Owners of a popular St. John’s business are frustrated with the frequency and brazen nature of criminal activity at their store.
Ivy and Greg Hanley have been running the Urban Market on Lemarchant Road for the last four years, and while they’ve been hit before, they say thefts have escalated in recent weeks.
They say thieves are stealing from the business on a daily basis, sometimes several times a day.
Ivy Hanley says the brazenness of the thefts is what she finds most shocking, adding that her staff have been instructed not to confront the culprits, though some have been asked to remove items from a bag or jacket.
“They’ve been met with very, very hurtful, sometimes even derogatory remarks that are threatening,” she said.
Other businesses in the area have put stronger measures in place, including hiring security and keeping doors locked, requiring staff to buzz customers in.
The owners of the Urban Market have also resorted to posting pictures online of people who have targeted their store.
Greg Hanley says while increased enforcement is one thing, they have questions about the law itself.
He says when they reported the name of a suspect to a police officer following a recent theft, “she had arrested him twice the week before. It’s obviously a revolving door.”
RNC Const. James Cadigan says it is difficult to stop repeat offenders.
“Because when they have grounds to lay a charge, they send that matter to the courts to decide what will happen next.”