Shoplifters must be charged, says store owner

Shoplifters must be charged, says store owner
By Dan Hilborn, Burnaby Now assistant editor
Published May 17, 2003

One of the best known business people in the Heights is shaking his head in disbelief this week after seeing what he believes was a brazen thief get away with stealing $50 worth of European salami from his store.
Rino Cioffi, of Cioffi's Deli, said he watched in amazement as a woman walked into his store, stuffed the expensive sausage into a shopping bag and then went up to the counter to pay for only about $5 worth of merchandise.
Cioffi then watched the woman walk out of his shop and into a nearby restaurant. Cioffi followed the woman into the eatery, and found the female suspect sitting alone at a table. He also found his salami, still bearing the price tags from his store, stashed inside a distinctive shopping bag underneath the seats at the very next table.
When the RCMP responded to the call, the investigating officer told Cioffi did he not have enough evidence to charge the shoplifter with a crime, because he failed to keep the woman within his line of vision at all times.
"The cops tell me I don't have enough evidence to lay charges. I think it's a joke," Cioffi said. "Why aren't they pressing charges? I want them to, and I'm willing to go to court."
Staff Sgt. Cal Fister, commanding officer of the Hastings- Brentwood community police station, said the law is not that simple, because Cioffi admits he let his eyes off the bag for a few moments before following the suspect into the restaurant.
"There are many times when you think ‘My God, we should be able to take this to court,’ but the evidence can present a bit of a problem," said Fister. "There appears to be a problem here with the continuity of exhibits.
"Sure, his evidence sounds pretty convincing, all right, but the suspect could say, ‘oh that's not my bag,’ and then how do we prove it?"
Fister said police have to follow the guidelines for laying charges that are set by local Crown counsel, and this case does not appear to meet that high standard.
"I'm really frustrated," Cioffi said on May 9, two days after the incident and following a meeting with Fister. "I think the system needs to change to be tougher on these people."
In the meantime, Cioffi has been installing thousands of dollars of new security equipment into his shop in an attempt to slow down the growing number of thefts from his popular Italian food store.
As of this week, he has eight cameras inside the large, full- service deli and more are on the way.
He's also concerned that things could get worse if the City of Vancouver closes the Pacific National Exhibition and follows through with plans to turn Hastings Park into green space. With the ongoing crackdown on drug addicts in the downtown eastside of Vancouver, Cioffi believes more and more addicts will be moving closer to the Burnaby/ Vancouver border, becoming more of a problem for himself and his Heights area neighbours.
"I'd like to see the PNE stay where it is and upgrade it. They should make it worth something to go and see. We've got enough parks around here," he said.