Shoplifting in Denver Harming Local Businesses

“You know, it’s been quite the experience,” chuckled Sebastian Negasi, owner of Capitol Convenience, located at 1300 Pearl Street, Denver. “Theft is definitely something that is out of control. It’s crazy.” 

Negasi used to be in the restaurant business with his family before purchasing Capitol Convenience off of 13th and Perry Street. After having his convenience store open for two years now, he explains that it hasn’t been easy owning a business and dealing with the increase in shoplifting.

“There are certainly times that you think, ‘Is this even worth it?’” said Negate frustratedly. “‘Should I just put it up for sale and just have my losses and walk out?’ [These thoughts] cross your mind when those things happen, but you know there are some good days as well so I try not to look at just the bad.”

Negasi also shares that there have been times when he has confronted these shoplifters in his store but even if they leave the first time, they still come around repeatedly to shoplift again. Another situation occurred when a person smashed his front door window and it triggered the alarms, which led to him having to pay for the damages.

According to Capital One Shopping Research, retailers in Colorado have lost $1.2 billion in revenue in 2022 due to theft. Attornies at Masterson Hall in Denver argue that even though some might think that shoplifting is only a minor crime, it can severely affect a business over time, especially smaller businesses. These incidents can raise operational costs by forcing business owners to invest more money in security equipment to prevent theft, resulting in price increases and eroding trust in the company. 

“Retailers are forced to allocate funds towards theft prevention measures, including security personnel, surveillance systems, and training for staff. These costs can divert resources from other critical areas of business development,” stated Attornies of Masterson Hall. 

While shoplifting can happen anywhere at any time, businesses in the East Colfax area have seen the biggest increase in crime. “I think location matters,” Negasi said. “I’m pretty sure it’s happening everywhere [but] if I had known this [increase in shoplifting on Colfax], I don’t think I would have looked in this area. I wouldn’t do it again.”

Jil Schlisner’s colorful flower shop, Moss Pink Flora and Botanicals, is another local business that has been dealing with recent shoplifting incidents. 

“Since we are on Colfax, there is a little bit more of an opportunity for people who might be doing that,” Schlisner said. “I think having a couple of incidents within the year is definitely more notable. I would say there has been an increase in shoplifting for sure.”

At her shop, she sells flowers, cards and gifts. She has been in business for 18 years and for 13 of those years her business was located off of 23rd and Dexter Street. In 2020, she moved to her current location on Colfax. Schlisner discussed her experiences with shoplifting over the years and what she has done to prevent it. 

“What has happened more recently [is that] we have had two cases of separate shoplifters; the one that was in the news story [reported by KDVR] is one that has been hitting a lot of business along Colfax,” Schlisner said. “My approach to it is typically not to try and worry about it too terribly much. But you definitely have to make adjustments to prevent it from happening. We have taken those [preventable] measures this year [like] coming up with code words for each other in the store, putting a lot of my jewelry behind glass and trying to engage more with our customers; keeping an eye on them.”

After all these incidents have occurred, what is being done to prevent shoplifting from occurring? Community Resource Officer of District Two, Mike Borquez, spoke to Bucket List about what police have done to prevent smaller businesses from being victims of shoplifting and what they should do when it comes to reporting the crime. 

“If we see a spike in shoplifting in a certain area, we will go out and talk to the businesses to find out if they got their trespassing agreement with us; if not, we let them know what the trespassing agreement is.”

Officer Borquez is referring to a trespassing agreement that businesses sign. It states that if someone shoplifts from the same place repeatedly, they will be charged with burglary because they are not permitted to trespass on their property. More information can be found and asked by reaching out to Erica Feather, a criminal intelligence analyst for the Denver Police Department. 

“The other thing we ask them is to put up a ‘No cash in the register’ sign after hours,” Borquez said.  “We also educate them during business watch on how to report [correctly] and suspicious behaviors; we touch on implicit bias so there is not erroneous reporting.” 

There is a business watch meeting coming up on Friday, Feb. 7 at the Mayfair Shopping Center where owners can learn more about best practices to prevent shoplifting. The meeting discusses a program similar to neighborhood watch in which business owners get to know each other better so that they can look out for one another and speak up if they see or hear something suspicious in their neighborhood. 

“We ask them to get to know their neighboring businesses better, because I am sure that the same issues that they’re seeing, their next-door neighbor is seeing [as well],” Borquez said. “We ask them to figure out a way to communicate with each other, so hopefully they help each other out to tackle any long-term issues. This is a cornerstone of business watch.”

Officer Borquez also mentioned that they provide these businesses with a safety walk. During these, the police discuss crime prevention through environmental design and provide tips on how to reduce the likelihood of shoplifting. For example, Borquez says they would tell business owners to acquire better security cameras that are not outdated or extremely pixelated so it can better their chances of helping their case.

Another tip is to change the lighting or make the building have brighter lights to be able to see their surroundings. Lastly, he added that some businesses along Colfax are older buildings where they may still have wooden frames where they can be easily kicked in and broken into. He advises that businesses should try and replace door frames with metal frames to make it harder to have their doors damaged. 

Bucket List also reached out to Denver’s District Attorney John Walsh’s communications team to comment on one of his focuses: reducing retail theft.

“Keeping the downtown area safe for everyone who lives, works and visits there is a top priority of mine,” Walsh said. “To that end, I am working with the city, the downtown business community, residents and service providers to develop ways for my office to play a more strategic role in reducing downtown crime, including theft and shoplifting.

“I certainly hope that is true and that he comes through on his promise,” Schlisner said about Walsh’s efforts to engage the community to solve the problem. “Small businesses are what make up our communities and we need to feel that our city government is behind fostering the health of that community.”