A very cheeky thief
One man has been arrested, and police say they are sure they know the identity of his alleged co-offender, after the ‘barebummed’ theft of tools from Kawakawa Hammer Hardware earlier this month.
A man, presumably confident that he was unobserved, was caught on security cameras exposing his buttocks as he slid a metre-long weed burner down the front of his pants. A Kaikohe man has been charged with shoplifting, and will appear in the Kaikohe District Court on May 18.
The CCTV images became something of a hit on social media, racking up more than 12,000 hits, Hammer Hardware owner Malcolm Francis saying he had received “incredible” support from the community for being proactive in trying to protect his business.
The police had also been “great,” but Mr Francis had been upset by one strong outburst on social media, from a respected community figure, slamming him for releasing the footage and accusing him of being racist.
“That’s totally uncalled for. Mainly though, everyone’s having a good giggle about it,” he said.
Another customer, who was in the shop at the time, had been taken aback when he saw the man doing a down-trou.
Thinking he was urinating, the customer told him to go outside to do his business. But the cameras told the real story.
Meanwhile the suspected accomplice was caught on camera too, talking loudly to Mr Francis at the counter, allegedly to keep him distracted. When Mr Francis saw the two men, who had arrived separately, raise their eyebrows at each other and leave, he checked the CCTV.
The recent upgrading of his shop’s camera system had proved its worth, he said.
“They did just what they were designed to do. These things could pick up the picture on a postage stamp on the floor,” he added.