'Morally offensive': Thieves target Tauranga charity shops

Charity stores are being targeted by thieves. Photo / Getty Images

Charity stores are being targeted by thieves every day. It is an ongoing problem that charities and their volunteers are struggling to deal with. One charity estimates it has lost hundreds of thousands of dollars through the theft of donated goods - money that should have gone to help people in need in the community. Reporter Zoe Hunter investigates the impact these thefts are having on Tauranga's charity stores.

Tauranga charity stores are being targeted by thieves and shop volunteers say they feel powerless to stop people stealing the donated goods.

Volunteers working in the city's opportunity shops say security cameras and calls to the police were not enough to deter thieves who stole from their stores "every day".

They say the culprits have included groups of people, an unsuspicious elderly woman and a person with one leg.

Waipuna Hospice retail business manager James Turner said it was an ongoing problem that was happening nationwide.

Waipuna Hospice retail business manager James Turner said theft at opportunity shops was an ongoing problem that was happening nationwide. Photo / Andrew Warner

Turner said people often ripped price tags off the clothes and jammed them behind the mirrors in the changing rooms.

He estimated the city's hospice stores were being robbed of hundreds of thousands of dollars in sales.

"It's in the six-digit figures," he said. "It is morally offensive. People have given this stuff to us in goodwill... To be losing 10 to 20 per cent of that effort is disappointing."

Shoplifting prevented Hospice staff from providing extra care and resources for Tauranga families, Turner said.

But staff safety was a priority and it was often difficult to stop the thieves, he said.

"You can have all of the cameras you want, but the only way to control this is to have people in the stores. You can't have eyes everywhere."

Lorna Edlin, Society of St Vincent de Paul Western Bay of Plenty area manager. Photo / File

Lorna Edlin, Society of St Vincent de Paul Western Bay of Plenty area manager, said people were caught stealing from the Tauranga store about five or six times a day.

"They will sometimes take a whole outfit while in the changing rooms," she said. "One lady walked out with a guitar."

Thieves were also taking off with donated goods left outside the Tauranga charity store out of hours.

"It is the stealing of donations that upsets me more," Edlin said. "People think just because we have been given it free that they are entitled to it. It is really disappointing."

Edlin said the thieves were often not who you would expect. One of the more unusual thefts involved a person with one leg stealing just one shoe, she said.

"We have a huge high tolerance. If it is someone in desperate need we will give it to them. But if it someone who we know is up to no good, we will trespass them."

Edlin did not expect shop volunteers to stop the shoplifters themselves due to safety. But she said shoplifting happened so often there was not much police could do about it.

Glenda Mayes, manager of the Habitat for Humanity Restore on Fraser St, said it happened every day.

"You just walk around the shop and find empty coat hangers," she said.

Mayes said people sometimes stole clothes, but more frequently CDs and DVDs.

"They take the CDs out and leave the covers there," she said. "One day we took about 80 empty cases off the shelves, which was about $140 worth."

The store had security cameras to try and deter thieves and staff were more vigilant on the shop floor, but there were cases where staff felt unsafe to approach shoplifters.

"Our hands are tied," she said.

A Salvation Army spokeswoman said, like any retailer, the Salvation Army experienced some theft from its family stores.

"Stealing from a charity is especially upsetting for us, as the proceeds from our family stores sales go directly towards helping people in the local community," the spokeswoman said.

An SPCA spokeswoman said there had not been an increase in theft at its Tauranga op-shop.

Bay of Plenty area prevention manager Inspector Brendon Keenan said police were committed to preventing all crime in the community, including shoplifting.

"We encourage any and all instances of retail theft, or any other criminal activity, to be reported to police," he said.

"We encourage any retail outlets who are interested in how they can take further preventative measures to contact us for advice."

Preventing shoplifters:
- Install CCTV and use signage making it obvious to shoppers that CCTV is present, which can act as a deterrent
- Work on the physical layout of the store – where possible, there should be a clear line of sight to all areas, as blind spots make it easy for items to be hidden.
- Place any high-value items out of the way – keep items of value behind the counter or in a secure cabinet
- For more advice, visit the police website.
Source: Bay of Plenty Police