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Period 6 Advice 3
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When You Are Among the Very Young at........... Shoplifting
A teenager's story of getting caught and the lesson she learned
On Friday February 29th my friend and I got arrested at
JC Penny for shoplifting!
A teenager's story of getting caught and the lesson she learned
On Friday February 29th my friend and I got arrested at JC Penny for shoplifting!
A Security Guard caught us stealing a ring and various items of clothing. Before I was “caught in the act,” I must admit that my friend and myself got caught up in the game of taking merchandise and not having to pay for it. However, we both learned the hard way and had to pay--the “ultimate price.” When you’re a 15 year old female, your “bravado” quickly disappears after you are arrested and taken out of the mall in handcuffs! If that wasn’t traumatic enough, I was taken to the police station where I was interrogated by a female detective. She bombarded me with question after question: “Are you on drugs? How often have you done this? Is this powder [which was baby powder in my purse] cocaine”? Since I have never done drugs before, I began to realize that when you do one thing wrong it sets a precedence where people feel there may be other things you are up to.
What really stuck in my head from that evening was the detective pointing to a holding cell and saying: “You see over there? If you were sixteen we would have to put you behind bars while we wait for a parent to release you.” Additionally, there could be the possibility I could be convicted and end up having to go into a juvenile program away from home.
Although the punishment I received was not as harsh [as if I was sixteen], it still “opened my eyes” to life's realities. A few weeks later, my mom and I had to go to Family Court . The judge informed us that the case would be dismissed under the following conditions: (1) Complete six- one hour sessions of therapy. (2) Complete a one day Stoplift class. (3) Record five hours of household chores each week during my probationary period and (4) Listen to my parents.
On Saturday April 5th I took the Stoplift class. This class highlights what happens to people when they shoplift and how it affects the retail industry. Darren, the Instructor, gave us these statistics on the aftermath caused by shoplifters: More than $13 billion worth of goods are stolen from retailers annually, and $25 million per day. Also, many businesses are forced to close because of people shoplifting. So when you shoplift, you are not only hurting yourself, you are also hurting the owners of the store or the company, their families, and their employees. If the store eventually has to shut its doors, the economic impact can be tremendous and traumatic. A majority of the time when a store or business close, the town’s taxes are raised.
Approximately 24% of shoplifters are between the ages of 13 and 17. Shoplifters steal an average of 2.5 times a month. They are normally arrested after their 48th time. About 23 million people in the United States shoplifted in 2007, with near 10 million people being trailed.
Here's a message to my fellow teens: Please do not be like me and think you are too clever to get caught. Because of the statistics above, guards are trained to monitor us. Once any of us walks into a store, we are being watched.
Due to advancements in today's technology, stores have cameras that can be the size of a penny or smaller. Some stores have cameras on the cash register so they are watching how much money goes in and how much goes out. So if you are working there and your friend comes and she/he wants something for half or does not want to pay the full amount and you give it to them that is considered shoplifting.
Currently, when you buy something from a store, three percent of the money goes to security and cameras.
Some people shoplift without even realizing it. How is that possible? At a grocery store if you eat something that needs to be weighed to get the price that is considered shoplifting. So if you were in a food store eating chips that's OK because it already has a price, but if you are in the food store and you eat a half pound out of two pounds of grapes before check-out you could get arrested for shoplifting.
What did I learn from this experience? You should wait for the things you want. Just because you can not afford something, it does not give you the right to steal it. Also, it was drilled into me that I only had one chance. If I steal again the punishment will not be a repeat of Stoplift...It could be a juvenile program or even jail!
Although this was a very traumatic point in my life, I am looking forward not backwards. I realize I made a mistake and disappointed everyone in my family. In time, I hope I can earn everyone’s respect and trust back that has been lost.
