Huron Expositor, 2000-02-16, Page 3Jackie.
titagics1
FULL SERVICE SALON
Main St., Seaforth
Gooayl 527-1743
Special report
Rema• • ining calm is key to surviving
when robbers target your store
sy Scott Hp.ndorft
Expositor Editor •Remain calm because the man
pointing his gun at you across the store
counter is_justas scared as you are.
That piece of advice from OPP
Community Services Officer Don
Shropshall could save your life during a
robbery.
"All they're interested in is getting
your money and getting out." said
Shropshall; He was speaking to
members of the. Business Improvement
Area last week and offered some advice
on how to handle a robber. '
"Remain -calm at all times when
dealing with these people." be said.
Any threat or reaction toward a
robber. outside of *hat he tells the clerk
• to do. could cause him to panic and use
the weapon he is carrying or lash out
with whatever might be available in the
store... • •
Shropshall said don't hold back any
. • money and make sure the robber knows
of any customers or other employees in
the store that the robber might not have
seen so he isn't surprised by someone: '
causing him to panic:
-"The product: or the.cash isn'tworth'
being injured or killed:. 'said
'Shropshall. stressing no one should try
' to intervene. ` •
While there hasn't been an incident in
Seafonh in recent years. in 1999. there
were six robberies and robbery attempts
OPP using
false alarm
policy now
Seaforth.businesses need to
be aware they face having
their alarms. disconnected for •
multiple false alarms to the
Police...
In.response to: concerns
.raised at a police services
board. meeting last fall that
police were responding to:a
high number of falsealarms.
an alarm policy has been put
in place_ • '.
W'e're wasting a lot of
time responding to false.
• alarrns." said Staff.Sergeant
George Lonsbary. '
Alarms are being. triggered
• accidently by store staff.
-Effective.. last. month.
anyone basing three false
alarms within -three months
will receive a written
warning.
Three more in three months
v ill lead to a second notice
and a.police response to their
alarm being put on a lower
pfionty toother calls.
The third time it happens.
the owner of the alarm faces.
has mg the service susPended..
Lonsbary doesn't expect
the problem will go -`far
enough to seer someone's
stn ice suspended but
recommends business owners
make sure birth they and. their
staff are aware -of how to use
the alarm properly.
in Huron. County. One from a gas
station in Goderich. two at variety
stores in Exeter. one: from a grocery
store in Huron Park as the- clerk left the
store and two in Clinton:. one at a
variety store and one from a resident at
an instanttelkr machine.
In this case. the woman did wrestle
with the robber. who had a revolver in
what Shropshall called an "extreme
fight. •
The woman. was held up after
withdrawing some cash from an instant
teller machine but rather than give up
her money. she fought with the man and
his revolver.
"Fortunately. she • wasn't shot but for
80 bucks. was it worth it? It wasn't.
Fortunately. he didn't pull the trigger."
said Shropshall.
And while she didn't lose her life. she
still lost the 880,after the struggle;
-If one does take place. Shropshall
said staff should lock all the doors once
the robber has left the store and should
watch for what direction he has left in
and what kind of vehicle is used.
He said staff should never activate the
alarm until they know it is safe to do so
and preserve any evidence that might
have been left behind.
Any notes, such as the kind a robber
might slip to a -bank teller. asking for
money. should be handled by the edges
because technolkgy allows them to -pull
fingerprints from the paper that the
robber might have left.
Shropshall said it's also important is
try and remember what the, robber might
have touched. such as a counter. and
keep it isolated to help police collect
fingerprints.
While witnesses may not want to stay
:Jinni police arri've. Shropshall said u, •
get names and contact numbers from
them.
He also said it's important to keep in
mind one of those witnesses might .hay e
been working with the robber and Ha,
inside the store to alert his or her partner
as to when to commit the" robbery.. _
If someone doesn't want to lease•a
name. he suggested trying to get the
person's licence plate number if they
leave in a vehicle.
And don't compare notes v. ith.other
staff about what happened during the
robbery. .
"Everybody - sees something
different." said Shropshall. •
• By•taiking .about what happened twi,
clerks will often end up with the exact
same story and police will mi
different details from each•clerk that
could become important. in tracking the
person down.
Shropshall. has made ay.aii,,le a
suspect identity. chart •that uses a
drawing 'of .a person to assist people in
describing everything from
features io clothing the.rohber.ua'
wearing: •
oro"
0101`\\
e�\'
00,0•9,1000,-,
.-.
.4y,
r
Stickers likes these are available from the Huron OPP in 0
crimeprooting package that helps deter criminals and assist
store owners and police. in thwarting or frocking o robber ,or
break and enter- suspect. Packages hove olio been
distributed 10 the Seaforth Business Improvement Area
Tour of local alley
reveals easy access
for professional burglars
A Huron Expositor tour of
. a Rival alley with OPP Staff -
Sergeant George. Lonsbary
• has resealed a lot of work -to
be done w better crimeproof
Seafonh stores. •
While the alley was
reasonably clear of debris
• and` hididg places, there were
a number of loose becks on
the ground •that could- be
thrown. into the few lower
windows of. sump of the
buildings: making for easy
entry.. .
We observed only a few
glass -windows that woulp
.proside.taiy access inside
the stores from the seclusion
of the alley. .
Beyond • garbage
dumpsters, parked. vehicles
and some nooks and'crannies
created by. the shape of the
.buildings. there ,Were few
eittra hiding places created
by•. shrubs' or other
obstructions -that. police
recommend be removed to
gibe thieves fewer places to
hide from passersby. f.
However, several rear
doors were found not very
secure with one bearing the
signs of being pried open
more than once.
Two had hinges exposed to
the outside of the building,
Making it potentially 'easy to
pry out the pins and. remove
the door 10 get inside. -
We obsers ed that 'while
.one was - spot _.welded,
overcoming the installation
oversight, the other's hinges
were pinned with long nails'
easily pulled out, leaving the
storevulnerable to thieves if
the door- wasn't better
secured from the inside, out
of our sight.
Air conditioning units
provide a potentially easy
accesi.for thieves, who can.
just push them inside., •
Our tour found two
accessible from `the ground.
Both were.blocked by metal
grates but while, one..was
Securely spot-welded to the
wall, the other could .easily
be unbolted or pried loose
from the rotting wood it was
attached to..•
despite, the
discoveries, Lonsbary said
the alley was not too bad
compared to some he has.
seek in other communities
but that businesses needed to
clean out the debris and
make - some. structural
changes if they wanted to
discourage someone from
breaking in. •
The Hwtos
Expositor
• it
seafortn it bowesnet. corn
Becky Carotell
Graduate of
• SPS
' SDMS
• Canadian College
of Massage &
►4ydrotnerapy
527-2058
onry hurts. A,ou don't carr'
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;OO„ THINK SPRING ,
PRIZES
Chemical Meeting Paye,
New pr:d:.crs, new registrations, now edeas -
Friday, February 18, 2000
at the Seaforth Ag Building
9:30 am to 12:30 pm ; ^ch provided ar 72?C acro
Reply By Feb. 17 To Make Lunch Arrangements
...Call 345-2545
HEALTH ON THE HILL
A Rev iew of activities at
SEAFORTH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL
HEALTHY ACTIVE SENIORS if u are using
independently in the community. a Falls Prevention Program
•'STEADti' AS- GO" a fun. intormativt :essi, n. is }ting
offered at Seaforth Community Hospital February 22nd 10:30 -
12:00 noon. Pre -registration is petessary. Please.!contact
Monica'Gingerich. Town & Country Support Services 482-9264
or 5targuente Thomas. Huron Cinmry Public Health 48,7-2-t lb or
l -8(X)-265-518.1 A client handbook' to self.assess personal n -k
for falling -= footwear. 'iii on. and home assessmeni including
floor coserings will be teaturcd .A vide,,. 'Fitness for Preveniing
Falls.' with strategies tip improve leg strength and halan.e w1I1
also be available. According to statistic,. the tuur-big nsi :Acton
rn ,st often linkedto falls are lack of leg strength. Foot hwance..
anattentkieness and taking chances
GRIEF REC'OVERV' WORKSHOP urc.,m7ng %tondo).
Niarch:27, 2000 to be held at Seafonh Man r. Activity R,'„in
Lower Level i Pre -registration will he reyuircd 'For further .
information contact- Shirley Dinsmore. Director Huron t-h'rice
Volunteer Service 527-txv55
Are you the parent of a nen- baby? If so. we havr a program "•,1
mtr::st t„ you Regardless til where you delnered. yiju and )our
bah) are welcome to attend each Fnda) morning. a New Parent
Support 5ersie. ” %fornrng'Out- from 1000 to 1,1 10 .i m at
fC,11 ,rth Community Hospital Karen Searle. Facilitator invite,.
you -to share information and experiences. also dueussesa varlet\
of postpartum topics Baby's weight end growth arc monitored.
Weekly topics arrr:h,'.en M parents: Older siblings are welcome
with super ision and activities pros ided on a pre -registration
hail, For tunher inforrpati,'n .Ind to registerplease matt
Grace DoIrnage (Mon Fri i at 527 3001
HARDI® Sprayer Clinic
February 24, 1 p.m.
at McGavin's Shop in Walton
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