To help address the growing number of youthful and consumer shoplifting offenders, one progressive community has engaged in a collaborative Shoplifting Prevention Community Action Plan.
The goal of the Orange County New York Community Action Plan is to effectively handle the growing number of adult and juvenile shoplifting offenders (without overburdening retailers, law enforcement and the courts) while simultaneously reducing future shoplifting offenses. Key to the success of their Community Action Plan is involvement by all stakeholders in the shoplifting issue - from parents to local retailers, to law enforcement, to the district attorney and the courts.
The first part of the plan was initiated in 2005 when Orange County District Attorney Frank Phillips’ office began a Shoplifting Prevention Program as a component of their Restorative Justice Initiative. The concept was simple. Once an offender pled guilty to the shoplifting charge, the initiative would require both completion of a NASP Shoplifter Education Program and payment of any restitution due the retail victim for all adult offenders ages 16 and up. Upon successful completion of the program and payment of restitution, the defendants may have their cases reduced or dismissed depending on the facts in the case. Today the DA’s office proudly states that since the program’s inception, not one of the more than 500 enrollees has been rearrested in Orange County for shoplifting.
To expand on the success of the DA’s program and to maximize the impact of the juvenile apprehensions throughout the community, retail stores in the community, including Thruway Stores and ShopRite Supermarkets, have begun to utilize NASP’s Juvenile Shoplifter Accountability Program.
Upon apprehension, the store loss prevention officer gives the parents of the apprehended youth a Parent Support Pamphlet supplied by NASP. According to Caroline Kochman, executive director of NASP, “For most parents, the apprehension of their child is a new and unfamiliar situation. They want to try and remove every chance their child will shoplift again but are often unsure where or how to begin. This simple action by the retailer gives parents access to the education and guidance they often want and need to help their child get back on track.”
The most notable impact of the Juvenile Shoplifter Accountability Program is its ability to help stores – who are the first, and often the only contact with the juvenile – to improve the educational impact of every apprehension in order to reduce repeat offenses. In addition, it serves to minimize the burden on their law enforcement and criminal and juvenile justice partners both now and when these youth become adults. “Research has shown that many defendants start their criminal careers by shoplifting at an early age.” says DA Phillips. These programs address the problem through education in order to change shoplifters’ behavior to decrease the likelihood of repeat criminal actions. This simple yet innovative approach serves to significantly reduce repeat offenses among the youth and future adults of Orange County, New York.
For more information about the Orange County Community Action Plan or to receive parent support pamphlets for your store, e-mail bcstaib@shopliftingprevention.org or call 516-932-0165.