[05
DEC 00]] RUGBY
RETAIL CRIME ASSOCIATION NEWS
No Escape For The Terrible Twenty
The
worst shoplifters in Rugby, known as the 'Terrible Twenty', are facing
a torrid time if they continue to pilfer because of a new crackdown in
the town.
Already
seven of the 20 worst criminals that prey on shops in the town centre
have been arrested since a countywide initiative to prevent thieving
was relaunched last month.
An
anti-shoplifting scheme involving high-tech surveillance equipment was
launched in Rugby by traders last year.
The
net has now been widened by joining up with the Warwickshire Retail
Crime Initiative.
Susan
Mendoza, chair of the Rugby retail Crime association, said the early
breakthrough in snaring some of the worst offenders was an excellent
beginning to the scheme.
She
said:
”This
is a tremendous start and is a tribute to the retailers in the town,
who have just had enough of thieves ripping them off.
“What
people do not understand is that in the end it is the individual
manger or owner that has to bear the brunt of this sort of crime.
“It
is insidious and we will not put up with it any longer. The message
is clear to all shoplifters - don’t do it in rugby or you will be
caught and put away.”
Town
centre manger Robin Richter added:
“We
could not have got off to a better start. I know that the retailers
involved take all this shop theft very personally and are determined
to stamp it out”
He
said he hoped to see a similar scheme starting soon to put an end to
trouble in pubs and clubs in the town.
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