Smile, YOU could be on camera: The Warehouse trialling safety cameras as part of staff uniform
Retail crime swindles New Zealand businesses of $1 billion in direct losses each year, with The Warehouse now trialling new protective equipment for staff. The major retailer has been trialling different uniforms and personal protective equipment, with staff wearing items such as vests and cameras. Additional security had also been hired at some stores to help support staff, said The Warehouse's manager of national loss prevention, Phil Morley.
A customer who visited The Warehouse at Massey's Westgate Shopping Centre alerted the media to the trial after seeing cameras and questioning customer privacy. However, as long as there was signage in-store advising customers about the cameras, it was "absolutely legal", Retail NZ chief executive Greg Harford said. And due to the massive issue around retail crime, cameras were key to catching thieves. "Cameras are a key tool for crime prevention in-store and for the investigation of criminal activity in-store," Harford told. "A particular concern is that criminals are increasingly acting in an aggressive manner that endangers staff, and cameras are key to catching retail criminals." Morley said customers' privacy was something The Warehouse respected but signage was posted in stores stating the use of CCTV cameras. "The safety of our customers and our team members is paramount, and we are always looking at ways to improve our systems and processes." Managing director of First Retail Group Chris Wilkinson told cameras were likely not to be recording customers full-time. "Typically the cameras are only activated when staff are managing a situation, so customers shouldn't be concerned." The retail expert said cameras reduced risk through greater visible measures, kept people safe and limited their burden on the justice system. Elsewhere, retailers in the United Kingdom were even resorting to installing temporary lock-up cells in their stores to discourage thieves, Wilkinson said. He doubted they would be installed in New Zealand because the volumes of theft were far lower here but it highlighted the scale of the issue.
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Kiwis considering stealing from retailers were simply warned to "be prepared to be caught, prosecuted and trespassed", Wilkinson said. "Theft is a big issue, but so is the risk this causes to shop workers as thieves are becoming increasingly brazen in their approach and execution. "Retailers are watching, collaboratively sharing information and determined to reduce shop theft and antisocial behaviour. "From number plate recognition through to tracking suspicious behaviour, these cameras are an increasingly necessary part of keeping public areas safe."
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Poll: Should drivers retake the theory test every 10 years?
Drivers get where they need to go, but sometimes it seems that we are all abiding by different road rules (for example, the varying ways drivers indicate around a roundabout).
Do you think drivers should be required to take a quick driving theory test every 10 years?
Vote in the poll and share any road rules that you've seen bent! 😱
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49.5% Yes
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48.6% No
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1.9% Other - I'll share below
Here's Thursday's thinker!
I am lighter than air, but a hundred people cannot lift me. What am I?
Do you think you know the answer to our daily riddle? Don't spoil it for your neighbours! Simply 'Like' this post and we'll post the answer in the comments below at 2pm.
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Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Why make picking up reserved library books harder? What do you think? Challenge: Write the last stanza for the first poem attached below.
Once books are reserved in Auckland Libraries books, when they are available no longer go alphabetically by customer but instead go into a Holds pickup shelf number based presumably somehow on when each book needs to be picked up by.
I had two books reserved that arrived on two different days in the Blockhouse Bay Library and hence each book has a different shelf number. Hard to find unless you knew the shelf number in the notification email. Even if you knew the shelf number I found myself three books by the same author on the two shelf numbers.
More recently yesterday a book I reserved was on a different shelf number than was specified in my notification email (see image below).
Sadly it is clear from library staff that a numerical system for reserves is here to stay.
I suggest that so that all books for each person has the same shelf number, the shelf number becomes the last digit of a person's library card (0-9).
Within each shelf number a book is found under the day the reserve arrives in the library (01 to 31, hopefully the same date the email is sent).
Since a customer appears to have 10 days to pick up a book, ten days of the month would appear to be required at any time (for each digit 0-9).
Once there are 10 days used the next day's reserves could go back at the beginning of the shelf number after any remaining books not collected (hopefully none) are removed (along with the old day number and the new day number (01 to 31) inserted) after the last day available and future days' books remaining moved forward to make room.
Each day number (01-31) would appear once for each shelf number (0-9) before the first book on that day- perhaps cover an old withdrawn book with paper with each day number on the spine?
When a reserved book arrives in the library the last digit of the library card could be placed on a piece of paper in the book to be removed when it is put on the shelf, to be recycled the next day.
What do you think?
See the image below and page 3 below for a letter appearing in the Western Leader on 9 September:
www.neighbourly.co.nz...
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