Security added to Hy-Vee leads to several shoplifting citations

CEDAR RAPIDS – Local Hy-Vee stores have beefed up on security to combat shoplifting, calling it an “obligation to all our customers.”

Security added to the Hy-Vee at 1843 Johnson Ave. NW in Cedar Rapids produced results this past weekend. Eight people, including a 75-year-old woman, were cited for shoplifting between Friday night and Sunday afternoon.

Hy-Vee spokeswoman Ruth Comer said shoplifting has been on the rise at Hy-Vee stores and other retailers across the Midwest. Some store managers, including the Johnson Avenue NW store, have decided to hire security guards.

“Our goal, really, with hiring additional security is as a deterrence factor,” Comer said. “We don't want to catch people. We want to deter them from seeing that as an opportunity.”

Comer said company officials monitor “shrink,” meaning missing or unaccountable goods. The loss from shrink is eventually passed onto all consumers, she said.

“We have an obligation to all our customers to reduce our costs,” Comer said.

The costs of shoplifting can mount quickly. The total value of the items the eight shoplifters tried to steal at the Johnson Avenue Hy-Vee this past weekend, including candy, taco seasoning and makeup, added up to $375. They were all cited at the store by police and released.

Another woman was taken to jail when she was caught Sunday afternoon trying to steal $628 worth of merchandise from the Hy-Vee at 20 Wilson Ave. SW. Jahkiya M. Manson, 20, of 2279 C St. SW, was charged with third-degree theft after she tried to take electronics, pharmacy items and personal care products, police said.

Shoplifting reports in Cedar Rapids have actually declined, though, recently. There were 204 reports in the first three months of 2011, compared to 243 in the last three months of 2010, police said.

While individual circumstances may vary, company officials are pointing to the still-sputtering economy as the main reason behind shoplifting.

“The economy has a lot to do with it,” Comer said. “When times are tougher, you do tend to see an increase in thefts and shoplifting. We think that's probably a big part of it.”