We recently learned that some shopping malls in the Baltimore area will be banning unsupervised teens from their establishments on the weekends in an effort to reduce retail theft crimes. It turns out that some of the grocery stores in the same region saw that news and determined that is sounded like a pretty good idea. Two Giant grocery stores in that part of Maryland have now announced that they will be doing the same thing. Shoppers younger than 17 will no longer be allowed in the grocery stores after 6 p.m. unless they are accompanied by an adult. However, while not quite as daunting of a challenge, questions about how to enforce the policy are already arising.  (CBS Baltimore)

Two Giant grocery stores in Baltimore are implementing a youth supervision policy to combat a recent rise in theft.

Starting Thursday, August 22, shoppers younger than 17 years old will no longer be allowed without an adult after 6 p.m. inside the Waverly Giant on E. 33rd Street and the Frankford Giant on Sinclair Lane.

"It's a shame it has to be like that but, unfortunately, that's the way the world is now," said shopper Carleen.

These stores had already been struggling to deal with increases in shoplifting and retail theft. The Giant store in Waverly, Maryland introduced a ban on large bags earlier this year in response to widespread theft. The store's management said that they were seeking ways to combat "shrink and unprecedented levels of product theft that have become unsustainable."

Some of the shoppers interviewed by CBS seemed resigned to this situation simply being the "new normal." One said that even if the store calls the police, the perpetrators are juveniles, so "there's nothing they can do about it." Another said that the prices have gone up too much during this period of rising inflation and "people are going to steal." Those are obviously sad statements about the current state of affairs, but it's hard to argue with them.

As noted above, it will probably be at least somewhat easier to implement this policy at a grocery store than inside of a shopping mall, but challenges still remain. Malls have become hangouts for young people and serve as local entertainment destinations in addition to being a place to do your shopping. Large crowds tend to congregate there. Relatively few people are interested in heading out and hanging around a grocery store. Unless you're in search of items to refill your pantry, there simply isn't much to do inside of a Giant market. And anyone seen loitering inside of such a store will soon stick out like a sore thumb.

But the same enforcement questions we discussed regarding the shopping malls will still exist for the grocery stores. Someone will need to be in place to check IDs when people seek to enter the store after 6 p.m. That person will need to be paid, adding to the store's overhead costs. And you'll need to check everyone's ID, including little old ladies in wheelchairs or some shoppers will complain of discrimination. People concerned about their right to privacy may refuse to shop there anymore.

As always, the root of the problem lies with the families who allow their teens to run wild without supervision. Many who might never have considered committing such crimes see others doing so with no consequences and likely conclude that they may as well get in on the action also and grab some "free stuff." Retail theft may seem like small potatoes when compared to murder and gang violence, but it is emblematic of a larger trend of societal decay that we've been witnessing for several years now.