AAFES: Shoplifting incidents up in 2007

[unhappycamper]

Despite enhanced preventive measures, theft at Army and Air Force Exchange Service exchanges worldwide increased last year, with 7,635 shoplifting cases reported. Here, Tony Garcia scans the Vogelweh, Germany, base exchange store.


AAFES: Shoplifting incidents up in 2007
By Vince Little, Stars and Stripes
Mideast edition, Saturday, April 19, 2008

Despite enhanced preventive measures, theft at Army and Air Force Exchange Service stores worldwide increased last year, which led to higher costs for military consumers, according to a news release.

In 2007, there were 7,635 cases in which shoplifters were caught, compared to 7,542 the previous year. While incidents were up only about 1 percent, the average cost of products in detected cases climbed more than 8 percent, from $119 per incident in 2006 to $129 last year.

Throughout Europe in 2007, the number of shoplifters caught at AAFES stores rose while the value of the lifted merchandise fell.

During 2006, 1,096 shoplifters were caught stealing about $158,209 in goods, according to AAFES spokesman Army Lt. Col. David Konop. In 2007, 1,112 shoplifters attempted to pocket about $149,325 worth of stuff, a decrease of about $9,000, he said. The average cost of the stolen goods dropped from $144 in 2006 to $134 in 2007 in Europe.

In the Pacific, there were 808 shoplifting cases in 2007, up from 694 in 2006. The total cost of stolen goods jumped to $146,305 in 2007, from $88,169 in 2006, according to Judd Anstey, AAFES headquarters spokesman.


Rest of article at: http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=54166