It just wasn’t her day.

The man picked up an item and ran out of the store. All 300 pounds of him. And right behind him she ran. All 120 pounds of her.

Perhaps it was the surprise of a rather petite woman tackling him that held him in check until police arrived. But, regardless, he was arrested for shoplifting.

True story. It happened a couple of years ago.

But Yon Line doesn’t have to rely anymore on fast footwork and linebacker skills to stop shoplifters. There’s a police training course aimed at teaching business managers and owners how to keep their property safer.

“I learned a lot from it,” said Line, manager of Ferse’s 5&10. “I learned what to watch for and what not to watch. They kind of show you how the shoplifter thinks.”

Offered by the Orangeburg Department of Public Safety, the Business Watch program is aimed at giving business owners training so they don’t have to learn from the school of hard knocks.

“The focus of that whole program is to assist the business owner and to deter the potential criminal,” Orangeburg Department of Public Safety Chief Wendell Davis said. “Frankly, what the criminal mind seeks to do is to have a target that is relatively easy.”

ODPS officers in the program will do a survey of a business, inside and out, and offer tips and suggestions to the business owner which can deter shoplifters and possibly prevent more serious crimes, such as armed robbery.

“What we’re offering to the business is a business safety analysis,” ODPS First Sgt. Ackwele Polidore said. “It’s designed to assist the business and promote safe operation.”

If a business owner requests the analysis, police will come in to inspect lighting and landscaping outside the property.

They’ll look for overgrown brush and hedges that could conceal a potential mugger. They’ll also inspect the advertisements in the windows, but not to see what’s on sale.

“If the windows are covered with signs and posters, we can’t see in if something’s going on,” PSO Michael Jones said.

Inside, officers will look at a number of things, including placement of the register, security cameras and the level of clutter in the aisles.

“Most businesses like to get as much merchandise in a business as possible,” Jones said. “When you have that much merchandise in a store, it’s easy for the bad guy to come in and pick up one or two items.”

Davis says participating in the program isn’t a 100 percent guarantee that all crime will be deterred, but “it increases our chances of apprehending the suspect.”

One aspect of the collegiate level course in crime prevention is that it costs far less than a college textbook on criminology.

“Free, free training,” Podimore said. “We work around our schedule and their schedule.”

Businesses are given a checklist after the inspection, along with height strip tape to place by their doors.

There’s also a “Signal-25” program for nervous cashiers or business owners who notice an individual in their facility acting suspiciously. Call the police – they check it out for you.

Line says she’s not gotten softer on crime after 21 years in the retail business. But she’s chasing fewer shoplifters. And that suits her just fine.

“We really appreciate it, it helps a lot,” Line said of the Business Watch program. “We feel more secure, I don’t have to worry about somebody watching us.”

If any business owner or manager in the Orangeburg city limits is interested in scheduling a free business analysis, call 803-533-4113.

You must be logged in to comment.