Retail Theft Tip o' The Day...

I was simply trying to purchase a roll of Scotch tape in the Stationary Department, and between you and I, I was even off the clock. I grabbed my tape of choice, which is a blog story in itself, almost as entertaining as trying to purchase a pen, but thats another story. I had just turned to leave the aisle when I noticed a large black guy walking down the main aisle from the Electronics Department toward the Toy Department, with a webcam box in his right hand. Now if you have been paying attention, this is the path shoplifters often take to go into the bathroom, conceal the merchandise and throw out the empty packages, all in the privacy of their own stall. I pull out of the Stationary Department and nonchalantly slide into this man's wake. As expected, he makes a determined turn into the aisle leading to the men's room. I stop short and begin to observe him by the overhead mirror. I see that he didn't make it all the way to the bathroom, but turned just before it, and I can see him looking at board games. Then I discover, he's not looking at the games, he is hiding the webcam behind one because there is an employee standing outside the bathroom. A minute goes by and the employee approaches him offering assistance, then walks away. As soon as the coast is clear, the man returns to the board games, retrieves the hidden webcam box and walks into the men's room.

I hail the helpful employee from a distance, and advise him to enter the bathroom once this guy comes out, in an effort to collect any evidence of the webcam box or anything that would help me prove what I suspect is happening. I have never used this employee for this before, but really, how difficult is this request?

I hear the squeaky bathroom door open, well you don't think I was going to oil it, I need that noise. I slide back behind a nearby shelf and position myself to see the hallway in the mirror above. I observe the man come out of the bathroom, now empty handed. I can see the case taking shape now, he's about to be arrested and he doesn't even know it.

He enters the Toy Department again and suddenly I see the employee walk right behind him as he heads to the bathroom. Apparently, smooth isn't in this guys repetoire. The suspected thief stopped and turned back just in time to see the employee enter the bathroom. With that, the light bulb went off in his head, and he ran away from the areea and back to his friends waiting in the Footwear Department. I am now caught in a tough place. Do I go after the running guy, (basically carrying a billboard that reads "HEY I JUST STOLE SOMETHING!") or do I wait for the evidence to come out of the bathroom...

Seemed like forever, but about thirty seconds later the employee walks out of the bathroom, also empty handed.

"Anything, nothing, what?" I asked as I began walking toward the guys in Footwear.

"Yeah, there is something..." he starts to explain.

"Can you bring it out to me!" Here is the rookie mistake being made now. I need the evidence so I can be more intimidating at the front door. I walk further and further away from the bathroom, looking back for the employee to return while trying to keep an eye on the thief. Finally the employee comes back out with a quicker step than before.

"It was in the toilet..." he says as he reaches out to me like the passing of the baton on the track. But, I had to stop in my tracks. I looked into his hand and was a bit shocked. He was handing me a razor blade and the cardboard package of the razor blade.

"C'mon, I am looking for a box from a webcam! Look in the trash can!" I turned away as I noticed the guys had left the area and were heading toward the exit. "Call up front if you find it!" I yelled as I scurried up an aisle toward the front of the store. I turned the corner in time to see the front doors closing. An employee from the service desk was walking toward me.

"Three black guys, did they leave?"

"With the mechanics uniforms, yeah they just went out."

At the same time another employee yelled to me, "Ed says to tell you it was in the trash can!"

"No shit!" were the only words I could put together.

I walked outside and watched as the blue Dodge Caravan pulled out of the lot.

In an effort to save time and space, I will now fast forward. I watch video and notify the police department. My video showed clearly, three black guys all dressed the same. All had blue jeans, all had short blue coats and all wore the same sweatshirt. On this sweatshirt was the clue that broke the case for me. Emblazoned across their chest was the name of their Technical School they all attend. Unfortunately for them, I have a personal friend who works as a Police Detective in the town where the school is located. Unfortunately for them, this Detective had developed a database for the school which contains photos of all students, and linked to photos of their vehicles.

Yesterday, I spent my afternoon riding with the detective, searching the school parking lot for the vehicle. After locating four possibilites and gathering their license plates, we went into the school to discuss the incident with their administrators. I showed photos of the guys I had seen in the store and they agreed to show their faculty.

Shouldn't be too long before we can surpise the hell out of three guys who think they just got away with a brand new webcam, free of charge.

Oh yeah, the tip.... Don't wear your school name on your shirt if you are going to steal on camera. Silly boys.

Side note: The game he hid the webcam behind as he waited to take it inside the men's room...."RISK."