Christmas shopping means Christmas stealing as thieves find cover with crowds

Victoria's life of habitual shoplifting began with a pair of sexy underwear. "My mom wouldn't buy them for me because she said they were too grown-up," she said.

So Victoria, 13 at the time, did what she would do hundreds of times over the next decade and a half.

She stole what she wanted.

Victoria, whose name has been changed at her request, says she has stolen perhaps thousands of dollars worth of items over the years. Now in her late 20s and a mother, she said she has curbed her shoplifting but still hasn't stopped.

"When I was younger, I would sometimes walk out of stores with hundreds of dollars worth of stuff," she said. "Now that I'm older, it will be like a bottle of lotion or a toothbrush. Something small."

Most of the time she steals simply because she wants to see if she can get away with it. Other times, she says, she doesn't have money to buy the things she wants.

Victoria has never been caught. She never plans to shoplift and always feels guilty. But if she sees something she wants, she casually puts it in her pocket or hides it in something already in her cart.

Shopping makes her feel better when she's depressed, Victoria said. "When I was younger and depressed and didn't have any money, I had to shoplift."

In the past, she's worn bulky clothing to the mall, walked into dressing rooms and walked out a bit bulkier, her clothes stuffed with new clothes, price tags still attached.

During the holiday shopping season she does what many shoplifters do -- she steals more.

That's because shoplifters love a crowd. Stores crammed with customers make it easier for shoplifters to avoid the watchful eyes of employees and the up-close scrutiny of security cameras. Shoplifters often get lost in the hustle and bustle, filling their purses, pockets and smuggled-in bags with whatever they can get their fingers on.

While many large cities across the country report that instances of shoplifting peak during the Christmas holidays, local police and prosecution reports show that summer is the most active time for shoplifting in Cape Girardeau County.

Still, December is one of the busiest months of the year for shoplifters. In Cape Girardeau County, 48 of the 114 thefts reported in 2004 were for shoplifting. December trailed only June and August last year.

Cape Girardeau police report that December was the leading month for shoplifting arrests in 2002 with 27. But in 2003 the 19 December shoplifting arrests trailed the summer months.

Area merchants, however, say those numbers don't take into account the shoplifters who don't get caught. They also say it's not just a problem during the holidays.

More than $10 billion worth of goods are stolen from U.S. retailers each year, which is about $25 million a day, according to statistics provided by the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention. Depending on the type of retail store, inventory loss ranges from 0.7 percent to 2.2 percent of gross sales, with the average falling around 1.7 percent.

Gary McDowell, manager at J.C. Penney at Westfield West Park, said they see an increase in shoplifters in December despite security personnel and high-dollar security surveillance equipment. But he thinks that's just because there are more people in the stores.

"I couldn't even begin to tell you how much we lose in revenue because of shoplifters," McDowell said. "But it's a lot."

Shoplifters steal items from across the spectrum, from bed spreads and jeans to bras and panties. Some bring in their own J.C. Penney bags and others stick the stolen items into their clothing, he said.

McDowell remembers one person who stole $1,500 worth of items. "They're all very innovative in the ways they do it," he said.

Cape Girardeau County Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle said his office vigorously prosecutes people arrested for shoplifting. The crime becomes a felony when more than $500 worth of items are stolen.

"And it doesn't take too many pairs of designer jeans to add up to $500," he said. "Our court system tries to send a strong message to shoplifters: If you shoplift in Cape Girardeau County you will do some jail time."

Managers at Schnucks, J.C. Penney and Famous Barr all said they turn in every shoplifter they catch.

"We prosecute every one of them," said McDowell of J.C. Penney. "We have to. It affects the profitability of the store. We can't have that."

Staff writer Jennifer Freeze contributed to this report.

smoyers@semissourian.com

335-6611, ext. 137

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Peter Berlin has sympathy for shoplifters.

Berlin is executive director of the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention in Long Island, N.Y., a group that counsels "shoplifting addicts" as well as tutoring merchants on how to prevent shoplifting.

Berlin was in retail security for 10 years before becoming a security consultant for 30 years. But he was always struck by people who shoplifted. They didn't fit any profile. They were white and black, rich and poor. Some of those he arrested even had money in their purses or wallets and were able to pay.

"These were people who were not professional criminals," Berlin said. "I always wondered: Why did they steal in the first place? They wouldn't steal your paper, and they wouldn't steal from friends. Why did they step over the line in this one instance?"

Cape Girardeau Prosecuting Attorney Morley Swingle confirmed that there is no "typical shoplifter." He said his office has prosecuted a prominent person in the community, a high-school cheerleader and poor people alike.

During his research, Berlin has found that people shoplift to "fill a void" in their life. He said shoplifters are usually depressed, suffering the loss of a loved one or going through a divorce.

"Shoplifting gives them a little high," he said. "It makes them feel better. It's a relief mechanism for anxiety and depression. People don't want to believe that. They think shoplifters are greedy. But it's not about money."

-- Scott Moyers