Legally the stores can be considered liable if thieves are injured in a scuffle to recover stolen merchandise. And if employees even lay a finger on the thieves even to escort them out and or attempt to detain them and recover merchandise. The business and employees can be held legally and criminally liable. Not to mention the insurance rates if employees are injured.

Laws have gotten stricter. The legal tolerance for vigilantes lower. And the prevalence of lawyers now compared to the past means you’ll have lawyers willing to take lawsuits and civil cases that before they wouldn’t have touched. Like a druggy getting their ass beat severely by a wagie for shoplifting.