P*ssed-off shoplifter hits us with her car!

[LillFilly]

this. i mean if they were there for hours then sure. but it sounds more like they were there for 5 minutes, maybe 10.
so easily, getting the plate, doing slow patrols, ... o look a butterfly!

Ha ha! He was stopped for about 5 seconds when she began backing, then she stopped, and it was 10-15 seconds later that she hit our car.

[PepperElf]

5 SECONDS? O yeah that's nothing then.

No way they can use that against you. Unless they lie and claim he was there for hours or something like that.

But just 5 seconds? Yep. just getting the plate. Or another car down the lane was backing up and already in the lane... or he had to sneeze... if he sneezes the way I do, believe me it could last more like 20 seconds

[RealUnimportant]

"The vehicle looked suspicious, so I slowed to investigate and as I passed behind it they rammed me..."

[2gigch1]

IMHO I don't think the shoplifter would have an argument unless they first requested / demanded the security vehicle move out of the way. Upon the security vehicle's failure to move then intent to unlawfully detain could be assumed. No attempt to request release will not absolve the rammer from liability.

In the same vein in my work, even with clearly posted signage I am allowed access to property like any citizen would normally have (to go knock on a door or enter a store) with my camera rolling, and only when asked by a proper representative (homeowner, landlord, tenant, store employee, etc - not just a passerby or customer) I am obligated to exit the property and return to public grounds (this is US / MD, DC & VA law - in other places it varies.)

There are specific ways you are allowed to take action, and ramming a security vehicle for any reason doesn't hit the flowchart. If you are being illegally detained (without the reasonable chance of bodily harm) you have to wait for the police to arrive to sort it out.

[LillFilly]

Wow, we're going to court for this next month; that's pretty fast. I think the reckless driving charge moved it up. Oh, yes and the date is on my day off..on my FRICKEN birthday! I ALMOST feel bad for the 2nd woman, the one that couldn't get away because she was walking the first woman's daughter. Why? Because she had to spend a few days in jail due to not being able to post bail, whereas the first woman got herself out that night!

[Andara Bledin]

I only feel sorry for the second woman a bit.

And I don't feel sorry at all for the first woman, regardless of what the second woman is likely to do to her... >_>

^-.-^

[Smallfry]

There was a woman in a city near me, who was arrested for shoplifting after exiting a mall. She told the security person that "they couldn't arrest her if she left the store with the stuff." :

Over here we (govenment licenced security guard) can not peform an arrest unless the crime has a jail term of 3 years or more

We cannot force people to show us what is in bags etc... a 10 year old told me this yesterday and he was right

[MergedLoki]

I don't see how they can get you with illegal detention since you never arrested them, never even touched them or imprisoned them. And, most states allow some form of citizen's arrest.

Just an FYI for anyone ever attemping a citizens arrest, look up your local laws concerning it as it's VERY easy for the one you're performing the arrest on to later charge and charge you with assault.

so sure they could be charged with theft or whatever, but you could be slapped with an assault/battery charge or at the least end up in a civil case and cost you tons of money.

As stated before look up local laws as this varies from place to place.

[raudf]

Wow, we're going to court for this next month; that's pretty fast. I think the reckless driving charge moved it up. I ALMOST feel bad for the 2nd woman, the one that couldn't get away because she was walking the first woman's daughter. Why? Because she had to spend a few days in jail due to not being able to post bail, whereas the first woman got herself out that night!

The only person I feel the least bit sorry for IS the daughter. The two women did the crimes, so they should do the time. What *ahem* wonderful examples they are of what not to do with one's life!

Betcha their friendship got majorly strained over the bail bit though and you'll hear the second one got put up to it by the first one now.

[LillFilly]

Update:

Can you believe my coworker saw the driving woman back in the mall on Friday!? He saw her going to the car, recognized the car, and followed her as she looped around the mall a few times in some vain attempt to lose him before leaving our property. Unfortunately, because she was arrested so quickly, we didn't have the chance to give her a paper or verbal ban from the property; a verbal ban won't hold-up for trespassing charges anyway. But she is most likely banned for life due to hitting us with her car, so as soon as we get the receipt from the certified mail ban she was sent, she'll be arrested the next time we see her Not like we're ever going to forget THAT car!

[LillFilly]

Over here we (govenment licenced security guard) can not peform an arrest unless the crime has a jail term of 3 years or more

We cannot force people to show us what is in bags etc... a 10 year old told me this yesterday and he was right

Hmm, we're security employed by a private company, so we 're ok as long as we enforce the rules the company told us to (all legally of course!), or perform duties as requested by the police - for example, we normally can't go beyond the lease line of the property, but if the police are chasing a guy and he goes beyond our property and they tell us to help, THEN we can chase him too . As for searching people, we can't do that either. We can ask them to empty their bag/pockets, but they can refuse and it's not a big deal, because we tell them that's their right but that the police will search them when they arrive and if THEY find a weapon or stolen stuff they're going to be much angrier than we would have been!

[wolfie]

She backed-up about a foot, then stopped. She knew my coworker was there. Then I see the brakelights go off….

WHAMCRUNCH! She just ROCKETED backwards into our security vehicle, which rocked hard, but stayed-put. Then she jumped-out of the suv SCREAMING, you couldn’t even make-out what she was saying. She and the 2nd woman start putting her daughter in the suv and she’s saying how we can’t keep her here, she’s going to get away, etc. Store security had already relayed how this woman just rammed our car, so THEN we hear the sirens coming. My coworker was out of the security vehicle and just fine, it’s an old solid-metal car, and telling the woman that he hopes she has good insurance!

She doesn't have insurance - if their insurance company's legal department has 2 brain cells to rub together, the policy will be worded in such a way that an INTENTIONAL collision voids the policy. Your co-worker needs to be checked out by a doctor - any injuries from the collision should be covered by Worker's Comp, which will (probably) subrogate against SUV bitch.

I ALMOST feel bad for the 2nd woman, the one that couldn't get away because she was walking the first woman's daughter. Why? Because she had to spend a few days in jail due to not being able to post bail, whereas the first woman got herself out that night!

SUV bitch was almost certainly the ringleader, and had probably browbeat the friend into helping her. Just like any business, the boss looks to her own needs first (gotta bail herself out - after all, SHE can't stay in jail) and the peons not at all (my helper can't post bail? Sucks to be her!).

[LillFilly]

Oh hey, guess what!? That idiot woman was here AGAIN on thursday! Coworker recognized the car, saw her go into store X (which has it's own entrance separate from the mall), and called the police - this is because she and her accomplice have now been sent certified ban letters via mail. The police arrived just as she returned to her car and charged her with defiant trespass. She tried to argue that store X wasn't part of the mall! Um, we know our property, and store X is the FIRST ONE listed on the huge mall sign advertising what stores we have! Heehee, she just keeps racking up the points!

[fireheart]

Wow, another Mother of the Year award. I just cannot believe how many people actually bring their children along on a let's-go-break-the-law "shopping trip."

As people have already mentioned, there's a few reasons why shoplifters might have children accompanying them:

-It may be the belief (actually myth) that only people without children steal. Since after all, if you're stealing in front of your kids, then you're not showing them good behaviour and all that. So by having the kid there, it's supposedly meant to be less obvious to the security guard what exactly you're doing.

-Since a lot of countries do not prosecute children under the age of 10 (from memory), shoplifting parents may either a) steal and pass the blame onto the kid or b) actually have the kid shoplift themselves.

Oh hey, guess what!? That idiot woman was here AGAIN on thursday! Coworker recognized the car, saw her go into store X (which has it's own entrance separate from the mall), and called the police - this is because she and her accomplice have now been sent certified ban letters via mail. The police arrived just as she returned to her car and charged her with defiant trespass. She tried to argue that store X wasn't part of the mall! Um, we know our property, and store X is the FIRST ONE listed on the huge mall sign advertising what stores we have! Heehee, she just keeps racking up the points!

No kidding!

*sits back and munches on popcorn*

[XCashier]

-Since a lot of countries do not prosecute children under the age of 10 (from memory), shoplifting parents may either a) steal and pass the blame onto the kid or b) actually have the kid shoplift themselves.

Oh, no doubt. Stuff the merchandise in the kid's stroller or pockets, then act all innocent and say, "I never saw that! Baby must've taken it!" People like that have no business being parents.