Retail theft and store closings

[Koolau]

Our local post office had a pen holder on the counter, but, every pen had a plastic spoon taped to the end of it. I always had to tell someone standing in line, "I came in here to steal a spoon, but it had that stupid pen taped to it."

I like it!

 

[Global Wizzo]

LOL. My DW grew up in such a place and worked at Target as a teenager. She aggressively agrees with you and all the commenters here.

I guess some will disagree, but I see no issue shooting those in the snatch and grab rings. It may force larger stores and malls into creating sally ports where you can only have one door open at a time and security monitoring entry and exit.

Mass pepper gas or knock out gas dispensers would enable rounding up the Looser’s. Sadly, lawyers and liability concerns won’t allow most of this.

Much quicker and harsher punishment would work. Take a finger the first time, a hand second time. Don’t think there would be a lot of repeat offenders.

The better answer is parents that raise kids and enforce discipline and respect. Sadly society no longer holds these values as part of our baseline. Accountability as a societal norm is disappearing

 

[Gearhead Jim]

I do believe the evidence is well established by now what happens in such places as in now-notorious cities in CA where misdemeanor thefts have been "decriminalized" or simply not prosecuted. Thefts increase because they go unpunished. What a surprise!

The state of Illinois is embarking on another social experiment by doing away with cash bail. I think I can predict how that is going to turn out, but I'll just say I'm glad that I don't live in Illinois.



Way back in the early 1970's when I was in college, one of the statistics that stuck with me for some reason was that 90% of the crime was committed by 10% of the criminals. That strongly suggests what to do with that 10%. I've seen nothing since then to suggest that the statistic has changed.

We live in a different county, semi-agricultural, about 50 miles west of Chicago. It's too soon to tell how the "no cash bail" thing will turn out, but news in our local papers suggests that local judges and DA's are finding lots of people who meet the criteria for being detained until trial, and aren't shy about using that tool.

Get back to me in a couple of years...

 

[Koolau]

I do believe the evidence is well established by now what happens in such places as in now-notorious cities in CA where misdemeanor thefts have been "decriminalized" or simply not prosecuted. Thefts increase because they go unpunished. What a surprise!

The state of Illinois is embarking on another social experiment by doing away with cash bail. I think I can predict how that is going to turn out, but I'll just say I'm glad that I don't live in Illinois.

Way back in the early 1970's when I was in college, one of the statistics that stuck with me for some reason was that 90% of the crime was committed by 10% of the criminals. That strongly suggests what to do with that 10%. I've seen nothing since then to suggest that the statistic has changed.

BIL was a LEO. He and his brother officers knew most of the local criminals by name and MO. It wasn't rocket science. PROVING that a particular criminal was guilty of a particular crime was sometimes challenging. Eventually, they would catch them in the act. That was really the only effective way to "solve" the so-called "petty" crime.

Flash-mob crime like the big cities are "sponsoring" these days would have been a fun diversion for BIL back in the day. He and his buddies would have had a ball. In our relatively small town, a 911 call would have been answered in less than 3 minutes in most cases. Rounding up 25 hooded people in a Target would have taken a couple of minutes to stop and then several hours of paper w*rk and transporting to jail. No bail until morning - if you had a good lawyer and bail would have meant your mom and dad had to put up their house for collateral with the bail-bondsman. Ahhhh, the good old days.

 

[JoeWras]

BIL was a LEO. He and his brother officers knew most of the local criminals by name and MO. It wasn't rocket science. PROVING that a particular criminal was guilty of a particular crime was sometimes challenging. Eventually, they would catch them in the act. That was really the only effective way to "solve" the so-called "petty" crime.

We just watched Dragnet "The Jade Story". Bill and Jack could have written this.

Actually, it comes up frequently in Dragnet. They know the usual suspects. Of course Webb fictionalized the true cases, but he did attempt to leave a decent amount of real police procedures in place. My cousin lived in LA and was inspired to become an LEO by the show!

 

[Maidensong]

Blame the Victim!

I blame the "shrinkage" issues the drug store retailers are having on their own short-sighted race to the bottom. In the name of cost-cutting, they have reduced staff and forced customers into a self-service check out model. Guess what? That makes leaving the store without passing several check-out counters, cashiers, etc, with a truckload of merch tucked under your coat rather easy. There is usually one highly unmotivated employee tasked with both assisting customers with the robo-check-out machines and watching the door. I get that there are other forces at play, such as organized theft, but they have made the environment ripe for the picking. In reaction, they now treat us all like would be criminals and lock everything up, making shopping a total downer. They are basically in a death-spiral implementing one bad idea to cure other bad ideas.

EDIT:

FWIW, I am describing big chain drug stores located in a very well-heeled big city neighborhood where homes typically sell for millions. Doesn't mean there isn't theft, but we're not talking gangs roving the streets, unless gangs of stroller moms (and stroller nannies) count.

Is it just me, or does this sound like every abusive relationship? See how YOU made me hurt you! Blaming the retailers for gangs of organized thieves coming through like a swarm of hornets is ridiculous.

 

[Markola]

I guess some will disagree, but I see no issue shooting those in the snatch and grab rings…Much quicker and harsher punishment would work. Take a finger the first time, a hand second time. Don’t think there would be a lot of repeat offenders.

Good news, Global Wizzo! Afghanistan is accepting immigration applications.

 

[Time2]

Totally agree. I think the WABC shows are fantastic and paint a very accurate picture of life in the NYC area, IME. Curtis Sliwa always has accurate information to share as he is frequently in the streets and sees what the news reports, thru rose colored glasses.

Yes, I wonder if much of this accurate info he has comes through his Guardian Angel network. They are on the streets actually seeing what is happening first hand.
I stream WABC many hours a day.
I was very slow to warm up to Sid! I view him as a braggart, but so many powerful people consider him important and freely interact with him and like him, so there must be more there than I see.
I also don't like that he has introduced so much music into the program.


I miss Bernie from the old days. Men get your PSA and prostate checked, it was a stupid way for him to die. To embarrassed to get checked.

Here's a long Peter Attia video about prostate health. (3hr45min)

 

[Koolau]

Here's a long Peter Attia video about prostate health. (3hr45min)

Any major take-aways we should know that have not been discussed (here) before. Honestly, don't want to watch the whole thing (as I have to go to the bathroom right now) Thanks.

 

[Alan]

Thanks for the interesting discussion.