> Is this damage more then the cost of prosecuting and punishing the thieves? If not, it's not worth it. It's not a question of whether this damage is more, it

> Is this damage more then the cost of prosecuting and punishing the thieves? If not, it's not worth it. It's not a question of whether this damage is more, it's a question of whether the prosecution would reduce the total amount of future-damage that occurs as well. People who are in a jail are not stealing. People who expect significant risk of significant jail time are also not stealing, while those who expect minimal risk might be. These factors easily outweigh the cost of any single theft.