Discontinue prosecution of shoplifting, get more of it

On the West Coast, changing public policies including lighter legal consequences for theft and lower priority of police response have led to a rise in shoplifting and other crime in stores, sometimes blatant. Compounding the problem: stores fear large liability payouts should they chase or touch a suspected miscreant [Christopher F. Rufo, City Journal; Scott P. Lindsay study for Downtown Seattle Association]

3 Comments

  • About time the poor got the same justice as the wealthy. Your complaint seems to be that there are so many more of them.

  • The far Left made further gains in this month’s closely watched City Council races in Seattle. On a seven-man council, there are two additional avowed socialists (making three) as well as two other far-leftists. On the other hand, there is talk of a compromise with retailers, allowing prosecution of the most brazenly professional thieves, the sort who walk out each day with $950 worth of merchandise in their shopping carts. Otherwise, it is hard to see how open-shelf retail establishments can survive in Seattle.

  • Known shoplifters might be excluded by a facial ID access barrier, though it is hard to imagine a pro-criminal city council tolerating this for long:
    https://www.seattletimes.com/business/technology/when-convenience-meets-surveillance-ai-at-the-corner-store/