When push comes to shove, some shoppers are doing more than just pinching pennies -- they aren't paying at all.

Retailers across the country are reporting a rise in shoplifting and officials are attributing a portion of the increase to cash-strapped amateurs.

"There is a small group of consumers that are making the wrong decisions when they are faced with these financial difficulties," said Casey Chroust, senior vice president of retail operations for the Retail Leaders Industry Association.

A survey by the association of 52 of the nations leading retailers revealed an 84 percent increase in amateur shoplifting in 2008.

"There has been an inverse relationship between this increase in shoplifting and the economy," Chroust said. "As the economy has gone down shoplifting has increased."

Chroust said retailers have noticed more shoplifters stealing smaller items for their own personal use.

The survey also reveals that 80 percent of the retailers reported an increase in organized shoplifting rings as well.

Lt. Bill Kushina of the Cherry Hill Police Department believes organized crime has played a significant role in the marked increase in shoplifters the township has seen this year.

The department made 361 arrests for shoplifting in 2007, he said. The number soared to 658 by Dec. 14 in 2008. Kushina estimated the final number for the year would be around 700.

However, he doesn't believe many of the shoplifters arrested were stealing out of necessity.

"We're not seeing a lot due to the economy -- somebody going in there to put food on their table," he said of the shoplifters.

Instead he attributes a large part of the increase to an organized shoplifting ring authorities say funneled millions of stolen goods through six bodegas in North Camden since 2003.

Police busted the ring in November, arresting 10 people, including three alleged leaders of the operation. Officials said ringleaders recruited hundreds of drug addicts to steal from major retail stores throughout New Jersey Pennsylvania and Delaware.

Each day the leaders passed out "shopping lists" of items they wanted stolen, officials said.

For the most part they sought portable, untraceable personal goods that had high resale values, including over-the-counter pain relief medication, shampoos, pregnancy tests, hair-growth products, teeth whitening strips, razors, baby formula and facial creams.

Since the ring was busted Kushina said the department has seen the number of shoplifting incidents drop off.

Officials from the Cherry Hill Mall and Deptford Mall declined to be interviewed for the article.

Lt. Robert Bott of the Deptford Township Police Department said shoplifting incidents in 2008 were consistent with figures from 2007.

"We really haven't seen much of an increase at all," he said.

Kushina said the Cherry Hill Mall and many big box stores have their own security but rely on township police to process shoplifters.

Perpetrators are usually released on a court summons unless they have a criminal record or were caught stealing a significant amount, he said.

Still the process can take up to two hours for each offender, Kushina said.

"It's time consuming," he said. "It's a drain on our resources."

Chroust said the weakening economy has made it even harder on law enforcement officials as restricted budgets limit police coverage.

The association's report indicates limited police resources may be factoring into the increased number of shoplifting incidents reported.

Reach George Mast at (856) 486-2465 or gmast@camden.gannett.com

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