Shoplifters in Newry are trying something new today with a focus on one of the city’s major grocery stores. Statistics revealed to the Newry Reporter this week in a Freedom of Information (FOI) request shows thieves top ten favourite shops for ‘five finger’ discounts. Sainsbury’s based in The Quays is the number one target for snatch and grab criminals. However the figures from the PSNI show that Newry makes up only five per cent of all shoplifting reported with 294 in the last year. Northern Ireland as a whole recorded 5,890 a number down 5 per cent on previous records. A spokesman for Sainsbury’s said: “The store works closely with the local police and use CCTV to deter thefts in the store.” Newry Magistrates Court remains active on a weekly basis to prosecute shoplifters in the city with some repeat offenders making of the statistics from the FOI. Tricks of the ‘trade’ for shoplifters have witnessed a step up in technology defeating tactics with cooler bags being used to block product scanners from the bag’s illegally gotten contents. Shops have also upgraded their preventative measures with ink release security tags which destroy products when removed illegally. Acting CEO of Newry Chamber of Commerce Colleen Dowdall said that her organisation works to ensure that Newry remains a shopper friendly retail city. “The Chamber works closely with the PSNI to make sure that all businesses in the Newry area are up to date with essential CCTV and security measures to help prevent and where necessary prosecute shoplifters,” said Ms Dowdall. “The Chamber also maintains a close working relationship with Newry City Centre Management in order to keep Newry a safe shopping district for all customers coming into the city. We continue to take a number of measures to make sure this is the case and that it will remain so. Newry has a retail crime watch established which keeps all shops customer friendly and keeps crime such as shoplifting down to a minimum,” added the acting CEO. A spokesperson for the PSNI outlined some of the steps that businesses should take to prevent being targeted by thieves. “We recognise that theft is a crime which can take its toll on businesses of all sizes whether it is shoplifting or theft on a larger scale,” said a spokesperson. “A crime prevention officer is available to all businesses to advise them on security measures and ways to deter theft from their premises. There are a number of steps shop owners can take to decrease their chance of being targeted by thieves. Install a good quality CCTV that acts as a deterrent to thieves and can also help identify offenders it a crime occurs. Be wary of tin foil lined bags, which thieves will use to avoid an alarm sounding when they leave the store with tagged items. Only a limited amount of money should be kept in tills and any excess cash should be taken to a bank or night safe however avoid creating patterns of depositing money. If you need to keep cash on the premises ensure that it is kept on a locked safe. Access to private areas within the premises should be secures and only accessible to staff. Valuables belong to staff such as handbags, wallets, coats and mobile phones should also be kept in these secured areas, preferably ion locked cupboards,” added the spokesperson.
Reported thefts from Newry Shops 2012/ 13
Sainsbury’s 28
TKMaxx 22
Fiveways 20
Primark 20
Debenhams 19
Supervalu 15
Boots 12
Marks and Spencer 9
Next 9
Lidl 8
Spar 8
DV8 6
HMV 6
All other retail outlets with 5 or less – 112
TOTAL 294
Newry Reporter
28th August 2013
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