SHOPLIFTING AND POLICE REFERRAL - A REEXAMINATION

• NCJ Number: 51105
• Journal: Journal of Criminal Law and Criminology Volume: 69 Issue: 3 Dated: (FALL 1978) Pages: 395-401
• Author(s): R J LUNDMAN
• Date Published: 1978
• Length: 7 pages
• Corporate Author: Northwestern University; Williams and Wilkins Co
• Publication Format: Article
• Language: English
• Country: United States of America

Annotation

FACTORS INFLUENCING THE LAY REFERRAL OF SHOPLIFTING OFFENSES TO THE POLICE ARE STUDIED. THE SECURITY RECORDS FOR A BRANCH OF A DEPARTMENT STORE CHAIN WERE EXAMINED TO COLLECT DATA ON OFFENDERS, OFFENSES, AND DISPOSITIONS.

Abstract

THE SECURITY RECORDS FOR A BRANCH OF A NATIONWIDE DEPARTMENT STORE CHAIN WERE UTILIZED FOR THE YEARS 1973-1975 TO COLLECT DATA ON EACH SHOPLIFTING OFFENSE, DESCRIPTIONS OF OFFENDERS, AND INFORMATION ON REFERRAL OR NONREFERRALS TO THE POLICE. A TOTAL OF 664 CASES WERE ANALYZED TO DETERMINE IF EXTRALEGAL FACTORS INFLUENCED THE REPORTING OF SHOPLIFTING OFFENSES. RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE RETAIL VALUE OF THE ITEM STOLEN, THE RACE OF THE OFFENDER, THE SEX OF THE OFFENDER, AND THE OFFENDER'S AGE WERE CONSIDERED. TABLES PROVIDE DATA ON THE ANALYSIS RESULTS. THE MAJOR FINDING OF THE STUDY IS THAT RETAIL VALUE, AGE, AND RACE ALL RELATE TO THE REFERRAL DECISION, AND THAT GENDER DOES NOT. THESE FINDINGS ARE COMPARED TO RESULTS OF PREVIOUS STUDIES BY CAMERON, HINDELANG, AND STEFFENSMEIRER AND TERRY, AND REASONS FOR DISSIMILARITIES ARE DISCUSSED. THE PREVIOUS REPORTS FOUND THAT EXTRALEGAL CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS RACE, GENDER, AND 'HIPPIE' APPEARANCE PLAYED AN IMPORTANT ROLE IN LAY DECISIONS TO REFER APPREHENDED SHOPLIFTERS TO POLICE; THE EXCEPTION IS HINDELANG'S STUDY WHICH FOUND THAT THESE FACTORS WERE ONLY SLIGHTLY RELATED WHEN THE RETAIL VALUE OF THE ITEM WAS CONTROLLED. THE SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES HAVE SEVERAL IMPLICATIONS FOR THE GENERAL STUDY OF LAY DECISIONMAKING. IT APPEARS THAT LAY PERSONS ARE GENERALLY RELUCTANT TO UTILIZE FORMAL MECHANISMS OF SOCIAL CONTROL -- ONLY 36 PERCENT OF THOSE ELIGIBLE FOR FORMAL PROCESSING WERE ACTUALLY REFERRED TO POLICE. THE MOST INFLUENTIAL FACTOR APPEARS TO BE THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE ALLEGED OFFENSES -ONLY 8 PERCENT OF PERSONS IN THIS STUDY TOOK ITEMS OF LESS THAN $6.00, WHILE 71 PERCENT TOOK ITEMS WORTH MORE THAN $30.00. SINCE EXTRALEGAL FACTORS SEEM TO INFLUENCE DECISIONMAKING IN REGARD TO REFERRALS, IT IS SUGGESTED THAT FUTURE SURVEYS STUDY THE ROLE OF OFFENDER CHARACTERISTICS IN THE DECISION TO REPORT CRIMINAL VICTIMIZATION. (DAG)