Putting thieves under the spotlight

It is too bad the business owners have to do this. I am glad they caught a couple of the shoplifters. The McMinnville police department page about "Do you know this person" is a super idea! More and more people need to be aware of it, and pay attention to it. Too bad those caught shoplifting do not have their pictures posted in each store around town!

What I hope though is that people don't get paranoid. It happens a lot. Government does it constantly (that is why we add law after law). We have already seen it with bags left around and possible bomb threat.

Like I recently told the DMV. The majority of people going to DMV is not there to lie to them and "get away with something" The majority of customers are not there to steal and like previously stated to government when attempting to make prescription for cold medicine (the majority of people that buy cold medicine doesn't make meth with it).

It is really about reality and for some reason we no longer see reality the way we use too. We rarely dip into facts, but rather focus on congitive distortions and perceive them as real without challenging them.

Troy Prouty*

Troy,

A device to alert store personnel that a known and convicted shoplifter has entered the premises might be kinda nice. Maybe something similar to one of those removable security clips that are employed by store keepers to set off alarms might even be reverse engineered and affixed to an offenders earlobe?

Perhaps even made to look somewhat fashionable in appearance to the rest of the unsuspecting general public? Heck, a device like that might even be deployed to help people with gambling problems be denied entrance into casinos?

Any thoughts?

Troy, I'm not sure what you're point is. Are you against shop owners putting up cameras to prevent theft?

I guess my point is treat everyone like a customer and not like a possible shoplifter when they come into your store.

I can just imagine how many people probably thought Paul Allen was shoplifting early in his life by what he wore.

Troy Prouty*

What to do when the individual is caught shoplifting from multiple stores as in the story? Once convicted, perhaps post their picture in other stores? The honest customers are the ones who lose due to the shoplifters. They pay through higher prices. The store owner loses due to loss of profits, possible higher insurance. As the McMinville PD has done is a great idea, to get the word out to people.

Back when there used to be some real stigma attached to being a thief, and because of that stigma, thievery just wasn't as prevalent as it is today in our society. Notching the ears of thieves like a farmer does his hogs would certainly serve to help as an historical identifier.

Not all people that steal, spend their whole life stealing either. so you need to take that in account.

But my comments are directed at people not ever convicted of stealing. My comments are more directed by undertstanding your inner self and how you judge others based on not what they do, but more on what you think they might do, how they look etc.etc.. I agree that smaller shops have more to lose than those with bigger budgets. Heck, Walmart doesn't even purchase a lot of their stuff up front. They wait until it sells before purchasing it and if it doesn't sell fast enough they fine the manufacture for it by reducing payments when it eventually does sell.

My hope is that we (soceity) challenge our thoughts more (even me) and ask ourselves why are we thinkiing that, then changes can happen.

Troy Prouty*

"Not all people that steal, spend their whole life stealing either. so you need to take that in account

But my comments are directed at people not ever convicted of stealing."

As a person that's never been convicted of stealing, my own thoughts are merely a reflection of the conscience that dwells within. Morality, only guides the honest man.

There is this book called from crime to punishment by Kay Pranis. I have referred to it before. She doesn't come out and say this, but I personally believe this. If you treat a person like a criminal, you are reinforcing them to be a criminal, if you treat them like a person you are reinforcing them to be a person.

Crime is difficult, one out of three re-offend. What we do know is if they can establish employment, housing, community involvement and make changes in thought (often associated with classes/counseling/groups) the changes of them re-offending is reduced. The less of these they have the more likely they are to re-offend.

I look at the community, this doesn't just mean they reaching out and doing everything in community, but it also means community must accept them also.

Obvioulsy we are always going to have repeat offenders, just like we will have first time offenders. That's life. I believe my approach will work far better than many approaches in our justice system and I believe that approach not only is for them to change their thought patterns, but for us to change ours as well in regards to them.

troy prouty*

i would invest in a digital photo frame, just have those thieves pictures going all the time - if you're one of the people on the photos, you probably won't even go inside!

but i understand the comments about stereotyping, a young hispanic friend of mine deals with that all the time - in fact he went in to a clothing store where his girlfriend worked and the manager, not knowing he was her boyfriend, told the young lady to keep an eye out on that guy because he looked suspicious.....is suspicious synonimous with hispanic? or young? or not dressed in a suit and tie? i don't know but it's wrong, you want to go to a store without people following you around and questioning everything you do and if you pick something up if you are going to run out the door with it.

I do not and have never stole anything. That being said I also dress like I do not have much. It is just comfortable. I went into an antique shop in mac looking for a certain item. The owner ignored the other few customers and stayed with in a few feet of me the entire time I was in there. I found what I was looking for but decided not to buy because of him. He never said a word to me and never took his eyes off me.

I always wondered how much one of the others took while I was in that store. The way you dress or look does not a theif make.