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Schaumburg rethinks retail theft policy

Schaumburg is one of the few Chicago suburbs with a large shopping mall where first-time shoplifters aren't prosecuted under a local ordinance.

But that soon could change under a proposal trustees will consider Tuesday night.

The ordinance would allow police to ticket, instead of arrest, first-time offenders accused of stealing less than $300 in merchandise, saving time for the officers and generating additional revenue for the village.

Currently, those charged with retail theft must be transported to Schaumburg's police station — nearly 5 miles from Woodfield Shopping Center — where their bookings are conducted entirely by the arresting officer.

Schaumburg Police Chief Brian Howerton said that keeps an officer off his or her beat two and a half hours on average.

Not only is that a drain on resources, but it can cause a domino effect when officers from other beats are called to handle shoplifting cases while the main beat officer is away, Howerton said. And in the current age of homeland security concerns, places like Woodfield Shopping Center are probably better served without their regular beat officers away for long periods, he added.

Besides saving officers' time, the change would mean a larger share of court fines for the village, Howerton said. Under the proposed ordinance, judges would issue convicted shoplifters fines between $100 and $750.

An estimate of how much more money it would generate for the village has not been made, but members of the village board's Public Safety Committee members said that aspect of the change didn't weigh heavily on their unanimous recommendation of the ordinance.

“I feel very comfortable with this,” said Trustee Frank Kozak, who chairs the committee. “The paperwork involved with the current process can be quite extensive. This seemed like a more viable way to go.”

Schaumburg police respond to more than 500 incidents of retail theft annually.

Officers will use their discretion as to whether a particular offense is best prosecuted under the local ordinance or as a state offense.

“It's just another tool in their toolbox,” Howerton said of the proposed ordinance.

Howerton admits this is one area where Schaumburg has not been on the cutting edge. Other suburbs with large shopping centers that already have made the move to local prosecutions of first-time shoplifters include Aurora, Bloomingdale, Chicago Ridge, Gurnee, Lombard, Mount Prospect, Norridge, Northbrook, Oak Brook, Orland Park and St. Charles.

Schaumburg did consider making a change 10 years ago, but decided against it. Among the circumstances that have changed since then are the police department's leadership and staffing levels, the economy and homeland security concerns, Howerton said.

The proposed ordinance will not take effect immediately even if approved by the full board Tuesday. First, a separate policy outlining when and how to enforce the ordinance must be drafted and approved. Howerton expects that complete in approximately a month.