Convenience store crime
Encyclopedia
For a variety of reasons, convenience store
Convenience store
A convenience store, corner store, corner shop, commonly called a bodega in Spanish-speaking areas of the United States, is a small store or shop in a built up area that stocks a range of everyday items such as groceries, toiletries, alcoholic and soft drinks, and may also offer money order and...

s are often very popular targets for a variety of crime
Crime
Crime is the breach of rules or laws for which some governing authority can ultimately prescribe a conviction...

s, most notably shoplifting
Shoplifting
Shoplifting is theft of goods from a retail establishment. It is one of the most common property crimes dealt with by police and courts....

 and robbery
Robbery
Robbery is the crime of taking or attempting to take something of value by force or threat of force or by putting the victim in fear. At common law, robbery is defined as taking the property of another, with the intent to permanently deprive the person of that property, by means of force or fear....

. In some cities, convenience store crime has become such a problem that special task forces have been created or some stores have been completely shut down.

The reasons for the higher rate of crime at convenience stores may be attributable to various factors, including:
  • the small number of staff employees on hand makes it difficult to stop or deter criminals
  • the extended hours many convenience stores offer present more opportunities when few customers and/or witnesses will be present
  • the smaller size of the stores make it easy for criminals to quickly navigate the floor plan and enter and exit close to the cash register
    Cash register
    A cash register or till is a mechanical or electronic device for calculating and recording sales transactions, and an attached cash drawer for storing cash...

    s
  • the majority of purchases are in cash as opposed to electronic transactions, leading to a relatively high amount of cash (often minimally secured) at any point

Robbery

In the 1970s, the amount of convenience store crime, such as shoplifting and armed robberies, became an emerging problem, which put the spotlight on store security. As the industry grew, so did robberies and hold-ups. To address this issue, stores used training material provided in part by the National Association of Convenience Stores
National Association of Convenience Stores
NACS is an international trade association representing the convenience and fuel retailing industry.-Background:NACS was founded August 14, 1961, as the National Association of Convenience Stores. It is an international trade association representing more than 2,100 retail and 1,500 supplier...

 such as the six security workshops in 1971, including the "Why Hold Up Convenience Stores?" workshop, featuring a panel of six ex-convicts — including Ray D. Johnson, who became the first maximum-security prisoner to escape from Folsom Prison. Johnson was also an anti-crime consultant for the Southland Corporation and an anti-crime lecturer. Today, many of the panelists' recommendations still ring true: keep windows clear from clutter, minimize the cash on hand, and place the checkout area at the front of the store, visible from the street.

To gain a better understanding of ways to control and deter convenience store robberies, the Southland Corporation (former name of 7-Eleven Corporation) conducted an in-depth study into convenient store robberies and the individuals most likely to commit the crimes. They discovered that the most important things would-be robbers considered when deciding whether or not to commit a crime were the ease of escape from the store/surrounding area and how much money they thought the store would have on hand. They also discovered that while the acquisition of money was the most important motivation for robberies, a sense of power or thrill from committing the crime was often mentioned as well.

In 2009, gasoline theft cost the U.S. convenience store industry $89 million, a steady decline from the record $300 million reported in 2005. Gas theft cost the industry $109 million in 2008 and $134 million in 2007. The average loss per store in 2009 was $761, and that figure is conservative, since it only includes reported thefts and is based on all convenience stores that sell gasoline, including those in states that mandate full-serve (New Jersey
New Jersey
New Jersey is a state in the Northeastern and Middle Atlantic regions of the United States. , its population was 8,791,894. It is bordered on the north and east by the state of New York, on the southeast and south by the Atlantic Ocean, on the west by Pennsylvania and on the southwest by Delaware...

 and Oregon
Oregon
Oregon is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States. It is located on the Pacific coast, with Washington to the north, California to the south, Nevada on the southeast and Idaho to the east. The Columbia and Snake rivers delineate much of Oregon's northern and eastern...

) and stores in areas where prepay in the norm. Gasoline theft has declined since September 2005 (post-Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina
Hurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...

, when gasoline rapidly increased and topped $3 per gallon) when more stations began mandating prepay for fuel.

Shoplifting

While robberies may be the crime most often associated with convenience stores, shoplifting is also extremely common in such establishments. Statistics suggest that 54% of all shoplifters regularly steal from convenience stores. An increasingly common crime is shoplifting by juveniles. Almost 90% of juveniles say they know someone who has shoplifted, and more than half of adult shoplifters claim they began doing so as teenagers. As many convenience stores attract groups of minors, especially after school or on the weekends, they face the challenge of offering their services in a professional manner while closely monitoring the activities of the patrons. Multiple customers at the same time can create opportunities for theft, as one or more members of a group can distract the employees or block their view of certain areas of the store.

Non-criminal customer involvement

Law enforcement officials and often store employees themselves strongly discourage customers not involved in a crime being committed from involving themselves in the situation. The Southland study concluded that in cases where someone was seriously injured or killed during a convenient store crime, the most likely cause of such an outcome was employees or other customers not following the demands set forth by the criminal. However, in recent history there have been numerous documented cases of customers stepping in to try and prevent crimes that they witnessed at conveniece stores. Examples include:

June 2008
  • In Harris County
    Harris County, Texas
    As of the 2010 Census, the population of the county was 4,092,459, White Americans made up 56.6% of Harris County's population; non-Hispanic whites represented 33.0% of the population. Black Americans made up 18.9% of the population. Native Americans made up 0.7% of Harris County's population...

    , Texas
    Texas
    Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...

    , 47-year-old Jason Hemmingworth struck a man in the back of the head with a bottle when the man, standing in front of him in line, demanded the clerk empty the register drawer. Witnesses claim the suspect became enraged by the action and seriously injured both Hemmingworth and the store clerk in an ensuing fight.
  • Michael Spencer, an off-duty paramedic, tripped a suspect as he tried to flee from a convenience story in Tulsa, Oklahoma
    Oklahoma
    Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...

    . The suspect fell violently to the ground, breaking his arm and two ribs. Spencer was commended for his involvement, but encouraged not to follow the course of action in the future.


July 2008
  • Cole Brieski, an honors student at Oregon State University
    Oregon State University
    Oregon State University is a coeducational, public research university located in Corvallis, Oregon, United States. The university offers undergraduate, graduate and doctoral degrees and a multitude of research opportunities. There are more than 200 academic degree programs offered through the...

    , intervened in a convenience store robbery in South Suburban Sacramento
    Sacramento
    Sacramento is the capital of the state of California, in the United States of America.Sacramento may also refer to:- United States :*Sacramento County, California*Sacramento, Kentucky*Sacramento – San Joaquin River Delta...

    , where he was visiting family. Brieski saw a man in a mask run into the store and grab several cartons of cigarettes from behind the counter. As the man turned to leave, Brieski punched the man in the right shoulder, causing him to drop the items. The suspect stooped to pick the items back up and Brieski lost his footing and stumbled backwards. As the suspect again tried to leave the store, Brieski lunged at him from behind, grabbing his coat and causing him to slip on a floor mat inside the door. Both men wrestled on the floor for several minutes as four different witnesses called 911. The suspect eventually escaped Brieski’s grasp and fled the scene, but was apprehended six blocks from the store within minutes.
  • In western Maryland
    Maryland
    Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...

     a 57-year-old unnamed trucker stopped in a convenience store to purchase supplies for an upcoming road trip when he encountered an armed suspect trying to rob the store. The man struck the suspect with an umbrella he retrieved from a nearby display, causing him to drop the gun he was holding. A second customer picked up the weapon and pointed it at the suspect who fled. It was later determined the gun was not loaded and had been stolen.
  • In North Suburban Chicago
    Chicago
    Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...

    , John Kolvak thwarted a would-be robbery when he tackled a man trying to steal money as he attempted to exit a convenience store. The man made several demands of the store clerk and punched the register several times when the employee refused to relinquish the contents of the drawer. The suspect swung his right fist at the clerk, but missed, and ran toward the door. Kolvak, who had entered the store right as the crime began, dove into the suspect, wrapping his arms around his waist, bringing him to the ground. As the man wildly kicked in an attempt to break free, Kolvak and another unnamed patron held the man to the ground until police arrived.
  • Janice Robinson, of Yonkers, New York
    New York
    New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...

     intervened when a man pushed her aside as she approached the counter at a convenience store near her home. The man grabbed the shirt of the employee at the register and demanded he empty the register drawer. Robinson poured the cup of hot coffee she was holding over the suspect’s head, causing him to let go and try to flee the store. Two other customers, both unidentified men, stopped him at the door and held him until police arrived minutes later. The man was taken to St. John’s Riverside Hospital where he was treated for second-degree burns.

See also

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