Meat Tops List Of Shoplifted Items

Call it "chop lifting."

According to the latest figures from the Food Marketing Institute, meat was the most commonly shoplifted item in 2006 and 2007. It's evident from news stories around the globe and supported by police reports close to home.

Since Jan. 1, there are at least 10 documented cases from the Sheriff's Office of sirloin purloins. The most recent comes March 10, when deputies say Roy Sievers, 50, attempted to wheel his shopping cart out of the Wal-Mart on Cortez Boulevard without paying for his ribeye steaks, fabric softener and dog food.

In reports dating back to the beginning of the year, the typical means of shoplifting meat is stuffing up to three packages down the front of the pants. Some opt for boneless chicken wings and crab legs over steaks.

It's arguable whether a sour economy spikes shoplifting and whether higher food prices are prompting more people to steal their next meal. If the latter holds true, why steal top shelf steaks instead of deli meat?

Read Hayes, co-director of the Loss Prevention Research Team at the University of Florida, quantifies that question as "need versus greed."

Hayes and others have performed dozens of studies and interviews to understand the mind of the shoplifter. But while there are certain patterns among shoplifters, there are numerous individual factors that influence larcenous behavior.

The situation, personality and peer group are just a few.

"It's very difficult to disentangle," Hayes said. As for the prime cuts of meat, Hayes could only offer: "Why steal a Volkswagen when you can steal (Mercedes) Benz?"

A majority of shoplifters are spontaneous and simply serving their own impulses. But there is a small minority of professionals with established means of getting rid of the loot. Most of the products they sell through flea markets and online auctions sites are the second highest stolen item: bath and beauty products.

But meat isn't quite the same as lip balm and razors. It only takes a few hours in the Florida heat to convert a high-price steak into a bloody mess.

Besides, "there's not a big black market for meat," said Barbara Staib, director of communications for the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention.

The Jericho, N.Y.,-based association has seen a spike in referrals to their rehabilitative program, which could be attributed to the economy. Then again, it could be that with so much talk about shoplifting and the economy, more people are paying attention to the issue and catching shoplifters in the act.

"We believe there are many contributing factors," Staib said.