By Clyde Noel

Town Crier Correspondent

The holiday shopping season is around the corner, and with it come retailers’ concerns over shoplifting and employee theft.

Downtown merchants requested a meeting with the Los Altos police last Thursday to help reduce shoplifting and arrest flagrant shoplifters.

“We have the same people come in and rip us off every two weeks,” said Lynda Newlon, owner of Acacia C. “I want to know what our legal rights are. How can we stop this, and how far can we go?”

Rod Sayre, Los Altos crime prevention officer, said the decision is the shops’, but he does not recommend attempting to stop the shoplifters. That’s what 911 is for. “There is nothing in your store worth your life,” he said.

Sayre said shoplifting is the main reason small stores fail. It is estimated that as many as 10 percent of customers steal from stores. There is no profile of a typical thief; men and women of all ages shoplift. Approximately 25 percent are children, and one in five adult shoplifters say they started stealing when they were children. Shoplifters steal goods worth more than $25 million a day in the United States.

Fifteen merchants attended the meeting last week, and all agreed they had been victims of the crime. They said it was usually carried out by professionals who hit three or four stores at a time.

“If it’s an easy store to shoplift, they come back,” Newlon said. “I know of one clothing store that has only one employee, and it gets hit all the time.”

Videotaping has been found to be the main deterrent to shoplifting. Record stores, hobby and candy stores, cosmetics shops and pharmacies have reported dramatic reductions in theft by “five-finger discount” after they installed video cameras.

Stores that have installed cameras feel the system pays for itself by reducing shoplifting.

Kids Only on Main Street has a surveillance system installed. Three videos from the store were brought to the meeting and shown to merchants.

“I know her, she comes to my store often,” one Los Altos merchant said, as the woman in the video stuffed things in her clothing. During the exchange of information, many of the retailers were able to identify shoplifters who seemed to be doing the rounds.

Sayre discussed the methods used by shoplifters. Bulky clothing, packages, bags, knapsacks and purses, he said, are good hiding places. Folded newspapers or magazines are used to hide small or flat items.

He advised the store owners to watch for groups of people where one attempts to create a diversion. Nervous-seeming customers who have wandering eyes and loiter in hidden areas should also be watched, he said.

“Greet your customers. Ask if you can help them. Be attentive to your customers … Watchful and attentive management is always a good deterrent to both employee theft and shoplifting. Retailers that take the time to protect their merchandise can greatly reduce their losses,” said Sayre.

Merchants agreed they should network among themselves. If they spot a suspicious customer leaving their store and entering another one, they should call and warn that merchant.

“We know several women who come to the store to shoplift, but no one ever turns them in,” Newlon said. “Is Los Altos that easy on shoplifters?”

Sayre advised keeping the store windows clear so police can look inside if an armed robbery is going on. If a merchant has concerns about their store being easy to shoplift, the police are willing to come to the store and offer suggestions.