Community Chat

[beach-mom]

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@SportyShorty07 wrote:

    I'm currently in the final stages of trying out for my city's police academy to become a police officer.  I read an article that stated that police departments are short hundreds of cops in major cities and that women are underrepresented as new hires and useful in dealing with emotionally sensitive cases that involve domestic violence or child welfare.

   Shoplifting is unfortunately widespread and its unnerving to walk into stores as a customer and see aisle after aisle locked behind protective walls.  I think that the pandemic emboldened criminals even more because the COVID masks gave thieves a disguise so that they weren't easily identifiable on security cameras.    I hope that I can get this career and make a difference, help others and keep the city safe.

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@SportyShorty07 - Your news is so exciting! The police need people like you! I'm an "outsider," but because of my job I find out a lot. I also am thrilled you want to concentrate on domestic violence and child welfare. I have some experience with both. One of the officers I know carries stuffed animals in his car to give to children when he goes on calls. That has comforted many young children while they await the social worker who will help them. 

I wish we could get back to the days when the police were so respected. (And for anyone reading this who might think I have my head in the sand, I do know there are those who bring dishonor to the profession. But I believe there are many more who enter this profession to simply help others and make a difference, as you said @SportyShorty07 and don't we all want to do that?) 

As the others have said, please keep us updated on your progress. Good luck with the final stages of your career choice!  

[Stray]

In Italy you not only go through a tube one at a time at a bank but certain items must be checked in lockers outside. In addition, there are armed guards by the entrances. The police are no nonsense in Italy & not restricted by liberal policies.

[Mj12]

The vast majority aren't violent and the stores are insured.  It's a situation in which there are no losers. 

😳 @chrystaltree ?

[RetRN]

OMG--so you condone this behavior?

[Mersha]

Stores and banks in this country are free to set in place whatever security measures they choose.

I have no clue where "liberal policies" are involved.

[deeva]

The stores are insured? How many times can a store file a claim before their insurance is cancelled? 

[They CallMe MRWILKES]

Most retail business insurance policies do not automatically cover Organized Retail Crime (the large smash and grab events) unless there is a specific rider.

Plus, the deductibles are generally quite high.

So, those saying it's no big deal and the crime is OK really don't have a clue about the real costs involved. 

Maybe those who think it's perfectly acceptable would say otherwise if they were caught up in one of the episodes. 

[Mersha]

...and, as per usual,  the costs of operating the store are passed down to their customers.

[stevieb]

So very true that operating costs trickle down meaning higher prices for customers. All the more reason to try to contain costs, including insurance costs, by catching and prosecuting those making a lifestyle out of ripping off others. A simple tube of lipstick might be one thing. That's bad enough, but when people are seen stuffing their jackets with boxed jewelry sets, small leather accessories and so on and heading for the exits, grown men are wheeling bicycles for which they haven't paid out the door, and gangs of thugs are busting out windows and clearing out 'designer' resale shops, well, that's something else entirely. 

[MorningLover]

KTLA - Los Angeles real estate mogul Rick Caruso offered a simple answer when asked why he believes the city is seeing a surge in "flash mob" style robberies targeting high-end stores.

“They’re successful,” he says. “If you have bad behavior and it’s rewarded, then you continue with bad behavior.”

Caruso, who owns 10 shopping centers in the Southland, discussed Saturday’s mob robbery at Nordstrom in Westfield Topanga Mall which involved between 20 and 50 criminals, police said.

Video shows the thieves rushing through the main floor of the store, grabbing tens of thousands of dollars worth of items, and then running out the door as horrified shoppers look on.

LAPD says a security guard was bear-sprayed during the attack.

The robbery occurred in broad daylight during regular business hours, similar to the robbery at an Yves Saint Laurent store at Caruso’s Americana at Brand shopping mall in Glendale last Tuesday.

“We’re in a crisis,” Caruso says. “They’re happening more and more, and what worries me is they’re becoming more violent.”

While shoppers might blame lax security or general lawlessness in society, Caruso believes politicians and prosecutors share some of the blame.

“We need to be very clear with elected officials: we demand a better, more livable city.  We demand [they] sit up, take note and change the laws and make sure that our district attorney is prosecuting these cases."