One of the shopkeepers quoted in the article: &quot;Shoplifting has always been an issue and as long as there’s stores, lower-income people are going to have a higher tendency to steal.&quot;<p>Beyond the obvious offense of profiling, the danger of relying on stereotypes is that they lead you to be suspicious of the wrong persons. According to a large CDC study[1]: &quot;Shoplifting occurred across all sociodemographic strata. However, it was more common among those with higher education and income, suggesting that financial considerations are unlikely to be the main motivator for shoplifting in most cases. It was also more common among Native Americans and non-Hispanic whites, possibly indicating a racial&#x2F;cultural dimension not previously documented.&quot;<p>[1] <a href="http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov&#x2F;pmc&#x2F;articles&#x2F;PMC4104590&#x2F;" rel="nofollow">http:&#x2F;&#x2F;www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov&#x2F;pmc&#x2F;articles&#x2F;PMC4104590&#x2F;</a>