European Stars And Stripes (Newspaper) - April 26, 1989, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Wednesday. April so 19b9 the stars and stripes Page 9 Sis dive Baa an cafes Emilii Etc looks of the bunk of monitors in a search for shoppers at let Frankfort exch in j c w to decide to pocket Roods without Putin i Tor them. New cameras helping cafes bag shoplifters by j ant he cells tier i tvs Taff writer Frankfurt Ecsi Germany he does t standout in a crowd pressed in Cassanda Shortr sleeved shirt. He lets his eyes glance up and then Hack Down As he slowly Steps around a clothing rack he s in no hurry. While appearing in browse his Yei May linger on someone and narrow a bit. No that s not a shoplifter. These Days the shifty eyed shopper in casual garb May be a member if the military cd change Security learn shoplifting in cafes Europe accounts for More than is million in losses each year and the Exchange system is approaching the problem aggressively. Security teams throughout Europe caught More than 3,000 store thieves in 1988. And with the introduction of incentive awards and a hot line for tipsters they re nabbing even More. Although More customers Are Caughley the warns unscrupulous employees Are More often found steal ing higher priced items in 1988, 7s0 employees stole if 6.000 Worth of merchandise while 2,2bo shoppers were responsible for 11 i Ito in losses. In Frankfurt last year cafes recovered $20,176 in merchandise from 49 employees said Shelby Douglas the Post Exchange operation manager. More than $2,000 of thai was recovered from two employees alone. During the saute.period.9.1 customers were caught Jtb $30,841 in merchandise from stores in Frankfurt. Thieves who weren t caught took an additional $8,000 in goods he said. But things Are Healing up rapidly or shoplifters in Frankfurt s main is change and sight and sound censer. Thanks to the november addition of a jl00.000 Security system the system a first for cafes Europe is Mode up of 32 fixed and it trite con rolled cameras with sensitive multidirectional lenses. Just after the new system was installed a a craved about seen or eight shoplifters per  said Tony Rivera Frankfurt s Exchange Security supervisor. Now we catch about 13 per month  figure Wilt of higher because we re gelling More Slatto Man the  at fir5ti the cameras were monitored 55 percent of the time but that has grown to 95 percent thanks to a staff increase during two hour shifts the Security personnel can concentrate on one area or follow a shopper through the store via camera. When  monitors or browsing around the to Exchange the seven staff members periodically visit facilities not covered by the cameras. Because of the new system s Success teams from of her american communities in Europe have travelled to Frankfurt to see How it works Rivera said adding that they a re eager to have it installed in their facilities. Still workers w to get 10 know Ilic system often find ways to steal items without being detected Douglas said. In food facilities for example employees might Lake extra soft drinks or food without paying. Or an employee might Mark Down an item for an accomplice or ring it up on n Cash Register at a lower Price sometimes an employee works alone but there have been Many cases of customer  Douglas said. When it comes to watching shoppers Security team members agreed that despite the Long hours of careful surveillance the Arity of store lie is usually keeps them from Gitl ing bored. One individual was Rigil below the camera and even kept looking up til it Rivera said. He walked into the Middle of the aisle and put stuff i n h is pocket then walked out of the store. Another Lime 1 was up in the men s department. A Guy no a fool from or was pulling Tajos off merchandise. He looked right at me turned and walked out of the store with in few shoplifters Are so blatant Rivera said some try to hide the lifted merchandise with their jackets. Others will pay for some hems and walk out with the rest. Another popular ploy is putting bottles of expensive Cologne into cheaper priced boils some people won t think twice about using their own children i Cra Aid explaining that Bixby carriers Are a common hiding spot for Sticky fingered shoppers detection mean being in the right place at the right Lime. It has.1 lotto do with Luck. Being caught is often n release for them a weight off their shoulders. They la do it As Tongas they can get away with it. Then when we catch them they say it s their first Lime but it never  be been doing it  when a shoplifter is patted. Rivera and Hii staff Don t approach the person until he or she has Kif the store. We be cot to be positively sure they be taken something Leforc we Stop them he said. Our policy is not to say much. We Tell them we feel they re in Possession of Aafke properly then detain them until the military police  rive Rasjid their kid Glove treatment of shoplifting suspects is sometimes Sci with surprised one Guy thanked me for treating him so Well Rivera said other say t speak no English but a speak German. It s sometimes comical. Usually there s no fight or fuss and they want to know How we caught  not All shoplifters go quietly however. Sometimes you get the ," Kivant said. One to can Ngor grabbed my legs and sobbed. Another went into temper tantrums because she frit so stupid for what she did often one captured thick toads to others to just lakes one person to spill their guts and take us into their Confidence to lend o rings Rivera said. Penalties for shoplifting vary depending on when her it s a repeated offence but the thief Almori always loses shopping privileges for at least six months. Accused employees Are handled the same Way As customers arid depending on the circumstances arc usually fired if they re guilty catching the Crooks requires patience above All. He Security team agreed. It takes Lime to select shoplifters Rivera said recalling that he once watched a customer for i to hours before the shopper eventually left the store with More than s200 in stolen merchandise. And when All tie hours of surveillance my up a thick a staff member s outer Calm May belie that inner thrill. When you Stan picking up on someone you Jet hyper said Cindy a surveillance team member who asked that Only her first name be used it exhilarating. You water their every move. You pay More attention to every detail sometimes the outcome is disappointing some people arc too Lay to carry a Basket so Thev put things in their pockets Rivera said. Then at inc Cash Register they Lake it All Oil and pay for it the Security team knows that for every shoplifter Hughl another is gelling away we re Only hitting inc tip of the iceberg Rivera said. There Are lots of pros and then some who do it on the Spur of the moment