The True Cost of Shoplifting

The cost that shoplifters pay for their crimes far exceeds monetary fines and jail time. For offenses where the full retail value of stolen merchandise equals more than $2,000, the case cannot be downgraded and remanded to municipal court. However, even minor offenses have major impact the lives and finances of shoplifters. It's a serious crime, regardless of the degree, and those who get caught in the act are punished accordingly.

Getting Caught

When employees have reasonable cause to believe customers are shoplifting, they're allowed to detain those customers and demand the hidden merchandise be returned. Employees should not touch shoplifters except for to restrain them in self-defense or prevent them from running away. Going through this process guarantees that employees won't be found criminally or civilly liable. If shoplifters refuse to cooperate, employees might need to use physical descriptions or license numbers to catch them instead. Fleeing will make shoplifters' court battles much more difficult.

Court Sentencing

If the retail value of merchandise stolen is less than $200, the crime is a "disorderly persons offense", punishable by up to 6 months imprisonment and a fine not to exceed $1,000. Fourth degree shoplifting is charged when the retail value is between $200 and $500. This is punishable by up to 18 months imprisonment and up to $10,000 in fines. Third degree shoplifting requires stolen merchandise to be worth $500 to $75,000. The sentence for this is 3 to 5 years imprisonment and a fine of up to $15,000. As part of the sentence for each of these crimes, 10 to 25 days of community service will also be required.

Paying the Price