Putting a face on shoplifting

The owner of Ted’s Hobby Shop in the Pointe Claire Plaza has been a victim of shoplifting and has decided to post video images of an alleged repeat offender.

Last fall, a man named 'Robert' marched in and stole a memorabilia airplane worth $200, according to Ted’s owner who didn't want his name published.

The customer, who introduced himself as “Robert,” was a Caucasian middle-aged man wearing a white hat and coat. He asked the clerk if a model helicopter could be taken out of the box for a closer look. After observing it, “Robert” said he would return to purchase it but needed to show his wife first.

Instead, the suspect “circles my store to watch all my employees, comes back in, takes it then says ‘bye’,” the shop owner said.

Two weeks later, “Robert” returned while the owner was at home. He asked another clerk, unaware of his previous visit, for helicopter parts and got away with more accessories. “I can’t be here to close seven days a week,” said the shop owner, a married man and father of three. "It’s not the first time I get robbed. I’m just mad at the balls this guy had.”

Rather than calling the police, the shop owner took matters into his own hands by posting printed pictures of “Robert” from the store video camera on his display windows. The suspect is seen in a sequence of blurry photos walking around with a box in his hands and placing the item in his coat as he’s walking out.

The shop owner added comments on each of the photos such as "thief," "criminal" and a stating he must be kept "out of this mall" and not to "trust this man."

The shop owner believes the photos should remain posted. “I don’t want this guy in this mall again,” he said.

Officers at the nearby Montreal police Station 5 would have preferred the shop owner report the crime directly instead of posting photos to scare the suspect away. “There’s no problem (for shop owners posting wanted photos) but we prefer (shop owners) press charges; usually (shoplifting) is chronic. If (shoplifters) do it once they’ll do it again,” said Const. Helene Jubinville. “Right now he’s scaring him off, and he has little chance of being caught and he’ll just go on to the next place.”

In the year since Ted’s owner placed the photos, “Robert” has not been seen in the store.

Ted’s Hobby Shop is not the only one to take the fight against theft to its windows. The Uniprix just a few metres away decided to do the same for shoplifters and credit card fraudsters about six months ago.

The Plaza’s Uniprix is well guarded, according Steven Campese, director of Uniprix security. Photos are used as "bonuses" for those escaping the store’s undercover agents who are ready to apprehend any shoplifters. “Since we put the photos we caught between five and 10 people (who shoplifted), some (customers walking by) recognize the people in the photos and tell us, others turn themselves in,” Campese said. "Calling the cops (first) won’t do anything; we don’t have a name.”