English Deutsch Français Italiano Español Português 繁體中文 Bahasa Indonesia Tiếng Việt ภาษาไทย
All categories

Settle an stupid work arguement please...A friend of mine said that if you shoplift and get out the door of the store they can not arrest you, you are home free. But someone else said that they still can copy your tag down and track you to your house and arrest you at a later time if they have probable cause that you stolen something. Or arrest you the next time you enter the store and hold you on probable cause.Which is true? If you steal something and get in to your car and drive away you got away with it? Anyone with law enforcement background please answer as well.

(This is what happens when people have too little to do at work..they argue about stupid stuff wiht no relevence to them!)

2006-12-12 05:58:55 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Politics & Government Law & Ethics

Also what you are not caught on tape stealing it persay...what if they have tape of you holding it going into a bathroom or fitting room but not coming out with it? How would it work then?

2006-12-12 06:06:11 · update #1

Please consider the first note when the answering question.

2006-12-12 06:14:37 · update #2

9 answers

Absolutely they can arrest you if you leave the property. In my state, you can even be arrested for shoplifting before you leave the store. An example would be when you pocket the merchandise, walk past the cash register, and get stopped right before you walk out the front door. As long as they can prove your intent was to steal.

2006-12-12 06:04:30 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

I think your friend is a bit confused. Generally, you can't be found guilty of shoplifting unless you deliberately take unpaid merchandise past the registers and out the door. At that point, you're not "home free", you're "in big trouble".

Many stores use dozens of security cameras, some visible and some hidden, inside the store and also in the parking lot. If the cameras show you concealing merchandise, walking out of the store, getting into a car and driving away, the store's loss prevention department will probably hand all that evidence over to the police. If your car's license plate is clearly readable on the tapes, the police will have no trouble finding you.

2006-12-12 06:04:25 · answer #2 · answered by sylvar 2 · 1 1

Your friend is dead wrong. If you are observed to be shoplifting by store security, they actually have to wait for you to leave the store in order to charge you with shoplifting because it's not technically shoplifting unless you leave the store without paying for an item. Once you leave the store with an unpaid item in your possession, store security can arrest you.

If you get away and the security guard gets your license plate number, they can have a warrant sworn out for your arrest as long as the issuing judge is satisfied that a crime was committed and security identified the right criminal. In that case, security can hold him if he returns at a later date AND the warrant for his arrest is still outstanding (meaning he hasn't been arrested for the crime). However, if the criminal returns to the store at a later date and no warrant was issued or he has already been arrested for the crime and released, security cannot hold him on probable cause -- just because he shoplifted before doesn't necessarily mean he'll shoplift again. The only way they could hold him is if he was observed trying to conceal merchandise -- at that point they can grab him based on probable cause.

2006-12-12 06:11:12 · answer #3 · answered by sarge927 7 · 2 1

Take it from someone who has worked under-cover store security. Once, you pass the doors of a department store, and you are standing outside ofthe store with the item that you have stolen from that store. You have just commited a Petty Theft California State Penal Code 484. You have ran to your vehicle, (which in my experience has happened) you can contact a member of a Law Enforcement Agency, (local police department) give them the license plate of the "getaway vehicle" the law enforcement agency cantrack the vehicle down, and arrest you for petty theft.

The other part to your question about if they come back into the store you can a be arrested, and by the way it is not probable cause. "Un-True" However, (this as happened in my experience) you will be watched by under-cover store secuity, if you conduct another crime you bet you will be caught this time, and will be charged for the previous offense aswell.

Believe me, IT IS NOT WORTH THE TIME TO COMMIT A CRIME SUCH AS THIS STATED ABOVE. SHOPLIFTING IS A CRIME, AND IS PUNISHABLE BY CALIFORNIA STATE LAW.

(Talk to you local Police Department, or Law Enforcement Agency)

2006-12-12 07:37:36 · answer #4 · answered by grumpy 1 · 0 1

As long as there is a witness who can establish the elements of the crime (that the person intentionally took something that did not belong to them) than they can be arrested at any time within your state's statute of limitations (usually 2 years). The officer needs some kind of probable cause to make the arrest, such as an interview with the witness.

2006-12-12 06:09:07 · answer #5 · answered by Atptim 1 · 1 0

This answer depends on the value of the merchandise stolen. If its petty larceny, under 1000 dollars, then they only have 1 year to prosecute. If its grand larceny, over 1000, it can be up to five years. So to answer the question, NO you're not "home-free" just because you made it out. Keep in mind the store must also keep the evidence....and you'd be AMAZED at the security most stores have, they can and will keep you on DVD stealing whatever it was you took, and will recognize you and prosecute you.

2006-12-12 06:05:02 · answer #6 · answered by zebj25 6 · 1 0

If you are caught on tape the police can come arrest you at anytime. thats like saying if you rob a bank and get away the police can't arrest you. Tell your freind they need a labotomy.

2006-12-12 06:02:01 · answer #7 · answered by Lrscghost 2 · 2 1

everything is true except the part about if u walk out the door u got away with it

2006-12-12 06:10:23 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 1 0

Stealing is stealing no matter when or if you get caught. Tell your friend that he/she's an idiot.

2006-12-12 06:05:46 · answer #9 · answered by *Cara* 7 · 1 1

fedest.com, questions and answers