The Bunker Blog

In a case in Pineville, NC recently, two subjects entered the store and stole 21 baseball bats. They worked as a team, one subject distracting the employee while the other cut locks off the fixtures and stuffed the bats into a bag. As they started to exit, a member of the store’s management team questioned the pair about the bag. At this point, both men ran into the parking lot and entered a waiting car.
The manager took down the license plate and called police. He gave a full description to the police of both subjects, and the license plate number from the vehicle.
The subjects were not immediately apprehended, but were later apprehended in Virginia by Virginia State Police. They had in their possession the 21 stolen bats at the time they were pulled over and questioned. They also had a set of bolt cutters which they used to cut the locks off the store’s fixtures.
Virginia officials notified the retailer and the Pineville, NC Police Department. Warrants were issued in NC for both subjects.
Then, less than a week prior to the extradition hearing, NC officials refused to proceed with the prosecution, leaving the retailer without their merchandise, or any means to recover their loss. This was done with no warning, no notification, and no explanation.
Virginia Police officials agreed to proceed with the prosecution of the two subjects, but the retailer has to foot the bill to send the manager on a 2-day road trip to testify in an out of state court just to recover their merchandise and get closure to this case.
I’m not sure why this is happening, but it is. I’m being told that many local prosecutors are dropping cases and making deals just to cut the costs involved with prosecuting such cases. I don’t know that this is true for this case, but it would make sense. The county probably doesn’t want to pay for a couple of officers to go on a 2-day road trip to recover these two subjects for a $6,000.00 case, so they leave it to the retailer to deal with in another jurisdiction.
Can you believe this? Anybody want to comment?

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So, I’m out to lunch today, and as I step up to the counter at the Subway, I see it. See below for the sign that I just had to share.

Yes, it is real. I took the photo with my cell phone camera. Anybody want to comment on this?

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There sure seems to be a lot of panic going on. Many companies are scaling WAY back, consumers seem to be drastically reducing spending. We in loss prevention face some incredible challenges, if we are still employed. I know that many companies are cutting payroll, cutting anything considered “unnecessary” spending. So, I’d like to ask a simple question: “Is it time to hit the panic button?” 

In other words, are you in crisis mode? If you are in loss prevention, what are you seeing? Are you becoming more concerned with internal theft? Are you seeing an increase in external theft? Are your awareness and protection programs being dropped by the wayside because they cost too much time and money?

I’m not convinced that we are in Crisis as an industry yet, but I can see us getting there soon, if things don’t change. Do you agree? Disagree? Let’s talk about this…

photo credit: kryst£n

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Asia Jordan allegedly attempted to steal more than $300.00 from her local Walmart in Covedale, OH by stuffing the merchandise into her 2-year-old daughter’s stroller. When store Loss Prevention agents approached her, she ran off, leaving the stroller and her child behind.

She was arrested a short time later and charged with shoplifting and child endangerment.

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In Omaha, Nebraska, a 35-year-old mom enlisted the aid of her 10-year-old daughter while shoplifting from a local grocery store. According to reports, an off-duty police officer observed “Mom” hand the daughter a cheesecake from the shelf at the store. Mom then selected a case of beer and some chicken. Both of them then attempted to exit without paying for the merchandise.

They were stopped by the off-duty cop, who then called the incident in. When police arrived, mom was charged with felony shoplifting due to prior arrests, and was cited for misdemeanor child neglect. Child Protective Services is investigating.

This mom had at least 4 prior arrests for shoplifting. Does anyone really believe this was the first time she has involved her child? As far as the CPS investigation goes, what’s to investigate? She handed her child a cake and directed her to steal it. Seems pretty simple to me. The sad thing is that the shoplifting charge is much more serious than the child neglect charge, at least legally speaking.

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