Opinion | Organized shop robberies erode social trust in the US

By Junius Ho Kwan-yiu and Kacee Ting Wong

Recently, there has been a wider, deeper and alarming set of aftershocks arising from the emergence of organized robberies at upscale shops and department stores in the US. One of the aftershocks is that we may no longer take it uncritically for granted that the benefits of welfare and the availability of alternative lawful employment opportunities could deter would-be criminals from engaging in serious criminal acts. Proponents of the deterrence model, which is based on the theory of rational decision-making, argue that if the cost components (ie. imprisonment, bad labeling effect and other kinds of punishment) exceed the benefits, a crime will not be committed (Ronald Blackburn, The Psychology of Criminal Conduct (Chichester: John Wiley & Sons, 1993),p.20 & 105-106). In the following discussion, we will discuss the shop-robbery shocks that have thrown the deterrence model into doubt and examine other damaging aftershocks.

In late 2021, three high profile shop robberies have drawn the public eye closer to the adverse effects brought about by these horrible criminal acts. About 80 people ransacked a high-end department store in San Francisco Bay Area in November 2021. They assaulted employees of the store and stole merchandise before fleeing in cars waiting outside. The incident came in a day after several high-end stores in San Francisco's Union Square were broken into by a large group of people who smashed windows, stole merchandise and then ran to waiting cars. Union Square is a posh shopping district popular with tourists and rich people. In the same month, at least 14 robbers barged into a Louis Vuitton store in suburban Chicago.

What can be said with certainty is that these collective shop robberies are well-planned and well-organized. Besides being equipped with appropriate tools and weapons to efficiently engage in these smash-and-grab activities, the robbers have also planned their safe escape routes to leave the scene of the crime. Many of the robbers have worn masks to hide their identities. They like to choose items without serial numbers. With regard to goods in upscale shops, they prefer designer clothing, designer handbags, laptops, high-end liquor and high-end appliances.

These shop robberies are well-organized because they have a sophisticated network to deal with stolen goods. The network allows them to sell the stolen goods through e-commerce platform or by other means. For example, some like to sell their stolen goods in flea markets and pawn shops at a deep discount. The vendors of the flea markets are willing to take the risk and buy these expensive items at slashed price. These stolen goods are then passed to the hands of innocent buyers.

A new research paper in the Quarterly Journal of Economics, published by Oxford University Press, indicates that removing cash welfare from children when they reach age 18 greatly increases the chances they will face criminal justice charges in subsequent years(https://www.eurekalert.org/news-releases/954451). In line with the above analysis, the deterrence model emphasizes the positive correlation between welfare programs and its deterrent effect on crime rate.

Although the Republican Party and some conservative think tanks have emphasized the dependency problem created by the welfare system, the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program (TANF) was successfully introduced in the 1990's. In response to the allegation that the welfare system has trapped people in a life of poverty and destructive behavior, the TANF programs put emphasis on 'workfare', requiring recipients to participate in job training programs and work as soon as they are job-ready. Besides, states may create jobs by taking money that is now used for welfare payments and using it to create community service jobs, provide income subsidies, or provide hiring incentives for employers (Robert McKeever & Philip Davies, Politics USA (Harlow:Pearson, 2012),p.302-304).

But the phenomenon of organized shop robberies has devalued the attractiveness of the deterrence model. Loic Wacquart argues that workfare has shrunk (via stricter restrictions) and 'prisonfare' has expanded, ultimately locking the same vulnerable population in a vicious cycle in which low-wage work, decreased benefits and low mobility lead to increased crime and punishment. Some scholars also argue that workfare traps people of color in a cycle of low-wage work and poverty (https//en.m. wikipedia.org/wiki/Workfare).

The proliferation of collective shop robberies has also reinforced American image as a sociopathic nation ravaged by hard-core criminals. Many tourists and local people have lost their confidence in the law enforcement agencies of the US. Bearing higher insurance and security costs, some retailers in vulnerable districts even take the drastic steps to close their shops. A resultant issue of great concern is the adverse effect brought about by these serious criminal acts on the well-being of the affected districts. We can no longer escape the realization that shrinking sales tax will inevitably affect funding for essential public services such as public school budgets, medical facilities, local police and fire department.

According to the National Retail Security Review 2021, 57 percent of retailers surveyed indicated a rise in organized crime during the pandemic. The American Rescue Plan does not seem to be an effective rescue plan. As mentioned earlier, the well-being of some vulnerable districts has been seriously jeopardized by organized shop robberies. The impact of the pandemic and the shrinking sales tax have disproportionately affected the livelihood of Black, Latino and other people of color in these poor districts.

Apart from posing a threat to law and order, these organized shop robberies have irreparably weakened the social security and mutual support mechanisms which are essential to the maintenance of social trust and cohesion in the US. The welfare system, the availability of employment opportunities created by the government and the support offered by NGOs are important components of the social security and mutual support mechanisms. Instead of relying on the mutual support mechanisms to promote personal and community well-being, these shop robbers elect to enrich themselves by threatening the property of other people and jeopardizing the well-being of the targeted districts.

Junius Ho Kwan-yiu is a Legislative Council member and a solicitor.

Kacee Ting Wong is a barrister, part-time researcher of Shenzhen University Hong Kong and Macao Basic Law Research Center, Chairman of Chinese Dream Think Tank.

The views do not necessarily reflect those of DotDotNews.