"When incidents of shoplifting are reported to the SAPS, most often, centre security and the victim retailer has to wait, sometimes for hours, before police respond. By this time the suspect shoplifters have often been released with a warning not to return to that particular retail outlet or shopping centre," says Halcrow.
But what is the alternative?
A Loss Prevention Survey (International Retail Federation; 2001) states, "Traditional security measures are effective with regards to prevention (deter the theft), apprehension (to stop the theft), prosecution (to establish the consequences) and restitution (to impose monetary sanctions)". However, the survey found that, "Education has also proven effective because almost 98% of adults and juveniles don't repeat the offense after completing shoplifter education programmes."
She continues: "While the prosecution of thieves plays its part in society towards discouraging individuals from stealing in the future, it often results in offenders becoming caught up in the cycle of crime, from which point they become habitual criminals," says Halcrow. "Retailers should be weighing up the benefits and outcomes of prosecution and perhaps they will become more open to rehabilitation."
Says Halcrow, "While 'shoplifter education programmes' are relatively new to the South African retail market, these programmes are available and should be considered by retailers as an alternative to prosecuting shoplifters, particularly juveniles.
"Research following the implementation of such programmes shows that by the education of juveniles, following apprehension, retailers can prevent up to 55% of juveniles from becoming adult shoplifters and prevent one third of future employee theft. Through the education of adults, following apprehension, retailers can reduce up to 30% of shoplifting incidents nationwide, encourage 94% of apprehended parents to be stricter with their children, and even prevent internal theft by both current and future dishonest retail employees," she explains.
The EMPS "A Second Chance" programme was initiated because of a perceived need to strengthen existing legal procedures against shoplifters. Those proceedings were not stopping retail theft; rather it was escalating. EMPS supports strong measures against serious offenders, however offers rehabilitation as a better way to handle early offenders.
The retailer has the final say as to whether or not the offender is admitted to the programme.
The programme offers a home-study course with two cassettes and a workbook that the offender completes, and returns to EMPS, after listening to the tapes. After the workbook is graded the retailer may wish to retract the case, thus ensuring no police record is kept and abnormal shopping habits have been corrected and the offender returns to the retail community as a desirable consumer. In addition, as part of our social responsibility, EMPS offers a Shoplifters Anonymous support group, equivalent to Alcoholics Anonymous, for shoplifters.
