The Consequences Of Shoplifting In Canada

Estimated reading time: 14 minutes

Shoplifting in Canada is a criminal offense with a charge of theft under or over $5000 and a myriad of other legal fees.

There’s No Turning Back Once Caught Shoplifting

Shoplifting benefits no one apart from the person who gets away with it because they got something they didn’t pay for.

Most often, those caught shoplifting can afford what they steal and are first offenders, meaning they’ve never been caught stealing.

They may come from a prominent family, have higher education and well-paying career, and still shoplift.

A shoplifter doesn’t realize that their actions affect everyone, and although they may have successfully taken what doesn’t belong to them, they have to live with their actions.

What does a shoplifter look like?

There is NO typical shoplifter because everyone can take something without paying.

Some people might think lower-income, homeless or delinquent teenagers are the common thieves of today, but that’s not true.

Shoplifters come from all incomes, education levels, and age groups, from toddlers to teens to seniors.

There is no single shoplifter profile because everyone is capable of this crime.

Is Shoplifting a crime?

YES, you can get arrested, and YES, you can get a shoplifting criminal record, depending on your charges.

The main categories of criminal offences in Canada are summary conviction offences and indictable offences.

Summary offences are less serious than indictable offences.

A judge hears summary conviction cases in provincial court. A person charged with a summary conviction offence is usually not arrested, unless the accused is found committing the offence.

They are often given a notice to appear in court at a certain date and time.

A person charged with a summary conviction offence does not have to appear in court.

A lawyer or an agent may appear in court on that person’s behalf, unless the judge asks the person charged to appear.

An indictable offence is more serious. There are different procedures for indictable offences.

The procedure that applies depends on how serious the offence is and choices made by the prosecutor and the accused person.
Source

Shoplifting Consequences

Penalties for shoplifting can include fines and possible jail time, depending on the charges.

Criminal Record
Travel Restrictions
Publicly named via media
Not allowed back in a store
Financial Costs (lawyer, Fine, Missed Work for Court)
Missed Employment Opportunities

Jail Time For Shoplifting

Can you go to jail for shoplifting?

Most often, no, you will not go to jail for shoplifting, but you will go through a process with security, police, and the store’s lawyers.

A summary offense under the criminal code for theft under $5000 comes with a maximum fine of $2000 and up to 6 months in jail.

However, if you are a first-time offender, the courts will be lenient with you, and the charges will be less.

If the theft under $500o is considered an indictable offense, a person can be fined and imprisoned for up to 2 years, although this is rare by the Crown. – Source

Caught By Store Security

The Consequences Of Shoplifting In Canada

What happens when you are caught shoplifting in a store?

You are brought back to the management office when you are caught by security shoplifting after you leave the store with the item.

Security will allow you to admit your theft and perhaps send you off with a warning.

That may be your lucky break, but that’s not always true.

I remember walking into Value Village, and security was arguing with a young man hoping on his bicycle to leave.

She accused him of stealing a coat, watched him put it on, and walked out of the store.

All she wanted was the coat back and told him to get lost, and it was over; he biked away.

He got lucky.

You do not have to talk to security as it is your right; however, they will ask you for personal information to send to their retail lawyers, who take it from there.

Again, you don’t have to say a thing, and it’s probably in your best interest.

Once the police arrive, they talk to security about the theft to collect all the evidence, including any security footage.

The police will then talk to the thief to obtain their personal information and side of the story, but they can wait until they have a lawyer or appear in court to talk.

Once you get a notice to appear in court, you can either hire a lawyer or defend yourself, but until the court charges you, you have no formal charges on your record.

Shoplifting Education

Shoplifting can start at any age, but as a parent, you must be on the lookout for your child touching things they shouldn’t be.

This is where it’s important for parents to teach their kids not to touch and to explain the consequences of shoplifting.

Even a child who steals a chocolate bar can be charged with theft.

As parents of young children, if your child gets caught shoplifting, you may think store security will chalk it up to age, but that’s not an excuse.

You may find that some stores will go through the whole shebang to teach the child a lesson to deter them from shoplifting again.

It may seem harsh, but it’s the best way sometimes because life comes with laws, regulations, and consequences if not followed.

The problem with parenting is that you can only do so much because people shoplift for many reasons, even though they know it is wrong.

It’s heartbreaking to find out whether your child, whether 5, 10, 30, or 50, is caught shoplifting.

It’s equally as hard to find out your parents or a loved one has been arrested for shoplifting.

Community Resources

I know people may read this and say that shoplifting occurs out of necessity, and there’s no denying the truth in that. However, there are plenty of community resources available.

Shelters
Food Banks
Soup Kitchens
Clothing Depots
Churches and other community centers

Consider your options if you struggle to make ends meet and feel that shoplifting is the only way to get what you need.

It’s not worth the consequences of getting caught shoplifting.

Why do people shoplift?

When someone is accused of shoplifting, it can get overwhelming for everyone involved, especially for the person who gets caught.

Some people shoplift for fun, out of necessity, and professional shoplifters who does it for financial gain.

Some people shoplift for other reasons, such as medication impairment or certain drugs and alcohol, causing someone to do something they wouldn’t normally do in the right state of mind.

For this reason, you may have a legal defense, but until it is presented to the courts, you still have to go through the process of being caught shoplifting.

True Shoplifting Story

I know the father of a neighbour of ours who was caught shoplifting a $4 item, had a large amount of money in his wallet, was a senior, a first-time offender, and had numerous amounts of medication for his health.

In his defense, he said he put it in his pocket while shopping to later pay for it but forgot.

Perhaps someone suffering from onset dementia took something but forgot to pay and got caught.

You never know what someone is going through, so don’t judge.

His doctor wrote a letter about what had happened according to his patient, the drug side effects, and his mental health at the time.

He still needed to hire a lawyer, and in the end, the courts let it go, and he was banned from the store for 1 year.

Shoplifting at Value Village

Retail shoplifting in Canada is enormous, and after chatting to an employee at Value Village, I found out that it’s been getting worse in his store.

“I just can’t get over how often we are catching people shoplifting every day,” he told me.

What was most disturbing was the lady who had a large order that she paid for but was caught with a pocket full of stuff she had stolen.

A week after watching a young man trying to walk out with a new pair of boots on that he did not purchase.

What should have been an easy catch turned into a scuffle because the shoplifter denied stealing anything even though he walked out with a pair of boots that still had the price tag attached.

To make matters worse, he put his old running shoes on the shelf instead of the boots he had put on.

This shows that whether you have money or not, people will steal for reasons only they can explain and, in some cases, not explain.

Theft by shoplifting slips under the radar because we don’t often hear about it unless it’s something big or a commotion and arrest involving the media.

Common Retail Shoplifting Items

The best stores to steal from seem to be the ones that are larger because distraction is imminent, and there are more places to hide.

Larger retail stores such as Walmart, Best Buy, Shoppers Drug Mart, Canadian Tire, and even second-hand shops such as Value Village are all shoplifting targets daily.

Shoplifting happens everywhere, no matter the size or location of a store, because if the opportunity presents itself, the thief has two options;

Should I steal it?
Should I walk away?

There will always be a fight between the devil and the angel in your head, especially when something seems easy enough to steal.

Thieves will avoid stealing electronics and high-end beauty because they have high-end anti-theft and security devices that an associate can only remove.

What do you do if no one is around and it’s something you want/need? You do the right thing and walk away, but again, easier said than done.

You shouldn’t be in the store if you don’t have the money unless you are pricing items for later purchases.

That way, there is no temptation to steal, but the moment you walk in, you’re a target for your integrity.

The devil can take hold of even the best of people and those who aren’t in need because they are financially secure.

Clothing
Food and Alcohol
Health and Beauty
Books, Magazines
Footwear
Jewellery

Security and Surveillance Cameras

Shoplifting clothes is a big problem, especially when the thief tries on the items and doesn’t take them off or hide their clothing under their own.

It can be hard to prove they were stolen, especially when tags are torn.

Unless they are seen walking into a changing room with the clothing and not coming out, it’s unlikely to get caught.

Thinking back now, I remember when I was shopping for clothing at Sears with a friend, and there were no associates around to help us.

We casually walked into the changing room with a pile of clothes and no one in sight.

Sure, there may be surveillance cameras, but when I have an armful of clothing, can they see every item I bring?

Probably not, which is why many retail stores have employees watch over the changing rooms.

When people shoplift, this not only causes a loss of revenue for a store but also causes prices to rise for paying consumers.

Retail stores typically only allow so many articles of clothing in a changing room and monitor everything.

This wasn’t the case at Sears, and it was typical since I used to shop around often for deals.

Shoplifting make-up is another popular item to walk out of a store with and not pay for because most items are minor and more tempting.

There’s no denying the prices of makeup are costly, but what’s even more costly is how much you’ll have to pay in legal fees and fines once you get caught.

Minding My Own Business

I asked my Facebook friends on CBB to tell me what they would do if they saw someone shoplifting.

Surprisingly, many said they would mind their own business or let them take it. Others had more to say on the topic below.

It depends on what they were shoplifting. Steak? I’d let an employee know. A box of diapers and formula? I’d probably offer to buy them or mind my own business. – Dianna R.

Catching Someone Shoplifting

I work at a Walmart superstore and people are not just stealing food. They are stealing sports cards from the sporting goods dept. and leaving the empty boxes in the grocery aisles.

Once I found a price tag for a summer hat and another time hangers from 2 bras. People are eating stuff right in the aisles and leaving the open, half-empty package behind.

And yes, it really affects the people who work there. If sales are lower than normal hours get cut.
Alexsandra T.– Facebook Canadian Budget Binder

Since I work at a grocery store, I call the manager, security, and coworkers, and I am loud about it. – Avis R.

Nothing. I’ve worked on poverty reduction as part of my job. – Michelle K.

I have had this happen to me, and I just got over to a staff member and made it look like I am asking them a question about a product.

However, I am letting them know what I saw…etc. – Toni T.

I would tell the store staff. So maybe the person gets banned. Theft is theft.

It’s not a victimless crime. Many are not stealing because they’re hungry. It’s organized and systematic. And repetitive. – Anne R.

Shoplifting Tips

Can you believe that people Google How to shoplift?

They want to know how to improve their shoplifting skills; honestly, you can find just about anything online.

Although sad and true, you’ve come to the wrong place if you are reading this because you think I will offer you tips.

The best way to shoplift is not to do it at all, although I know that’s easier said than done.

If someone has it in their head that they will steal something, they will or at least attempt to.

If you consider a day out shoplifting or getting caught, get a good lawyer and find your legal rights.

Innocent until proven guilty.

Disclaimer

The information I presented in this blog post today is in no way legal advice nor accurate at the time you are reading this.

Please seek legal advice if you find you or someone you love has been caught shoplifting in Canada.

Discussion: Should shoplifting laws in Canada change?

Please leave me your comments below.

Mr. CBB

CBB Home and Blog Update

As usual, the entire family has been sick over the past two weeks, which is becoming the norm, I’m afraid.

This pushed many of our plans back because we sat with the tissue box for days.

Thankfully I didn’t miss any work, but our little guy had to stay home for two days because he suffered too much with a runny nose and cough.

Homemade Soup On The Menu

Last week we dove into the soup-making process at home, making a huge pot of homemade bone broth with chicken we bought from Costco.

It’s a great price, and at $5.99 for a cold chicken that’s already been cooked, you can’t go wrong.

Another soup we enjoyed was keto cabbage roll soup which is delicious and easy to make, especially if you have an instant pot.

Family Projects

Besides hiding from the cold, illness, and school cancellations, we’ve been hanging out as a family doing science projects and playing with arts and crafts.

We’ve also been working on using a pencil correctly and spelling the letters of the alphabet. Fun times, but he loves it.

I will support the Canadian winter by letting everyone know that we did go out on the hills with our magic carpets, and boy was that fun.

I have never flipped and flopped in the snow as much as I have this year.

Being a parent is fun because you get to do all these activities you haven’t done since being a little one yourself.

Valentine’s Day Crafts

With Valentine’s Day around the corner, we will buy some cards and fill them out for his classmates.

We also plan to make some cookies he can bring to school for everyone to enjoy.

That’s all to report over the past couple of weeks. I know it’s a boring life but also a great time to be alive.

Until next time,

Mr.CBB

CBB Posts You May Have Missed

Frugal Recipe Find

cauliflower-sweet-potato-turmeric-soup-vegan-gluten-free-Running-on-Real-Food

Deryn over at Running on Real Food has this Ah-mazing Cauliflower Sweet Potato Turmeric Soup that you must check out.

What I love about it, besides all the flavours is how hearty this soup is.

This Cauliflower Sweet Potato Turmeric Soup is so flavourful and comforting, I just love it.

It’s started off with onion, garlic and carrot and then simmered with cauliflower, sweet potato, coconut milk and turmeric for an extra flavourful, hearty and creamy soup that’s perfect on a cold day and loaded with nourishment.

Try it topped off with roasted chickpeas, curried roasted cauliflower and fresh cilantro.

Mr.CBB’s Motivational Corner

Always Remember What Brings You Joy And Visit Often

Saturday Search Term Giggles

Every week I get tens of thousands of people who visit Canadian Budget Binder because they searched online and found my blog. (SIC) means I’ve copied the text exactly, and it has spelling errors.

Most times funny, sometimes serious.

The Personal– Sounds like a television program
5 love languages– Haha, you know I’ve got them all right here on CBB
Canadian Fat Head Dough– It’s no different than any other fathead dough.
Disappearing line Dollarama Home Pregnancy Test– For a buck, I’d say try another or see your doctor.

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