JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – We have a question for you: how do you feel about shoplifting?
Obviously, stealing is a crime, but not all stores are pursuing criminal charges against those caught in the act.
Many have policies prohibiting employees from stopping suspected thieves or reporting the crimes.
Opinions are mixed about how to stop the problems.
It was all smiles at Beau Outfitters in San Marco on Friday. The men’s store had a steady stream of customers just before Christmas, but like many retailers, they do have issues with shoplifting.
Manager Loretta Trentman said how they deal with it varies.
“For sure, we’d rather lose a couple hundred dollars than have somebody hurt,” Trentman said. “We will try to be as proactive as we can. We will let them know that we know, but I’m not going to become confrontational, we will call the police and prosecute that way.”
In Jacksonville Beach, Police Chief Gene Paul Smith is reiterating his no-holds-barred policy.
“Well, we’re taking a zero-tolerance approach to it,” Smith said. “We’re gonna arrest you and prosecute you if we can. We’re sending that message out loud and clear and letting the public know that we’re not going to tolerate it.”
Last month, Jacksonville Beach Police officers arrested two men accused of stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise from several stores near JTB.
“And the responses were from the businesses were everything from sending them back to letting them go, which is corporate policy, to actually chasing them out the door and calling us,” Smith said.
And he takes big issue with the hands-off policies which he said puts everyone at risk.
“With the corporate policies, it’s not just one item being taken, it develops, in my opinion, an atmosphere of lawlessness throughout the community. It starts off with a simple retail theft and if they’re allowed to leave and no repercussions or arrest or prosecution, then it turns into bigger thefts then it turns into burglaries car burglaries, carjackings and then violent crimes,” Smith said.
A survey from the National Retail Federation found a growing number of stores nationally discourage their staff from stopping thieves. More than 41% of respondents said employees are not allowed to stop shoplifters. The reasons? Employee and customer safety, liability and legal ramifications. Retail theft reports increased 16% in 2023.
“I think if a store decides they don’t want to call the police, that’s completely up to them. It sends a horrible message. It says you can come into my business and steal whatever you want, whenever you want,” Jacksonville Sheriff T.K. Waters said.
Waters said no matter how big or small, employees should call the police.
“If you steal it, then I believe we should put them in jail and then let them deal with the justice system,” Waters said.
In Florida, a shoplifting conviction can get you 60 days in jail and up to 30 years in prison depending on the amount.
In Duval County, the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office has a page for unsolved crimes, which includes surveillance pictures of shoplifters.