Full episode
135: Allure of Crime
Act Three

Grandma Takes A Fall

No one knows how much theft is committed each year by senior citizens. One study found that seniors comprise 15 percent of people apprehended for shoplifting. Seniors of course, tend to be poorer than other Americans, but counselors who work with senior shoplifters say that many of them aren't stealing out of need. About half of senior shoplifters have stolen all their lives. Documentary filmmaker Jeanne C. Finley talks with an elderly shoplifter to find out why. (15 minutes)