From time to time, items appear in the news citing celebrities who are apprehended shoplifting even though they have more than ample funds with them to pay for the items.  Individuals who suffer from what is termed an “impulse-control disorder” often steal items for which they have no use. Consequently, they give away or throw away the proceeds of their crimes.

In 40 years of evaluating a variety of offenders, including men and women who steal repeatedly, I have never encountered a true case of “Kleptomania.”  These individuals steal frequently, usually with great proficiency and, more often than not, escape detection.  Like driving a car, stealing is a skill that they acquire and practice. Developing a modus operandi, they quickly case out targets and proceed with the theft. They are under no compulsion to steal. If they think there is a good chance of getting caught (e.g., they spot cameras in a store or a security officer), they refrain from stealing at that particular time.

I recall a woman who "took orders" from friends each day before she "went to work." Every day, she went to stores and pilfered items. She got away with far more than was ever known. Occasionally, she slipped up and was apprehended. Certainly, to an observer, she might have appeared to be a “kleptomaniac”.  The reality was that, like others who steal frequently, she made choices to do what she did. She was not suffering from a mental disorder.