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An Analysis of the Prosecution of Shoplifters
Author(s) -
FEUERVERGER ANDREY,
SHEARING CLIFFORD D.
Publication year - 1982
Publication title -
criminology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 3.467
H-Index - 139
eISSN - 1745-9125
pISSN - 0011-1384
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-9125.1982.tb00461.x
Subject(s) - suspect , unintended consequences , argument (complex analysis) , profit maximization , profit (economics) , actuarial science , psychology , positive economics , utility maximization , economics , operations research , criminology , microeconomics , medicine , political science , law , engineering , mathematical economics
This article examines the decisions to prosecute shoplifters by Canadian retail investigators. A hypothetical case method that permits a statistical simulation of an experimental design is used. The findings support recent research which indicates that both the value of the item and the age of the suspect are the most important predictors of investigators' decisions to prosecute. In addition, our results identify admission of the offense and the suspect's appearance as important predictors of these decisions. In general, characteristics of the offense rather than of the offender are found to be most important factors in the decision‐making process. Further, the results support the argument that investigators' decisions tend to maximize company profit. How‐ever, profit maximization is revealed as an unintended conse‐quence of these decisions.