Opinion

Who's that on the tube?

A phone call during the week moved the issue of the shoplifter's photo on display behind the counter to a big new arena. The call was from a director of the company behind whotube.com, Karen Flint, after she'd read my column about a Lake Macquarie retailer who believes he has no alternative but to display in his shop photos taken from CCTV video showing shoplifters at work.

Three months ago the Flint and Saxton families of the Maitland area, former or current police officers, launched whotube.com to show the video itself, and that is displayed in much the same way video is shown on YouTube. In the whotube system a retailer loads onto the website a clip of a person who appears to be stealing and beneath the clip is a tab inviting viewers to share any information they may have about the person shown pocketing the chocolate bar, stealing the $7500 macaw or committing a robbery. That information goes directly by email to the retailer. A pointed addition is an email alert that goes to registered users within a certain distance from the scene of the alleged crime when a video is loaded, and among those may be retailers who'll recognise the thief as one of their customers, one of their customers they'll no longer want. It's free, by the way, with the website owners hoping to turn a dollar with advertising.

Karen Flint says they have been assured by lawyers that they are not breaching the law by showing such video, and I'd imagine a lawyer came up with the disclaimer at the start of each clip: "‘‘Persons depicted in footage and/or videos have not necessarily committed any crime but may be able to assist the content provider with their inquiries.’’ I like that.

Is it fair? I mean, is it fair that a woman who steals a sandwich, as one woman appears to in a Newcastle East shop, be exposed to public disgrace? Should she be excused if she was hungry or penniless? One complainant, so far the only complainant, believes showing this particular clip is unfair.

Go to whotube.com and tell us whether it is technology delivering just deserts. Type Benalla into the Location box and see a woman taking a wallet left behind by a previous customer; type in Shortland and see an elderly man in a red hat appear to steal a chocolate bar or confectionery as he leaves a newsagency with a newspaper. Just deserts? And would you hit the tab to give the name? Have you?

Posted By: Jeff Corbett on 19/11/2011 3:00:00 AM | Comments (27)

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Jeff - put in a camera, and you can expose the egg throwers !!!

What a brilliant inovation - I love it.There are So many places to offer food and supplies to the really destitute - they should not need to steal.

Actually, you ought to see some of the flash cars that rock up to Christian Soup kitchens - there are robbers in every walk of life - believe me. I dobbed a couple of them in. The caring people don't need those sort of scumbags ripping off the poor. It's amazing isn't it!

Posted by Kurri 'n Rose, 19/11/2011 4:56:10 AM, on The Herald

It's the 21st century equivalent of having someone put in stocks on the street and having local villagers throw rotten fruit at them. If the law works we don't need this.

Posted by Stevo106, 19/11/2011 6:23:35 AM, on The Herald

But if it helps bring offenders before the law is it not a good thing, Stevo? After all, people are shown doing nothing more than they have done.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 19/11/2011 7:22:32 AM

Whotube is even better than putting someone in the stocks, it shows the actual crime being committed. Taking this further, why not have a few big flat panel TV's around the place continually showing these CCTV clips? Not only could it act as a deterrent it would help the general public identify these scum bags.

Posted by cardiffresident, 19/11/2011 9:37:08 AM, on The Herald

That site seems great. I'll be checking it often. I have no doubt i'll see some familiar faces eventually. If only they captured the weirdos who smashed the front wheel and slashed the tyres of my bike that I left chained up at Civic station the other week.

Posted by anonymous coward, 19/11/2011 9:41:25 AM, on The Herald

It's interesting to note that the Victorian Police don't have a problem with using this tool in their hunt for offenders.

Have the business owners thought a good clean of the camera lens may be in order for clearer pictures to be available.

Posted by tina, 19/11/2011 10:20:55 AM, on The Herald

Jeff showing the clip of the woman stealing the sandwich is far from being unfair.

She appears to be just a common thielf taking the opportunity to help herself at the business owners expense.

@Stevo the law isn't working and this is needed . Business owners are struggling and these grubs just make things worse .

There are plenty of charities as well as free hand outs from the Government at the taxpayers expense to look after these people so there is no reason for a grub like this to steal except their own greed !

Posted by Crazyivan, 19/11/2011 10:26:03 AM, on The Herald

Is stealing a problem in your shop, Crazyivan? I'd assume not, given that most of your customers would enthusiasts and hopefully a little more finely tuned than no hopers.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 19/11/2011 1:24:58 PM

@ Rose - where I am in the main street we ued to have the Salvo's just a couple of doors along and we would watch people park the latest BMW's and Mercs along futher then walk into the Salvo's for their box of free food then slink back to their cars.

When we remarked to the major about it he said they were aware of them but they couldn't knock anyone back who asked for the help. It did make me think twice about giving to charity when you see who abuses the system.

The well off who abuse the goodwill of any charity are as bad as the grubs who steal !

Posted by Crazyivan, 19/11/2011 10:55:35 AM, on The Herald

The moral to this story is.....If you are going to nick something, wear a Burka!

Posted by Bush Bunny, 19/11/2011 11:02:14 AM, on The Herald

It's a simple message to low life crooks. If you steal from me you will be shown to everyone and most likely identified.

However I am confused about the police comments. They say it's a great idea but they can't be seen to support commercial enterprise and yet they already use Facebook and Youtube? Arn't they commercial enterprise or are these websites not making any money?

To answer your question Jeff I will surely be assisting with supplying info which may lead to identifying persons for stealing from shops, even if it is just a sandwich.

Great idea!

Posted by jp, 19/11/2011 12:19:17 PM, on The Herald

I was fascinated by the woman taking the wallet left by the previous customer. She looked so much like your average punter but with incredible sleight of hand.

I wouldn't be surprised if Crazivan gets shoplifters as much as anyone...someone that just needs that one special item for their collection to be perfect, though myself I would find it hard to enjoy knowing I got it that way.

Posted by kimbo, 19/11/2011 2:00:00 PM, on The Herald

Her surprise on seeing the wallet is obvious but she recovered quickly. The whotube people told me that the wallet contained a lot of money just withdrawn by a previous customer going on holiday.

Posted by Jeff Corbett on 20/11/2011 10:40:25 AM

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