Exposing shoplifters on Facebook
A Palmerston North business is catching thieves with the help of social media.
Simon O’connor, owner of Hunting and Fishing on Grey St, is no stranger to people walking out of his shop with goods they haven’t paid for, and has turned to ‘‘naming and shaming’’ to help catch them.
O’connor said he posts pictures of shoplifters on Facebook if they aren’t caught before leaving the store with any illegal hauls or stashes of stolen goods.
The latest unmasked thief was seen on camera stealing hundreds of dollars worth of goods on Monday. Within minutes of the footage being posted online, he was identified, O’connor said.
The man stole pocket knives before fleeing the store on a bicycle.
O’connor has posted pictures of five shoplifters in the past 12 months, and all were identified and caught by the police, he said.
‘‘We’ve had it where the people actually handed themselves in to the police because they don’t want their social media profile damaged.’’
The shop moved to Grey St from John F Kennedy Drive a week ago.
O’connor said he had hoped the more central location, and their security cameras, would deter shoplifters.
But they still kept stealing, so he will keep posting their images online.
‘‘It’s one of the tools we can use to try to catch them.’’
A police spokeswoman said officers routinely used information from social media during investigations.
‘‘Social media is a useful tool to gather information, due to the large number of people it can reach in a relatively short space of time.’’
But there would always be a risk of incorrect information or assumptions being made when using it, the spokeswoman said.
People were encouraged to report all incidents to the police, even if they posted them on social media, she said.
Hunting and Fishing also reported Monday’s incident to police.
A study released by Retail NZ and the University of Otago yesterday showed almost 37 per cent of shoplifting offences were committed at grocery or convenience stores in the past 12 months.
Thirteen per cent stole fuel, almost 11 per cent stole vehicles and parts, and 8.7 per cent stole clothing and footwear.
Retailer New Zealand spokesman Greg Harford said there was a definite increase in December, a busy month for most retailers.