>not making a mistake that can get them caught.

Today in most areas (at least in the US) Normally that means just getting away without interacting with the cops at the moment sometimes not even that is required

the defund police movement, bail reform, and many other political movements have more or less decriminalized property crime

Unless you have a gun, are violent (sometimes not even then), or steal from a politically connected person chances are the police in the US will do nothing for normal everyday theft from a normal everyday person