Shoplifters beware: York police and businesses team up to stop theft
YORK, Maine — Carrie McKie, owner of the Yarn Sellar, said shoplifting can be a challenge for a local retailer like herself.
Having the support of local police like York officer Mike Taddei, she said, has made it a little easier to become whole again.
“Thanks to officer Taddei for tracking down another shoplifter,” the Yarn Sellar’s Facebook post read Sept. 1. “While it’s disheartening that we continue to have an ongoing issue, we’re grateful that the York Police Department takes stealing from small businesses seriously.”
As the population grows in York, police say the frequency of crimes like shoplifting has inevitably gone up as well. Taddei said that is why he has been working with local businesses to prevent shoplifting.
“It’s just becoming more observed,” Taddei said. “That’s why we want businesses to be aware.”
Store owners: Shoplifting has grown in recent years
McKie has owned the Yarn Sellar for the last 10 years and has been at the most recent location at 891 U.S. Route 1 for the last three years. She said shoplifting has increased since she started in town.
“It’s a disappointing thing,” McKie said.
Part of that disappointment, she said, is the way the crime reflects on her customer base. McKie said knitters love to donate yarn and projects. Many of the items that get taken from her store are finished pieces, she said.
“The knitting community is very kind,” McKie said.
Jeanne Lombardi, who owns the Shops at Cape Neddick, said shoplifting is something she has also observed increasing over time. She said it happens more often than she can even catch.
“I think it probably happens weekly,” Lombardi said. “We have a big store so it’s hard to watch.”
Lombardi said she has never had the opportunity to prosecute someone who stole from her store, as it often occurs to her after the person is gone with the stolen inventory. She asks staff to remember people she suspects of stealing in the past, but she said accusing a customer directly is a risk if she’s wrong. Lombardi has cameras and makes sure her staff stays close to customers.
“People take stuff,” Lombardi said. “You can make yourself crazy about it.”
Taddei said York’s popularity as a destination has grown in recent years. That has led to an increase in the number of year-round residents and a growing tourist season. He said reports of shoplifting happen year-round.
“What we’ve found is that, in our area, it spans pretty much the whole year,” Taddei said. “There’s not a spike that we always thought there was.”
York police offer courses and training for business owners to combat shoplifting
Taddei has been working with business owners around town to combat shoplifting, not just by investigating the crimes but by training people to prevent it. He has hosted the department’s Business Safety Course that goes over when to call 911, how to safely open and close a business and how to protect themselves in dangerous situations.
Taddei said the most important thing to make sure is that one’s staff is on the same page as their owners and managers. Everyone in the store should know how to handle a shoplifting situation, he said.
“The most helpful advice and best feedback – how to educate your staff on how to be safe,” Taddei said.
Taddei discourages shop owners from intervening, as it can be dangerous to confront a shoplifter. If one comes across stolen property, though, he said to report it. He said stolen items can turn up anywhere from a pawn shop to a Facebook Marketplace post.
McKie said she will remain vigilant in preventing shoplifters. While it’s frustrating, she said she has been able to recover almost every item that has been stolen in the past that she has known about. Camera footage has been helpful when reporting theft to York police, she said.
“They have been really supportive,” McKie said. “They do take the time to support you.”