Get ready to be pissed on more

From the NY Post:

In January, the City Council voted to reclassify low-level crimes such as public urination, public consumption of alcohol, littering, subway fare evasion and taking up multiple seats on the subway from criminal to civil offenses.

But if California is any indication, it may not have been a smart move.

Retail giants with locations in the Golden State, including Safeway, Target, Rite Aid and CVS pharmacies, say they have seen at least a 15 percent increase in shoplifting since California voters opted to reduce theft penalties in 2014, The Associated Press reports. Shoplifting reports in LA increased 25 percent in the year after Proposition 47 passed.

You really don't want to shoplift here!

FLUSHING, N.Y. (WPIX) - A Flushing supermarket has an unusual way of punishing shoplifters: forcing them to fork over their ID's, snapping photos of them with the loot they were trying to steal and threatening to display their pictures all over the store.

Security guards at A & N Food Market who catch the crooks in action also threaten to call the police -- but ultimately let them off the hook if they agree to hand over money for the items they were attempting to swipe.

The store -- which mainly caters to Chinese clientele -- seems to be practicing a popular method in China, in which suspected shoplifters are forced to pay for the items they were looking to steal. In fact, some storekeepers in the County reportedly post signs reading, "Steal one, fine 10."

It's unclear if the practice is legal in the United States. However, the New York City police department and the Queens district attorney's office said it had not received any complaints about the practice.

Critics say the accused shoplifters are deprived of basic civil rights and are not being held by adequately trained security officials with proper oversight.

Similar methods are reportedly used in Chinese neighborhoods around the city.

Store employees suckered by topless shoplifter

From Trans World News:

SportsDepot, a sporting goods store located in Howard Beach, NY became the victims of a curvaceous crook who used full frontal nudity to distract store employees from her shoplifting accomplice.

SportDepot does most of its football, baseball and sporting goods business online, but still maintains healthy customer traffic in its flagship NY store. On June 15, the thieves, both female, entered the store, and at first aroused no suspicion. A different type of arousal was soon to follow. One of the women, an attractive, shapely young blond, picked out a number of tops and asked if she could try them on. When told that there was no changing room, the woman said that she needed to be certain that they fit properly before making a purchase and that the lack of a dressing room was not a problem. She proceeded to remove her top in full view of store employees and patrons alike. Her lack of undergarments made this already incredible act all the more shocking.

It wasn’t until about fifteen minutes after the women left that [the employees] realized the naked truth. While they were busy paying their undivided attention to the bare chested beauty, her partner in crime was busy stealing several hundred dollars worth of sporting goods and sportswear. “She took lots of clothing, mostly shirts, shorts, pants and jackets. But she also made off with some baseball gloves and football accessories,” the employee added. When asked how they felt after they realized what had happened the employee replied, “How do you think we feel? We feel like boobs.”