SHOPLIFTING

Hokitika Guardian, 3 December 1928, Page 2

SHOPLIFTING

25 ARRESTS IN ONE NIGHT

SYDXKY. November 21. With the approat-h of Christina:: there has been a great increase 11 shoplifting in Sydney, already a menace serious enough to cause grave con ecru. A few arrests are made eael day, but tlie record for Sydney \v;t established last Friday night, the lat< shopping night, when the number ol women arrested was twenty-live. 'l.his was not the result of any specia “drive,” but was due to the vigtlanet of tin; house detectives employed b\ the various establishments, each work ing independently. It meant a bust two hours at the Central Police >Sta lion, where, once age.in. many patlietb si cues were enacted.

Singly and in pairs the oflemler were brought along to the sergeant There were some hardened ofleiuler.but many ol them were having thei: lin'd experieme ot police methods am they cried bitterly and asked to b given another chance, 'these firs offenders said that they had been sore ly tempted by the display ol apparent!; unprotected goods and they had heei unable to resist the temptation to plan some small article in their shopp.il: bag. One woman said that she wa short of money and was worried ove rite fact that unless she stole the good she would lie unable to give Christ mas presents to the members of he* family. There wore striking contrasts in th nature of the charges. One woman wa charged with stealing goods to tic value of £lO. These were secreted nl 1 over her. Her bag was crammed witl stolen property. The coat she was wear ing had not been paid for. She wa* wearing an expensive pair <’!' garter which, it was shown, she had not pub for. Around her neck was a at rim o, stolen pearls, and then 1 were var ions t rinklets in a bag which she had taken. She was deteri-sl .stealing canl of safety pins, and the subsequent search revealed that her tastes generally wore much more extravagant tint* that. This woman was fo’lowed int< the dock I"' another who was charged with the theft of a string of pearls valued at foiinience. A shabhilv-dre-ssc' 1 woman of 60 was assisted into the dock and on the counter b' fore her wore a smart pair of snake.skin shoes, a stylish bat and a pair of silk stockings. Amidst her tears she exulained that she wanted these things for her daughter.

Most of Hie iirrests were made in the clothing departments of large shops dress material, shoes, hats, stockings, and sundry other articles of women’s apparel were among the' articles stolen. and very soon the charge room had the appearuce of a departmental store. mi varied was the assortment. In .several eases two woman were arrested at the same time, the shop detectives alleging that while one engaged the attendant- in conversation over a prospective jmrcha.se the other was cunningly helping herself to goods exhibited on a counter close at hand. Most of the women were first offenders and not one of them received any publicity when she appeared before the magistrate. This is a sore point with j >ie proprietors of the large stores. They say that their losses through shoplifting are enormous, and judging from ’ast Friday’s record there is some justification for the statement. It is thought • hat the utmost publicity would prove the greatest deterrent, and for that reason the Government has been as 'd to tighten up the law. It has even !,een suggested that every woman conceded of shoplifting should le oomr...dic'd to advertise the fact in at least <,f the city panel's—that is, she dioiild pay for the advertisement which would he inserted by the authorities.