Shoplifting and Anti-Theft Task Force Meeting Held In Bensalem
by Alex Lloyd Gross
Danielle Marie Starliper walks out of Kohls on Street Road, pulling an expensive piece of rolling luggage. She put it in a vehicle and drives away. She is on Street Road when she Face times her boyfriend, Dominique Gross ( no relation to this writer) . Gross is in prison in Culpepper Virginia waiting trial for theft.. Starliper is so excited, she can barely contain herself “It was easy, I was worried, I got nine of ’em”, she said referring to the high end hairdryers she placed in the luggage. She was so pleased with what she had done, she went to another Kohls, near the Oxford Valley Mall to do it again. That recorded phone call was played yesterday for the public at the Bensalem Township Building. That is where an anti theft summit was held. Starliper is a career thief, according to police.
Danielle Starliper wanted posted from Virginia. She is also wanted by Bensalem Police
The Face time call was recorded by prison officials. from the jail where Gross is housed. The two are conspirators, who steal things from stores, police said.. About 50 people, mostly business owners showed up to see this video, and others dealing with shoplifting and theft in Bensalem. The meeting was held at the Bensalem Township Building.
The meeting was so that police can highlight what tools they have to combat retail theft. Back in the day, most stores would employ aggressive store detectives who would handcuff shoplifters and hold them for the police. Unfortunately, too many corporate lawyers got involved and prohibit employees from confronting shoplifters in many stores. Sometimes, there is no loss prevention employees on duty. Police still apprehend those shoplifters anyway., if the theft is recorded and if police are made aware of it.
The entire township is covered with surveillance cameras and license plate readers. When the shoplifter leaves the store, cameras inside the store record their face. Cameras at a lower angle are best. Kohls, Ulta are notorious for their good security cameras. The camera will at times capture the escape route and vehicle. Sometimes it will get the license tag. The township intersection cameras and license plate readers do the rest. That vehicle can be traced to the owner, who will be contacted by police. A warrant will be issued and the shoplifter will get arrested. At times, the shoplifter is arrested months after the incident .
Shoplifting cost stores 112 Billion dollars in 2022. In 2023, that number is expected to rise to $140 Billion dollars. In Pennsylvania, that number is about $3 Billion . That translates to $176 Million in lost tax revenue . said Bill McVey, Director of Public Safety for Bensalem Township. He told those in attendance that Bensalem Police, and Bucks County will arrest and prosecute shoplifters. “If you steal in Bensalem, you go to jail. It’s as simple as that”, McVey said.
When a store calls police when shoplifters are in the store, McVey said two officers will respond. More will be called if they have to track the suspect. To help police, there is a device on the market that the police can tap into private security cameras and see the theft live . “You dictate what we can see and when”, said Glenn VanDegrift, The Detective Sgt. in charge of technology for the police.
Alex Lloyd Gross Photo-Delaware Valley News.com Detective Sgt. Glenn Vandegrift shows a device that can send live video to the police.
Switching price tags or under ringing merchandise is also stealing, according to state statute. According to Bob Norkus, from the Bensalem Economic Development Council, When stores do nothing, when police do nothing and shoplifters are not prosecuted, stores close. It’s happening in Oregon and New York, where a hands off approach is taken to shoplifters. The economic development council put on the meeting.
Prior to Starliper’s incident, she was with Gross and they are accused to stealing up and down the east coast. Police in Culpepper Virginia were on to them and when they went to stop their vehicle, it took off. It crashed and Gross and Starliper were arrested. Gross was taken to the hospital and admitted. Starliper left the hospital and fled. She was not guarded. She eventually made her way to Bensalem where she allegedly stole at Kohls . She endangered public safety by Face timing someone while driving. She was arrested on her warrant from Bensalem, and Culpepper while she was in her home state of Maryland, just a day before this meeting took place.
Police offer tips to combat theft
Have low profile cameras at your entry and exit doors. Install the cameras at face level, so facial recognition technology cam be employed.
Have your employee show up for court. Employee loss prevention whenever possible.
Get a direction of travel. Police will go into Philadelphia to find a vehicle if the description is good enough. If the shoplifter get away on a bus, get the bus number. Most buses have cameras on them.
Employee theft can be combated by not letting an employee become disgruntled. They may want to get back at the employer by taking merchandise out the back door or other nefarious means.