TEEN SHOPLIFTING RISING… SHOULD PUNISHMENT BECOME STRICTER

According to area business owners, teens are shoplifting more than ever. The owners are facing such a dilemma regarding punishment. Realizing that these are young kids who are at such impressionable ages, they do not need a police record. On the other hand, they are committing serious crimes by stealing. If parents are contacted, will they appreciate the call and will they punish the teen enough so that the crime will not be repeated. There has to be a fitting punishment for the crime of teen shoplifting. One storeowner says that he has had positive experiences with parents when he contacted them about their child’s shoplifting. Immediately, they offered to pay for the items. Some parents even asked him for suggestions on the punishment. In these cases, he is glad he contacted parents rather than law enforcement. In situations where the storeowners opted to call law enforcement, the officers called their parents, especially if this was the first offense. If it was not the first offense, the teen was turned over to juvenile authorities. This owner thinks that the teen should be held responsible, not the parents. Punishment depends on the value of the stolen item and whether the teen has been caught stealing before. If it is a small item, under $10, the teen should be made to pay for it and when found guilty, he should get probation and community service. One business owner believes that parents simply ignore shoplifting offenses, especially after the teen or they pay for the item. It is important that parents have realistic consequences for their teens who get into trouble by shoplifting. First, all teens should be taught to live by the rule, “Thou shalt not steal.” For those teens who tend to go astray, it is still the duty of the parents to help the adolescent get on the right track and prepare for finer adulthood. Parents and community leaders, guide teens away from shoplifting, after all, their future careers depend on wholesome productive crime-free life.