Staten Island Shoplifters Beware, Steal and Your Face Ends Up On Mall TV Screens

Photo: NY Daily News

I don't blame merchants for seeking innovative ways to combat shoplifting, but I wonder if this new idea is going a little too far. According to the NY Daily News, shoppers caught filling their stockings (or anything else) with stolen merchandise could find their faces flashing every six minutes on electronic billboards in the Staten Island Mall. The first-of-its-kind program, initially to feature five convicted Staten Island shoplifters, will run through Christmas.

"I wanted to do something just to warn people who might have ideas about shoplifting," said Staten Island District Attorney Dan Donovan, whose office created the program. "With economic times hard, more people might consider doing this. We just want people to be forewarned."

According to the NY Daily News, the digital mug shots in the 15-second ad are of five Staten Islanders already convicted of shoplifting. Yeah, scumbags, watch out....

This rogues' gallery could grow to include anyone arrested and convicted in the upcoming weeks, Donovan said. "We can put more people up, take more people down," he said. "If you shoplift in this mall, your picture may end up here, too." He also said that the intent is not to stigmatize the thieves, but to remind the estimated 1.3 million shoppers who will visit the mall between now and the end of the holidays of the crime's consequences. The cost of the ads was covered with assets forfeited by local criminals, and the DA's office got a discounted ad rate.

The district attorney worked with Adspace Digital Mall Network to create the ad, which will run between sales pitches for stores around the two-story mall. I can't say I blame him one bit. By any legal means necessary, especially in this tough economic climate.

Statistics indicated shoplifting was on the rise even before the current economic crisis. A survey of 24 top retailers showed 626,000 shoplifting arrests last year, up more than 9% from the previous year. The two dozen retailers reported nearly $7 billion in losses.

Merchants are losing money every day, which means less jobs and less revenue for the cities to collect. Tough love works in a lot of cases. So, scumbags beware....