In 2001, Shoplifting and Security are on the Rise By: Tammy Tibbetts With the increasing population of South Brunswick, it should come as no surprise that on most days approximately 1,200 people visit Foodtown, the grocery store of Dayton. The possibility that 109 of these patrons are shoplifters, however, is much more startling. According to Shoplifters Anonymous, a support group, 23 million shoplifters exist in the United States, which means that 1 in 11 Americans is guilty of the crime. Some of these larcenists shoplift because they do not want to pay for the merchandise, others because they are addicted to the thrill of violating the law and not getting caught. "[Shoplifters] steal because they want something for nothing," remarked Peter Berlin, executive director of Shoplifters Anonymous. Due to the prevalence of shoplifters, Foodtown increases its security by installing several remote surveillance cameras throughout the store, educating employees on how to recognize the traits of a shoplifter, and keeping more expensive items in view of the staff, commented Scott Seidel, the store manager. Since Foodtown and many other stores now maintain sophisticated security systems and train their employees to be alert, shoplifters are in greater danger of getting caught. If prosecuted for shoplifting, the store (victim) will most likely call the police immediately. A shoplifter will be penalized $100-500 for a first or second offense and may face up to six months in prison at the judge’s discretion. A third offense leads to $250-1000 in fines and a mandatory thirty-day jail sentence. Shoplifting, however, does not only affect one guilty of the crime, but also the store and shoppers who purchase products. Since stores lose profit when goods are stolen, they often need to increase their prices to compensate for the money lost; as a result, innocent customers must pay for the misdeeds of shoplifters. "I don’t think that I should be responsible to make up for the financial losses caused by those who shoplift," said Raka Basu, a sophomore. With the technology of the twenty-first century, stores may catch more larcenists than ever before, perhaps convincing shoppers once and for all that everything has a price—whether you would rather pay the cost for merchandise or the penalties for shoplifting is your choice.