There's a myth that shoplifting and other retail robberies are "nonviolent, property only" crimes, and unless the value exceeds felony status, people are being taught "No big deal. That's why the stores have insurance."
Store clerks are being trained to turn a blind eye to theft in progress under the theory that it's safer for employees and customers to just let the thieves grab their loot and leave peacefully.
However, Walgreens, In&Out Burger and many other stores are closing their locations in areas being robbed multiple times daily citing the threat to employee safety.
So, which is it? Not a crime of violence, or too risky to remain open?
Mixed signals as usual.
There was a Blue Bloods episode last week where Officer Edie Jenko witnesses a kid grabbing electronic merchandise and shoving it in his backpack. When she tried to alert the clerk, she said they were instructed to not interfere with shoplifters for their safety.
So, Jenko arrested the kid herself, but was ordered by her commander to release him -- which she did when the mother arrived. Mom said this was an escalating problem, but without consequences, she doesn't know how to get him to stop. Really? Mom needs to learn the word discipline!
Anyway, the next time it happened, Jenko put the kid in a cell next to the DA investigator, Anthony, posing as a criminal -- a "scared straight" tactic. He was threatened with juvenile detention center sentencing since the value of his haul was over $1,000. After seeing what going through the system was like, the kid decided it wasn't worth the reward.
No enforcement = no law.