More and more shoplifting is taking place in our province. North Holland is somewhere at the top of the list with a 60 percent increase in thefts in shops. Henry Dupon has had a cigar shop in Zaandam for years and knows everything about it. “I started without a camera, decided to hang one up and now my whole business is full of it.”
Henry Dupon has been the proud owner of his cigar shop on the Kepplerstraat in Zaandam for decades. He knows many of his customers personally by name, has good contact with other shopkeepers in the street and works behind the cash register with a great team. But one thing does sting him: the many shopliftings. Because he also sees it increasing. “My entire shop is full of cameras. No less than eight. And to think that I actually have a very small business. But without that supervision, it is really impossible.”
The ANP news agency reports that 60 percent more shoplifting was reported in North Holland between January and March this year than in this period last year. Especially in the Zaanstreek it is doom and gloom. Thieves mainly know where to find Zaanstad. In the first period this year, almost a hundred shoplifting cases were reported there.
Henry does worry about it. He also has to deal with thefts in his business. “In 2019 I was robbed. That was so scary, you don’t want to experience that again. After that I started looking at my own security differently. Security systems in the store were overhauled,” says Henry, pointing to the many cameras that he now has hanging. He hopes that this will prevent possible thefts in the future. But no method is – unfortunately – watertight.
What Henry also regularly sees happen are customers who rob each other. “Recently someone dropped a 20 note. On CCTV I saw another customer pretending to tie his shoelaces and then picked up the banknote. He put it in his own pocket.” Fortunately, Henry has many regular customers with whom he is in contact. “This allows me to report thefts more quickly.”
Collection boxes stolen
Much of his regular ware is also behind glass. “Nicely under lock and key,” says Henry, as he greets an incoming customer in a friendly manner. “Expensive products are no longer available in the store, but behind the counter. A carton of cigarettes is easily 70 to 80 euros, so that adds up nicely.”
What Henry has since stopped doing is a collection box on his counter. “People could raise money for the cancer foundation and animal protection, but even that was stolen.” Security chains, with which the collection boxes were secured, were cut and taken away.
Worrying trend
The ANP bases the increase on analysis of police figures. A spokesman for the police calls the ‘disturbing trend’ especially annoying for the shopkeepers themselves. “Ultimately they are the victims. It is very annoying for them. And that increase continues per month, extra worrying.”
According to the police, a cause for the increasing number of shoplifting reports is difficult to substantiate. “It could be the price increases. That inflation makes people more inclined to take something with them without paying. But it could also be that shopkeepers simply file a declaration faster than before.”
In any case, the police say they are in constant talks with the retail industry to tackle theft. And Henry, how does he see the future? Is his store sufficiently resistant to theft? “I have cameras everywhere, every corner is covered. That’s all we can do.”