<B>FORT STEWART, Ga. </B>- More than 50 youth attended the "Thou Shalt Not Steal" Shoplifting Awareness Briefings, Aug. 20 at the Hunter Army Airfield Post Exchange.
"The goal for the event was tri-fold," said Charles Archer, Hunter youth ministry coordinator. "The first goal was for the chapel youth ministry program to be an outreach to military youth in the community by offering a chance to see what our programs and activities are all about, which is teaching positive lessons through the use of ministry principles that will help them develop their lives in a positive direction. The second part of the goal was to show how the principle 'Thou Shalt Not Steal' is not just a religious principle but also a daily principle supported by laws, and if those laws are broken, negative consequences will happen.
"The third goal was to invite more youth and Families into the youth ministry and other chapel programs."
Two briefings were given, one for elementary school children at 11 a.m. and another for the middle and high school aged children at 1 p.m. During the briefings, the youth were shown how surveillance cameras work, how the sensors at entrances work and different techniques security systems use to catch shoplifters.
"We show them the technology because we feel it gives them an idea of what we see inside the PX," said William Dixon, the exchange's loss prevention manager. "They see there is nowhere to hide, and that we have the capability to follow them throughout the PX. It really makes believers out of them."
At the end of both briefings, Dixon explained the consequences of shoplifting both on and off post.
"I hope they see how one bad choice could affect not just themselves, but mom, dad, and brother and sister," said Dixon. "Their Family can forfeit their post housing and be forced to live off base because of one bad choice they make. The punishments include community service, essays and a mandatory civil recovery fine of $200 for no matter what they take. We let them know even if all they did was stand there and watch, they will be charged with the crime and pay the same penalties. Our hope is that if just one child makes that right choice and walks away from the wrong crowd or decides it is not worth it (to shoplift) then we are successful."
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