecfd9d9526e2c19480336392ad739201170f934096.png

          8. Teddy007 Avatar
            Teddy007

            And how many business can afford an armed security guard along with the insurance.

  8. LarrytheG Avatar
    LarrytheG

    This is an example of what local law enforcement is doing to deal with the issue. They just simply do not have the manpower to be on-site at all these places and pretty sure that local taxpayers are not going to want to pay higher taxes for more highly trained law officers to do this kind of work:

    https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/bbe937cbc57d87f7f3c47916c287af582ba44e98fc170cf27403f020ed2a55e3.png

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