Food for thought

"Sometimes life leaves shoplifters no choice." - What drives this? What are the generational and political divides on our attitudes towards shoplifting?

https://humbernews.ca/2022/11/opinion-poverty-is-a-major-legitimate-factor-in-retail-stores-theft-rise/

Most studies have ignored the possibility that more people may be shoplifting because they have less money for food and basic needs. Grocery stores attract a different kind of theft: these shoplifters do not identify as criminals or as being dishonest. More often, theft of food is an indicator of reduced family income, economic hardships and food insecurity. People in these situations are concerned about having money for basic necessities and debt repayment. Food is the top ranking category of stolen merchandise, accounting for about one out of three instances of theft.

https://scholarworks.wmich.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1876&context=jssw

Buying into the food theft moral panic - divorced from its broader social conditions - has resulted in increased surveillance, security and policing. People in poverty are struggling - including disproportionate numbers of children, disabled people and caregivers. The “shame the culprits” and “think twice” campaigns do little to solve the deep-rooted issues which are often to blame for crimes like shoplifting.

https://www.bigissue.com/news/social-justice/shoplifting-rise-cost-of-living-children-poverty/

The cost of food theft (as offloaded to consumers by grocers) may be large. However, the cost of policing and incarceration is far more substantial. The additional social toll of such measures is important to consider. Rather than policing food (and incarcerating those who need to steal it), resources should be redirected to feed people. Prison does not solve hunger.

https://theconversation.com/policing-is-not-the-answer-to-shoplifting-feeding-people-is-217046

"Far too often we look to food as the solution... but food insecurity is not a problem that's rooted in a lack of food. It is an issue that is rooted in inadequate income."

"Poverty is a political choice. There is no other way to look at it. We are deciding every day what we are going to prioritize and we have not clearly prioritized addressing food insecurity."

Reported increases in food theft in Canada are linked to pressures from rising inflation along with diminished investment in social supports such as housing, mental health, transit and other crisis and community supports. The social cost of policing food is much higher, and deeply concerning because it produces unequal community impacts. Food theft is framed as a threat to paying customers. That furthers the divide between those who can still afford groceries, and those who cannot.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/food-insecurity-data-nova-scotia-2022-1.6833773