York sheriff hopes new decal will deter shoplifters

The York County Sheriff’s Office is using the power of social media to fight shoplifting.

The sheriff’s office and Crime Stoppers of York County developed a decal that reads: “Free picture on Crime Stoppers of York County if you steal from this store.”

The hope is someone will think twice before stealing from a store with the fear their photo will be shared multiple times on the Internet and through the news media, said sheriff’s spokesman Trent Faris.

York County deputies have investigated about 300 shoplifting cases in the past two years, Faris said, and have responded to more than 120 cases so far this year. Nationwide, more than 10 million people have been caught shoplifting in the last five years.

“Shoplifting affects more than the offender; it hurts everyone,” Sheriff Bruce Bryant said in a statement. “It overburdens our officers and the courts, adds to a store’s expenses and costs customers more for goods which in turn costs communities lost dollars in sales taxes.”

The decals are in limited supply. Faris said district commanders will have decals for businesses they feel are in need of a shoplifting deterrent. Any business owner who wants a decal should call the sheriff’s office at 803-628-3059 and ask for the public information officer or the crime prevention officer.

This story was originally published October 15, 2015 at 1:48 PM with the headline "York sheriff hopes new decal will deter shoplifters."