Faces of the Recession: As shoplifting rises, grocer keeps closer eye on customers

After 17 years at Jerry’s Market, employee Ray Garza said the shoplifting there is probably worse than it’s ever been – and it’s probably because people are struggling with the economy.

“The problems we’ve had with bad checks has improved,” Garza said, “because a few years ago, the meth problems in Greeley were so bad, people were passing more phony checks. It’s better now, so the bad checks we get are from insufficient funds, and the people take care of those right away.”

Jerry’s Market, at 14th Avenue and 5th Street, is a family-owned market that has become a staple of north Greeley.

Because of the high number of shoplifting incidents, Garza said police have told them to prosecute kids down to the age of 9. He said arresting children could discourage some parents who send their kids into the store to shoplift, thinking they could get away with it.

There are 16 cameras in Jerry’s Market, making it one of the best-protected stores in Greeley. The cameras are all tied into computer screens in the office area, and they can watch and record any thefts in the store.

“When we catch someone and the police come, they tell the suspects that the film will be shown to the jury if there’s a trial,” Garza said with a smile. “That kind of convinces the people to plead guilty.”

The most shoplifted items come from the cosmetics and drug section of the store. Products such as lipstick, toothbrushes, Advil and Tylenol are all taken from the rack, and many times the outer packages are left behind. “We’ll find empty packages sometimes, and I’m not sure why they do that,” Garza said. “Maybe if they get caught they’ll claim the toothbrush was in their pocket when they came into the store.”

Garza has high praise for the Greeley police. “They’ve been really cool about it when we call with a shoplifter,” Garza said. “Especially with the younger kids who get caught. The police officers try to make it a lesson to the kids that it’s wrong to steal.”

While the store doesn’t have any security guards, all employees watch for problems or suspicious people. “You could say all the jobs here are employee/cashier/security guard,” Garza said. “We all keep an eye out for shoplifters.”

They catch about three shoplifters a week at Jerry’s Market, and the word is out about their surveillance cameras, raising hopes that thieves will be further discouraged. However, employees still find an empty package on the floor almost every day.