Shoplifting is the most common loss that a business faces. Basically, shoplifting is a theft that has taken place within a retail business. A person picks up an item, usually hides it on their person and leaves the business without making any attempt to pay for it.

How They Do It: Methods Used for Shoplifting

• Concealing items in their clothing
• Concealing items in shopping bags, or packages from other stores
• Concealing items in purses or pockets
• Concealing goods in umbrellas
• By price switching
• By "cupping" the items in their hands
• By wearing items under the clothes they are wearing
• By leaving the store with merchandise exposed

• Be aware of someone who is looking at other people instead of shopping and people who keep returning to the same area of the store, or are just hanging around.
• Shoplifters may look nervous and move or look from side-to-side several times. Body language is an important tool in spotting a potential shoplifter.
• Shoplifters handle things a lot without actually looking at the item, and use their hands and upper body to conceal the item itself.
• Be suspicious of individuals wearing clothing out of season.
• Be suspicious of individuals who "cup" the item they looking at in their hands.
• Hands do the taking-Eyes do the stealing.

Management's Part

• The manager or owner of the business must actively advertise against shoplifting, using signs to reinforce the fact that shoplifters will be prosecuted.
• Follow through-Prosecute shoplifters
• Establish permanent policies concerning dressing rooms to limit the number of garments or articles that go in and to ensure the same number come out. All items should be checked by a staff member.
• Maintain at least a minimum staff that does not leave any particular area of the business unattended.
• Have a firm refund policy, and make all customers aware of it at the time of purchase. All customers should be given receipts to make it easier to confirm a purchase if there is a dispute at a later time.
• Establish a security or alert code with the use of a simple phrase to alert all staff members to a potential theft or just a suspicious customer.
• Consider using security tags such as ink tags or other similar devices.

• A salesperson who is alert and attentive is the best deterrent to shoplifting because customers want service and thieves don't.
• Greet every customer who enters the store with a hello and eye-to-eye contact.
• Watch for customers who spend a lot of time in an area, not really looking at anything specific.
• Maintain neat displays to let you know if anything is missing
• Avoid tall displays in order to prevent blind spots that would block your view and line of sight.
• If a group appears as though they are attempting to distract staff, have a staff member move to where they can better observe the whole area

• If theft occurs more often in one particular area, rearrange the display, install overhead mirrors or use a different type of display.
• Have cash registers near the front of the store to allow staff to observe all customers as they leave the store.
• If necessary, practice cross hangering to deter "grab and run" theft.
• Display easily stolen smaller items close to the cash register.
• High-priced items should be arranged so they are in better view of the cash register.
• Secure the stockrooms; have them locked or have a bell or buzzer system installed so you are alerted to someone entering the stockrooms.
• Empty boxes and cartons should be flattened and removed from the sales floor.
• Consider installing a small closed circuit TV system and a video recorder. Post signs advertising that fact.

As an employee or manager of a business, you and your staff have certain powers of arrest under the California Penal Code. To understand your rights and responsibilities, read the penal codes in full, and follow company policy on detaining individuals and keeping yourself and others safe from physical or verbal retaliation after accosting a suspected shoplifter.

490.5 PC
Anyone who is:

This also gives the merchant the ability to conduct a limited search to recover the item by those authorized to make the detention. Only packages, shopping bags, handbags or other property in the immediate possession of the person detained may be searched, but not any clothing worn by the person, pursuant to subdivision 490.5(4).

Anyone, other than a peace officer, who arrests a person without a warrant shall forthwith deliver the person to a peace officer.

837 PC - Arrest by Private Person

A private person may arrest another:

• You have certain responsibilities when making an arrest
• You must see the suspect enter the display area
• You must witness the theft being committed
• You must see where the suspect concealed the item, if concealed.
• You must maintain visual contact with the suspect at all times
• You must see the suspect fail to pay and exit the store
• You must identify the property

Your Detention/Arrest Procedure

• Approach cautiously and identify yourself; be polite, professional and try to have another employee present.
• Ask the suspect to return the unpaid items to you.
• Return to the store with the suspect.
• Do not search the subject.
• Call police immediately.
• Retain all goods.
• Have a witness present with you, if possible. Try to have one person of the same gender as the suspect with you at all times.
• Make accurate notes including the names of any additional witnesses.

Young Offenders
A different status is given to young offenders. These are persons 14 to 17 years old who have committed a criminal offense and have the same rights as an adult. Children under the age of 14 are usually not charged with a criminal offense because they are not deemed responsible for their actions.

If you see any children shoplifting, they can be detained. Especially if they are under the age of 14, watch to see if they might be working for an adult. Call your local police department immediately. Remember that you should always release a juvenile offender to a parent or guardian of the child or a police officer.

After detention and arrest, juvenile offenders are handled in a different manner by various agencies. Contact your local department for more information. Do not release information concerning juvenile detentions to anyone other than the parents or police because juvenile records are protected and kept confidential by law.

Remember, theft can only occur when the following three things are present:
Motive, Opportunity, Means

If you eliminate just one of these three items, you have prevented a crime.
The one you have the most control over and the easiest to eliminate is opportunity.
The best way to reduce a thief's opportunity is through good customer service.

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