SHOPLIFTING

Otago Daily Times, Issue 21530, 30 December 1931, Page 5

SHOPLIFTING

SYDNEY’S EPIDEMIC WORST IN HISTORY. (From Our. Own Correspondent.) SYDNEY. December 24. With 14 persons charged within five hours one day this week —with 71 arrests in five days—and with 120 charges since December 7, Sydney has been experiencing the worst epidemic ot shoplifting in its history. The figures are amazing, and they relate to the whole of the metropolitan area, but do not take into account the large number of petty cases in which no police action is taken by the proprietors.' It is estimated that within tiie last month well over £15,000 worth of goods has been stolen, and . during this week, when Christmas shopping has been at its height, it is likely that the losses have not been less than £IOOO a day. The figures seem incredible, but they are vouched for by one of the leading detectives, whose estimate is endorsed by leading shop inspectors. It is not only the big stores that arc suffering, but the smaller ones as well, particularly those in which the system ot detection has not been well organised. It is safe to say that for every shoplifter caught scores escape. The evil has become so pronounced that the departmental stores employ a staff of detectives, who mingle with the crowd as ordinary shoppers, all the time keeping a watchful eve on the hundreds ot customers. The detection system in one great city store costs the firm £SOOO a year —" and it is worth it.” said _ the manager Ihe other day. He explained that the shoplifters indulged in all sorts of tricks, and that they were very diflicult to catch. The inspectors had to proceed in every instance __with the utmost care for fear of making a mistake and so accusing a perfectly honest custouied of a crime when he or she had in no way offended. Nothing is too big, it would seem, and nothing too small to warrant attention from the shoplifter. The other day a woman was sent to gaol for 12 months for the theft of beads valued at sixpence. But it was her thirtieth offence in three years. The strangest case for many a long day was mentioned in the court the other day when a woman was charged with the theft of a ham. She had concealed it beneath her skirt. That ham cost her six months’ hard labour, so she is unlikely to have ham fox- Christmas after all. Main- of the women who are caught tell pitiful tales to the magistrates. but the magistrates have become hardened, and are less lenient to-day than they used -to be. Among the shoplifters women predominate, and last week a woman of 75 was arrested. The police alleged that she had been a shoplifter for 10 years. When her room was searched scores of articles, the majority of (hem worth about one shilling each, were found. A favourite dodge among women is for one to spread out a roil ot silk and hold it up to the light as though examining it. It acts as a cloak for her confrere while, she snatches other rolls from the counter and crams them into a suitcase.