Shoplifting Recidivism Reduced Through Orem Program
Shoplifting can be a big problem with juveniles, especially when it comes to potential legal repercussions. However, an Orem based program is aiming to reduce shoplifting recidivists [repeat offenders] through an education course as opposed to simply calling the police. Local police say they are on board if it means less prosecution of first-time, minor offenders.
CEC Aims to Educate
According to a report from KSL News, Corrective Education Company (CEC) is “a platform retailers can use on a mobile tablet when they catch someone shoplifting within the store.” Once the crime has been committed, the retailers can offer the offender the opportunity to sign up for an online course instead of calling police. However, even if they sign up for the course, the shoplifter still has to sign an admission of guilt and have their fingerprints and picture taken using the mobile platform.
[The article didn’t specify how this would be handled with a juvenile offender.]
Once the students are signed up for the online course, their participation is monitored through photos taken when the student signs in and out, as well random “pop quizzes” on the material the student is supposed to be learning. If the student fails to complete the class, the shoplifting case is turned over to the police. Currently CEC is operating in 1,000 retail locations in 30 states, and CEC has claimed it has helped to reduce shoplifting calls to police nationwide by 42 percent.
Detective Mark Falkner of the Salt Lake City Police Department believes CEC is a good idea if it can stop people from re-offending and reduce their case load. “It’s going to get those people who really aren’t the criminal type, they maybe just made a mistake once or they are someone who normally wouldn’t do that.”
Shoplifting Statistics and Punishment
According to Falkner, shoplifting can be a gateway to other types of more severe crimes such as burglary or robbery. This is supported by a report from the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention. NASP reports that approximately 25 percent of shoplifters are teens, and 55 percent of adult shoplifters say they started shoplifting when they were teens.
Because most items shoplifted are valued under $500, shoplifting is considered a class B misdemeanor. According to Utah Code 78B-3-108, both the minor who committed the shoplifting and the parents or legal guardians “are jointly and severally liable in civil action to the merchant” for actual damages, a penalty in the amount of the retail price of the merchandise (not to exceed $500), an additional penalty determined by the court between $50 and $500 and court costs.
So perhaps CEC is the way to go. However, if your child doesn’t have that option or if they have had more than one run-in with shoplifting, make sure you contact an experienced and sympathetic juvenile defense attorney who will look out for their best interests.
