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Show THE NATIONAL ENTERPRISE, 19 OCTOBER 12, 1977 Task forces gear up to fight shoplifting and baa checks Caw at OdlPiirv Now Open SEVEN DAYS A WEEK French Country Dining Nightly Brunch on Sunday 1 for Phone Reservations 942-175- Educational programs for the short run and legislative solutions later on are two methods that will apparently be used to combat shoplifting and bad check writing by two task forces recently formed to deal with those business banes. Task forces made up of representatives of the state legislature, the business community, law enforcement agencies, and the judiciary met for the first time recently to discuss the problems they face and possible solutions. Both groups were created by the business subcommittee of the legislature's interim business, Labor and Economic Development Committee and are J. Carling, co-char- ed R-S.- by Sen. Richard and Rep. Merrill W. Harward. R-S.- L. Encourage education The shoplifting group decided to write to the Board of Education encouraging on with shoplifting laws, perhaps police officers on duty at schools. They will also request the Utah Bar Association to set up a speaking educational programs program of attorneys to lecture on the subject at schools. William J. Mortimer, president of the Utah Retail Merchants Association, expressed hope that the group could tidy up the law on shoplifting. He pointed out that while 1975 amendments to the law provided civil remedies which merchants wanted, it also left some clouded areas such as the boundaries of store premises before an arrest can be made.) Other issues included how to deal with juveniles as opposed to professional shoplifters using special devices in the crime, whether penalties were appropriate, how to protect merchants from spurious false arrest suits, and how to convince merchants to hire attorneys on a contingcn cy basis or perhaps use count) attorneys to press civil remedies which may seem more expensive than criminal proceedings. Banks must help The returned checks task force discussed ways of getting bankers to provide more help in dealing with the problem. Mike Christensen, deptuty Salt Lake County Attorney, pointed out that bank (liimsi tlililViuiOTdinlkS-flBi- l' limits i?3fift!niin!i fllBB aBBPinm8ii!i5Bd56 a$Bto kaimiBa3iifiinnnire policies giving out checks without any background investigation of the persons opening accounts. He also pointed out that banks get the first lien on to cover bounced checks and often charge high penalties for them in effect profiting by the overdrafts to pay for their free checking service. Part of the discussion centered around how to distinguish between fraudulent bad check writers, who should be prosecuted, and the bad check writers who merely consider themselves as iloating a loan which they thought the bank would cover. account CH&feMi aflnuftmna itargaHiina ir encourage bounced checks by issuing check protection cards which allow for overdrafts and money Notice by banks Possible solutions to the bad check problem mentioned included: notice by banks of overdrafts so that fraudulent intent could be established if such checks were then still written; providing immunity from suit for banks who place insufficcnt funds on account closed or returned checks (a statement that could, in turn, be used to establish fraudulent intent); printing an agreement to pay attorney fees and court costs on checks if the checks bounce; shortening the time involved in prosecution; modifying the rules of evidence to allow a showing of past bad check prosecutions: giving floaters a short time to repay the amount owed before they become criminally liable; and setting standards as to who can get check protection cards and even ehccking accounts and what can be done with them. 4 Both task forces are aiming to have legislative proposals ready for the 1979 In the legislative session. meantime they will meet every other month. |