Theft has existed throughout human history and exists as a form of economic participation, I wouldn't go as far to call it an "industry" but because of the hyper capitalist world we live in it can mimic a secondary or tertiary industry.
There are organized retail crime rings that the police use to justify their existence, these operations can make millions of dollars at the expensive of private industries. There is a belief that it's "okay" to steal from multinational corporations because LOL FUCK THE SYSTEM but those stores are owned and operated by local people in your community. You shouldn't need to justify theft, yes fuck the system but also fuck those people in your community for being too slow to catch you.
The effects of metal theft can easily influence the logistics of day-to-day life in ways that may not immediately come to mind. When copper wire thieves in Toronto, Ontario severed Go Transit train signaling cables it resulted in over 45,000 commuters stranded. Not only were these commuters late for work, which could have had negative impact business performance, but it also resulted in expensive transit bills for the commuters living outside of Toronto. The negative implications from metal theft are not exclusive to ground traffic either. Copper wire theft in Stephenville Airport, Newfoundland disabled the runway lights and approach system on Runway 27, leading to a repair bill of approximately $150,000. Thankfully, repairs were completed prior to any attempted flight landings, and all passengers made it to their destination safely.
Private industry does not want this, they don't want to pay for security guards and alarm systems. Also hot items like razors and pills being locked behind a counter is annoying for the consumer and employee, I have dealt with this issue many times while trying to buy 100 bottles of cough medicine stuck behind a forcefield.
What happens when you get caught?
Originally posted by Donald Trump
Anti theft technology is improving every day, I completely believe that technology can entirely replace the basic issue of grabbing an apple off the shelf and running out of the store. People try to hack the Amazon store and "steal" from it to defeat the technology, we are clearly at the very basic stages of this but I believe that private enterprise and technology can easily replace a reliance on regulation and criminal enforcement for theft.
I believe it would cost less overall to replace the system of security guards having to call the police and the court having to convict the person for theft with a system of private companies that have the legal right to enforce theft how they choose in their business, which a lot of them do by just banning the person, telling them to fuck off or they will call the cops.
Instead of the police they would be threatened with deadly violence in that situation which also leads to a liberation of weapons ownership and operation in a private business. It leads to many things which nobody wants which is why nobody talks about this.
But the cost of theft to the system is one that can't and isn't ignored. It's a top priority for business owners who in recent times have had to deal with criminals that are bolder and more desperate. Can we keep going on like this forever? It's not just retail theft either but industrial theft like jumping over a fence into a yard to yoink all the copper. Thieves are merciless and the law does no deter them.
New National and State-Level Estimates of the Judicial and Legal Costs of Crime to Taxpayers
Using a Monte Carlo simulation approach to take into account uncertainty in the data, this study finds the national average costs to taxpayers for judicial/legal services per reported crime are likely around the following (in 2010 dollars): $22,000–$44,000 (homicide), $2000–$5000 (rape and sexual assault), $600–$1300 (robbery), $800–$2100 (aggravated assault), $200–$600 (burglary), $300–$600 (larceny/theft), and $200–$400 (motor vehicle theft). At a state-level, the costs of crime are 50 % to 70 % more or less than these national averages depending on the crime type and state. These estimates can be used to understand the level of resources spent per crime and the potential legal resources freed up for a change in reported crime rates; they are not a measure of waste or efficiency, but it is hoped this study contributes to this debate.
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Enforcing rules for your neighbor and their neighbors is not free. If theft can be prevented at the same capacity as it is now for zero cost to the taxpayer I don't see why that's a bad or radical idea when industry practices and technology are going in that direction naturally anyways.
A state monopoly on force can never replace the technological innovations of the free market and I think we are at the point where one technology will replace another
Originally posted by the man who put it in my hood
Enforcing rules for your neighbor and their neighbors is not free. If theft can be prevented at the same capacity as it is now for zero cost to the taxpayer I don't see why that's a bad or radical idea when industry practices and technology are going in that direction naturally anyways.
A state monopoly on force can never replace the technological innovations of the free market and I think we are at the point where one technology will replace another
Legal theft would create a reliance on technology and market solutions for theft which would ultimately make society safer and you wouldn't see stuff like this happen anymore
that would be the only way to replace the current system but when you start talking about those issues is when people are against the idea and would rather keep the current system of police. Even though everyone freaks out and says DEFUND THE BLUE when shit like George Floyd happens over some fake money
not every store can afford to hire a security guard or even have working cameras. I like the idea of how private security companies work in South Africa where they basically act as police and even help motorists and cats stuck in trees and then give the person a business card so they can be signed up.
I don't think they would just go rogue and start murdering people like a militia when we live in a society of cancel culture and everyone with a smartphone.
I think there's also an argument to be made that with the militarization of police having them respond to a teenager stealing condoms is a bit much, and expensive and creates a lot of social and legal problems.
A Soldier of the Army cannot arrest you for shoplifting but if you saw one would you really try to steal?
The system itself is getting tired of having to pay for theft and trying to change things so it's less of a burden for them. Shoplifting is a low priority crime but because of it's cost to society it takes up a lot of the court and prison system which is another cost associated with it
Just get all petty thieves jobs in finance, and theft is no more (it's now collateralised debt obligations, promissory notes, bailouts, liquidity events).
The thing about life is that once you make up a fancy name for whatever you are doing you can do almost anything.
Originally posted by the man who put it in my hood
Legal theft would create a reliance on technology and market solutions for theft which would ultimately make society safer and you wouldn't see stuff like this happen anymore
face recognition payment system has been around for some time, the only thing lacking is the political will to make it mandatory.