December 19, 2003
Text messaging thwarts xmas shoplifters
The Christchurch police of New Zealand are using text messaging to battle against shoplifting in the busy lead up to Christmas, according to an article in the Christchurch Star.
The police have been working with store security officers from all over the city, e Txting each other details of shoplifters and their vehicles.
Recent incidents included:
"Three people were caught and arrested while shoplifting in a central city store. Through e txted messages they were tracked in other malls around the city and eventually through observation of their vehicle registration number, they were located 10 minutes later at another mall with a van laden with $1400 worth of stolen property --- mostly clothes taken earlier from yet another mall.
Elsewhere, a man in his thirties was observed putting CDs down his trousers at a city store. This was reported via txt to other stores and stills of the man taken off video surveillance were txted around town within minutes. Using these photos for identification the man was apprehended by a store security guard and arrested".
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