Whangarei beat constable Solomone (Solly) Halaatiapi says the thing that most worries retailers about shoplifting is the fact that they didn't even know it had happened.
"Most of them have no idea until they see CCTV footage of customers tell them what has gone on," he says.
Shoplifters have no particular "look" and can be of any age, but most he comes across are between about 14 and 22. Reactions to being nabbed run the gamut from stroppy to shattered and tearful, he says.
Working in Auckland he has come across people using children to facilitate shoplifting - even women putting stolen items in the pram with the baby - but not in Whangarei. And he says shop-lifters seem to be getting younger.
He spends part of his time advising retailers on the wide range of techniques that can combat thieving on the shop floor. Other shoppers sometimes reported shop-lifters to staff, which needed to be encouraged. "Turning a blind eye to shoplifting in your town is allowing this behaviour to be acceptable which will only have negative impact on the community."
The Advocate played retailer with questions for Constable Halaatiapi.
Northern Advocate: What do you do when you suspect someone?
Solly: Common sense and instinct need to be applied here and there are easy steps to take if you suspect someone is going to shoplift. Move to where you can observe them. Potential shoplifters may also exhibit give-away body language such as, being nervous, being more interested in staff than the products they are looking at, coming in and out of your store without buying anything.
NA: What is the procedure when you have seen someone take something? What are their rights? What are your rights?
Solly: You should never give a shoplifter the option of just putting the item back. Quite often this won't be their first offence and not dealing with it may encourage that person to continue shoplifting.
Call the police - or at least report the theft to your local station for follow-up investigation. For "compliant" shoplifters you need to obtain their details, possibly also take a photograph of the offender. A photo is useful for future reference and for court action.
Another highly recommended option is "trespassing" shop-lifters. It's your store, don't be scared to trespass someone from your store. You could pre-prepare trespass notices, but trespass orders can be issued verbally.
Some store owners also utilise what is called "civil recovery" - this is a set fine they can impose on shop-lifters. The police play no part in this. It is believed that many New Zealand stores including large chains charge around $250 in "civil recovery" as a way of recovering security costs.
Call the police as soon as possible where you are confronted by uncooperative, abusive shoplifters or shoplifters decamping from the store.
Do not become confrontational with an aggressive or fleeing shoplifter. If you are going to follow them have another staff member with you, take your cellphone and keep your distance.
NA: Lay-out for maximum security?
Solly: Removing opportunity is the major goal to keep in mind when organising lay-out. This is the most common cause of thefts. The second most important thing to keep in mind is that you need to view anyone as a potential shop-lifter. Keep display shelves low and increase the height of your service counter to give more visibility between you and the customer. Create a vantage point where you can scan the shop floor. This may mean removing any obstructions and clutter.
Place your service counter near the front of the store if possible and position shelving or display racks where you can easily see down the isles to observe customers. Buy good quality digital CCTV systems. Another option is to have a camera positioned near the entrance of the store, operated in tandem with a TV screen near the entrance to show customers and any potential shop lifters that there is a camera in operation. Do not hide the fact that there are CCTV cameras in operation.
NA: Mirrors?
Solly: A cheaper alternative but remember - if you can see a potential shoplifter in the mirror they can also see you.
Keep display shelves and racks well stocked so staff know if something has been taken.
You can identify hot products through regular stock-taking, or through risk assessment. Identify these products, then protect them by moving them to a position near the service counter for easy observation, or locking them away in display cabinets. Again, removing opportunity. Trying to provide the same level of care for all your products is just not efficient.
NA: How can you deal with the possibility of a team of shoplifters working in your shop, what to do if one of them causes a diversion, or there are multiple thefts going on?
Solly: Staff training is important here. All staff members must be to aware of what to do. Say, increasing staff numbers in an area of the shop floor where potential shop-lifters have been identified, approaching them with other staff in support, calling for security and all the other procedures as above.
Quick response is essential. Be aware, professional shoplifters are more likely to be aggressive. Your safety is paramount.
Retailers wanting advice can reach Constable Halaatiapi at the Whangarei Police Station. Further advice about shoplifting or any other crime prevention advice can also be obtained from www.police.govt.nz