When most people think of theft in the U.S, they think of physical theft. This can include pick-pocketing, shoplifting, and simply pocketing a friends possession. In reality, the most popular types of theft include identity theft and car theft.

In fact, in the Unites States, identity theft is one of the most feared types of theft. It is one of the few types of theft that can steal from you again and again, until you put a personal stop to it. When an identity is stolen, it is not only the identity theft victim that is hurt, but the company the thief buys from, as well as the local community that the store sells in.

The companies that sell to an identity thief have to, eventually, take those losses on the chin. The most common threats associated with identity theft is: hurt credit, mortgage, investment, and credit card fraud, all which you may be liable for.

The damages to large companies can be worse than the individual victim. This is only because the main stream company will eventually be hit time and time again. These thefts must eventually be let go and written off as a loss. After a few hits, the costs can add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars, if not more.

The state with the most theft of this nature is Florida. Florida has reported as many as 122 identity theft victims for every 100,000 people. That may not sound like a lot, but there are over 18.5 million people living in Florida. With a rate of 122 for every 100,000, that means the cases of identity fraud victims number in the tens of thousands for a single year, 22,570, to be exact.

The states with the most car theft are California and Texas. That was determined by looking at the cities and states with the most car theft, from http://www.auto-theft.info.com In the top ten cities for car theft, California takes the number 1,3,4, and 5 spots. Texas comes in a close second to California's 242,693… with a mere 95,429 car thefts reported in the 2007 census. The number two worst city for auto thefts is Las Vegas, Nevada, of course. Where there's greed, theft will follow.

Most people would think it's common sense that every state has a slightly rising car theft rate, this just isn't true. The western states were the only region that showed a raise in car thefts for the last several years. For example, this number went up a total of 3.2% in a single year, in 2004 compared to 2003. Not only were the western states the only one with an increase, it was the only region of the U.S. that didn't show a decrease.

The fact that the Western states are the only losers, shows that those states need to focus on making cars safer to own. Another method to lower car theft is by creating stricter punishments for car theft. This combination of prevention and punishment may be all the these western states need to turn around their high reports of theft.  In terns of education, most consider taking a standard 10 hour theft class to gain some insight into learning how to better manage and control these negative habits.

Every business on the planet has the potential to be stolen from. Some of the most susceptible are convenience stores, retail stores, and especially larger big-box stores. Insurance costs for theft liability can make insurance deductibles and premiums go through the roof.

To lower your company's liability, it can be very helpful to have your employees be required to take a theft prevention class. Some employers may see this as an unnecessary cost, but in reality it will have a two fold effect on your company's ability to meet the bottom-line better than ever before.

Less Theft
The end result of your employees taking a theft prevention class is that the overall theft will be lowered. This is for two reasons. The first, is that the employees will be able to have an actual trained eye when looking for thieves. This will help them spot problematic behavior that can lead them to preventing or stopping a theft in action.

The second way that the losses due to theft will be cut is by making employees realize the dangers and effects that come from stealing from their employer(s). One of the most common hiding places for thieves is within the ranks of your own employees. Inside-job theft will cost more to a business than any single thief from the consumer world.

Insurance Claims
For many larger businesses, theft insurance can be quite pricey. This is because, the more stores that are owned, the more products present, which means more customers, and an overall higher  chance for losses by theft. Since all the employees will have loss prevention training, that means they will all know what to look for when someone may actually be in the store to steal... instead of buy. When insurance companies know that the odds of being stolen from have been lowered by education, the price of the insurance goes down.

The deductible and the premium will drop, giving the employers a break. That financial break can eventually be paid back to the employees with small bonuses for going a certain amount of time without any thefts or losses.

Theft classes will also teach you how to spot an identity thief. This is someone who is trying to make a purchase in your store with someone else's credit information, stealing their identity. If this happens, if he or she successfully buys something from you, you may be liable to forgive  that debt to the credit card company. A loss is a loss, and identity theft hurts more than just the person they took the identity from. The store they buy, or rather steal from is hurt as well.

For these two simple reasons, making your employees take theft classes will reduce your company's liability. Experiencing less theft and smaller insurance claims will not only reduce liability, but it will increase profits in the long run. The classes aren't expensive per person, and can even be taken out of their checks in segments to pay for the classes. This method will also ensure they are enrolled into, attended, and passed the theft courses.

Theft classes are famous for being court ordered punishments or obligations. What many don't know is that they also aid in diversion for troubled individuals who just need help, rather than punishment. For these individuals, theft diversion programs are necessary to learn from their mistakes and keep from making the same ones again later on in time.

In a diversion program, which will probably be court ordered as we said, the instructor will likely interview each individual in the group. One at a time, the offender will be asked what they stole and why they stole it. Most people who attend theft classes will answer these questions differently, some will say they stole out of absolute need, while others will admit simply stealing for the thrill of it. No matter the individuals answer though, the consensus is usually always the same, they have been stealing for a very long time before they were caught and finally made to seek out help.

Different courts and jurisdictions have different policies for implementing diversion programs when handling theft charges. Some courts allow the defendant to take diversion programs for simple petty theft, while others won't. There are two common types of diversion sentencing. The first is a plea with sentencing, and one without a plea. Either way, the beauty of the diversion class is that when the class is completed, the charges are dismissed and the defendant can move on with his or her life.

These diversion classes, as mentioned, will dismiss all charges. That will make it as if you never committed the crime. That can be crucial if working as a nurse or medical student of any type. The honor system stands in high measure for medical universities, and breaking that honor code with a criminal charge is often enough to get dismissed from you job. If the theft diversion class is denied, or isn't completed, the charges will be finalized and the jail sentence will be enforced. This is the worst possible outcome for anyone who needs their record to be clean, especially military personnel. In many cases, these diversion classes are the only thing that saves careers and families.

Diversion classes just aren't for physical theft. It's also theft to write bad checks that you know will bounce. Theft diversion programs can help minor check related charges evaporate just as any other minor theft charge. If the bounced checks are greater than a grand, then grand-theft will apply and may disqualify you for court ordered diversion programs that will dismiss charges. Popular states where division may be helpful would include texas theft classes, California and Florida.

Finally, We'll discuss a few of the goals of the diversion class itself. It will examine how the values and the attitude of the offender can change and control what they do and it will instill the idea of being personally responsible for their actions. It will also help them understand the the consequences of future thefts, and assist the offender in realizing how important it is for them, and their families, that they make better future decisions. Finally, theft classes online aim to develop personal commitment plans to avoid future theft-related incidents and arrests to cement in the methods to make sure this situation never happens again.

Theft prevention and shoplifting classes are for more than those who want to prevent theft from their stores. The classes can also be for those who have a stealing problem. People steal for all different types of reasons. For individuals who have kleptomania, stealing just isn't fun, but a way of life. One of the best ways to show thieves the error of their ways is by required shoplifting education classes. Here are a few examples of the ways that these classes help thieves stay out of trouble.

Peer Pressure
For nearly every thief, the first time they steal is due to peer pressure. Even repeated offenses can be caused form peer pressure. This peer pressure is usually applied by older kids or peers, causing them to change their behavior. Theft and shoplifting prevention classes will help thieves understand that peer pressure and realize useful ways to fight it off.

The Consequences
By helping thieves understand the short-term and long-term consequences, the individual offender will be able to make the educated decision on why not to steal. Short-term consequences can mean fines, restitution, community service, and even probation. Long-term consequences can include, charges of grand-theft, thousands of dollars in fines, and prison time.

The Repercussions
Knowing the repercussions of theft for the individual, the family, the store, and the local community can help thieves understand why stealing is truly wrong. It will show the enrolled student how it hurts the overall outcome, rather than helping it. The family of the thief being locked up is devastated, there may be children that have to go into child services. The store itself can be forced to raise prices, not only to make up for losses, but because the cost of insurance goes up drastically. The price difference can affect an entire community.

Finding Alternatives
Many thieves don't steal only because they need something, they steal for fun or because they're bored. One of the most useful tools that the habitual thief will learn from a shoplifting education class will be learning alternatives to the rush that they get from stealing. Classes will help thieves stay out of trouble by giving them the opportunity to think of what they would rather be doing other than stealing. Cities with the most theft include Atlanta, Georgia, Phoenix, Arizine, and Seattle, Washington

If a person is required to take theft classes, the length of time that they must attend classes will be decided by the judge. The classes can be taken in 4-hour, 6-hour, and 10hour stretches. The longer these classes last, the more likely the offender will become aware of their problem. Becoming self aware of the problem is where the behavior truly begins to turn around. Without this realization, they may continue to steal, even from friends and relatives.

These are only some of the ways that shoplifting classes will help keep thieves out of trouble. Without one, or all, of these lessons, the enrolled student may continue their crimes. That path will only lead to incarceration and possibly even death during a robbery. The different ways that these lessons will be taught  are designed to be helpful to the student by guiding him or her to the principles and ideas that are taught from these classes.

Theft classes have been used since the idea of theft protection has been around. The bottom-line before taking any theft prevention is, this question: can theft classes really help? They have evolved from simple law men teaching what to look for in their own towns, to professional classes that can help both the victim and the perpetrator. Theft classes teach specific ideas that, when implemented, can have a serious impact on preventing theft and helping thieves to fight the urge to steal.

Have you or a friend ever noticed someone who has a tendency to pocket other people's possessions, in and out of stores. For many thieves, the problem extends beyond stealing from stores, but from friends, relatives, and even perfect strangers on the street. For these types of individuals, theft classes really can help.

Many thieves don't just steal to get the things they need, or even to get things for free. Some thieves are stealing to fund their drug habit(s). Theft classes can help the thief/addict to realize what they're doing. Once a person can come to terms with the idea that they steal for drugs, and that it's wrong, they can over come it.

The main reason that theft classes can make a difference, is because these classes teach the students how to think over their decisions and why they're committing them. It will help them consider their own belief structures, attitude, and mental reasoning before they go through with the theft. Theft classes, either online or not, will help the student understand the wrong that they have been doing and find ways to overcome the problem using support, education, and their own will to overcome the rather uncomfortable situation.

Theft classes can truly help, especially when the thief is actually sorry about the act, but can't help themselves. Some are addicted to the adrenaline rush that is accompanied with stealing from another person or company. By helping some students realize it is an addiction, it gives them the tools to overcome their addiction, and find more legal options that will deliver the rush they crave.

Theft starts off with small things, growing slowly. Over time, the urge increases, as does the nerve to steal bigger and more expensive things. With this urge, comes a higher chances of being caught and possibly sent to jail. Theft classes can prevent the addicted thief from a dead-end road that can only lead him or her in prison or dead. Interestingly, Las Vegas, Nevada still ranks as the highest theft city in the coutry for stolen cars.

For store owners, or anyone who wants to protect themselves from the everyday thief, theft classes can help you keep your things safe and sound from outside harm. Theft classes also help lower your store insurance and help you spot potential shoplifters and thieves that make their way into your life or store front. When you know what to look for, you can stop losses before they happen. That alone will save you time, effort, and most of all, money.

These are the most effective reasons why theft classes can really help, it doesn't matter if you are the thief or the victim, your life can change by taking these classes. The most popular class is the 4 hour online theft class