SA shop owners are resorting to their own brand of justice as shoplifting across the state continues to rise

There’s an ever-growing wall of shame in shops, extra CCTV and some store owners say they are no longer able to hire females as shoplifting spins out of control across our state.

For Mount Gambier Foodland manager Sam Jain, it is now a daily task.

He flicks through CCTV, spots a shoplifter, takes a screenshot and prints out their picture to plaster on the wall of his store.

The shop is targeted by thieves multiple times a day, costing the business thousands of dollars every month.

And, in turn, the store’s wall of shame has also grown considerably in the past few months. It’s a desperate tactic that Mr Jain hopes will deter shoplifters – and help to identify repeat offenders.

“We have one out back for staff, but another in the front of the store of the most recent shoplifters caught on camera,” he explained.

“The more we put it out there and get attention, the more people might know that we are on to them.

“We have kids shove chocolate down their pants, we have mature men come in with big black coats and take a big piece of meat shove it in the coat and just walk out.

“There was this guy who put batteries down his pants, he walked out with $200-300 worth of batteries that day.”

Mount Gambier Foodland manager Sam Jain has been hit with an endless spate of shoplifting. Picture: Frank Monger

Mr Jain is hardly alone. The Advertiser interviewed 20 store owners from across South Australia, and each expressed their concerns that shoplifting had reached problematic levels.

And while a wall of shame is hardly a new approach, it’s the size of these walls which have grown exponentially in recent times.

The owner of IGA Morphett Vale, who only wanted be known as John, explained that he was faced with a 20 per cent increase in shoplifting in the last six months.

“We ban them, warn them and if it’s young kids, we talk to the parents. If we called the police every time, we would never get a look at,” he said.

“We have had people come in and brag about stealing thousands of dollars a week from Coles or Woolies. Even a husband and wife who have taught their kids to steal.”

Shop workers aren’t only having to deal first-hand with shoplifting but there is often violence that comes with it.

Toyworld Myer Centre wall of shame. Picture: Supplied

A staff member at On The Way Convenience on King William Street in the CBD, who did not want to be named, said that anti-social behaviour from shoplifters had become such an issue they could now only hire males.

“The owner now only likes to hire male staff because the last girl we hired got scared by someone getting aggressive and never came back,” he said.

“We don’t call the police anymore because the owner’s son would press the panic button too much so they just don’t respond to this location anymore.”

It’s a lack of police help which many store owners claim have driven them to take the law in their own hands – printing off CCTV images and placing them in windows, in the store or even on social media.

Mount Gambier Foodland owner Sam Jain has been hit with an endless spate of shoplifting. He is pictured in front of wall of shame. Picture: Frank Monger, ,,

It’s an approach that has been taken by Drakes for the past few years, with director John-Paul Drake posting videos naming and shaming thieves on social media.

In the last financial year, the South Australian supermarket chain has seen a 236 per cent increase in reported shop theft, which is costing the business a staggering $10 million a year.

Mr Drake admits his shoplifting videos are a great way to raise awareness of the plight of store owners and help police.

He told the Advertiser, “It’s like I’m Batman! In all seriousness, my team and I have a strict list of criteria that our footage needs to meet before we even contemplate filming an episode, and in all cases we’re seeking information about the person in question to then provide details to the relevant authorities for follow up.”

Drakes owner is active on his Instagram in shaming thieves. Picture: Instagram

SA Police stated that publicly identifying suspected shoplifters, be that on social media or in store with printed pictures, should be approached with caution.

“We encourage business owners to report shop theft to police on every occasion,” said a SA Police spokesperson. “CCTV is a valuable tool to assist the investigation and identify offenders.

“Police only release CCTV to the public if we are not able to identify the suspect through other means and ensure the release complies with evidentiary requirements. Businesses should seek advice from police before releasing CCTV so as not to jeopardise criminal proceedings.”

This was echoed by Tony Kerin, the chair of Law Society SA’s criminal law committee, who stated that a wall of shame or similar styles of self-policing aren’t illegal but aren’t always “very helpful”.

“There are other things that shop owners can do that are less confronting. CCTV cameras are expensive but work. Make it a term of entry that your bags can be inspected. And call the police.

“The tried and tested ways are the best even though there’s some frustration by shop owners at the moment, particularly smaller ones.”

However store operators, like Mr Jain, feel it‘s the only way to defend themselves against a rising crime wave, as official reporting procedures take more time than the stolen goods are worth.

“The process is very difficult for supermarket managers. You have to call them, make a report, then go down to the station and make a statement, give them footage, wait to see if they need you to come down to court. It’s a lot,” he said.

“I once had a lady take about $30 worth of goods, it took three hours to report it.

“There are people working hard to make ends meet, like our staff. Stealing just makes it harder for everyone to be able to make ends meet, it is not a solution.”