Penalty notice for shoplifting

Project date range: 2000 - 2003

Description

In the early 2000s, police and public prosecution authorities in the city of Nuremberg designed a model project for the processing of shoplifting offences. Shoplifters caught red-handed were given the opportunity to pay a certain amount of money to the police on the spot ("Soforteinbehalt"). While the police were not entitled to dismiss the case this would enable the public prosecution office to terminate proceedings (s. § 153a I StPO). The research-focus was primarily on the acceptance and efficiency of penalty notices. Sociodemographic offender data were analyzed in relation to the success of the model experiment.

Methods

Evaluation of data from Polizeipräsidium Mittelfranken (a regional police body in Northern Bavaria) on shoplifting cases in 2001 (model project) and 1999 (comparison group) as well as data sheets from  Nuremberg-Fuerth public prosecution office on penalty notices; survey of police officers and public prosecutors.

Publication

Minthe, Eric (2003). Soforteinbehalt bei Ladendiebstahl: Begleitforschung eines Modellversuchs in Nürnberg. Wiesbaden: KrimZ. (Kriminologie und Praxis (KuP); Bd. 39)