SHOPKEEPERS in the south east are forking out thousands of euros to monitor their supermarkets and kiosks after sudden a surge in shoplifting.
CCTV cameras, linked to computers, are becoming a common sight, with some businesses installing ‘Fort Knox’ type systems to protect their investments.
Unlike the UK, where the shoplifting fraternity tend to steal DVDs, expensive liquor and electronic goods, shopkeepers say thieves in Cyprus are much less discerning and anything goes.
“They take what ever they can, especially if it is displayed outside the shop. They take suntan lotion, newspapers, flip flops and someone even walked off with an inflatable crocodile which was nearly two metres tall,” Kyriacos, a shopkeeper from Protaras told the Cyprus Mail.
“I know it is happening everywhere, but I can’t call the police every time someone steals a plastic beach ball. I bring my two sons to help me during the summer, they keep an eye on suspicious customers, but some people will still try to steal goods,” he said.
The days of shops being manned by one person are long gone, with most stores on the main streets and Protaras and Ayia Napa having to hire extra staff during the summer season just to keep an eye on customers.
Irina Stylli, the technical director of Handy’s Security Systems, confirmed that in recent months demand for security cameras had increased dramatically.
“We have had great demand for new installations, shop owners want cameras, alarms and some want landline systems so they can monitor their shops from home,” she said.
A middle ranged security camera system can cost between €800-€1,000 euros, but more expensive devices are available which can be linked live to either the local police station or private security firms.
“The increase in crime comes during the holiday periods with many foreigners and tourists stealing, it is a problem everywhere at the moment,” Stylli added.
One shop owner in Ayia Napa told the Cyprus Mail that a thief recently made off with a plastic cigarette advertising display stand when his back was turned.
“Why would you take something like that? There was a single packet of cigarettes inside a small case; they wanted it just for the cigarettes, which only cost €3,” he said.
Shoplifting, he said, is his biggest problem, with small stores like his being more vulnerable than the larger supermarkets.
Panayotis Pelekanos who runs the local security site alarms4all.com, a company which installs security devices, also reports a considerable increase in orders.
“Crime is rising and people never consider an alarm or security system until they are targeted. Home owners want alarms and kiosks and shops want to watch people with CCTV. We have been doing a lot of work in the Larnaca district recently, where there have been more cases of break-ins,” he said.
