Launceston retailers are losing tens of thousands of dollars each year to thieves and now they are speaking out about the issue.
Subscribe now for unlimited access.
$0/
(min cost $0)
or signup to continue reading
One of those retailers is Autobarn Launceston owner Rod Patterson, who is forced to make a report to the police “every single week”.
Within his first four weeks of owning the store he received a call to say they had been burgled.
Now, more than two decades later and the frustrated businessman said the issue had only gotten worse.
“We risked everything to go into business and people feel it is their God-given right to come in, take what they want and not pay for it,” he said.
Having spent upwards of $60,000 on security infrastructure to minimise the impact on his operations, Mr Patterson is calling on the community for help and demanding a cultural change.
“The community needs to understand that if they see something online that’s cheap, there’s probably a reason it is cheap and there’s a fair chance it could be stolen,” he said.
“If we can educate the community to stop creating demand, then that may be part of how we start reducing stealing.”
Tasmania Police Northern Commander Brett Smith said the number of stealing offences reported to police in Launceston had been “consistently the same for the last three years”, with nearly 300 reported within the past nine months.
“Stealing from shops is a crime, we don’t take this issue lightly and we will treat these offenders as criminals,” he said.
“If they are caught, they will be arrested and taken to police headquarters to be dealt with and then put before the courts.”
Commander Smith encouraged business owners to report all stealing matters to police.
“We certainly don’t want people to take unnecessary risks by trying to apprehend offenders … call the police and we will respond,” he said.
“We want to make sure the community feels that they can shop safely anywhere around Launceston and that retailers have the confidence that they can have a fair go at making a business work.”
He also urged the public to be aware it is a crime to knowingly receive stolen goods.
“People that purchase something cheap online really need to be aware … it is not a bargain for the community if people buy property that is stolen, it is in fact doing the community a lot of harm,” Commander Smith said.
“We also know that in some cases people will steal from shops in order to get quick cash to buy drugs.
“So if people are buying that property off those types of people, they are potentially feeding a drug habit.”
Police Minister Rene Hidding said the government was committed to supporting retailers, having invested $115,000 for a new Crime Stoppers anti-shoplifting campaign.
“For some businesses, the impact of people stealing from their shops can lead to job losses and even the closure of their doors,” he said.
“We make no apologies for being on tough on crime and making Tasmania not only a safer place for the community, but also more attractive for business investment.”
Anyone with information about theft from stores in Launceston should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000.