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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
NEWS
MONDAY,APRIL14,2003
Petty theft
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Schuyler Lister, owner of Creation Station, 726 Massachusetts St., said he started his business 13 years ago out of "poverty." Now he's insulted by selfish shifplifters robbing his profits, he said.
"We've caught people stealing who had $100 in their wallet, and it was a $4 item," Lister said. "Anyone who's ever been stolen from knows — that's just weak."
Kristi Kouloukis, co-owner of The Casbah, 803 Massachusetts St., said people often had the misconception that all business owners were wealthy.
"We're actually some of the poorest people you'll meet," she said.
Maybe that's why Kouloukis and her employees are crushed when shoplifters target her store. Kouloukis estimated her store lost about $300 a year to shoplifting.
Although a $200 loss wouldn't force The Casbah out of business, she said, it was still a blow.
"We are a smaller store, and we have an investment in it," she said. "This is our lifeblood."
Customers loved the miniature incense pouches that The Third Planet once sold, Jess said. Unfortunately, the pouches were also popular with shoplifters.
The cost to customers
"If we have a product that gets shoplifted a lot," Jess said, "we'll just stop carrying it rather than have it keep getting stolen."
Another problem stores face is recouping from stolen profits. Jess said this often meant having to tack on a little extra — the shrink — to compensate.
"They're stealing not only from
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us but from everyone who shops here because then we have to raise prices," she said.
Jess said the shrink was not a fixed amount, but it's a factor she kept in mind when setting prices.
As store traffic increases, it becomes more difficult for business owners to keep their eyes on customers. City Prosecutor Jerry Little said employees could deter shoplifting by mingling with customers. "When you have two or three employees on the floor, people are less likely to steal because they are afraid they'll get caught," Little said.
Kouloukis agreed that shoplifting had to be a consideration when determining prices.
"You hate to think the worst of people," she said, "but people do steal."
Repeated shoplifting could cause a business to fold, Jess said.
"If a shoplifter's favorite store can't keep up with the overhead," she said, "then that store isn't going to be there anymore."
The cost to shoplifters
Lister said Lawrence businesses were a part of the community's creativity.
"When people steal from local businesses," Lister said, "they're stealing from their own essence."
When businesses report theft, the police department isn't likely to be lenient with shoplifters, Pattrick said. Officers work to protect local businesses, he said.
"Theft is theft," he said. "We don't like anyone to become a victim of anything."
City Prosecutor Jerry Little said anyone charged with shoplifting less than $500 must appear in municipal court. If convicted, the maximum penalty could be up to $500 and a year in prison.
"There's no difference in the eyes of the law if you stole a piece of gum or stereo equipment," Little said. "But that's a factor we look at."
Little said he had seen citations for items as small as makeup and candy bars.
Being aware of customers can help prevent shoplifting. Michael Graham, cashier at the Hawk Shop, watches over the store as footage from the Hawk Shop's security cameras plays on the television behind him.
In court, the accused shoplifter must decide whether to go to trial, plead guilty or apply for a one-time diversion — avoiding criminal charges in exchange for participating in an educational program.
Little said to be eligible for a diversion, the individual must have no previous record and no aggravating factors, such as assault, involved with the theft.
Pleading guilty means the individual waives the right to a trial in exchange for some leniency, such as a lesser fine and probation.
Shoplifters should consider what could happen if they are caught, Rich said.
"Even as a first-time offender," he said, "you could have a criminal record that will follow you the rest of your life."
Getting caught is always a concern for shoilifters, said Cale Spare, Parsons sophomore.
"Until you're at home with the stuff, you can't be completely calm." Spare said.
Several of Spare's friends shop-lift, he said. Only one has been caught — and he got off easy.
One friend recently slipped some items into his pockets at a grocery store. A security guard approached him and asked him to remove one item—a package of cheese—that he had seen him take.
"All they did was make him pay for it," Spare said, "and they told him never to come back."
Spare said his friend's lenient punishment made him realize how easy it was to get away with the crime.
Paying attention to customers is a store owner's first line of defense, Jess said, although recently The Third Planet has turned to surveillance methods.
"When people steal from local businesses they're stealing from their own essence."
Owner of the Creation Station
Schuyler Lister
She installed a security camera upstairs to keep an eye on the pricier items, as well as a light-
Minimizing shoplifting costs
activated sensor by the staircase so employees know when someone goes upstairs. She also hung signs that said, "Big Brother may not be watching — but we are."
Doug Dobbins, manager at Jock's Nitch Sporting Goods, 837 Massachusetts St., said his store used cameras to keep an eye on the store.
Shoplifters are easy to spot, he said, because they usually stand in the back of the store and look to see whether someone is watching.
"You can't stop it," he said, "but you can keep it to a minimum."
Great customer service is the number one deterrent for shop-lifters, Kouloukis said.
At The Casbah, employees greet customers and make them aware of their presence. Someone
is always helping customers. Kouloukls said, and that kindness has paid off.
"We've had letters sent to us with money saying, 'I'm sorry I stole from you,'" Kouloukis said. "I think it's because they realize how nice we are."
Most of the time, she said, she can detect a shoplifter in the act.
One time a woman slid a pair of overalls into her bag. Kouloukis said, and she spotted them. At first she didn't want to take action because the woman technically wouldn't be shoplifting until she left the store.
Kouloukis said she made an offhand comment to the woman about the overalls, and the woman discreetly removed them from her bag.
"She came back over and asked, 'Do you think these would look good on my daughter?' Kouloukis said. "But she didn't buy them."
Business owners often wait until the customer leaves the store to ensure a strong case against the shoplifter, Little said.
"At that point they've given the individual every opportunity in the world to pay for that item," he said.
After the shoplifter leaves the store, business owners are permitted by Kansas law to use "reasonable force" to bring the individual back inside. This might be difficult for small businesses that have no security. Little said.
"Do you really want to tackle people?" Little said. "Without training I wouldn't recommend anyone do that."
Jess said she would go to whatever means necessary to keep her store theft-free —she's even chased people down the street before.
In the end, Jess said she applied her store philosophy toward her view on the shoplifting problem.
"We're all about peace, love and happiness," she said. "So shoplifting is completely against what we stand for."
- Contact Roche at nroche@kansan.com. This story was edited by Julie Jantzer
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