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United we standStratford Press, 23 October 2009 By Leon Gray-Lockhart
"The premise behind the Shop Theft Initiative is simple," says Senior Sergeant of the Stratford Police, Shaun Keenan. "If a person is issued a trespass notice from one business in the initiative, that person is trespassed automatically from all the others involved. "We want to send a clear message to all those thinking about offending in the Stratford policing district that we won’t tolerate it; a person trespassed from one business shouldn’t be able to just go into another business and do the same thing." With 30 businesses signed up, the Shop Theft Initiative is already making positive waves in the business community, building stronger relationships between retailers, Neighbourhood Support, the Central Taranaki SAFE Community Trust and local law enforcement. "In New Zealand, the retail sector generates $66 billion revenue per year and employs 300,000 people. That businesses in this sector suffer $800 million in stock loss is quite a serious thing. "This initiative aims to tackle the problem in the Stratford policing district and contribute to a culture that welcomes law abiding citizens, not petty criminals," says Shaun. The Stratford policing district incorporates Eltham and Kaponga to the south and west, extending north to Tariki; it also includes all the eastern districts. A simple system When a person is caught shoplifting or behaving offensively in a Shop Theft Initiative shop, the shop owner or manager can request police intervention and at the shopkeeper’s discretion, the police can issue a trespass notice to the offender. "Once the offender is issued with a trespass notice, the offender’s details are entered onto both Police and Neighbourhood Support databases. The offender is automatically trespassed from all other participating shops," says Liz Sunman, manager of Central Taranaki Neighbourhood Support. "All the other participating businesses are contacted via email, and where a shop has a photo or footage of the offender, images of them are circulated along with their name and description." Because the shopkeeper’s photos are their property, they can send them to others in the initiative; however police photos will not be circulated and images won’t be on public display. The offender will be given a list of all the businesses that they are no longer able to go to. How long the trespass notice is enforced for is at the discretion of the police - it can be up to two years. "We will deal each offender on a case-by-case basis. If a shopkeeper wants to simply see the person warned, that’s over to them; but once a trespass notice is issued, the consequences laid out by the Shop Theft Initiative automatically apply." With the lead up to Christmas, and the effects of recession, there is something of an expectation that incidences of shoplifting-related crime will be on the increase in the coming months. "Now is a great time to get this initiative in the public eye," says Stratford Business Association spokesperson, Raewyn Gordon. "We want people thinking about causing trouble in our town to move on – our message is clear, we don’t want shoplifters and people who are abusive to shopkeepers on our streets." Businesses participating in the Shop Theft Initiative will be identifiable by a sticker in their shop windows; these are expected to appear in the coming weeks. "The Shop Theft Initiative ties in well with Neighbourhood Support initiatives in the district," says Liz. "Both work well under the banner of the Central Taranaki SAFE Community Trust and in conjunction with the Police." "Anything to make our streets safer." Those wishing to be involved with either Neighbourhood Support or the Shop Theft Initiative can contact Liz Sunman on 765 8863. Source: http://www.stratfordpress.co.nz/local/news/united-we-stand/3905680/ |
