‘This is a job for them’: Shoplifters are more organized than ever before
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Shoplifting used to be a solitary crime. One person slipping an item into their pocket to pay for an addiction. Police said that’s the old days; today’s shoplifters are running a business – an illegal one. They are organized and can turn violent.
Whether it’s one person leaving with an armful of goods or a group, police say that today’s shoplifters act bolder than ever.
“This is a job for them. And they treat it like a job,” said Jim Colvin, assistant chief, Brentwood Police Department.
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Colvin says a shoplifting call hits police scanners nearly every day. “It’s become much more organized and much more professional than it was early on in my career.”
And today’s shoplifters aren’t typically after the mom-and-pop shops. They want the big box stores. They all provide an environment shoplifters are after Busy stores with lots of distractions; easy access to the interstate makes for a quick getaway; and several entrances and exits.
“If there’s any kind of side entrance, they are going to try and leave out of those side entrances. And just not be recognized as a shoplifter.”
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Colvin says his force has a good working relationship with the stores, alerting police ahead of time if they spot a shoplifter concealing items or removing security tags.
“So, when we get those calls from the stores, and we are in the area, we try to watch, and kinda surround that business, so that we can see where they are going out,” said Colvin.
“Our dispatchers are watching traffic cameras,” said Colvin. “They relay that information in real-time to the officers that are responding to the call. Sometimes, we don’t catch those perpetrators in the store. We catch them down the road from the store.”
That old-fashioned police work seems to be paying off for this new retail crime. From January to April 2023, Brentwood saw 39 shoplifting incidents, but this year it’s down to 23. Still, nationwide the retail industry wants to see more done. In Tennessee alone, 1.2 million people work in retail with a direct GDP impact of $5 billion.
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The industry is pushing Congress to pass The Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, allowing law enforcement from state-to-state to better share intelligence.
“This is a problem that we have to deal with,” said Republican Iowa Senator Charles Grassley. “The same penalties applied whether it happened in California or Iowa.”
“I’m telling you, it’s happening in every community. It’s not a one-off, it’s not one person,” said Nevada Democratic Senator Catherine Cortez Masto.
For now, Colvin says it’s up to all of us to be alert.
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“You hate to tell someone, ‘Don’t be kind. Don’t be helpful.’ But, just be aware,” said Colvin. “And feel free to call the police department.”
Colvin says most shoplifters are not locals. They travel hitting one store after another. And then selling on secondary marketplaces online.
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