A sad trend is emerging with the all too common crime of shoplifting. Although the total number of crimes recognized by authorities declined to 1.7 million in 2009 from a peak of 2.85 million in 2002 — with shoplifting leveling off at 140,000 to 150,000 cases yearly — more and more elderly people are reported to be shoplifting.
In 2009, 27,000 people aged 65 or older committed the crime — some 7.5 times more than 20 years before.
Traditionally shoplifting has been a juvenile crime. But the number of young people (14 to 19 years old) involved in shoplifting has been on the decline. It topped 40,000 in 2002, fell below 40,000 in 2003 and further dropped to below 30,000 in 2007.