When you’re shopping, it’s easy to forget things, like items on the rail underneath the cart or if you scan too quickly in the self-checkout. Unfortunately, whether intending to or not, this could get you charged with shoplifting.
So, if you’re wondering what to do if you’re caught shoplifting? Be polite and don’t try to run away. If charges are filed, you’ll be getting mail too, so understand that other people may find out what happened. You should also get an attorney immediately to make sure you understand the charges, stay away from the store until it’s sorted out, and think about the long-term implications.
A lot of people think that shoplifting is a minor thing, but it really isn’t when you think about it. Stick with us and we’ll tell you what to do and what you need to know!
Don’t run away
Running away is NOT a good idea. There are surveillance cams, for one thing, and that security guard might even be an off-duty officer – and off-duty doesn’t mean they don’t ‘count’ as police.
You could be charged with evading, or resisting arrest, and if you bump into someone while you’re fleeing, you might also get charged with assault.
Be courteous and polite
Simply not fleeing is not enough – you need to be on your best behavior. As they say ‘manners cost nothing’, but being polite is not only the right thing to do, it might even get you a little slack.
You might simply be asked to return the item and be banned from the store for a small period of time without the police getting involved.
This doesn’t always happen – you’ll probably get charged anyway – but even so, you can save yourself from potential extra charges by behaving and if you need to defend yourself in court, it’s really not going to look good if you are verbally abusive and aggressive on the surveillance cam footage.
So be civil – you’ve been caught and there are consequences, but there is no good reason to make it harder on others and by extension, potentially MUCH harder on you.
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Understand that other people will likely find out
While you might be afraid of anyone finding out that you’ve been caught shoplifting, it’s best to realize now that someone will probably learn about it and unfortunately, people like to talk.
For instance, you may receive legal notices, advertisements from lawyers, and even official letters from the store.
If the store is somewhere very public, like inside of a mall, then a guard at the door may recognize you and announce out loud that you aren’t allowed in the store.
While you can try to intercept the mail and simply stay away from the store, you might still get found out although you’ll certainly have a chance at hiding the situation.
Just don’t count on it – these things have a way of becoming public very quickly.
Research the exact charges and your options with an attorney
It is important to know exactly what you are being charged with and what that’s going to mean for you. With shoplifting, it’s generally going to depend on the value of the items that were taken. If you’ve been caught shoplifting there before and banned, you might also get a trespassing charge.
It’s better not to try to figure it out on your own, but rather to get an attorney IMMEDIATELY before you agree to even tell your side of the story. Even if you accidentally walked out with something, having an attorney present is vital because you don’t know your rights and you could still get charged.
An attorney can make sure that you don’t say anything that might incriminate you or give the police reason to take things a step further and possibly search your home. An attorney can also explain exactly what you are being charged with and what that will mean.
It could be fines, jail, or both. If you have a clean record, it might be something the attorney can get you out of.
A really good example is the possibility of entering an informal diversion program. This is a scenario where instead of jail, you might be able to do a certain number of hours of community service, take recommended rehabilitation classes, or even check into rehab to get some help if you need it.
While this doesn’t sound like a whole lot of fun, in deals like these what usually happens is that a judge may agree to let you do this and upon completion, the charges can be dismissed completely so they don’t become a part of your permanent record and have potential lifelong impacts (and we’ll talk more on this shortly).
We can’t stress this enough — before you talk to anyone get a lawyer involved and be polite and quiet. It can make an enormous difference in what happens to you, so it’s in your best interests.
Do NOT return to the store anytime soon – especially if you’re banned
This may seem like a common-sense sort of thing, but you’d be surprised how many people go right back to a store after they’ve gotten in trouble there –don’t do it.
Even if you weren’t banned, if you go back to this store you’ll be recognized and you might even be asked to empty your pockets before you leave.
Most commonly, if the security guard recognizes you, they’ll simply tell you that you are not allowed in the store, and if you decide to push it and go in anyway, at that point you could be charged with trespassing.
This brings us to the final part of this point – if you’ve been banned, DO NOT try to go back to the store for any reason. Banning is serious and while you might be thinking ‘It’s a public store, I can go inside if I want’, you’d be 100% wrong.
Stores may decide who they will and won’t do business with and as soon as you’ve been told that you are banned, then defying this is just going to get you an expensive fine and potential jail time for trespassing on their premises – just like if you walked into the neighbor’s house uninvited!
Take a long time to consider the implications
Shoplifting is kind of funny in how it is perceived. Some people consider it a very minor thing and others even seem to find it fascinating, but the thing is, it has implications and can have a huge impact on what you get to do later in life.
For instance, most employers will run a background check on you, and if you’re starting to build a criminal record, then they are within their rights not to hire you.
It’s not just a ‘personal choice’ thing for the boss all the time, either. Some jobs you legally cannot perform if you have a felony or even a collection of misdemeanors on your criminal record.
Thinking of seeing the world someday? This is another area where you might be sorely disappointed. Many countries will not allow you entrance if you are a felon and shoplifting may be charged as a misdemeanor or a felony, depending on the value of what was stolen.
Examples include China, the United Kingdom, Israel, India, New Zealand, and Japan… just to name a few.
Shoplifting isn’t ‘cute’ or a ‘fun’ thing to do – it has impacts that can potentially limit your freedom for the rest of your life – so take a little time and try to see the big picture. This is not something you want to do again or make a habit out of.
Some closing comments about shoplifting charges
Today we’ve discussed what to do if you’re caught shoplifting and the first thing is to resist the urge to run away.
You might bump someone on the way out, make new surveillance footage that gets you in more trouble, or even be charged with resisting arrest – especially if that guard is an off-duty officer.
After resisting the urge to run, be on your best behavior – manners cost nothing and can benefit you now or in the long run.
Keep in mind that people will likely find out and get an attorney immediately so that you know what you’re in for and what you can do. Finally, stay away from the store and consider the long-term implications.
Shoplifting is a serious business that can affect what choices you’re going to have in life later. The best thing you can do is to be civil, deal with it, and don’t do it again so that you can get back to enjoying your life!
Reference Sources
https://www.enkanter.com/article/i-got-caught-shoplifting-will-it-be-my-record