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(ager SF OR A Try al 0 Sasa ae 4 - PORT PERRY STAR - Tuesday, October 5,1993 rE ADT ON tend who "Scugog's Community Newspaper of Choice" | | Te Jim Grieve, owner of Port Perry IGA, has implemented a num- ber of measures to combat shoplifting in his Queen Street store including the use of an outside security firm. See story. - Commercial Distributor for : RQ PARA PrP A | N T § "FLOORING 126 Water St., Port Perry 985-1226 and at the Stouffville Flea Market (at the water tower) Saturday & Sunday 8am to 4pm CARPET OUTLET REMNANTS is ol=To1 r= TolU ETS T=\Y Te IR Unmatched Selection - Wholesale - 2 CEASE ISR EEE EERE E Expert Installation - Free Estimates O1=Tr=1g [eM HIRAI) B sl [eTo]g] gle IGA retains security to curtail shoplifting By Scott Anderson Port Perry Star * Like a lot of store owners, es- pecially in the smaller commu- nities, Jim Grieve didn't think shoplifting was a problem in his store or that it would happen in a community such as Port Perry. But then he began noticing trends and realized that his. store was not immune to the problem. "At first I didn't want to be- lieve it, but then I realized it was happening," he said. After realizing that it was a problem in his Port Perry IGA, Mr. Grieve began keeping a watchful eye out for shoplifters. He was surprised by who he caught. And he is still sur- prised. According to Mr. Grieve, in his 20-year ownership of the Queen Street store, it has run the gamut from young offenders to housewives and respected community figures. Mr. Grieve was content at first to take matters into his own hands, but he said it was ~~ & on just too time consuming to han- dle all that was Troll; in ap- prehending shoplifters. That's when he brought in an outside firm specializing in loss prevention to eradicate the problem. For the past 18 years, Mr. Grieve has relied on a private company to provide security in the store. These undercover offi- cers patrol the store aisles con- stantly on the lookout for pilfer- ers. These officers are showing re- sults as well. Mr. Grieve pointed to a recent two-week period in which a number. of people were apprehended. The shoplifter, according to Mr. Grieve, usually has an aver- age value of ods on their per- son of $12 to $15. The most pop- ular items are health and beauty care and meats. Mr. Grieve cannot say enough about the agency and the job they are doing to combat the problem. "They would have walked out of the store unnoticed if it wasn't for store security." edad And although it is an addi- tional cost that Mr. Grieve would rather not incur, he real- izes itis needed. "A few years ago] couldn't be- lieve that it would happen | ina small town, but now realize that it's another expense in keeping the business in line," 'Mr. Grieve said. - When the store detectives first began 18 years ago, he would use them once a year for a week or two, but as the size and volume of the store has .in- creased so has the need for more regular patrols. Despite having a handle on the problem now, Mr. Grieve cannot estimate how much he was losing due to the problem. But it has definitely paid off, he said. "If I let it run rampant, you couldn't even guess how much you would be losing." . The experience with the store detectives has rubbed off on all the employees at the IGA. Mr. Grieve said they have all be- come more vigilant. The em- ployees have been trained in store security as well. "My staff are pretty sharp as far as I'm concerned," he said. "I think the staff are doing a terrif- icjob." It is difficult to predict how many people are shoplifting and how much is lost as a result, said Sandy Ryrie, Staff Ser- geant with Durham Regional Police. Year-to-date, eight have been charged with shoplifting in Scu- gog. This is up from six for the same period in 1992; For the whole of Durham there have been 1,047 people charged with shoplifting, down from 1,080 for the same period last year. Despite store surveillance systems and personnel, Staff Sgt. Ryrie su; gests that the public should playa part in com- batting crime. "The police are the public and the public' are the police," he said. | He suggests customers should report incidents to a store employee and get the li- cence plate of a vehicle if they see somebody leaving the store. . He also suggests customers call 9-1-1 if they are witness to any incidents. He does not recommend peo- ple taking it upon themselves to apprehend the suspects. Noting the success to date in combatting the problem, Mr. Grieve said he will continue to implement measures to protect his store. "The bottom line is I know it's happening and you don't have to prove it to me. I'm going to con- tinue to have security in the store on a spot-check basis. It's going to deter these people," Mr. Grieve said. BUSINESS COMPUTERS FAMILY COMPUTERS New or Used Get the Full Package All Major Packages Hardware « Software Tutoring Setup » Support & Service Call WILLIAM M. SANDIFORD WILLIAM M. SANDIFORD JR. (416) 985-1877