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    Shoplifting Up Nearly 70% in Columbus Over Past Seven Years

    Over 4,500 shoplifting charges were filed in Columbus in 2015, which represents a 11.2 percent increase from 2014 and a 69.3 percent increase from 2008. The numbers come from the City Attorney’s office today, which aims to remind customers that the issue affects them just as much as it affects the businesses.

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    “Retail theft is a daily battle,” said City Attorney Richard C. Pfeiffer, Jr. “Reports estimate that over $13 billion in goods are stolen from U.S. merchants each year, costs which unfortunately get absorbed by consumers.”

    While the Attorney’s office reported a 22.7 percent increase in stolen merchandise recovered, valued at nearly $700,000, it also reported that the number of cases involving thefts over $500 has doubled since 2012, which was the same year that the State of Ohio raised the felony theft limit from $500 to $1000.

    Short North retailer Josh Quinn, who co-owns and operates Tigertree and Cubshrub with his wife Niki, has shared many updates on social media about identifying shoplifters, and even stories about chasing them down when they flee with stolen merchandise. While his hands-on efforts aren’t generally advised as proper courses of action, he says that confronting the problem directly has paid off.

    “We actually had a decent drop compared to the previous year,” explained Quinn. “We have really stepped up our game. Our staff is better trained to be aware of their surroundings on the floor and to be aware of known offenders. We also invested in a better camera system that provides us with not only more cameras, but a much higher resolution.”

    Quinn says shoplifting is becoming a bigger issue online to retailers all across the U.S., due to changes in technology, and due to the increase in tech-savvy criminals.

    “In Europe, internet fraud jumped pretty significantly following credit card chip implementation,” he stated. “I suspect that a similar situation is in part fueling some of the rise, at least at big box stores where chip readers are more prevalent. As it becomes harder to steal one way, they find a different path.”

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    Walker Evans
    Walker Evanshttps://columbusunderground.com
    Walker Evans is the co-founder of Columbus Underground, along with his wife and business partner Anne Evans. Walker has turned local media into a full time career over the past decade and serves on multiple boards and committees throughout the community.
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