Shoplifting Must Stop.

New Zealand Graphic, Volume XLIV, Issue 21, 25 May 1910, Page 8

Shoplifting Must Stop.

DRAPERS TAKING ACTION. THE GROWTH OF THIEVING. The increase in the shoplifting practice that prevails in the large drapery establishments, not only in the West End, but in the London generally, has led the Council of Drapers’ Chamber of Commerce to take the matter up, and they have instructed a subcommittee to report as to the best course to be adopted to deal with the evil. One of the principal movers in the matter is Mr Edwin Jones, of the Bon Marche, who, in an interview with a “Pall Mall Gazette - ’ representative, expressed the urgent necessity for grappling in earnest with the shoplifting problem. “There can be no doubt,” remarked Mr Jones, “that leniency, both on the part of shopkeepers and the magistrates, has helped to encourage the practice, and it is obvious now that leniency is out of place. The evil is growing, and will continue to grow, unless we adopt drastic measures. “As a rule the offenders are fairly well-to-do women, and very often we find them stealing again, even after the shame and. scandal of the first prosecution. There was a case two years ago in which, we recommended the Lambeth, magistrate to deal leniently with the woman. She was well dressed, and had plenty of money in her purse at the time. Her husband was in a good position, and generally her circumstances were very comfortable. We caught her shoplifting, and she was fined £5, which we thought would be a salutary lesson. This year we hear of her doing the same thing. “If we could put an eud to the practice we could eave hundreds of pounds a year. As it is, we have to employ, in common with other drapery establishments, a number of detectives, but, despite these precautions, the percentage of thieving women who are discovered is very small. THESE WOMEN ARE SO ARTFUL That it is difficult to detect them. Usually they attend the first day of the sale, when ihe shops are crowded, for operations. Frequently they work in couples, one covering up the actions of the other. The thief does the purchasing, while her companion pretends to be closely examining the articles. “So enormous is the evil growiug that we find dresses being specially made for shoplifting—that is to say, dresses with capacious pockets for stowing away stolen goods.

“The thief as a rule never contents herself with one article. She goes from department to department, annexing different articles, and in this way, of course, making her guilt beyond doubt. We

ALWAYS ALLOW THE THIEF TO LEAVE THE SHOP

first before making the arrest; otherwise they can say they intended to pay.

A favourite excuse after the woman is caught is ill-health, but, as Mr Hopkins, the magistrate, remarks, ‘After these women have stolen and been found out they arc all delicate!’

“One of the difficulties of dealing with shoplifting is the unpleasant advertisement it gives to any shop. Again, the cases differ

so very much. “What are you going to do with a woman who has a good account at your shop and always pays regularly whom you find stealing trumpery articles? There are many such women.

“Of course, you can charge the articles to her account and write a letter to the husband, but, after all, is this satisfactory? I remember when I was a young man telling my employers of a well-to-do customer who was always stealing from the shop. What auswer do you think I got? I was told to insult her so that she would not come into the shop again! “The magistrates latterly have been Inclined to take the view that the way goods are displayed at sales Is too much of a temptation. Well, when we advertise a

sale and send our circulars out we arw bound to display the goods so that people, when they come to the shop, may see Yon might as well say that when a green-* grocer displays his fruit and vegetables on his stall outside the shop he is offering temptation to the public.

“No, the fault lies with the women themselves who steal. My suggestion to tho Council of the Drapers’ Chamber of Commerce is that we should have one or two eminent counsel —men who would carry, weight with the magistrates—to represent the drapers in these matters—that is to say, there should be collective rather than individual action. This seems to me to bo the only way to stamp out an evil which 14 growing so rapidly.”