By: Arnav Singhal
Local Editors
In 2014, California law mandated that shoplifting would not be considered a crime unless it exceeded a value of $950. Since then, the state has addressed various instances of petty theft defined as taking minor goods, such as candy bars or clothing, from local stores. According to the National Association for Convenience Stores, total inventory shrinkage accounts for approximately 1.5% of a store’s total yearly sales on average. This shrinkage includes both shoplifting and employee theft. However, that percentage almost doubles for stores located in close proximity to local schools. Businesses and parents should instill stricter expectations for young people to prevent petty theft.
Often, the first instances of children falling into a cycle of theft begins with a bag of candy or chips. Yet the incidents recurrence become ingrained within local youth and student culture. When waves of students enter a local store, the sheer volume of bodies in a confined space makes it difficult for the limited number of employees to manage them. Due to its normalization of petty theft in kids’ eyes, they often view it as a joke or a prank. For independent business owners and family-owned chains, this occurrence can lead to money coming directly out of the business.
For students themselves, the simple act of stealing once can exact a devastating mental toll, according to the National Association for Substance Abuse Prevention (National Library of Medicine). During the formation of the prefrontal cortex, the decision-making entity in the brain, the repetition of negative behaviors like unpunished theft can begin to erode students’ senses of internal accountability, often leading to individuals forming a sense of entitlement thus leading to larger forms of crime.
Beyond the disadvantageous effects that stealing has on the individual, parents’ enforcement can be the first barrier set against these actions. Often most theft does not exceed five to ten dollars falling well below the prosecution threshold and become unenforceable among local police. Most individuals assume that the notion that stealing is bad is already ingrained within students. However, parents can take the simple act of talking to children about punishments and deter any of these instances from actually occurring.
Ultimately, deterring petty theft is not just about protecting store profit margins; it’s about reinforcing a sense of humanity in our youth. When kids are constantly surrounded by social media, idolizing shortcuts, and breaking out of the matrix, a simple conversation or a business setting a firm boundary can make a significant difference.
(Sources: National Association for Convenience Stores, National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, National Library of Medicine, and National Retail Federation)