Theft at bookstore a concern

Measures taken to stop theft, raise awareness

The Co-op Bookstore, one of Oberlin's main retail stores, has begun a crackdown on theft due to massive losses sustained over the past four years.

The Co-op has been suffering from increased shrinkage figures over the years, and has operated in debt since the store moved to its present location in 1993. Shrinkage is a combination of actual loss from theft combined with discrepancies due to miscellaneous paperwork errors.

Alison Meyers, general manager of the Co-op, believes that theft is a problem due partially to a lack of understanding of the co-op process. Since a co-op is a non-profit organization, the staff, members and customers are the people who ultimately lose from theft.

"The missing link for me," Meyers said, "is not understanding how theft impacts the workers. Worker budget is one of the only costs that can be controlled."

There has been a wage freeze for over three years, which has prevented even a cost-of-living raise for employees. By U.S. government standards, some employees are below the poverty level for wage earnings.

Due to theft, customers also end up paying higher prices for merchandise because the Co-op has to raise prices in order to pay for the stolen items. In 1994, the Co-op's shrinkage figure was $49,000; in 1995 it was $75,000 and in 1996 it was $77,000.

Being on the lookout for possible theft is not supposed to be the staff's first priority, but it is always a problem. "Mainly, it makes it hard to concentrate on doing a good job in other areas because [theft] is such a big problem," Justin Brown, a Co-op employee, said.

"To have to approach someone you suspect or know [has stolen something] makes you physically ill because your body is gearing up for a confrontation," said Ginny Houston, customer service supervisor. "And you know you'll see them again."

Employes regret the resentment many customers show toward them. Houston said she tries not to take it personally, but she has been yelled at, cursed at and has had backpacks thrown at her. "People don't understand that you're just doing your job," Houston said. "It's hard not to be offended."

"I didn't go to school to learn how to be a security guard," Houston said. "It's not my nature."

Meyers believes that one source of misunderstanding among customers, which Co-op members believe has led to increased theft, is that high book prices "justify" theft. "I'm mystified by that," Meyers said. Houston said the Co-op offers many textbooks at lower prices than other bookstores at other colleges, but textbooks are expensive after any store has to pay the publisher and freight charges in addition to the price of the book itself.

There has been only one prosecution for Co-op theft since June 1995, when Meyers began working at the Co-op. "[It was] a pretty flagrant case," Meyers said. "It was pretty obvious that was the thing we needed to do."

Right now one of the Co-op's main strategies to reduce theft is to increase Co-op involvement with the community and to increase dialogue and education among members and the community. One plan is to become involved in the Orientation process for new students so people learn how the Co-op works and what it offers. The Superworker program allows student volunteers to get a discount anywhere in the store if they work for 12 hours during "bookrushes."

Education of Co-op patrons about its goals and process is another projected way to decrease theft. Increased knowledge about how the Co-op runs would make customers appreciate the store. "I don't think the Co-op itself encourages that [right now]," Chernaik said.

First-year Abigail Paine did not know that the Co-op was run as a co-op, as the name would suggest. "If it's going to be run as a co-op, I think people should be more aware of the way things are run," Paine said.

The store can't afford a security system, so much of the surveillance is left to the staff.

The bag check is one move the store has already implemented in an attempt to decrease theft. There is resistance to the bag check, even though stores such as Gibson's use a similar policy. Because the Co-op's fiscal year runs through March, figures aren't yet available to see whether or not the bag check has decreased theft.

The Co-op also asks that customers going from one level to another with merchandise use a bag, and if they don't need it when they leave the store, they can recycle it at the front desk.

"As you make more rules, people get upset," Brown said. "With the backpack check, people act like it's the most ridiculous thing."

"I live in New Haven [Conn.], so I'm used to [bag checks]," Paine said. "As a protective measure, it's a good thing."

Before he started working at the Co-op, Brown wasn't a fan of the store. "Now that I work here, I see how they're trying to make things better for people," Brown said.

Students are notiorously against the Co-op, and common beliefs are that it's over-priced and holds a monopoly on what they sell, especially textbooks

One student, who wished to remain anonymous, buys books through a family member and thinks the fact that the Co-op operates a textbook monopoly is "really wrong."

"It is a lot overpriced," said first-year Jon Chernaik. "Some competition would help keep prices down - especially with used textbooks. Lots of students end up going outside [of the Co-op] for their stuff," Chernaik said.

There are 748 members of the Co-op, 243 are students while the rest consist of employees and people in the Oberlin community. Four of the 12 Board of Directors members are students, so there is plenty of student input in Co-op business.

To become a member of the Co-op, you pay a fee of $3 and receive a 10 percent discount off purchases at the store. If the store did make money at the end of a fiscal year, members would split the profits. Members also join different committees to improve various areas of the Co-op such as membership.

"We'd like to bridge as many gaps as possible," Meyers said.