shoplifting

(Newser) - The tough economic climate is driving up shoplifting arrests, and the holiday season is making the situation worse, the New York Times reports. The timing is poor for stores that have had to shrink security staff amid financial woes. “More people are desperate economically, retailers are operating with leaner...

(Newser) - Almost a third of US high schoolers are thieves and two thirds are cheaters, a new study says. Among nearly 30,000 students surveyed, 64% admitted to cheating on a test, 30% to shoplifting, and 23% to stealing from family. "The competition is greater," said one education...

(Newser) - A system designed to compensate retailers for losses incurred by shoplifters has few controls to prevent the extortion or harassment, the Wall Street Journal reports. “Civil recovery” laws allow retailers to turn the names of suspected shoplifters over to collection agencies who demand fees of $200 or much more—...

(Newser) - A local Alabama judge has teamed with Wal-Mart to punish shoplifters with shame, making them don sandwich-boards reading “I am a thief; I stole from Wal-Mart” and parade in public, BusinessWeek reports. More than 20 culprits have received the sentence in recent months; the world’s largest retailer sees...