In my earlier career, property crimes were my least favorite investigation because it didn’t have the hype like a felony drug arrest. Property crimes were a dread, for the fact that nothing was going to happen to the suspects involved anyways. It wasn’t factual but like the hype on television a drug arrest felt like an accomplishment. Several years later I realize the opposite was true for a drug arrest versus a property crime arrest. My example came when I started to comprehend a thorough shoplifting investigation. Shoplifting isn’t flashy or seem as a big problem, until you step back and look at the damages it accomplish. The shoplifter is usually a transient or a young adult having trouble with a drug addiction. Like a merchant they have to buy, sell and trade to satisfy their addiction, but first they need to steal a merchandise. Not all typical shoplifters fall under this umbrella, but the majority have an addiction. Now tying drugs, burglaries, prostitution, and numerous other crimes together, shoplifting is another additive to the problem. …show more content…
Like any other young patrolmen I started to listen and follow some senior officers advise, and began reading arizona revised statutes. While looking into the statues for a misdemeanor arrest and a felony shoplifting arrest, there were more ways to get a felony conviction then just a simple dollar amount. I was intrigue with how many other crimes are committed while someone shoplifts. At least a quarter of the time they had illegal drugs on them, they had numerous documented shopliftings, placing their children in danger while shoplifting, using stolen credit cards, taking identity of another and the list