Police work with mall for theft-free holiday

Season especially popular for shoplifters.

By: Lea Kahn
   With 22 shopping days left until Christmas, holiday shoppers are making the rounds and checking their lists. So are the shoplifters.
   But those who venture into the Quaker Bridge Mall may not find easy pickings, because the Lawrence Township Police Department is working with mall merchants to head off thievery.
   For several years, the Police Department has organized meetings with the smaller stores at the Quaker Bridge Mall before the holiday season to offer tips on how to prevent shoplifting, said police Sgt. Timothy Drew. He is assigned to the Quaker Bridge Mall.
   The mall reported 63 incidents of shoplifting during November and December 2001, and 52 incidents apiece in 2002 and 2003 during the same time frame, according to the Lawrence Township Police Department.
   While the anchor stores at the Quaker Bridge Mall — such as Sears and Old Navy — employ in-store loss prevention officers, the smaller merchants can benefit from the crime prevention tips, Sgt. Drew said.
   "We give the merchants a reminder before the season," he said. "When it gets so busy in the store and you are dealing with customers, it’s easy to take your mind off the customer who might be doing wrong."
   Some of the tips are simple and obvious.
   Merchants are told to be aware of customers who are wearing baggy clothing, for example, Sgt. Drew said. Items could easily be concealed in a jacket or sweater.
   A customer who carries a shopping bag that looks worn — not crisp like a new one — is another tip-off, he said. An empty shopping bag or knapsack or book bag is another clue that the person carrying it may be a shoplifter, he said.
   "If a customer at the clothing racks keeps watching the clerk, but doesn’t want help, that is an alert that the person might be a shoplifter," he said. "Seasoned retailers are pretty sharp. They can identify a lot of shoplifters. It’s paying attention to who is in your store."
   Shoplifters prefer larger stores, because there is plenty of room for them to "get lost" and to conceal items, Sgt. Drew said. In the smaller stores, the sales clerks may pay more attention to shoppers, he said. This makes it harder for a would-be shoplifter to hide something and sneak it out of the store without being noticed.
   "Having a good staff definitely makes an impact on the amount you lose from shoplifting," Sgt. Drew said. "If a small store loses a $75 sweater, it has more impact than if Macy’s lost it. A smaller store would feel the impact from shoplifting more than a larger store."
   Shoplifters cannot easily be categorized, Sgt. Drew said. They are men and women, and they are of all races, he said. They come from different socioeconomic backgrounds and from all parts of Mercer County — from the most affluent towns to the least affluent towns.
   "Most shoplifters, just like shoppers, are from the region," Sgt. Drew said. "They come to a place they know. We get some career shoplifters, from Philadelphia or New York or northern New Jersey, but in general, shoplifters will reflect the demographics of the shopping population. We get out-of-town shoplifters, but not on a steady basis."
   Career shoplifters do it for income, he said. This is how they earn a living. Instead of taking a jacket or a shirt, they will remove an entire shelf or rack of clothing that they can sell quickly on the street, he said. The professional shoplifter also may steal items that are popular and in demand, and which also have quick resale value.
   Career shoplifters also differ from other shoplifters in other respects, Sgt. Drew said. A career shoplifter may target one type of store over another, he said. That type of shoplifter also focuses on big-ticket items, such as jewelry.
   The casual shoplifter, by contrast, takes items for himself or herself, or that can be given as gifts, Sgt. Drew said. That type of shoplifter is more likely to take just one shirt or jacket or a pair of slacks — items that are important for him or her to have, he said. A shoplifter may do it just for the excitement of getting something for free, he said.
   The Quaker Bridge Mall is aware of shoplifters’ tactics, he said. Shopping mall management companies share information with each other on known shoplifters. They watch for trends, and efforts are made to thwart shoplifting incidents before they happen, he said.
   "Shoplifters be warned — we are watching for you," Sgt. Drew said.