Shoplift and pay a huge price
By Colleen Dugan
You are in a store. You see something you want. You may have enough money to buy it, but remembering that you need to pay back a friend, you don't want to use that cash. So instead, you take it - easy enough.
Maybe you get caught, maybe you don't, but either way you have shoplifted - committing a serious crime that is all too prevalent and taken lightly among teen-agers.
When it comes down to it, there are two common reasons teens steal. The main reason is the sheer thrill of getting away with it. Most of the time "thrill stealing" occurs when teens are with friends, and the better part of the time the group goes out knowing it will steal. Occasionally, these ventures are jokingly called "Borrowing Trips" or something similar.
Another reason teens steal is because of just "wanting it." If this is the reason, the person usually goes out alone. The individual might have enough money on them for the item, or none at all. The person may go into a store to browse, not expecting to take something. Thieves may see something they really want, and, well, go for it.
Teen-agers shoplift more than any other age group, but it is rarely and indication of a life of crime ahead, according to TeenHealthFX.
A 17-year-old senior at Cholla High Magnet School told me, "I got caught two times. The first time I was about 15, and had a hundred bucks in stuff, and it was at Mervyn's. They called my parents and sent me home with them. Then for a long time I didn't do it again. Finally, I got tempted at Kmart and tried to take this makeup that cost like, five dollars. I got caught again; they sent me home with my parents again. It made me feel really bad, and my mom was so mad. I learned my lesson finally. I haven't done it since, and that was a long time ago."
And she got off easy. If you are arrested for shoplifting in Arizona and the store decides to prosecute (which most do, despite how rare it may seem), it's considered a Class 1 misdemeanor, with a maximum penalty of 6 months in prison, a $2,500 fine and probation. Most stores prosecute regardless of age, with the exception of young children.
That's a lot to take on before you are even 20 years old.
It is estimated that stores lose about $50 billion a year to shoplifters. That's half the reason why prices on clothes are always rising, why you can't look at the back of CDs because of the pesky protector, and more.
On the opposite end of the spectrum are the security people. They are usually large, intimidating types who have the ability to make you feel two inches tall with their first words when they catch you.
Ron Garcia, leader of the Asset Protection Program at a Mervyn's store in Tucson, said, "When you are a teen-ager, you really don't think about how much a $10 item can affect your future. If you get caught, stores typically show no mercy. That criminal record will be with you the rest of your life. It isn't worth it."
Shoplifting seems easy to get away with, but the time you get caught is when you least expect it. And you may have to get caught to learn your lesson.
The purpose of this article isn't to preach, or to tell you what to do - you get enough of that day-to-day from your teachers and parents. It is to make you aware that most stores have security systems with 12 cameras or more that can track you, zoom in on you, and catch you.
If you commit adult crimes, you risk adult punishments. Don't gamble with your future.
