I mean if it's "no big deal" and the stores can just "write it off" as claimed, why do the employees even bother to "fight back"??
:
A rising level of violence as some employees fight back against shoplifters, thieves
LOS ANGELES — Thieves have become more brazen. Now, against the advice of experts, some store employees are fighting back.
It has happened twice in the past week at jewelry stores in Southern California.
At about noon Sunday, a store in a Huntington Beach mall was attacked by smash-and-grab bandits, police said.
Surveillance video obtained by KTLA News showed employees fighting back against masked intruders near the entrance to the store, which is identified as Princess Bride Diamonds. One person is seen attempting to clobber one of the suspects with a tall chair. Officers said in a tweet that no major injuries were reported and the suspects fled.
The attack came five days after a similar incident at David's Jewelers in the Los Angeles suburb of El Monte. Three masked assailants smashed glass display cases and snatched valuables in a video posted on the store's Instagram page. But before they could escape, employees are seen throwing books and other objects at the hoodlums, then confronting them face-to-face.
The owner couldn’t be reached for comment, but various media outlets reported at least two staffers suffered minor injuries from being struck by a hammer. They were unable to retrieve the loot.
Incidents like these – no word yet on whether they may be linked – alarm retail security experts, raising fears that they could lead to serious injuries or death to employees, criminals or bystanders.