▁Store ▁employees ▁may ▁also ▁have ▁citiz en ' s ▁arrest ▁powers , ▁but ▁absent ▁a ▁stat ute ▁grant ing ▁bro ader ▁authority ▁a ▁citiz en ' s ▁arrest ▁power ▁is ▁normally ▁available ▁only ▁for ▁fel ony ▁off enses , ▁while ▁shop l ifting ▁is ▁usually ▁a ▁mis de mean or ▁off ense . ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁store ▁employees ▁who ▁det ain ▁suspect s ▁outside ▁of ▁and ▁inside ▁the ▁store ▁prem ises ▁are ▁generally ▁granted ▁limited ▁powers ▁of ▁arrest ▁by ▁state ▁law , ▁and ▁have ▁the ▁power ▁to ▁initi ate ▁criminal ▁arr ests ▁or ▁civil ▁san ctions , ▁or ▁both , ▁depending ▁upon ▁the ▁policy ▁of ▁the ▁ret ail er ▁and ▁the ▁state ▁stat utes ▁gover ning ▁civil ▁dem ands ▁and ▁civil ▁recovery ▁for ▁shop l ifting ▁as ▁recon ci led ▁with ▁the ▁criminal ▁laws ▁of ▁the ▁juris diction . ▁ ▁United ▁Kingdom ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁United ▁Kingdom , ▁an ▁off ence ▁involving ▁shop l ifting ▁may ▁be ▁charged ▁under ▁Section ▁ 1 ▁of ▁the ▁The ft ▁Act ▁ 1 9 8 6 ; ▁altern atively , ▁if ▁the ▁goods ▁st olen ▁are ▁worth ▁less ▁than ▁£ 2 0 0 , ▁a ▁person ▁may ▁be ▁charged ▁under ▁Section ▁ 1 7 6 ▁of ▁the ▁Anti - So cial ▁Be hav iour , ▁Crime ▁and ▁Pol icing ▁Act . ▁Upon ▁conv iction , ▁the ▁maximum ▁penalty ▁is ▁a ▁fine ▁or ▁up ▁to ▁six ▁months ▁in ▁prison ▁if ▁the ▁goods ▁st olen ▁are ▁worth ▁less ▁than ▁£ 2 0 0 ; ▁if ▁they