On Thursday, March 29, two students were caught shoplifting from Weshop. After Public Safety was called, the students were referred to the Student Judiciary Board. The event was far from unusual, however; shoplifting at Weshop and elsewhere on campus continues to be prevalent.
“It’s a big problem on campus, that’s no secret,” said Sharon, a Weshop employee who has worked at Wesleyan for 23 years and who asked to be identified by only her first name.
Sharon believes that some students tend to think of Weshop as “not a real store.”
“This is a very real store,” she said.
Bridgett Stapleton, the Senior Food Service Director of Aramark, also acknowledged the shoplifting problem.
“It happens a lot, especially this time of year,” she said. “It is pretty serious, [even though] people may see it as just Wesleyan.”
Students, whether they realize it or not, are affected by shoplifting.
“[Shoplifting] is stealing, and it is unfair to the other students,” Stapleton said. “It’s a much larger percentage of your sales price than you’d think.”
Students are aware of the problem.
“I know a lot of people who shoplift from Weshop,” said Laura, a student who counts herself among the shoplifters.
The motivations behind shoplifting are puzzling for many. Stapleton said she was surprised to find out that the students caught shoplifting March 29 still had points in their accounts.
“It’s the psychology of shoplifting,” Sharon said.
Having seen students steal items like oatmeal cookies in the past, she believes that people steal often simply because they can. According to Sharon, this psychology is not particular to the current student body or to Wesleyan.
“Shoplifting is a problem in retail all over the world,” she said.
Weshop has a specific policy on shoplifting.
“Our policy is we call Public Safety,” Stapleton said. “Public Safety is very generous… They always ask us if we want to call the Middletown Police Department. We usually say no.”
The students are usually referred to the Student Judiciary Board instead.
“They call, we come,” said Director of Public Safety David Meyer, describing Public Safety’s relationship with Weshop.
According to Sharon, when Weshop first opened, students were required to leave their backpacks outside. The policy was eventually changed, largely because students complained that their backpacks were being looted or stolen entirely. Now, even with cameras, backpacks make shoplifting relatively easy.
Sharon pointed to Broad Street Books and Red and Black Café as good examples, where students must leave their backpacks in a certain area that the cashiers can watch.
“I’d notice if someone went rifling through your backpack,” she said, adding that she thinks Weshop could benefit from following suit.
Laura, however, does not think backpacks are necessary for stealing. She says that cashiers often will not see what she is holding and therefore not charge her for all of it. She said that small items are big shoplifting targets.
“Everyone steals candy,” Laura said. “I don’t think of that as stealing. I guess it is.”
Perhaps the deterrent to shoplifting is more in presentation than in consequences.
“I’d be scared to steal from [Broad Street Books],” Laura said.
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