When people steal at the supermarket, how come they don't go to jail?

Question

We all know that all the stores have cameras so people don't steal. A lot of times when I go to the store, I find an open box of food, half of the food is gone because someone ate it. Or I see a lot of damaged items that someone wrecked.
How come these people don't get in trouble?

Answer 1

Often times big business is afraid to lose customers even though some customers may "steal" from them.

Instead of prosecuting for the "thefts" they increase the cost of the merchandise and pass those costs on to the rest of the customers!

By doing this they avoid the time and money spent on court day!

Answer 2

Shoplifting is very difficult to prove. The actual act must be witnessed and most managers decline to prosecute because going to court, etc., is more costly than just having the shoplifter barred from the premises.

By the way, over 80% of store theft is committed by employees.

Answer 3

Supermarket security often call us because they're apprehended folks shoplifting.

Most of the time we release the offender on a summons, sometimes we book and release at the station, occasionally we jail them.

Recently arrested a woman on a no bond warrant for shoplifting. Must have upset someone.

Answer 4

Blame it on the court system. I've arrested the same people numerous times for stealing meat and trying to return it or sell it out of their trunk. Every time it goes to court the A.D.A. let them them plead guilty for probation so they won't have to spend too much time dealing with a low level charge like misdemeanor larceny, with an already overloaded court docket.

Answer 5

Because there is usually nobody watching those camara's. They are there if someone is seen stealing and the managers stop them they can use the camaras. Or a store employee can ask the manager to review a tape to see if someone is stealing.