Sociology Essay on Criminal Shoplifting

Shoplifting occurs because it is easy to do and the threat of punishment is limited. The objects that can be stolen sure can range from a pack of gum to diamond rings, but the idea is the same: getting something you want for free. Who does not like something for nothing? No body I know. It's reasonable to assume that some people like the idea of free stuff.

Surveys of people caught after they have been arrested for shoplifting would be helpful, but why stop there this is for science. Lets make a store with hidden cameras, fake shoppers, and fake staff. Have a limited number of items if you sell something then the item should be replaced right away. Everything should be kept track of so the people watching them camera can tell when something has been stolen. Rate the items easy to steal like candy to hard to steal things behind glass, near clerk. If I am right they would almost never try for the hard things, not saying they wouldn't, but it would be extremely low. Another rating system for how good the item is the same as the easy to hard scale, accounting for how popular it is and how easy it can be sold. No one wants to steal pens when they can have electronics.

When someone does steal something let them go through with the action until they are outside then have them stopped by the police. You can then sit down with them and cover each part of their theft with the tape. Then rate their choices with the scale and have a first hand account. I'm sure participation won't be a problem since we won't press charges, if we did that we couldn't get the desired effect-shoplifting.

It is reasonable to think people steal from stores because it's easy and the outcome of success is high. My main concepts is that people shoplift because its easy, probability punishment is considered low (The store in my neighborhood would just ask for you to leave and the item(s) back.), probability of success is high.

Shoplifting is easy to crack down on with customer service if the persons addressed by the clerks in any manner are less likely to steal. Obvious cameras so the person thinks they are being watched. Make it seem that no item is easy to steal it will be less desirable to steal if the effort outweighs the reward. This is why no one tries to rob Fort Knox, it's hard, very unlikely you will succeed, and the punishment is very high. Items that are very popular should be better secured than non popular items. Also the ability to steal weight and size should be taken into account when placing items in the store. Small easy to steal items should be kept near the staff large items like refrigerators in the back.