Limestone Coast businesses are increasing initiatives to combat the rising prevalence of shoplifting in the region.
Mount Gambier’s Lima & Co store manager Ange Lardner said the store had changed its format including storing jewellery in cabinets and removing the clothes rack from out the front to try to fight the problem.
“We have had a couple of things lifted out the front, so we have decided not to put racks out for a little while and see if we can hamper that because obviously it’s easy for them to just grab it and run,” she said.
“We have not noticed a lot in store, it is probably more out the front at the moment.
“We have changed the store in the last 12 months to try and prevent it so I think that has really helped with us visualising it more and seeing it more.
“We have just made it more visible to see what people are doing basically and not so much high stuff so you cannot see through it and stuff like that.”
Mrs Lardner said while thefts were reported to the police, the business had also taken to Facebook to find the offender and be reimbursed for the stolen items.
“You can report it obviously to police. Sometimes you will see the police and sometimes you will not,” she said.
“You report it and then you have just got to report it to a call centre like I have and then you just have to send your photos through to them of who’s offending.”
Lima & Co hit the headlines in March last year after posting footage of a high profile union official allegedly shoplifting in the store, with the clip going viral online.
“Obviously we did have a high profile shoplifter a while ago. They acted quicker on that. Mind you we did not know that was a high profile person when we did it,” Mrs Lardner said.
“We did it to say, ‘who is this person?’ and to try and bring it back and pay for it. We did not know who that person was at all.
“Posting to Facebook was how we found out that one and the last one that we posted, we found out who that is as well, so it does help.
“The idea is to find out who it is, bring it back and pay for it. Whatever is easiest for them. Hopefully pay for it because usually they have worn it or done something or sold it on.”
Lima & Co floor manager Emma Dear said she has not seen repeat offenders in recent times.
“I feel like once they have been caught, they probably do not come back,” she said.
“I think if they know they have been caught, they will not circle back to you for a very long time I have found.
“I feel like particularly talking to other people as well it’s not just us, it’s everywhere. I feel like everyone I have spoken to there’s just increases everywhere.
“There is also I think a very big increase in homelessness and drug addictions, all that sort of stuff.
“I felt like since I started working here 12 years ago to now, what you see now coming up and down the street is more vocalised, hearing yelling and that sort of stuff. I feel it is a lot more than what I ever used to hear.
“We had people camped across the road for a while and I feel like that did scare some people but thankfully they got moved on.”
