Since hard liquor became available in
grocery and other large retail stores, Prevention WINS coalition members have
reported that it is easily stolen by minors.
During the coalition’s December 2012 general meeting, the North Precinct
Liaison for the Seattle City Attorney’s Office reported:
~ All grocery stores, including all
North Seattle groceries, are being hit by theft of liquor.
~ Store security officers usually have a
hands-off policy and are told to verbally discourage theft.
~ Many stores display alcohol near
doors, making it easy for people to steal.
~ When corporate offices are contacted,
they state that, as a corporation, liquor theft is not affecting their profits
and they do not plan to address the problem.
~ Some South Seattle stores have begun
to lock up their liquor.
~ It is estimated that stores are losing
up to $1,000 per day and the Roosevelt Safeway reports that they are losing
about $30,000 per month due to liquor theft.
Stores are likely under-reporting their losses and that reported losses
should be multiplied by 3 to get a more accurate picture.
~ The King County Prosecutor’s Office
does not prosecute any theft less than $1,000.
The Seattle City Attorney’s Office is working to track individual
thieves so that when they steal an aggregate of more than $750 the City
Attorney can refer them to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Liquor theft is not unique to Seattle.
In response, the state legislature passed a bill aimed at reducing theft. KPLU broadcast a story about it today:
Grocery store owners who are losing liquor to shoplifters
could pay a hefty price. Under a new law that takes effect June 13, the state
can take away the store's license to sell liquor.
The crack down is aimed at keeping liquor out of the
hands of underage drinkers.
Thefts Began With Privatization
As soon as liquor was privatized in Washington in 2012,
Rep. Christopher Hurst, D-Enumclaw, began hearing stories from cops about
juveniles being caught with hard liquor. Hurst says that wasn't the case with
state-run liquor stores, which had a theft rate of about zero.
Almost always, he says, the bottle of whiskey or tequila
had been “lifted” from a retail shelf.
While many store owners did begin
locking the liquor away and putting up special security systems, Hurst was
frustrated by how lax some stores remained.
“You know, there were stores that had, eight steps from
the door at one o'clock in the morning, Jose Cuervo or Jack Daniels or
Jaegermeister — stuff that kids, of course, love and like to steal,” Hurst
said.
New Law Goes After Retailers
Under the new law, a store
that doesn't secure its liquor could lose its license from the state Liquor
Control Board.
The state will be able to take the license away if the
store has, within six months, two shoplifting incidents that result in the
alcohol ending up in a juvenile's hands.
Hurst, who sponsored the legislation, says he thinks it’s
already making a difference. He says he recently returned to a store that had
displayed its liquor next to the front door.
