Police in Launceston are continuing to crack down on the issue of ‘shop stealing’.
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Hosting a meeting on Wednesday night, members of the business community, Cityprom and Tasmania Police discussed strategies to stop thieves.
Representing Tasmania Police at the meeting was Northern Commander Brett Smith and Launceston acting inspector Justin Bidgood, as well as Crime Stoppers Tasmania general manager Ron Franks.
Acting inspector Bidgood said it was a “positive” and “engaging” night.
“It was about engaging with business owners and reinforcing that police will respond to reported crimes and actively investigate them,” he said.
“We’re getting the businesses to help us prevent the crime through their own security measures and their own crime prevention strategies.”
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One business owner who attended the meeting was Autobarn owner Rod Patterson, who has been at the forefront of the campaign against shop stealing.
Mr Patterson has spent upwards of $60,000 on security infrastructure and been dealing with thieves for more than two decades.
“We were very pleased with the turnout at the meeting, the police were very informative about how they are taking the issue on and there were some very good strategies,” he said.
Mr Patterson said it continued to be a major issue for retailers in Launceston, with shops having to fork out cash to upgrade CCTV cameras.
“It’s sad because that’s money that could be reinvested in their business or to put on more employees,” he said.
“We have said it before and we will say it again, this is not a police issue, it’s not a business issue, this is a community issue. People need to stop creating the demand.”
Both acting inspector Bidgood and Mr Patterson said the key message from the meeting was ‘report shop stealing to the police’.
Shop stealing can be reported to Tasmania Police by calling 131 444 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au.