Problem
A woman looking at cosmetics in a drug store was noticed by the store manager because s=she was not carrying a purse. She was pushing a shopping cart and put several cosmetic items into the cart. She went to the checkout and paid for all the items except one lipstick, which remained in the shopping cart. The manager noticed the lipstick in the cart and followed the woman to her car. As the manager approached her, she was picking up the lipstick from the cart. When the manager told her that he was arresting her for shoplifting, she said that she did not see the lipstick in the cart until she got to her car and picked it up to return it to the store. The lipstick cost $5.99, and the woman had only $1.09 on her person. The manager called the police.
Task
• Was there any responsibility on the part of the store cleark or manager to ensure that all items were paid for before she left the store?
• Should she be arrested? If so, on what charges? Why or why not?
• You are the officer who responded to the call. What would you write in your police report?