Marlborough businesses should let the police be their "bully boys", says community constable Russell Smith of Blenheim police.
Speaking to about 30 Marlborough business people as part of a Marlborough Chamber of Commerce and New Zealand Retailers Association police seminar on Friday morning, Mr Smith said local businesses needed to be vigilant in their security systems to lessen the chances of them becoming victims of crime.
He said the police were there to deal with people causing trouble, especially those who were violent or volatile. "Let us be your bully boys and let us take the problem away."
Mr Smith said shops could put several practices in place to deter potential opportunistic thieves.
These included rearranging the store layout so every part of the store could be seen, making sure the store was well lit, making sure customers were acknowledged as soon as they walked in, placing the till near the entrance, and installing security cameras.
"Believe me, opportunists learn very quickly if there are places they can go and get out without being seen."
Mr Smith said that if a potential thief thought they were being watched, could be seen or thought there were security cameras, it deterred them.
Mr Smith said big displays were a "mecca" for shoplifters, as staff were less likely to notice if products went missing from them. Likewise, expensive goods should be locked up.
He suggested keeping stock tidy and having a checking system so staff would know if something was missing.
Mr Smith said it was important that staff knew what to do if they suspected someone was shoplifting.
If their "spidey sense was tingling", they should call the police, he said.
But he warned them to remove themselves from the situation if a suspect became violent. In that case, the worker should either get the registration of the vehicle the suspect left in, or follow them at a safe distance and note down what the person was wearing and any distinctive features.
Mr Smith said the best idea was to follow a suspect outside and ask them to accompany a staff member back into the office, then call the police.
He offered to run free courses for businesses that wanted their staff to learn how to deal with different situations.
Farmers retail manager Anne Kenny said the seminar was very good, as it reinforced many of the business practices the department store had in place.
She said the seminar provided great ideas for businesses about how to protect themselves.
Retailers association regional manager Brian Finlayson plans to run a seminar on GST in June.
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