Atlanta police warn 'shoplifting is a crime in our city' as it clarifies response policy

ATLANTA - The Atlanta Police Department wants thieves to know they are back in business when it comes to responding to a shoplifting complaint.

Members of the Atlanta City Council Public Safety Panel told one commander that thieves may think the door is wide open for them to load up on products and walk out the doors of stores -- making no attempt to conceal the illegal items. 

"Let me chime in," said Mary Norwood, who discussed stories she had been told regarding merchants along Peachtree Street being taken advantage of.

The "messaging" on the issue dates to a former Chief Erika Shields. She publicly stated precious resources were being wasted when on duty officers go to a store shoplifting call and are sidelined from more important calls dealing with reports.

ATLANTA POLICE WILL NO LONGER RESPOND TO SOME SHOPLIFTING CALLS

She gave an order for police not to respond to "most" shoplifting 911 calls. Shields delivered a message to store management. She suggested they hire off-duty Atlanta police officers to patrol their stores and protect their inventory.

At a City Hall meeting on Monday, a current commander, Celeste Murphy, said the Shields' instruction never resulted in a written policy change.

Deputy Chief Murphy said if a merchant calls, Atlanta will go out.

Michael Bond, a councilman, told Murphy, the city should make "a public announcement" because the criminals think police are not coming out and they can walk out the door unimpeded.

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The Atlanta Police Department issued a statement following the meeting to clarify the department’s stance which reads:

"The Atlanta Police Department never stopped responding to shoplifting calls. Instead, we recognized that our officers were spending an extensive amount of time responding to shoplifting calls at several big-box retailers. Officers were being taken out of service from 1-2 hours on calls where the theft was often minimal. With this in mind, the decision was made to afford our zone commanders the authority to determine whether a shoplifting call needs to be a priority or if there were more pressing patrol needs. 

"We also communicated with businesses, urging them to take an active role in security at their stores. While the police department does play a role in reducing shoplifting and we will respond to shoplifting calls, the ultimate responsibility for store security remains with the store. They can hire off-duty officers or security to reduce crime on their property, including shoplifting. 

"Public Safety is a team effort and our business owners must take an active role in the security of their stores. 

"Shoplifting is a crime in our city. If you choose to shoplift, we will respond, we will investigate and you will be prosecuted."

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