| Show Theft drops at bookstore Anna Kay Hansen Contributing Writer Despite the price of textbooks textbooks textbooks text text- books reaching an all time high the number of bookstore bookstore bookstore book book- store thefts have fallen dramatically dramatically dramatically dra dra- within the last year According to Steve Ferre Director of College Store the national average of retail shrinkage is 11 percent Shrinkage includes shoplifting shoplifting shoplift shoplift- ing employee theft and inventory miscalculations Bookstores tend to have a slightly lower percentage the average around seven per per- cent Ferre indicates bookstore is five percent half of the national average Even as the price of textbooks textbooks textbooks text text- books increase the number of thefts has decreased This semester the bookstore electronic security system in accounts for only two December 2004 shoplifting incidents Retail security officers tell attributes the down- down vivid tales of chasing andward andward and andward ward a p p r e trend to tot t h e bookstores bookstore's book- book bookstores bookstore's bookstores bookstore's stores store's security system In addition addition addition addi addi- tion to hour 24 video surveillance surveillance surveillance lance lancen n d A prosecutes all shoplifters Theft violates the Student Code and can lead to suspension a a 11 U u employees monitoring customers customers customers cus cus- the electronic security ty system discourages people from leaving without paying The number of incidents has decreased substantially since the installation of the hending shoplifters In Ferres Ferre's 18 years w i t h he has never had anyone anyone anyone any any- one run Ferre recalls only hear- hear about nJ ing mg an incident where an employee employ employ- ee chased and held someone until Utah Highway Patrol arrived a deterrent instead of catching them Ferre said All thefts are turned over overto overto overto to campus police force for investigation and are reported to Administration Office prosecutes all shoplifters which can result in jail time or fines Theft is also a violation of the Student Code and can lead to suspension As a result of retail shrinkage shrinkage shrinkage shrink shrink- age the price for books and other merchandise increases to cover the losses A good alternative to stealing stealing stealing steal steal- ing the expensive textbooks might be using the textbooks on reserve in the school library It saves students money and also saves from having to figure out how to hide a five pound biology book in their pants |
