Where do the stolen goods go?

[Bogie]

There's a LOT of shoplifting, looting, etc., going on.
 
What happens to it?
 
Some goes on Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, and so on. Some is resold to independent grocery type folks - An item that has to be locked up around here is Tide laundry detergent. They'll fill up a cart, and walk it out the front. And it goes to the little stores.
 
The Home Depot next to my store has guys walking out with several boxes of power tools. They can't stop them.
 
And they end up getting sold by the fences.
 
What can we do? Don't buy that bargain online. Don't buy the bargain from that guy in the parking lot.

[MillCreek]

^^^Around here, it is amazing to see the number of new DeWalt tools with no battery being sold on OfferUp.

[cordex]

^^^Around here, it is amazing to see the number of new DeWalt tools with no battery being sold on OfferUp.

Same here.  Often with the pictures of the product sitting on the lap of someone who is in a vehicle parked in a lot.

[MillCreek]

I forgot to add: the local Home Depots and Lowe's now keep the power tools and batteries in a locked cage.  You have to pay for it up front, the cashier gives you a ticket, you take the ticket to someone in tools and they unlock the cage and give you the tool/battery. 

Lately, what I see on the local Facebook is video clips of people loading up a cart with electrical wire at Home Depot and Lowe's and rolling right out the door with it.  I wonder if these are electricians trying to save a buck on materials, or people stealing it for the copper.

[Ben]

I forgot to add: the local Home Depots and Lowe's now keep the power tools and batteries in a locked cage.  You have to pay for it up front, the cashier gives you a ticket, you take the ticket to someone in tools and they unlock the cage and give you the tool/battery. 

Sort of the same here. You get an employee to open the cage and grab what you want, then they escort you to a register and hand the item to the cashier. The local farm supply stores, while still keeping them locked up, just hand you the tool or battery and let you make your own way to the register.

[Nick1911]

Disagree.

Don't blame the actions of a thief on innocent parties that unknowingly buy stolen goods on the secondhand market.

The responsibility for retail theft?  That falls on the stores for their corporate policies, the municipalities for their law enforcement practices, the prosecution and court systems for their inaction.  If these actors are not willing to address the problem, that's on them.  Second-hand shoppers have no responsibility to cut their own nose off in an attempt to save Home Depot's bottom line.  We are not obligated to lower our standard of living by only paying full retail for fear some second-hand goods may be stolen.

If someone knowingly buys stolen goods, that is a crime and worthy of condemnation.

[kgbsquirrel]

Disagree.

Don't blame the actions of a thief on innocent parties that unknowingly buy stolen goods on the secondhand market.

The responsibility for retail theft?  That falls on the stores for their corporate policies, the municipalities for their law enforcement practices, the prosecution and court systems for their inaction.  If these actors are not willing to address the problem, that's on them.  Second-hand shoppers have no responsibility to cut their own nose off in an attempt to save Home Depot's bottom line.  We are not obligated to lower our standard of living by only paying full retail for fear some second-hand goods may be stolen.

If someone knowingly buys stolen goods, that is a crime and worthy of condemnation.

Well put.

[dogmush]

Do the businesses that hire illegals contribute to the Illegal Immigrant problem?  IMHO, yes.  They aren't "responsible" but they contribute to the climate of acceptance.

If you buy new stuff at a discount from CL or Facebook, especially from a seller that is selling a bunch of it, you know it's probably stolen, and are contributing.  Like the business owner that gets a SSN from an obvious Mexican, and rolls with it.

[Brad Johnson]

The responsibility for retail theft?  That falls on the stores for their corporate policies, the municipalities for their law enforcement practices, the prosecution and court systems for their inaction.  If these actors are not willing to address the problem, that's on them.  Second-hand shoppers have no responsibility to cut their own nose off in an attempt to save Home Depot's bottom line.  We are not obligated to lower our standard of living by only paying full retail for fear some second-hand goods may be stolen.

Ultimately, though, responsibility falls on the thief.

Regardless of what happens afterwards, or their motivation for doing so, they are the actors and the decision to act is theirs. Just because an opportunity presents itself due to the choices of others doesn't diminish the actor's accountability.

Brad

[Nick1911]

Ultimately, though, responsibility falls on the thief.

Regardless of what happens afterwards, or their motivation for doing so, they are the actors and the decision to act is theirs. Just because an opportunity presents itself due to the choices of others doesn't diminish the actor's accountability.

Brad

Of course.  I suppose I left that unstated.

[charby]

Since every power tool has a serial number on it, you may get a knock by officer friendly when you try to register a tool for the manufacturer's warranty.

This is a worry of mine when I buy a new in the box power tool off ebay from an individual and not an established ebay reseller company.

[Ben]

Well put.

+1

I get Dogmush's post as well, and trying not to sound fence-sitty, agree with that as well. The problem with the latter is that I'm not sure that you can always tell if you're buying something stolen or not. I mean, a new in the box circular saw for 70% off, sure. But what if they just sell it for 25% cheaper, or advertise it as "open box" or something? Not everyone knows the "reasonable" prices for everything.

I agree that blame is first and foremost with the no good, low down, dirty thief.

[Brad Johnson]

There's never any shortage of "new in the box!" tools on Craiglist and Marketplace around here. I figure they're all less-than-legally procured.

Brad

[RoadKingLarry]

The solution to all that is to prohibit face to face/person to person sales of anything without government sanction and appropriate tax collection.

[Brad Johnson]

Local PD has a Safe Exchange Zone right outside their front door. If I ever buy something from Marketplace/Craigslist, using the SEZ will be mandatory or it's no deal.

Brad

[dogmush]

Responsibility for the thieving does lie with the thieves. 100% agreement there.  The buyers are helping by providing the market.

IME, it's not hard to sus out the stolen stuff on Marketplace/CL/Ebay.

For Example:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/4441364595910585/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/635697827707419/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3753947374704876/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/190769606552422/


The thieves are scum, no doubt, but if they didn't sell, there would be less thieving.......

[Ben]

Responsibility for the thieving does lie with the thieves. 100% agreement there.  The buyers are helping by providing the market.

IME, it's not hard to sus out the stolen stuff on Marketplace/CL/Ebay.

For Example:

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/4441364595910585/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/635697827707419/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/3753947374704876/

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/190769606552422/


The thieves are scum, no doubt, but if they didn't sell, there would be less thieving.......

How are those guys sticking around long enough to get stuff like 2000+ five star ratings? Wouldn't the local cops have checked them out by then?

I don't do friendface, nor do I buy stuff on Ebay or Craigslist, so I'm certainly speaking from inexperience.

[Calumus]

I guess Facebook doesn’t check their listings at all. When i scroll down a bit, there’s someone selling temp tags as well for $40.

[K Frame]

Years ago a coworker (nice guy, good guy) had a friend who was a representative for some big golf equipment distributor.

He offered my coworker (John) a set of Ping clubs -- supposedly "rentals/demonstrators" -- for just an obscenely cheap amount.... and offered sets to any of John's friends, as well. John offered to set me up with a set because at the time I was sort of into golfing.

It just didn't feel right to me, so I didn't pursue it. In the end, John didn't, either.

Couple of months later John told me that the guy had been arrested on felony theft of... multiple sets of golf clubs, and he talked and told the FBI or State Police everyone he had sold the clubs to, and now they were in hot water.

So glad that I didn't take up that offer.

[Hawkmoon]

Ultimately, though, responsibility falls on the thief.

Regardless of what happens afterwards, or their motivation for doing so, they are the actors and the decision to act is theirs. Just because an opportunity presents itself due to the choices of others doesn't diminish the actor's accountability.

The crux of the issue is that, thanks to bleeding heart mayors, prosecutors, judges, city councils, and legislators, the "actors" now face no accountability for shoplifting. Hell, it isn't even "shoplifting" any more -- it's outright, wholesale theft on a commercial scale. Yes, the thieves are the ones doing the stealing, but the bleeding hearts IMHO are equally complicit by creating a climate that practically invites them to steal.

[HankB]

Has anyone considered that at least some of the so-called "authorities" may be on the take themselves?

[K Frame]

MAY be on the take?

Is there any doubt?

[Boomhauer]

 Even in regular America the police don’t care so the thieves have a fairly secure environment in which to openly sell their stolen goods on Marketplace and face to face at the flea markets.

The day the normies finally realize that the law does nothing to help them and everything to shield the thieves is the day we see thieves disappear when caught by the property owner instead of the property owner calling the police who will then just catch and release.

[MechAg94]

Even in regular America the police don’t care so the thieves have a fairly secure environment in which to openly sell their stolen goods on Marketplace and face to face at the flea markets.

The day the normies finally realize that the law does nothing to help them and everything to shield the thieves is the day we see thieves disappear when caught by the property owner instead of the property owner calling the police who will then just catch and release.

I think most property owners know all about it, but fear the consequences of taking action as a lot of people are more than happy to lock them up if they go after thieves.  Look at the Aubery murder.  Two guy go after someone they thought was a thief and get convicted of murder and are still dealing with hate crimes charges.  It may not be the same thing, but it is instructive. 

What is the percentage of property owners who are voters?  Gotta be lower these days.

What would be nice to see is a politicians raising this issue.  I would like to see someone talk about a law saying criminals cannot sue or hold liable others for injuries or damage during the commission of a crime.

[Hawkmoon]

The day the normies finally realize that the law does nothing to help them and everything to shield the thieves is the day we see thieves disappear when caught by the property owner instead of the property owner calling the police who will then just catch and release decline to respond.

Fixed it for you.