Would you stop a shoplifter?

[dk55belair]

So me and the wife run to the grocery store yesterday evening and are picking out some meat for a dinner at church today and notice this guy is acting really suspicious at the end of the isle.

I worked in the grocery business for many years, meat cutter, stocker and later on a sales rep for the manufacturers, so I know a little bit about how to pick out a shoplifter. So this guy is looking down and isle and pretending to straighten the stock up on a display while the isle is full of shoppers and one stock boy. Originally I thought he was checking out this girl's personality. Then I notice a shopping cart full of meat with a back pack in it.

When the isle clears, he grabs the cart and takes it to another isle. I notify the stocker that he should get the manager. I knew he wasnt fooling around, so I go over where this guy has proceeded to stuff the meat in his backpack, with the mgr nowhere in site, I stepped up and grabbed his cart and asked why he was doing that. He is already shaking and dumps the meat out yells "im sorry" 10x and runs for the door with me behind him. They stop him up front and he turns the backpack upside down and says "i aint got nothing" and flies out the door...lol

I guess you dont get it out of your blood, but i wasnt going to watch him steal $240 worth of ribeyes, while I looked the other way. I worked in a store in HS near the projects and we averaged catching 3 shoplifters a day.

Just curious how many folks would or wouldn't have done anything?

 

[Slobusa]

I might just tell someone ( employe) but I wouldn't try to stop them

 

[Fastfrog007]

I might just tell someone ( employe) but I wouldn't try to stop them

Same here, people are crazy nowadays, ya never know what they're gonna do. Could be some tweeker tryin to get some cash for his drugs, he flips and stabs ya. I know, worst case and likely wont happen, but Im a wee bit paranoid

You did a good thing tho Doug, this lil Frog is proud of ya

 

[dk55belair]

Same here, people are crazy nowadays, ya never know what they're gonna do. Could be some tweeker tryin to get some cash for his drugs, he flips and stabs ya. I know, worst case and likely wont happen, but Im a wee bit paranoid

You did a good thing tho Doug, this lil Frog is proud of ya

I thought about that too and honestly, if he pulled a knife on me or something he better hope I didnt make it to the truck cause his ribeyes would be full of holes...

 

[semi]

i do it all the time as i'm the manager they flip out on you every once in a while but that just adds to the fun

 

[dk55belair]

Just wondering if anyone actually knows how many times you could punch someone while the're opening a knife. I've never had one pulled on me. But I think I could do enough damage in the 3 seconds it would take.

 

[dk55belair]

i do it all the time as i'm the manager they flip out on you every once in a while but that just adds to the fun

Semi, you can probably hold your own.

 

[dadofthree]

Recently a guy tried to stop a shop lifter or hold up guy and from memory the criminal ran in front of a car or something and got injured suing the fella that tried to stop him.

I would notify and keep an eye on the guy, but wouldn't approach. Today the likelihood of injury is too great. In SC he would be guilty of shoplifting. State laws vary. In SC we also have good samaritan laws, but I don't know if they would protect you from a claim in this type of action.

 

[semi]

Just wondering if anyone actually knows how many times you could punch someone while the're opening a knife. I've never had one pulled on me. But I think I could do enough damage in the 3 seconds it would take.

if you hit them right, they never finish opening it...the problem is if they have a fixed blade butcher knife from their momma's kitchen like the one that was pulled on one of my co-workers

 

[214 Busa]

I would notify a store employee and let them deal with it. I worked in a grocery store while in high school and seen a couple of guys try to be a hero and stop a shoplifter. One story sticks with me. I watched the owner of the grocery store i worked at catch a beat down from a guy in the parking lot trying to confront him about shoplifting. A few other employees and I laughed our ass off cuz the owner was a a-hole to begin with. He was pissed cuz we didn't help. We all told him for the beatdown that he got he didn't pay us enough. I refuse to be a hero over items in any store that I don't own. Thats like chasing a bank robber after he robs the bank you bank in. The FDIC will cover the little bit of money I keep in it. They won't cover funeral expenses if I get shot trying to be Superman!

 

[dadofthree]

I would notify a store employee and let them deal with it. I worked in a grocery store while in high school and seen a couple of guys try to be a hero and stop a shoplifter. One story sticks with me. I watched the owner of the grocery store i worked at catch a beat down from a guy in the parking lot trying to confront him about shoplifting. A few other employees and I laughed our ass off cuz the owner was a a-hole to begin with. He was pissed cuz we didn't help. We all told him for the beatdown that he got he didn't pay us enough. I refuse to be a hero over items in any store that I don't own. Thats like chasing a bank robber after he robs the bank you bank in. The FDIC will cover the little bit of money I keep in it. They won't cover funeral expenses if I get shot trying to be Superman!

I agree with the funeral statement, but there is no free lunch. Every consumer pays in the end. Not the store owner, insurance company or government.

 

[dk55belair]

When I worked in the stores, I never liked letting them get outside, because you were usually in a different environment. I knew if he got them in his backpack, he was gone, so I was going to make sure he knew I was on to him.

And for the record, I didnt try and detain him, I just interupted his plans.

 

[Chemmy]

Well since I am the guy in my store responsible for this then I guess I can throw my 2 cents down.
My store actually looks down upon civies helping let alone another employee. Our legal system is set up to allow selected people to deal with shoplifters since we are trained in how to cover our butts incase a lawsuit comes down.

I hate shoplifters with a passion and to be honest I am not to fond of my job because of the altercations I get into at work. I have been in fist fights, slammed a guy into a vending machine, even chased one dude 2 miles off store property for a cash bag from a register containing 1700 and some change. Every time I came back into the store I had praise from the store boss but my immediate supervisor was pissed and would just tell me to not do it again.

I say to you like I have told the three or four people in my store for assisting in stopping a shoplifter. dont go beyond what you think is more then safe for you. I had an older woman confront two kids stealing xbox games. She thought she got through to them and when they left she brought the scissors and packages to customer service as I was following the kids. She had a big smile on her face when I brought them to the office and she handed me the evidence.
Had another man in your situation where some guy was stuffing a box. The guy approached him and got punched in the face for it. we got the guy but now this civie had a broken nose and we arent liable for it so it was out of his own pocket.

My advice is get AP/LP or a manager, or even yell out hey what are you doing lol. But dont confront them. I have to hold a weekly meeting in my store and remind people every week to just call me on my phone and not to take matters in there own hands.

 

[Chemmy]

I agree with the funeral statement, but there is no free lunch. Every consumer pays in the end. Not the store owner, insurance company or government.

Yes and no, in my store they have an alotted amount allready set aside in finance ready to cover lost or stolen. This is beyond insurance. Banks are the same. They generally are insured for a certain amount that is unpunishable to you the consumer. This is why they only allow you to have a certain amount in the accounts.

 

[dk55belair]

The week I'd had, I might have liked him to take a swing at me...lol

Yeah, I agree with not trying to make a citizens arrest, but I wondered homw many other shoppers, just looked away and this guy have $240 worth of meat.

 

[Chemmy]

I wondered how many other shoppers, just looked away and this guy have $240 worth of meat.

Probably most of them. They are the same ones who gripe at home about how bad things are but never do anything about that either lol.

I actually had one guy tell me of a shoplifter to cover his own tracks shoplifting. The thing that didnt work for him is that we had someone else watching this guy as well. So they had a lot to talk about together when the other one found out he ratted him out just so he could steal.

 

[dk55belair]

Probably most of them. They are the same ones who gripe at home about how bad things are but never do anything about that either lol.

I actually had one guy tell me of a shoplifter to cover his own tracks shoplifting. The thing that didnt work for him is that we had someone else watching this guy as well. So they had a lot to talk about together when the other one found out he ratted him out just so he could steal.

Some of them are actually quite talented, this guy was no professional at all. lol

 

[Ludicrous Speed]

Not me. I would have let a manager or someone know.

And about the knife comment: One of my instructors at work is still a ranked top ten knife fighter. When he showed us how much damage can be done with a knife in less than two seconds, I will always back away from a knife. You never know who knows how to use one

 

[Chemmy]

Ya I have seen em both. From the guy who just thinks it is harmless to replace his favorite dvd to the guy who does it state to state. The only thing they have in common is they all get busted.

The town I am in doesnt like me a whole hell of a lot right now cause I am responsible for destroying the junior varsity football team. Half of them including the QB were newbies and had to come up with some prank. So at a sleepover some kid decided to share how he shoplifted that day and how he had got away with it. He told them exactly what he had dont and in what isle, using what tool and where to get it in the store.

Needless to say I stopped 12 kids in the next 3 days doing the exact same thing at different times. It was awesome. I thouhg tI was stuck in some kind of groundhog day thing till the 7th kid told me what was goin on and that they had all gotten the idea together at a sleep over. The parents forbid the kids from calling eachother to tell them what happened.

 

[dk55belair]

Not me. I would have let a manager or someone know.

And about the knife comment: One of my instructors at work is still a ranked top ten knife fighter. When he showed us how much damage can be done with a knife in less than two seconds, I will always back away from a knife. You never know who knows how to use one

Things aren't like the old days when two men fought it out with their fists, shook hands when they were done and walked away. You never heard about warrants for assault, or lawsuits in 1980...did you.