Shoplifting: Compulsion or Controllable?

Nov. 17, 2005 -- -- An estimated 10 percent of Americans take a "five-finger discount" when they go the store. Some may be trying to get something for nothing, but others, experts say, have brains that are hardwired to steal.

As the holiday season is upon us, retailers worry about the booming crime of shoplifting -- the FBI says it has increased by 12 percent since 2000. Shoplifters are estimated to swipe more than $18,000 in merchandise every minute. That adds up to $25 million every day and $10 billion every year.

Shoplifting is usually a nonviolent crime, but not always. Earlier this month, a Springfield, Ohio, courtroom erupted into screams and tears when a shoplifting case turned into a murder trial. Last June, a getaway car plowed down an innocent man. The three female shoplifters, as well as the driver, were found guilty of murder.

The best way to combat shoplifters, experts say, is surveillance cameras.

Companies like Westec Interactive monitor shoppers from their centers in California and Iowa. They have 2,100 clients from coast to coast.

"Cameras definitely still are the best deterrent," said Mike Upp of Westec Interactive. "Over time they've proven to drive shoplifting down very dramatically."

Some experts argue that shoplifting is more than just dishonest and sneaky, for some, it's a compulsion.

Houston socialite Paula Payne believes her uncontrollable urge to shoplift was an attempt to deal with childhood trauma.

"I want a release from this pain," said Payne who has gotten counseling and returned all that she stole. "Shoplifting temporarily relieved it."

Payne is not alone. Actress Winona Ryder was caught on tape in 2001 and was convicted of stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise.

Psychiatrist John Grant has studied the brains of kleptomaniacs, or compulsive stealers. He said that the part of the brain that controls behavior has fewer connectors.

"I think as we learn more about the biology of shoplifting addiction that it will be more accepted as an actual illness," he said.

Illness or not, shoplifting has far-reaching repercussions. It can drive prices up and wages for retail employees down.