The rise in shoplifting has sparked concerns, with some arguing that it has been exaggerated and used to push back against criminal justice reforms.
Historically, shoplifting has been a focal point in public discourse, often representing larger cultural, economic, or political concerns.
While reports show significant revenue losses due to theft, a report from the Council on Criminal Justice suggests there is no clear national rise in shoplifting.
Brooklyn College professor Alex Vitale said, “Historically, shoplifting has always had this outsized impact on public discourse.”
“We see examples on video of behaving badly and it gets invested with all this extra meaning about the collapse of social order,” added the sociology professor.
“In the 1960s, there was more of a political and cultural element to shoplifting,” , said. “There was a much wider articulation that shoplifting was a critique of the capitalist system.” said Ohio Wesleyan historian, Michael Flamm.
Addiing, “Shoplifting tied into a wider sense that respect for authority was diminishing. It was a stand-in for larger concerns and anxieties.”
The issue has been politically charged, with some using it to oppose criminal justice policy reforms.
This has led to debates about the broader concerns of law and disorder.
The National Retail Federation (NRF) found reported that $112.1 billion in revenue due to theft in 2022.
Even giants like Target and Walmart have listed theft as a contributor to their decisions to pull out of several major cities.
Despite recording a rise in theft this year, the NRF cited the Council on Criminal Justice’s reported position of; “there is no clear national rise in shoplifting.”
“Shoplifting has also become a politically charged crime that many on the right and some Democrats have exploited to oppose criminal justice policy reforms,” wrote the NRF.
James Walsh from The Ontario Institute of Technology said, “The figure of a shoplifter may provide for a scapegoat for deeper problems that are more complex and intractable…”
“It resonates with broader concerns about law and disorder,” added the head of the university’s graduate program on criminology and justice
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