Mike Moser "I Say" Published Nov. 19, 2004

$466 lesson on five-finger discounts

The two young girls -- not older than 13 -- darted into a restroom in a local retail outlet with items in their hands. They didn't see a store employee standing just feet away, but he saw them.

They might have gotten away with their larceny; some do. Many don't and on this night the two preteens wearing the colors of a local elementary school found themselves counted among the thieves who do not get away with stealing.

The employee waited as customers came and went. Over 10 minutes the two were inside the restroom which did nothing but confirm the suspicions of the worker. He contacted a female supervisor who checked twice and on the third time opening the door, shouted for the employee to call police. The two youngsters bolted.

They raced up front, paid for a greeting card and then went outside only to discover that their getaway vehicle was not waiting for them. So they stood within earshot of two managers, a store supervisor and another worker discussing calling police and jotting down a tag number of the vehicle in which they would leave.

The end result was that the two preteens were reduced to tears, alternately denying they had tried to steal, and in the same breath, begging not to get into trouble with police over the incident.

They should have been crying. Store management probably had a tear or two as well ... because inside the restroom where the two girls had gone employees found $466 worth of makeup, and a handwritten and signed note, in a trash can where it had been discarded when it was suggested police should be called.

Rightly so, the decision was made not to call police. The offenders were so young and I doubt any experience in court could have topped the hell they went through knowing their antics had been discovered. Besides, no one actually saw them lift the items off shelves, and they never made it out the door.

This incident illustrates a major problem retail merchants in Crossville face, especially this time of year. But merchants aren't the only victims of shoplifting. You and I suffer and suffer a lot through higher prices caused by businesses covering their losses, and for the expense of police and court operations to prosecute thieves.

I have been told that there seems to be an unorganized competition among the younger set to see if they can steal from local stores. This is not to say that all teens steal, for obviously they do not. But there are some out there who view shoplifting as a sport or competition among peers instead of as the crime it is.

Not too long ago a shopper notified a store employee that she suspected two young boys of shoplifting, again, the boys could not have been older than 13 or 14. A store manager was notified and confronted the boys, telling them they had something that did not belong to them, that he was walking away but when he returned they had better put what they had taken on the counter and leave store for good.

When the manager returned moments later he found a handful of condoms and a turkey call. Now, I really don't want to think too much about this. To my relief, I later learned that turkey calls can be made out of condoms so that was some comfort for me to learn.

Several times in the past year I have heard of young teenage girls being caught stealing pregnancy test kits. I often wondered which would be worse ... telling mom and dad you got caught stealing, or what it was you tried to steal.

I have no doubt that the two girls this week will never forget their "shopping" experience." I just hope they can spread the word among their peers that shoplifting is not a game, it is not fun, and there is no feeling in the world like when you get caught stealing.

The chance of having a permanent record is not worth the chance of getting away with an item or two.

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Mike Moser is the editor of the Crossville Chronicle. His column is published periodically on Fridays.