Shoplifters target tourist goods in south-west

SHOPS in the south-west selling valuable tourist-type goods and gift items are being targeted by professional shoplifters.

Gardaí investigating the theft of luxury goods from shops in Killarney, Co Kerry, said yesterday they could not over-emphasise the value of close circuit TV (CCTV) cameras in solving such crimes.

Goods valued at thousands of euro, including crystal glass, have been taken by shoplifters, believed to be from Cork and Waterford, from a number of stores.

Expensive china and Waterford crystal are among the goods being targeted by light-fingered thieves.

Det Sgt Dan Keane, Killarney, said there was no comparison between the effectiveness of digital CCTV cameras and the old, one-month tapes being used in many stores.

“We’ve a much poorer success rate in shops that don’t have the CCTV systems, which are a huge aid to us in solving crime,” he pointed out.

“The quality is better and we can easily download footage from disks. I can’t overstate the value of such footage.”

In Killarney, leading outlets such as Christy’s Irish Stores and M.D. O’Shea’s have been hit by people believed to be professional shoplifters, some of them women. Last week, a sea horse worth €1,500 was taken from Christy’s, while a candleabra and a bowl, with a total value of €800, were taken from M.D. O’Shea’s.

Det Sgt Keane, who reported success with the investigations, advised shop owners to be careful about where they placed valuable goods in their premises.

In some cases, he said, people could pick up items and walk out the door with them.

He urged businesses to use cabinets and security chains.