Advertisement

Shoplifting in Stephenville 'obviously a big issue'

A coat. A block of cheese. Snowshoes. A knife. Coveralls. A fishing rod. Styling scissors.

All these items were reported as stolen in the Stephenville area in the last five days.

People are stealing "just about everything you can imagine," Bay St. George RCMP Cpl. John Butler told CBC News.

Many of the thefts are shoplifting, a petty crime.

However, it's one that is causing problems in the community.

'Our bread and butter'

Joelle Pittman called police Monday, after two sets of styling shears — valued between $150 and $200 — and some styling products went missing from the salon she works for, Shear Tekniques.

"It's our bread and butter. We use those shears to make our money," said Pittman.

"Everything here we buy ourselves, right down to our hairspray… so taking a $200 set of shears, just put us back $200. It's gone."

Pittman said without cameras, it's hard to pinpoint who's responsible. But she said one thing is obvious: Stephenville has a shoplifting problem.

"You go on Facebook and people are stealing people's snowshoes, and knives and IDs and wallets," said Pittman.

"It's obviously a big issue."

Repeat offenders

Butler said that while thieves have a range of motives, one common theme stands out.

"In speaking to some of the people after they're arrested, some of them are actually stealing to sell the items to support different addictions that they have," said Butler.

"They'll openly admit that to us."

Butler said there's no easy solution to the problem, with perpetrators handed a range of punishments — from being barred from businesses, to fines, to jail time — that don't seem to stick.

"A lot of the times we're dealing with the same people over and over again."

The Bay St. George RCMP shares shoplifting files with the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary in Corner Brook, as thieves will often travel to a different community to try and fly under the radar while they commit crimes.

But beyond putting attractive merchandise far from store entrances and exits, Butler doesn't know to stop the problem.

"I'd say it's quite difficult. It's been going on for a long time. And apart from putting everything in every store under lock and key, there's really no way."