No evading the camera

CCTV was essential in apprehending a suspect, but shoplifting is a town-wide issue.

SAFE STORE: Carol Schefe and Anna Coomber were able to help police in finding a shoplifter. Picture: Jorja McDonnell

A WOMAN accused of stealing from Coomber Bros Jewellers on Christmas Eve was found and arrested by police last week, after CCTV images led to her identification.

Business owner Carol Schefe said the store was incredibly busy at the time, and, while her staff had approached the person in question, the visual evidence was most important.

"It was Anna who picked up that a purse was missing.

"She worked out what time it went missing, and we were able to look back on our security cameras to find exactly who it was and what they had taken.

"These images from our new cameras are very clear and even the police were impressed with how clear they were.

"We were not only able to get vision of her coming into the store but also leaving the store, and everything she did whilst in the store,” she said.

While police worked the case, Ms Schefe also tracked down some leads of her own.

"I put one photo up on Facebook, and people came to me privately to share some leads, which I passed on to police.

"Once they had her name, they were able to make an arrest,” she said.

Small thefts have long been a concern and Ms Schefe said they were doing their best to stop it.

"Luckily most of the jewellery is shut and people can't get into those cabinets, so it is the giftware that tends to go missing.

"When we do stocktake, we do notice we're down on the amounts we should have, so it's happening all the time.”

Having gone public with the case, Ms Schefe said the incident had had a broader impact in town.

"I've had local businesses contact me since, asking where the cameras are from and how much they cost.

"It seems, after discussion with other business owners, shoplifting is something that is rife in Roma.”