Individuals, Businesses, and the Police

I would like for someone out there in the cyberworld to tell me why it is that, if I were to walk out of a store with a fifty cent candy bar without paying, then I could be criminally prosecuted, with policemen leading me off to jail in handcuffs. But if the same store were to shortchange me, even by a much greater amount, then the only legal recourse I would have would be to challenge them in a civil court! Although, in an economic sense, the consumer and business are theoretically equal in that money from one side is freely exchanged for the value-equivalence in terms of goods or services, in a legal sense the consumer is at an overwhelming disadvantage. In my opinion, this doesn't seem very fair! When was the last time that you heard, in a dispute between a customer and a business, the police coming and arresting the responsible party of the business? No, (and the businesses know it), the police ALWAYS answer calls regarding such disputes with the eye of protecting the businesses, right or wrong, and prosecuting the customer. If you disagree with this assertion, then I invite you to show me a contradictory example.

When I go to a place like Starbucks to drink coffee, possibly eat a dessert, and sit "a spell", I am paying this company for all of these items, and expect this to be an "even trade". But when I have to share my experience with on-duty policemen who only go there because they get free coffee, then this diminishes my experience. Especially when I look up and one of them is eyeballing me! Especially when I've seen them checking out the cars (of paying customers) in the parking lot before entering. The tendency of the police to regard people in the general public suspiciously, or as outsiders, creates (to me) an atmosphere of discomfort and fear wherever they go. Perhaps they feel the need to engender respect for their important role as upholders of the law. They certainly have earned my respect over the years, with all of the stories I've heard and read of valor and sacrificed lives on the part of many of them for the sake of protecting us from real criminals. But I resent the swagger and latent aggression that they project as well. I can guarantee you that, should I ever find myself in the unlikely situtation of having a serious dispute with a Starbucks that I go to, any policemen present would only take the side of the store and regard me as a disturbance at best. And I think this applies to retail stores, towing companies, or any other business that people often have conflicts with. And I think most people would agree with me that, in any dispute between an individual and a business, it would be almost solely the business who would feel inclined to call the police, while an individual would have to resort to the civil courts for legal satisfaction. In any dispute between someone-at-large and a business, our taxpayer-funded police force is always at the beck and call of the business! Prove me wrong!