NCJ Number
29764
Date Published
1970
Length
47 pages
Annotation
A STUDY OF SHOPLIFTING OFFENSES AND OFFENDER AT FOUR HELSINKI, FINLAND, DEPARTMENT STORES.
Abstract
THE AGE AND SEX STRUCTURE OF THE APPREHENDED SHOPLIFTER POPULATION IN FOUR HELSINKI DEPARTMENT STORES RESEMBLED IN SEVERAL RESPECTS THOSE PRESENTED IN STUDIES MADE IN OTHER SCANDINAVIAN COUNTRIES AND BELGIUM, WITH LARGE PROPORTIONS OF YOUNG BOYS AND ADULT FEMALES. WHEN ASKED FOR THEIR MOTIVES, THE OFFENDERS MOST FREQUENTLY REFERRED TO A SUDDEN IMPULSE, A SPUR OF THE MOMENT; JUVENILES WERE PRACTICALLY THE ONLY GROUP TO MAKE REFERENCES TO THEIR PEERS (CLAIMING THEY WERE INSTIGATED TO COMMIT THE OFFENSE, OR SAYING OTHERS DO IT, TOO); THE PERCENTAGE OF THOSE DENYING THE INTENT OF LARCENY GREW STEADILY WITH AGE. THE MEDIAN VALUE OF THE STOLEN GOODS WAS FOUND TO BE 7.2 MARKS ($1=3.2 MARKS IN 1965); OLDER PERSONS STOLE MORE EXPENSIVE OBJECTS THAN YOUNG SHOPLIFTERS. THE SANCTION POLICY OF THE STORES IS ANALYZED; 36 PERCENT OF THE OFFENDERS WERE FOUND TO HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO THE POLICE. MAKING CERTAIN ASSUMPTIONS, THE SIZE OF THE APPREHENDED RISK IS ESTIMATED TO LIE IN THE RANGE FROM 2 TO 14 PER CENT. WHEN QUESTIONED, 62 PERCENT OF THE OFFENDERS DID NOT HAVE THE FAINTEST IDEA OF WHAT KIND OF PUNISHMENT TO EXPECT FOR THEIR OFFENSE. DEPARTMENT STORE SHOPLIFTERS WERE TYPICALLY SENTENCED TO 30 DAY FINES (MEDIAN), THE NUMBER OF DAY FINES RANGING FROM 10 TO 60. IN SOME CASES, THE SANCTION WAS A PRISON TERM OF AS MUCH AS 8 MONTHS. THE GRAVITY OF THE SENTENCE WAS FOUND TO CORRELATE POSITIVELY WITH THE VALUE OF THE STOLEN GOODS, BUT ALSO WITH THE EXISTENCE OF A PRIOR CRIMINAL RECORD. (AUTHOR ABSTRACT)