With the criminal justice system undergoing significant reforms in jurisdictions nationwide, it’s no longer guaranteed that shoplifters will face prosecution for their crimes against your business.
Therefore, when you do get an opportunity for justice to be served, a well-researched and expertly crafted victim impact statement can make all the difference between recouping your losses and sending a message to would-be offenders, or receiving nothing at all.
What Are Victim Impact Statements?
Victim impact statements are written testaments to inform jurisdictions of the financial impact a shoplifter has had on a retailer.
In other words, it is your opportunity to describe damages to your business above and beyond the cost of stolen item(s). Any additional expenses incurred investigating the perpetrator, improving security and loss prevention measures, and combating internal and external theft should be included.
Why Do Victim Impact Statements Matter in Retail?
A well-written statement gives judges a better understanding of the gravity and cost of the crime beyond that of the merchandise stolen. It may help win larger restitution, which can have a profound impact on whether or not the perpetrator will shoplift again. It also represents your chance to hold the person who hurt your business responsible for their crimes.
In fact, a well-researched and comprehensive victim impact statement is essential for successful restitution. Courts look more favorably upon thorough documentation, and depending on the information included, it can increase the likelihood of fair and equitable redress.
Crafting the right statement and sending it at the right time may even prevent the need for a restitution hearing, and speed up the recovery process. This is critical for retailers, because such inquiries not only require further evidence, but consume more time, energy, and resources.
Put simply: A victim impact statement will save you time and money down the line.
What Should You Include in a Victim Impact Statement?
Your statement should include numerous details, such as an itemized list of all stolen goods and an explanation of these losses. This expands on a simple accounting of the total price of the item(s) to feature any additional costs associated with the theft and subsequent identification and apprehension of the offender.
You may also need to include the narrative from the case. As felony thresholds are increased in many jurisdictions and it becomes increasingly difficult to recoup losses from retail shoplifters, requests that evidence-based sanctions be applied to prevent repeat offenses are more and more prevalent.
Every case, however, is unique, and demands specific details—many of which require extensive research to gather.
More Than 40% of Victim Impact Statements Are Never Returned by Retailers.
Many retailers are missing an opportunity to inform jurisdictions of their full loss and may fail to be awarded restitution from a loss suffered in their stores, warehouses, and/or corporate locations. Without having a central location for jurisdictions to send victim impact statements, they will most likely be sent to the location where the theft occurred, where they may sit unanswered or, worse yet, be discarded. Victim impact statements are deadline-driven and normally require research and follow-through. Each year, thousands become stale due to lack of response or are rejected as incomplete.
While the basic information may be the same, each jurisdiction has its own set of rules and expectations for completion. Knowing the nuances required by each jurisdiction can make the difference to the restitution awarded.
The Zellman Group has long-standing relationships with thousands of courts and departments of corrections across the country. These relationships ensure smooth communication between all parties. Our centralized process ensures every victim impact statement arrives from the jurisdiction of offense to our firm. Zellman processes all victim impact statements well within deadlines and manages all necessary follow-up. Our process ensures that our retail partners will recover substantially more money with very little expense.
