Canadian Retailer - Store 2017 - 59

Retailers can realize opportunities to improve the
lives of people living in communities they serve
through a more educational and compassionate
approach to first-time criminal offenders.
BY DENISE DEVEAU

LOSS prevention is a constant challenge for re-

Criminal Code stipulates that upon
tailers of all sizes. Loss represents a $4.6 billion a arrest an individual must be delivyear cost for the retail industry, including loss to ered to a police officer. There are
criminals, customers, internal crime, administra- jurisdictions in the U.S. however,
tion errors and vendor fraud. Of that number, 49 that allow retailers to offer offenders
per cent are attributable to external theft.
a restorative justice option, which
Not only are there the monetary costs associated eliminates the need to call the powith theft, the time and effort store personnel and lice or press charges.
police services spend on processing
shoplifters is putting undue strain on "RATHER THAN TAKING A PUNITIVE APPROACH,
both the companies and the justice RESTORATIVE JUSTICE FOCUSES ON REHABILITATION
system. As a low priority crime for po- AND SUPPORTING PEOPLE SO THEY WON'T DO IT
lice, security staff can wait up to five AGAIN. IT ADDRESSES THE NEEDS OF THE COURTS ON
hours or more for the shoplifter to be ONE HAND, WHILE TEACHING PEOPLE WAYS TO MAKE
picked up and processed.
THEIR LIVES BETTER."
- DAVID LOCKETT
Rather than turning shoplifters
PACT Urban Peace Project
over to the police, a possible option for retailers
is restorative justice. Restorative justice is an apIn those instances, the person can
proach that personalizes the crime by having the volunteer to complete a course that
victims and the offenders mediate a resolution to teaches them the implications of
the satisfaction of each. It allows the victims to their actions and its impact on other
take an active role in the process, while the of- parties. Retailers that have been infenders take meaningful responsibility for their volved in this process report surprisactions and are given the opportunity to right ingly low rates of recidivism among
their wrongs and redeem themselves.
adults, not to mention reductions in
the cost, time and resources needed
Origin story
to prosecute a shoplifter, reports DarRestorative justice's roots historically precede rell Huntsman, Co-Founder of Corthe criminal prosecution system. Native North rective Education Company (CEC) in
American communities have used the process as Orem, Utah, a provider of restorative
a means to reintegrate problematic members of justice programs for retailers.
their societies through healing circles, where the
"It's been used mostly with very
victim and the offender collaborate on a solution. large retailers like Wal-Mart," he exWhen used in the case of youth offenders or plains. "It's easier for them to come
more serious criminal acts, restorative justice has in and include this as a part of their
been shown to reduce the likelihood of repeat of- [loss prevention] program, since
fenses. David Lockett, Co-Founder and president they are the ones calling law enof the PACT Urban Peace Program has worked forcement the most and getting the
with youth offenders for more than 20 years. "Rath- highest complaints from police offier than taking a punitive approach, restorative cers about their limited resources."
justice focuses on rehabilitation and supporting
The recidivism rates to date with
people so they won't do it again. It addresses the Wal-Mart stores using the education
needs of the courts on one hand, while teaching program stands at 0.2 per cent versus
people ways to make their lives better."
the norm of 60 to 80 per cent, he says.
However, this option has not been extended Even low risk offenders show a 40 to
to adult shoplifters who are first-time offenders, 60 per cent repeat rate on average.
largely because Section 494 of the Canadian "That is much beyond what we anwww.retailcouncil.org/cdnretailer

THE LOSS PREVENTION ISSUE

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