| OCR Text |
Show Crime consequences Shoplifting affects everybody, not just thief This is the second installment in a special Iron County Record series on shoplifting in southern Utah. This week's article deals with the consequences con-sequences of shoplifting, to everyone involved. The final installment next week will deal with possible solutions to the problem. By MICHELLE BATE Record Reporter The consequences of shoplifting affect everybody, not just the shoplifter. Of course, if the shoplifter is caught and prosecuted, he can face fines and even jail time, but every consumer also suffers from the consequences o." shopliting through higher prices for goods. Most people that shoplift do not consider it a serious crime and are shocked to learn that it is a form of larceny. According to Ninth Circuit Court Judge Christian Ronnow, shoplifting is only the streetterm and in all legal procedures it is referred to as theft. It isn't a game, even though most i people steal for the thrill of it, rather 1 t'-f'Srf i&lh than out of need, most store owners Shoplifting carries with it harsh nterviewed this past month by the penalties. Someone who takes a tube of Record agreed. lipstick or a candy bar suddenly realizes that all the fun and excitement cease to exist when the store manager stops him and asks to see what he just put in his pocket. For the first offense, regardless of what is stolen under $100 in value, Judge Ronnow will usually fine the individual $100, he said. For the second offense the fine is raised to $200. "When someone commits a third offense, I charge, them with the full fine, which is $299 and considered an infraction," said Ronnow. Anything stolen between $100 and $250 is considered a class A misdemeanor, and a conviction carries a $1,000 fine and a possible jail sentence of one year. Theft of items over $1,000 in value is considered a third degree felony and could involve serving time in the state prison and possibly a $5,000 fine, said Ronnow. The situation for juveniles caught shoplifting is somewhat different. According to Larry Davis director of juvenile court services for the Fourth Juvenile Court, in most cases juveniles are required to sec SHOPLIFTING on p. A3 Shoplifting Continued from page Al make restitution for items if "they are damaged or replaceable. "When mere is property damage, work assignments can be given to the offender," he said. Davis also added that a law passed that made parents resonsible for children in shoplifting instances approximately ap-proximately three years ago, has really helped and is adding further consequences con-sequences to shoplifting, at least for juveniles. However, everyone in a community pays for its shoplifters. Police, court and probationary services all cost the taxpayer money. "People don't realize that we as store owners could probably reduce prices 5 to 10 percent if we could decrease sh-polifting," sh-polifting," said Dee Cowan, owner of Hunter-Cowan in Cedar City. What consumers can do to stop this shoplifting and addition to prices, will be part of the discussion in next week's final installment in this series. It will discuss solutions to the ever-growing problem. |
