Rise in retail theft prompts increased police patrols, new ‘scanning’ technology
Police are stepping up patrols in response to a spike in shoplifting incidents across the north shore as supermarkets roll out new technology aimed at catching light-fingered culprits in the act.
North Shore
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Police are stepping up patrols in response to a spike in shoplifting incidents across the north shore as supermarkets roll out new technology aimed at catching light-fingered culprits in the act.
Latest crime figures show 1093 cases of retail theft were reported across the region’s five local government areas during the 12 month period to March 2020 with suburbs including Chatswood and North Sydney emerging as hotspots.
Police said recent cases included a 35-year-old woman charged with allegedly stealing a designer dress, perfume and bags from Myer in Westfield Chatswood last Thursday.
A man who allegedly attempted to make away with $400 worth of items from Bunnings Artarmon was also charged this month after entering the hardware store, picking up an $11 box and filling it with items before resealing the box and heading to the checkout.
Police said the alleged attempt was foiled when the box broke near the store’s exit, spilling the stolen goods on the floor and landing the man a court date later this year.
Crime figures show the Willoughby local government area accounted for almost three quarters of the incidents (741) over the 12 month period followed by North Sydney (156), Ku-ring-gai (99), Lane Cove (54) and Mosman (43).
While recording the lowest number of incidents in the region, the Mosman LGA had the largest increase from 2019 with cases jumping 65 per cent (23 to 43). Similar spikes were also recorded in Lane Cove (up 54 per cent) and Ku-ring-gai (up 52 per cent).
North Shore Police said reports of retail theft slumped from March to May as shops closed in response to the COVID-19 outbreak but were expected to return to pre-lockdown levels as restrictions ease.
A police spokesman said measures to crack down on incidents included regular patrols in shopping precincts and monthly roundtable meetings with security and operations managers from Westfield Chatswood, Chatswood Chase and other businesses.
“Prior to COVID-19, the noticeable increase in retail theft was at liquor outlets and bottle shops with people stealing alcohol particularly in the Chatswood area,” he said.
“Police constantly review incidents and focus patrols in areas that have been identified as trouble spots and we also take proactive approaches such as plain clothes police patrolling shopping centres.”
Supermarkets are meanwhile trialling measures of their own including rolling out “self-reflection” security cameras on self-service check-outs at locations including Woolworths Neutral Bay.
Some shoppers have taken to social media expressing privacy concerns over the technology, however the retail giant said the images acted as a deterrent and would not be recorded or stored.
For how long has Woolworths been filming me while using self-checkouts? pic.twitter.com/SVQ0aN2UX5
— BT (@Br_Tr) May 29, 2020
“We know the vast majority of our customers do the right thing at our self-serve check-outs. This is a new security measure we’re trialling for those that don’t,” a Woolworths spokesman said.
Ku-ring-gai Police said patrols are being stepped-up at identified hotspots on the upper north shore including Hornsby Mall and the Gordon and St Ives shopping precincts.
Figures provided by North Shore Police show the command area had the highest legal action rate for retail theft in NSW with approximately 40 per cent of cases proceeding to court over the last year.
Willoughby had the sixth highest number of shoplifting incidents reported in the Sydney region over the 12 month period behind the City of Sydney, Blacktown, Penrith, Campbelltown and Parramatta.