European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - November 30, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                A Etc o v e r h  a a this is what an cafes sales floor might took Tike if you were peering through a ceiling camera. A amps Wayn v. Half cafes Security Means by Jon Connor staff writer none thinking about shoplifting in an army and air Force Exchange service store Wou id be Wise to think  Europe like stores in the states has an aggressive Security program designed to Jeter shoplifting it primarily involves Lidden cameras with wide and telephoto lenses and floor walking detectives posing As customers watching for illegal shopping activity. Some exchanges even have cubbyhole Quot overlooking the shopping areas where Security personnel Perch hidden behind smoke coloured two Way mirrors watching shoppers every move. Along with this sales associates Are Given training in Security to detect. Shoplifting. It comes to ining cafes Europe officials say these preventive measures Are needed because deterrence is the first step in reducing shoplifting. Security personnel can see just about whatever they want in the Exchange thanks to the surveillance cameras. The cameras Are so powerful they say that serial numbers on paper Money exchanged at the Cash registers Are nearly readable. At the of Forth Post Exchange located on the Northeast Side Nurnberg Germany a Magnet store with three Levels of shopping 50-some cameras. Scan the Exchange. Keeping an attentive Eye on the cameras Are cafes Security personnel who sit in a Small room that resembles a director s control room in a television studio. There Security personnel continuously Monitor the daily goings on in the Exchange except for in dressing rooms and bathrooms. Quot we try to keep people in Here the monitoring room at All times Quot said Russell Minehart the Nurnberg Exchange s detective manager. Using a $100,000 electronic video surveillance system Security personnel can push buttons for tight Dos  or zoom out for wide angles and move the Lens to a variety of positions. While Security personnel Are viewing the monitors a videocassette recorder is taping selected monitors for later viewing. Videotaping is even done when the Exchange is closed primarily of the doorways Minehart said. Besides the cameras Security personnel walk the floor posing As customers. Sometimes they Are paired up to look like a married couple. As they browse through merchandise they also watch other shoppers and keep an Eye out for suspicious  Security personnel have backgrounds in military Law continued on Page 18 closer look getting caught can carry a heavy Price it looks like its going to be Abue Christmas for some cafes customers this year. That s because they attempted to shoplift at an Exchange and got caught shoplifting at an cafes outlet is theft against the . Government according to Ward Hawley chief of a fest safety and Security Europe Field office. He said that All shoplifting incidents become a matter of military police record. Appropriate commanders Are notified regardless of whether the offender is military civilian or a family member. And that also Means an automatic loss of a minimum of six months of shopping privileges at All cafes outlets and possible Community work he said. For those in the military being caught shoplifting can be a career scorcher. Major offences can result in a court martial proceeding and a possible prison sentence. Depending service affiliation the army a criminal investigation come or the air Force s office of special investigations will be called in when the value of stolen merchandise is $1,000 More. While guilty family members and civilians usually Aren t fined or sent to prison for shoplifting Low value items they still Are Quot titled with a crime and then have a Federal record Hawley said. In addition a report is made with the Exchange service and is stored in its files 84s Wayn v. Hall Ward Hawley Heads cafes Security in Europe. Forever and could affect future employment opportunities with cafes he said. Quot if its big enough Quot he said Quot the Pollei will get  family members can be sent Home he added. According to Hawley cosmetics. Jewelry gift Ware and electronic department items like compact discs have been popular among thieves during the holidays. One tactic customers use to shoplift jewelry is to Wear costume jewelry into the Exchange and then ask a sales associate for assistance. Once the clerk brings out the real jewelery the customer makes a switch when things get hectic at the counter cafes tries to counter this by hiring temporary sales associates and Exchange detectives to handle the Hustle and Bustle of the Christmas season. The Downside in Ferms of Security is that these employees have less training in controlling shoplifting than regular employees do Hawley said. A Jon Connor wednesday november 30,1994 the stars Ano stripes 17