Uncovering ‘thieves, robbers’ could backfire for businesses

Companies are cautioned not to publicly name or embarrass people who they believe have been stealing from their facilities.

There has been a growing trend for companies to post security camera photos of people suspected of theft in full view of other customers and in storefronts for passersby to see.

Police say that while it is not illegal for companies to display and post security camera photos and videos on social media, they advised against doing so.

Privacy attorney Kathryn Dalziel is also concerned, saying it could be a high risk to the business itself.

“Are you absolutely sure they were stealing?

“It is a huge risk because if they are wrong, they have not only violated privacy, they have also violated defamation and possibly they are also being harassed,” he said.

In recent weeks, a dairy has posted two photos of two teens they say stole from a store, accompanied by the words ‘Shop Lifting’. if you know her please tell us, and ‘Shop Lifting if you see yourself please come pay. Otherwise, we will inform the police.

One supermarket had a billboard in the rogues’ gallery at the entrance, calling it the “best” in the suburb.

A hotel has put a photo on the bar of a customer who is said to have stolen a trailer from the parking lot.

In the dairy example, the teens appeared to be between 14 and 17 years old. The father of one of the children entered the dairy after the photos were uploaded and his son was acquitted of any crime.

The store owner told Star News that the oldest boy in the photo had stolen from the store multiple times since June.

“He’s been stealing things for a long time. Last time he took about $ 40 worth of products.”

When asked if it was fair to identify a minor and label him a thief, the owner replied “absolutely”.

“He was stealing in front of the staff.

“We have asked him to stop and just run away, I think that is a good warning to other young people,” he said.

The image has now been removed and the minor has been cleared of wrongdoing. Police is on the case.

Sergeant Major Roy Appley said the police understood why companies named and shamed companies, but there was always the possibility that they had made a mistake.

For example, when posts are posted on social media accusing people of crimes and identifying them, approximately 50 percent of the time they were innocent.

Appley also said that the public outing of children and youth could have a major effect on them.

“Anyone under the age of 18, whom we refer to as a young person, or under the age of 14 as a child, in my opinion, should never do [accused publicly] and it will only be done in the most extreme circumstances, “he said.

“It is not at all offensive, if you wish, for someone to put a photograph and try to identify someone who has been in your store.

“The problem always arises with whether what they claim the person has done is really what they did or not. The police would prefer that all matters related to the investigations be left to us.”

Dalziel said there are some problems with posting the photo along with the word “theft.”

“You are absolutely at risk of exceeding our privacy guidelines. It is a very high risk strategy.

“This kind of shaming people, there is absolutely no evidence that it will produce the result you hope for.

“The privacy law says that if it doesn’t achieve what you are trying to achieve, then you can’t do it,” he said.

He said it is important to be 100% certain of being correct before publicly labeling and identifying people.

– Star News