Wednesday, Jan. 18, 2017

T H E O ’ C O L LY

O C O L LY . C O M January 18, 2017

WHAT A

STEAL Two Stillwater Wal-Marts kept police busy with more than 1,300 calls in three years.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY KURT STEISS/O’COLLY

2020 N. Perkins Rd., Lakeview Pointe Shopping Center (Next to Best Buy)

Saltwater - Tan/Dark Brown

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Saltwater - Black rope

Wal-Mart

cov e r s t o ry

‘Demographics’ contribute to higher Crime Rate at Wal-Mart on Perkins BY stetso n Payn e M anag in g Editor

@ S t e t s o n _ _ P ay n e

O

f more than 1,300 calls for service to Stillwater WalMarts from 2013 to 2016, the 111 N. Perkins Road store had nearly three out of four calls.

Jeff Watts, commander of Stillwater Police Department’s investigations division, said the difference in the stores comes down to clientele.

“It’s the demographics of the people who shop at the two different stores,” Watts said. “It’s economic class of the people that shop at the store on West Sixth and the economic class on Perkins Road is significantly different.

“You have a lot more people who live over near (the Perkins Road store) in the condensed, lower socioeconomic part of town, and a lot of times that tends to drive more crime.”

Stillwater police have to manage not only the workload of both stores’ needs, but also because of State Question 780, which passed Nov. 8 and changes requirements for felony larceny, the department will have to re-examine how it handles misdemeanor shoplifting.

Students notice differences between the two stores. Madison Huffer, a human development and family science junior, said she shops at the Sixth Avenue Wal-Mart and heard

kurt steiss/O’COLLY

Of the three Wal-Marts in Stillwater, the 111 N. Perkins Road store had nearly 75 percent of police calls over a three-year period, with 55 percent of those for shoplifting.

about problems at the Perkins Road store.

“I don’t have any unusual experiences at either,” Huffer said. “But I know one person who was approached by someone who appeared to be on meth and tried to fight them (at the Perkins Road Wal-Mart).”

At the Perkins Road store, business picks up to its highest points from 3-6 p.m. The window after school and work hours turns the parking lot into rush-hour traffic, while inside the store, lines for self-checkout and open registers stretch out of the aisles.

SPD Capt. Kyle Gibbs said in his experience at the department, the Perkins Road store has always carried the lion’s share of police calls.

“That (newer Wal-Mart) has never had the calls for service the old Wal-Mart has,” Gibbs said. “So there was never really a shift to

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

the old one, it just never gram for Wal-Mart. The left.” program lets first-time Amid the Perkins Road offenders complete the store’s controlled chaos, more than 31 percent of the calls to SPD will come between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m., with most calls for shoplifting involving middle-aged people.

Wal-Mart spokesperson Anne Hatfield said both Stillwater stores launched new policies in July to combat shoplifting. WalMarts now offer a computer class onsite for firsttime offenders through a third-party provider, she said.

“The idea here is it provides that person with a chance at greater awareness, education and really to give them a second chance,” Hatfield said.

“This is somebody who has made a bad choice, and it gives them a second chance to learn from that.”

Corrective Education Company supplies the Restorative Justice proOCOLLY.COM

course instead of facing a summons or an arrest, and Hatfield said it has reduced calls to police by 35 percent nationwide.

Although Hatfield said police calls are declining, Watts said records don’t show the true situation at all retail stores. Shoplifting and crime never fluctuates; the variable is how often the stores’ asset protection staff reports it, Watts said.

“Some years the trend is to back off of crime at Wal-Mart,” Watts said.

“You’ll see the numbers go down. It’s not because the shoplifting has dropped; it’s because their enforcement activity has

decreased.

“When they realize their losses are getting high enough to take action, you’ll see the calls start to go up. Doesn’t mean shoplifting is skyrocketing at Wal-Mart, it means they’re watching more closely.”

Stillwater police primarily respond to shoplifting complaints at the two stores. Shoplifting makes up more than 55 percent of calls to the Perkins Road store and 49 percent at the Sixth Avenue store.

Fraud, embezzlement and trespassing are the next most frequent crimes.

James Moore, SPD code STORY CONTINUES ON PAGE 3

PAGE 2

Wal-M art

c ove r s t o ry STORY CONTINUEd from page 2

enforcement officer, previously worked in asset protection at the Perkins Road Wal-Mart for six years.

Asset protection staffers roam store aisles watching for nervous or uncharacteristic behavior and function as Wal-Mart’s security. He said through the six years he caught shoplifters, there’s not much he didn’t encounter.

“One of the things we’d say is anybody has the potential to shoplift, especially in a place like Stillwater,” Moore said.

“You have a multitude of different backgrounds. To sum it up, nothing surprised me.

“I’ve seen everything from a kid pocketing a

pack of gum standing next to mom in line to people using a baby carrier to line it with cosmetics inside, thinking they won’t check the baby.”

Moore said after a first offense, shoplifters are rarely caught again or they stop shoplifting because Wal-Mart’s security staff recognizes repeat shoplifters. Between 2013 and 2016, police arrested 716 people for shoplifting in stores citywide. Only 74 of those offenders were arrested again on a later shoplifting charge, according to police reports.

Wal-Mart keeps an internal database of identified shoplifters for stores to use nationwide, Moore said, but repeat offenders

One of the things we’d say is anybody has the potential to shoplift, especially in a place like Stillwater.”

James Moore

Former Wal-Mart Asset Protection Staff

typically avoid capture a second time because they remember the security staff.

“They recognize ‘Oh there’s that guy that got me the last time,’” Moore said. “They’ll turn around and leave, but they’ll

come back again. It’s a matter of them playing a game of cat-and-mouse whether they’re going to get caught.”

Moore said it’s WalMart policy to file trespassing complaints against repeat offenders to keep

them out of stores. Security will forward offenders’ information to area stores so other staffs can be aware of the risk, Moore said. Typically, Moore said he could simply approach known shoplifters in the store and make them leave without incident.

Arrests aren’t always the end result for shoplifters in Stillwater. Gibbs said the department generally arrests people who don’t live, work or go to school in Stillwater. Locals typically receive summonses, Gibbs said.

“If we’re reasonably sure we can find you again if you don’t pay the ticket, we’ll issue a summons,” Gibbs said. “Everybody else goes to jail.”

In 2013, police issued 73 summonses for shoplifting of 140 complaints. Moore said more than 25 percent of shoplifters he caught went to jail for crimes other than shoplifting.

“They’d have a warrant; police would come in and pat them down,” Moore said. “I always used to joke: don’t bring your drugs when you shoplift.”

Crime at Wal-Mart is no surprise to SPD, but a recent study showed a direct “causal” relationship between Wal-Marts and increasing crime rates. Scott Wolfe, criminology and policing professor at the University of South Carolina, researched 1990s county crime rates before and after Wal-Mart STORY CONTINUES ON PAGE 4

Weekly Article by

realized his thinking and conclusions were wrong. This understanding comes only as we consider what God says Dale about life and eternity.

Barnes Do not envy the ungodly who seem to be EXPECTATIONS! prospering, but go and embrace the fear “Do not let your heart envy sinners, but of the Lord. What is the fear of the Lord? It always be zealous for the fear of the is to reverence, stand in awe, of God and Lord. There is surely a future hope his counsel. Consider diligently who God (expectation) for you, and your hope is and what he says about life, then build (expectation) will not be cut off.” your hope or expectation around his (Prov.23:17-18 NIV) “Know also that promises. Fools hate wisdom. They are wisdom is sweet to your soul; if you find filled with pride; yet true wisdom begins it, there is a future hope (expectation) with the fear of the Lord. We are foolish if for you, and your hope (expectation) will we don’t humble ourselves and receive not be cut off.” (Pr.24:14 NIV) “The fear his instruction. Our expectation will be of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...” cut off. But in choosing him and his ways, (Pr.9:10 NIV) “...fools despise wisdom and we have an expectation that will endure. discipline.” (Pr.1:7 NIV) Choose God’s ways and open your heart In Psalm 73, the writer tells his experience; and thinking to God’s truth. His word is a “my feet almost slipped when I began to “light to our lives.” Jesus died to free us envy those who were not following God.” from our sins and our own ways. We can Every thing seem to be going their way; now have a true relationship with God. they seem to be experiencing all kinds Stand in awe of this truth: God’s love for of “good” things in their lives. But then us in Christ. Choose his expectation for he saw the end of the ungodly, and he you that will last forever.

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PAGE 3

Wal- Mart

C ove r S t o ry STORY CONTINUEd from page 3

indirect effect on crime, pushing out smaller businesses and overwhelming smaller economies.

“We thought Wal-Mart builds more poverty and, in turn, higher crime,” Wolfe said. “But we don’t observe that at all. … The presence of a Wal-Mart is so extreme in the county, there’s so much more opportunity to commit criminal acts.”

The study found in counties without WalMarts, there were 17 fewer property crimes per capita in a county. Violent crime dropped two units per capita. Wolfe said he attributes the high numbers in Stillwater to more opportunity for criminals.

Wal-Mart offers an array of merchandise that customers previously had to go to multiple stores to get, Wolfe said, and concentrating the merchandise puts more of it at risk.

“Wal-Mart brings together all your shopping needs in one location,” Wolfe said. “But what they’ve done for potential criminals is offer more things to steal in the immediate vicinity.”

However, Wolfe said Wal-Mart is unique among other supermarkets because of where it builds stores. The study also examined building location and found Wal-Mart expanded into areas ripe for spikes in crime, Wolfe said.

“The locations WalMart tends to build in are often lower in socioeconomic status,” Wolfe said. “They’re a discount

But what they’ve done for potential criminals is offer more things to steal in the immediate vicinity.”

Scott Wolfe criminology and policing professor at the University of South Carolina

retailer, and they’re building where they’re targeting a group of people.

“They were building in areas with more structural constraints and cities conducive to higher crime rates.”

Crime at both WalMarts shapes the police department’s patrol strategies, as well. Every few years the department reviews the areas with the highest criminal activity.

Both Wal-Marts combine to have similar crime numbers to The Strip between the 200 and 600 block of South Washington Street and the Stonegate Apartments at 1815 N. Boomer Road.

In 2015, SPD studied calls to service at WalMart to examine their weight on manpower.

Gibbs said, at the time, police believed doing away with summonses might ultimately reduce shoplifting in the long run because of jail time.

Although the department didn’t change policy,

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

Gibbs said patrol lieutenants now have more discretion whether to arrest shoplifters.

“If you have the time and manpower available and can (arrest shoplifters), by all means,” Gibbs said. “But they didn’t mandate that.”

Because SQ 780 passed, the threshold for felony larceny increases to $1,000 from $500. At Wal-Mart, multiple appliances or electronics would easily clear $500 to warrant an arrest, but Gibbs said the department will likely re-evaluate its shoplifting arrest policy.

“What will we see then, and will we have to adjust our stance?” Gibbs said.

“When the limit went from $50 to $500 we didn’t change that stance, it’s a misdemeanor and the will of the people.”

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Stetson Payne is a multimedia journalism junior from Broken Arrow.

He can be reached at managing.ed@ocolly.com OCOLLY.COM

PAGE 4

basketball

Sp o rt s

GIA’s 1,000th men’s game offers Cowboys Optimism at Monday’s practice was palpable.

The importance of the arena’s milestone wasn’t Optimism is not something lost on Underwood, in his that hovers over a basketball first season at OSU, who team that has lost 11 straight compared GIA’s atmosphere conference games dating to that of Kansas’ Allen to last season, but it does at Fieldhouse.

Oklahoma “That’s historic,” UnState. derwood said. “A thousand Before games. You look and see Wednes‘Dedicated in 1938,’ you day’s game see those names, and if you against could only imagine some Underwood Kansas of the great moments that State, the 1,000th men’s have taken place here. I get basketball game in Gallanostalgic.” gher-Iba Arena history, the Then known as the 4-H energy, focus and exciteClub and Student Activiment among coach Brad ties Center, GIA hosted its Underwood and his players first basketball game Dec. 9, Sa m Gr ub enh of f S po rts Ed itor @ G Hof f 17

in their minds, the Cowboys are close.

When: 8 p.m. Wednesday “We’re not far off,” UnWhere: Gallagher-Iba derwood said. “I think just Arena Who to follow: as easy as we’ve lost the first @Marshall_Once, five, it’s one game at a time, @ChandlerVessels but this team’s capable of going out and making a nice 1938, where the Oklahoma run.”

A&M Aggies defeated KanThe coach’s comments sas 21-15. Since then, the aren’t unfounded. In each Aggies and Cowboys have of its past four losses, OSU compiled a 780-219 record (10-7, 0-5) has narrowed the in the building, and the score to a one-possession current edition of Cowboys game inside the final five hope they can add their first minutes. In that span, a comconference victory of the bined 11 points have decided season against the Wildcats road games against Baylor (13-4 overall, 2-3 Big 12). and Kansas, two of the top Despite starting conferteams in the country. ence play with an 0-5 record, Sophomore Davon Dillard the worst mark in the Big 12, said the close games give oSU vs. K-State

him confidence, and like his coach, he can feel a run coming. Against Kansas, Dillard got his first real chance of the season to show off his ability, grabbing a career-high eight rebounds in a career-high 20 minutes off the bench.

“If we good enough to stay with some of the best teams in the country, you know that we’re still a good team,” Dillard said. “We took a couple losses, but we still got hope, though.”

Wednesday’s game is also Underwood’s first opportunity to coach against his alma mater. Underwood played for Jack Hartman at Kansas State from 1984-86 and served as an assistant coach

under Bob Huggins and Frank Martin from 2006-12.

Although he said the game has a “different feel,” Underwood said he has no desire to make the game about him.

“Some of my dearest friends in life are teammates, friends I made while I was there,” Underwood said. “I met my wife there. So, sure there’s some different emotions there, but it’s about the players, them going out and executing. It has very little to do with myself.”

Sam Grubenhoff is a sports media senior from Mansfield, Texas. He can be reached at sports.ed@ ocolly.com

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h o ros cop e

Daily Horoscope oklahoma state

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1/18/17

SOLUTION TO TUESDAY’S PUZZLE

Complete the grid so each row, column and 3-by-3 box (in bold borders) contains every digit, 1 to 9.

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To place an ad, call 405-744-7371 or email ads@ocolly.com To place a classified ad, call 405-744-7355 or email lori@ocolly.com To pitch a story idea, call 405-744-6365 or email news.ed@ocolly.com For information on working here, stop by Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or email editorinchief@ocolly.com If you want to reach our investigative journalists, email investigations@ocolly.com To report an error, complaint or other issue, email editorinchief@ocolly.com To report an issue with newspaper delivery, email barbara.allen@okstate.edu or call 405-744-8369

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By Nancy Black Tribune Content Agency Today’s Birthday (01/18/17). Opportunities flourish for career growth this year. Discipline with planning lets you soar to new heights. Change financial strategies with a partner this February, before thriving creativity and communications spark.

A different income direction next September leads to shared profits. Collaboration wins.

To get the advantage, check the day’s rating: 10 is the easiest day, 0 the most challenging.

Aries (March 21-April 19) -- Today is an 8 -- Work together to manage a new assignment (on top of everything else). Suppress the desire to argue or procrastinate. Transform obstacles into opportunities. Partnership wins.

Taurus (April 20-May 20) -- Today is a 9 -- The pace quickens. Handle responsibilities before going out to play. A work controversy requires your attention. Get the facts. Stick with the real thing.

Gemini (May 21-June 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Relax and let your thoughts turn to romance. Avoid awkward moments by scheduling carefully. You’re developing a new perspective. Share what you love.

Cancer (June 21-July 22) -- Today is a 6 -- Find what you need close to home. Family has your attention. Finish a big job together, to upgrade your domestic scene. Many hands make light work.

Leo (July 23-Aug. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- Listen to what’s going on, and summarize the plot for others. Observe the running game. You’re especially keen-witted and clever. Put your thoughts into words.

Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22) -- Today is an 8 -- That money could show up any time now. Present your argument tactfully. Prioritize obligations and adjust the budget to suit. Don’t spend what you don’t have.

Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 22) -- Today is a 9 -- You’re on a roll. Personal matters come together, if you can avoid procrastination.

Disruptions and distractions pull at your attention. Doublecheck your work for potential errors.

Scorpio (Oct. 23-Nov. 21) -- Today is a 6 -- You’re especially sensitive. Clean up old messes, and clear new space for creating what’s next. Hide out and consider what you want to generate.

Discover options.

Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21) -- Today is a 7 -- Your friends are your inspiration. Have fun on committees, at parties and at social gatherings. Sidestep a controversy with diplomatic humor.

Smile with grace and tact.

Capricorn (Dec. 22-Jan. 19) -- Today is a 7 -- A professional challenge has your attention. Adapt to a change in plans. Clear communications channels are vital. Investigate options and opportunities. Compete for higher status.

Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18) -- Today is an 8 -- New opportunities open up. Take charge, and go for the big prize. Inspire others without getting pushy. When sufficiently motivated, your team can move mountains.

Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20) -- Today is a 7 -- Take care of financial obligations without losing your cool. Do as much as you can without discussion. Think fast under pressure. Talk about money later.

PAGE 7

SGA

News

SGA looks to 2017 elections, goals O l ivi a R id dl e S ta ff Write r @ nor m alol ivia

Oklahoma State University’s Student Government Association is building on last semester’s initiatives while preparing for 2017 elections.

Senate Vice Chairman Andrew Price said the bills SGA passed last semester “really didn’t cause any major sweeping changes.” Instead, most of the effects will be internal.

The SGA Senate passed 10 bills last semester to amend its bylaws and operate more effectively, Price said. It also passed 17 co-sponsorship bills to recognize student groups on campus.

SGA President Dillon Johnson said his focus for 2017 is inclusivity.

“My goal, personally, is to reach out to those whose voices haven’t been heard in the past,” Johnson said. “In SGA, if we’re not hearing from every group on campus, then we’re not doing our job. The issues I see might not be the same issues other people see. A personal goal of mine is to connect to the groups who represent those people and hopefully make that something to build on for whoever takes my place.”

The positions of student government president, vice president and living group senators will be up for election in March.

The filing deadline to run for president is Feb. 1, said Susan Simmons, the

O’Colly File Photo

SGA President Dillon Johnson has set goals for SGA to reach out to more of the student body than it has before.

SGA senior administrative support specialist. Candidates for president choose their vice presidential running mate. Those running for a living group senator seat must file by March 1.

Elections will take place March 6 and 7.

The schedule for presidential and vice presidential debates has not been finalized. Simmons said debates might not be necessary this year.

“As far as I know, we only have one set of people right now saying they are going to run,” she said. “They haven’t filed officially yet, so I can’t release their names, but if they run uncontested we just won’t have a debate.”

If a debate is not held, students would still have an opportunity to voice

WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 18, 2017

their concerns through Constituency Days, a program Simmons said SGA had success with during the fall semester.

“When people came by to get free food, they were able to see what SGA does and share their problems,” she said. “Parking naturally came up first.”

Dillon Johnson said he hopes students do everything they can to get involved.

“If you really want to make a difference, file to run for (SGA) office,” he said. “That’s the best thing you can do to make a difference. If people just want to be informed voters, do your research.”

Olivia Riddle is a multimedia journalism freshman from Fort Worth, Texas. She can be reached at olivia.riddle@okstate.edu.

OCOLLY.COM

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