Tiffany Redmon is accused of shoplifting from a toy store in Franklin, TN. Apparently, she has no regard for the safety of anyone, including young children. But that’s not the question. Redmon, along with two other suspects, fled from the scene in a waiting vehicle, almost running over a young child in the process. Still, that is not the question. The child’s mother asks a question, “Why were they in the parking lot when they could have hit and struck my daughter if this happened two weeks ago?” You guessed it, Redmon was caught just two weeks prior for shoplifting from another retailer. The question of the day is this: When are we going to wake up and start treating shoplifting as a serious crime? Get caught with dope, you go to jail. Break into a car and steal the stereo, you go to jail. Steal from your neighbor’s yard or home, you go to jail. Steal from your local retailer, you get a citation and are free to steal again. If you do show up for court, you get a fine, and are free to steal again. No wonder shoplifting and related crimes are on the rise in most areas. There are no effective deterrent measures in place. If a booster can make $3000.00 to $5000.00 per week shoplifting, and gets caught 2% of the time, on average, usually in different jurisdictions, and gets fined an average of $750.00 per incident; then it becomes a cost of doing business. It’s just overhead. In my humble opinion, every state needs stiffer penalties for shoplifting that include real punishments. For example, the government siezes vehicles used in drug traffickiing. So, why not sieze vehicles used in shoplifting. I say if a shoplfter gets caught, and their car is in the parking lot with merchandise from other retailers inside, or if they flea in a vehicle, then that vehicle should become taxpayer property. The fines should be increased, and payable upon sentencing. That’s where I would start, I think. How about you? Anybody got any other ideas about how we can send a message to criminals that shoplifing is not a game, it is not funny, and it is not a victimless crime? All comments welcome…
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