Photo Illustration by Eli Hull / The Daily

Norman saw a spike in shoplifting citations in the month of June.

According to data from the Norman Municipal Court, the number of petty larceny citations jumped in the month of June to 36 adult offenders compared to the months of April and May, which saw the number of shoplifters remain steady in the low 20s.

“The City of Norman has a few hot spots for shoplifting,” Norman Municipal Court Clerk Ronda Guerrero said. “Homelands and Wal-Mart Supercenters are the places where many petty larceny citations are given out, but we have given out a lot at the [Sooner] Mall too.”

Guerrero said the number of shoplifters is more than what is given out in daily police press releases because those reports do not include juvenile offenders.

When juvenile offenders are taken into account, the amount of shoplifting in Norman appears to steadily increase over the past three months from 30 citations in April to 47 citations in June. In some cases, the juveniles have helped offenders in the act of shoplifting.

“I use to work in retail sales, and I saw people use their kids and their strollers to help sneak merchandise out,” said Joanna Owen, who was shopping with her daughter Tuesday at the Norman Sooner Fashion Mall.

But security at the mall is more complicated than it appears.

“Even though some businesses like the mall have their own security companies, Norman police handles all cases of shoplifting and petty larceny,” Cap. Leonard Judy of the Norman Police Department said. “In cases where people use juveniles to help them commit petty larceny, they could also be charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor.”

Judy said minors who are caught shoplifting sometimes could be treated as adults depending on the circumstances of the incident. The penalty of shoplifting in Norman is a citation ranging from $50 to $750 for juvenile and adult offenders alike, but adults may also receive up to 60 days in jail in addition.

Shoppers feel the effects of shoplifting go beyond the fact that crime is happening in a place where they and their families come to shop.

“If people steal from the stores then that means that there will be a loss in revenue and prices will go up,” Owen said.

She said all stores should place detectors by doors so shoplifters will set the alarm off when removing the unpaid merchandise.

“If we allow people to steal, then the mall will become a place where people will feel comfortable committing crime, and if that happens then people won’t want to come here with their families, let alone shop at night,” said Christin Clift, who was shopping at the Norman Sooner Fashion Mall Tuesday afternoon. “If we don’t increase the penalty for shoplifting and stealing continues, it will eventually ruin the experience of going out to shop.”