A New Approach To Combating Shoplifters In One South Jersey Town

By David Madden

GLOUCESTER TWP, N.J., (CBS) -- A South Jersey police department is taking a novel approach to dealing with retail theft. Gloucester Township, Camden County has assigned a detective to what it's calling the Retail Patrol.

Glorified security guard? Hardly. Police Chief Harry Earle says there's evidence to show what leads most people to become shoplifters. "Some simply may be prone to shoplifting due to mental illness," Earle told KYW Newsradio. "However, our experience with those who steal items also do so due from the illness of drug addiction."

So if you help them, you help the stores as well.

"We're getting to the underlying reason why people are shoplifting and that is to feed their drug addiction," Gloucester Township Mayor David Mayer said. "If we can connect those individuals with individuals that can help, then we're going to make a difference."

The help comes in the form of a drug counselor who works in township municipal court. It's thought if the addict gets treatment, they won't shoplift anymore.

Shoppers will also see increased patrols in and around stores over the holidays not just to stem shoplifting, but to provide security against increased terrorist concerns these days.