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Merchants mindful of shoplifters during the holiday rush
Avenue businesses are quick to act against thieves
By Michele Leung
Paulette Casey, an employee of L'Daisy Patch, nabbed three suspected shoplifters on Dec. 5 after they had hit several stores on Lincoln Avenue.
Casey, who has received anti-theft training, says she observed three teenagers putting merchandise into their backpacks. When the girls exited the store, Casey chased them to the corner of Lincoln and Minnesota avenues. She managed to put her arm around one of the girls while taking an elbow to the ribs.
"I told her, 'Come with me. I think you have some things you didn't pay for,'" Casey says.
Casey credits others for their help in handling the incident: Jason Knickerbocker stopped the other two girls who had run off, and L'Daisy Patch coworker Charisse Farnsworth called the police. Knickerbocker's wife, Jill, is a co-owner of Freckles, another business that was hit.
The police arrested the three teenagers, one of whom lives in Willow Glen, and charged them with grand larceny. "We won't tolerate shoplifters," Casey says.
She estimates the teens stole approximately $600 in merchandise over a two-day period. The merchandise was recovered from a dumpster and one of the girls' homes. Casa Casa, Little Things and Hicklebees were among the shops at which the teens reportedly shoplifted.
The teenagers cooperated with the police and expressed some remorse. "One [girl] apologized for roughing me up," Casey says.
Jennifer Palmer, the other co-owner of Freckles, says she was surprised by the incident because shoplifting has not been a big problem at her store. The extent of the problem has been "toddlers who accidentally take things," she said.
To protect themselves from future losses, merchants are taking action. L' Daisy Patch plans to hire more staff, and Casa Casa would like to install cameras. "[Shoplifting] has definitely increased the cost of doing business," says Casa Casa manager Nancy Biagini.
Merchants also rely on their neighborhood watch to stay one step ahead of sticky fingers. Biagini says that when a known shoplifter enters a store, business owners on the Avenue alert one another by telephone.
"All the merchants on Lincoln stick together," Casey confirms.
According to the San Jose Police Department, 2,037 shoplifting incidents were reported within city limits between January and October this year. This figure is a 28 percent drop from last year's totals during the same period. The total number of shoplifting incidents in 1998 was 3,247.
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Willow Glen, California Since 1992
