The interesting thing about thresholds is that antisocial behavior models itself to the threshold, whether by conscious awareness or by an evolutionary pattern.

  The pair is accused of stealing around $3,200 worth of merchandise, primarily meat, seafood, and produce, from one or more Safeway locations across 14 separate incidents.

Criminals have some brains. What do you think they'll do when they figure out that crimes under $1k go unpunished?

Look what happened with shoplifters.

> let's start with the ones above $1,000 first, hm?

The criminals start with the ones below $1,000 and then progress above. If you start punishing it earlier, you won't have to deal with as many above $1,000 crimes in the first place.

So mug a rich person, deal with it. Mug a normal person and ignore it.