. ▁This ▁leaves ▁areas ▁of ▁ambigu ity ▁that ▁could ▁criminal ize ▁some ▁people ▁for ▁simple ▁mistakes , ▁such ▁as ▁accident al ▁putting ▁of ▁a ▁small ▁item ▁in ▁a ▁pocket ▁or ▁forget ting ▁to ▁pay . ▁For ▁this ▁reason ▁pen alt ies ▁for ▁shop l ifting ▁are ▁often ▁lower ▁than ▁those ▁for ▁general ▁the ft . ▁F ew ▁juris dict ions ▁have ▁specific ▁shop l ifting ▁legisl ation ▁with ▁which ▁to ▁differenti ate ▁it ▁from ▁other ▁forms ▁of ▁the ft , ▁so ▁reduced ▁pen alt ies ▁are ▁usually ▁at ▁a ▁judge ' s ▁dis cret ion . ▁Most ▁ret ail ers ▁are ▁aware ▁of ▁the ▁serious ▁consequences ▁of ▁making ▁a ▁false ▁arrest , ▁and ▁will ▁only ▁attempt ▁to ▁app reh end ▁a ▁person ▁if ▁their ▁gu ilt ▁is ▁beyond ▁a ▁reasonable ▁doubt . ▁Depending ▁on ▁local ▁laws , ▁arr ests ▁made ▁by ▁anyone ▁other ▁than ▁law ▁enfor cement ▁officers ▁may ▁also ▁be ▁illegal . ▁ ▁Types ▁of ▁individuals ▁ ▁Am ateurs ▁Some ▁shop l if ters ▁are ▁am ateurs ▁who ▁do ▁not ▁ste al ▁regularly ▁from ▁stores ▁and ▁who ▁do ▁not ▁use ▁shop l ifting ▁as ▁a ▁form ▁of ▁income ▁( e . g ., ▁by ▁res elling ▁st olen ▁goods ). ▁Research ers ▁call ▁these ▁am ateurs ▁" sn itch es ", ▁as ▁they ▁are ▁ste aling ▁items ▁for ▁their ▁personal ▁use . ▁In ▁several ▁countries , ▁criminal ▁flash ▁mob s , ▁primarily ▁made ▁up ▁of ▁te en agers ▁and ▁young ▁adult s , ▁enter ▁stores ▁with ▁the ▁intention ▁of ▁ste aling ▁mer