Though the Winona Ryder verdict didn’t set a legal precedent, those in the business and mental health communities are hoping the high-profile case will call attention to the problem of shoplifting.
“I think it shows that retailers are really adopting a zero-tolerance policy when it comes to shoplifting,” said Dan Butler, a vice president with the National Retail Federation. “Retailers want to get the message across that shoplifting–by anyone–will not be tolerated.”
Butler applauded the conviction Wednesday of the two-time Oscar nominee for taking more than $5,500 worth of merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue in Beverly Hills. Shoplifting, he said, cost U.S. retailers about $10 billion in 2001–up from $8.4 billion in 2000–and increases with both the Christmas shopping season and a sour economy.
“Prices inevitably will increase for consumers because retailers have to make up for those losses,” Butler said.
Also watching the trial attentively was a former shoplifter who now leads a Michigan-based support group for others with sticky fingers.
“It’s positive because it has people asking some good questions about the problem–and people realize that shoplifters can come from all walks of life,” said Terrence Shulman, an attorney and therapist. “But we are disappointed that she didn’t come forward and own up to her behavior. We were hoping that she’d be a spokesman in the same way that Magic Johnson was for AIDS and Robert Downey Jr. was for drugs.”
Ryder, who is likely to receive probation and community service when she is sentenced next month, has denied that she was stealing. She contended she was researching a movie role.
“Unfortunately, by coming up with this hard-to-believe defense, she makes shoplifters look sleazy when what we’re really talking about is an addiction,” Shulman said.
He speaks from firsthand knowledge. Shulman started stealing art supplies, cassettes and magazines in high school. After two arrests, he entered therapy and realized he was angry about family problems.
“I was taking care of others, so I wanted to take care of myself,” he said. “It wasn’t anything I planned to do . . . it just gave me a lift. Some people take a drink or stuff their face. . . . I took things. Why? Because it satisfied a need.”
Now, he leads a group called Kleptomaniacs and Shoplifters Anonymous, which has about a half-dozen chapters nationwide. His group in suburban Detroit meets weekly and averages about 15 members. Since its founding in 1992, he’s heard members admit to pinching items small and large.
“We’ve had people who have wheeled out huge air compressors and home entertainment systems,” he said.
Such confessions do not surprise Dr. Alan Hirsch, a neurologist and psychiatrist at Rush-Presbyterian-St. Luke’s Medical Center in Chicago. He has treated hundreds of shoplifters, from judges to housewives. The motivations are complex, but the adrenaline surge that comes with thrill-seeking is almost always a factor.
“These are usually people that would never take a wallet,” Hirsch said. “They don’t really see it as hurting anyone–it’s a nameless, faceless crime. But, over time, they need to take something bigger or do it more openly to get the same thrill. In that respect, the behavior is very much like an addict.”
Treatment typically includes antidepressants or methylphenalate (better known as Ritalin), which can help curb the stealing impulse.
“These people lack the neurotransmitter that makes them feel alive,” Hirsch said. “When they’re discovered, they feel bad–not because it’s wrong, but because they were caught. And, unless they’re caught, the problem just escalates.”
The behavior is nothing new to Paul Barnett, who owns three upscale leather stores in the south suburbs. Despite his 40 years in retailing, he continues to be amazed at the brazenness of shoplifters.
“They can take the sensor tags off in 10 times the speed that we can–and we have the tools to do it. You can put on extra employees, but it’s virtually impossible to stop,” he said. “It’s the cost of doing business.”
Retailing experts say “smart chips” embedded in pockets, waistbands and lining is the next technological innovation to foil shoplifting, but the best deterrent is still customer service and a vigilant staff.
The most offensive aspect of theft, according to Barnett, is that someone can decide to bypass the cash register when other honest customers work hard to buy a $500 suede coat or Coach leather bag.
The Ryder verdict will help show that even celebrity status does not make someone immune from prosecution, said Maureen Evans, Midwest manager for the Wolford Boutique, which sells pricey hosiery and bodywear.
“I love her as an actress, but she must have needed to fill some gap in her life, like a lot of people,” said Evans.
