Alfred’s Apartment release T-Shirts to capture criminals after thousands of dollars worth of items stolen

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A TRAILBLAZING Gold Coast business has taken an unorthodox approach to capturing criminals who cost them thousands of dollars.

Popular eatery and boutique Alfred’s Apartment released a range of T-shirts depicting cartoon robbers and asking “Have you seen these blokes? Call us now: [phone]”.

It comes after the store was among four businesses in the Mermaid Beach area targeted by thieves on July 19.

Alfreds Apartment had thousands of dollars• worth of items stolen during a robbery spree last month. The eatery and boutique have released T-Shirts to help try and catch the culprits. Left to right ,Kobe Graf, Nathan Wright, and Ed Hatcher. Picture Glenn Hampson

The Bulletin previously reported the criminals broke into the Alfred St business along with Heven-yah gelato and Keli’s Cutz on the night.

They also tried to break into Alfred Street Emporium but were unsuccessful.

Alfred’s Apartment co-owner Ed Hatcher said the sunglasses, cash and jewellery taken from the store was worth over $5,000.

“We have a recurring theme that no matter what we will try and make good of a situation,” he said.

“We released T-shirts after the bushfires a few years back and donated the money towards it.”

Following the incident, the business posted CCTV images on its social media pages that includes close to 19,000 followers on Instagram.

Alfred’s Apartments then teamed up with local artist Jake Fissenden to create the Thieves Tee that Mr Hatcher said have been a huge hit.

“We have already sold out of the three colours we put up for prerelease and we have black ones coming out on Sunday,” he said.

A Queensland Police spokesperson said two separate investigations into the Mermaid Beach break-ins are still ongoing and there’s been no arrests made.

'WE'RE SCARED': COAST BUSINESSES AT BREAKING POINT AFTER STRING OF BREAK-INS

July 27, 2021

A STRING of break-ins at several Gold Coast businesses have left staff “unnerved and on edge” as brazen criminals allegedly case out the stores and rummage through shopfronts in full view of passers-by.

It comes after four businesses at Mermaid Beach were targeted last Thursday in what Alfred Street Emporium owner Bethany Turner described as a “crime spree spanning several hours.”

Attempts to break into her business proved unsuccessful, however Heven-yah gelato, Keli’s Cutz and popular eatery and boutique Alfred’s Apartment were not so lucky.

It is understood the offender smashed a window to gain entry to Alfred’s Apartment before making off with hundreds of dollars’ worth of sunglasses and a safe which contained a sum of cash. There was no sign of forced entry into the gelato shop.

“This is the second attempted break in one week,” Ms Turner said, revealing that her shopfront was also targeted the same night a man was filmed breaking into Chinese restaurant Mandarin Court on the other side of Gold Coast Highway.

“I’ve been here eight years, and this is the first time I’ve dealt with something like this. There’s a new lot of characters around lately and we’re really copping it,” Ms Turner said.

A person appearing to case out a Mermaid Beach business where they allegedly spent several hours inside.

In CCTV footage provided to the Bulletin, a suspect whose face is covered by a hoodie can be seen casing out one of the businesses just after 10pm.

Ms Turner suspects the person had been surveying the sites, waiting to strike only 15 minutes after Heven-yah Gelato closed for the evening. They remained on the property until about 5am Friday.

“We’ve been told that people have walked past around the time and saw them crouching down in one of the stores,” she said, adding the suspect had likely jumped fences between the two properties to carry out their crime spree.

“It was on the Gold Coast Highway; we all leave it pretty well lit up at night so they’re clearly becoming more and more brazen.”

The break-ins come as an added blow to businesses struggling to stay afloat under the weight of Covid restrictions.

“We’re all doing the best we can, we’re just trying to keep our small businesses alive,” Ms Turner said.

“It’s definitely been emotional; it’s been 18 months of Covid and now the recent crime. We’re all too scared to leave anyone alone in the shop now too.”

The incidents have forced some businesses to start closing early in fear of their team’s safety.

“We believe this person has been through our businesses before and will attempt to come back,” Ms Turner said.

A Queensland Police spokesman confirmed there were two separate investigations into the matter. No arrests have been made.

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Originally published as Alfred’s Apartment release T-Shirts to capture criminals after thousands of dollars worth of items stolen