CENTRE WELLINGTON – Local police are looking for help to identify those responsible for recent thefts here.
However, Wellington County OPP officials will not say at what businesses the thefts occurred and, in one case, did not identify the town in which it happened.
‘Products’ stolen
On April 19 the OPP issued a press release about an alleged theft that occurred at “a retail store” in Centre Wellington on March 31.
Police did not name the business, did not say in which town it is located and identified the stolen items simply as “$3,000 in products.”
The OPP did not release photos of two suspects and instead posted a grainy surveillance video on social media.
On the video the business appears to be an LCBO outlet, but police would not confirm that.
‘Tower Street South’
An April 19 press release from the OPP stated police were also looking for help to identify two people who “shoplifted approximately $10,000 in cosmetics” on April 9.
Again, police would not name the business involved, but did provide a location this time: Tower Street South in Fergus.
The OPP released a photo of the suspects, but one was wearing a mask and one had a baseball cap covering half his face.
The police description of the suspects mentioned only what they were wearing and identifies a suspect vehicle as a “white new model Volkswagen sedan.”
More ‘cosmetics’ stolen
Person of interest in April 11 theft in Fergus. Submitted photo
An April 18 press release from the OPP appealed to the public for help to solve what police call “a distraction theft” on April 11.
Police did not provide the name of the company, but stated it is located on Tower Street South in Fergus.
“It was reported that two unknown persons working together distracted a clerk and shoplifted thousands of dollars in cosmetics,” police stated in the press release.
Police released an image of one “person of interest” (above).
The OPP is asking anyone with information about any of these thefts to call 1-888-310-1122. To remain anonymous, call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or submit a tip at www.csgw.tips.
‘Victimization’
The OPP stated in a press release “we all lose when someone steals.
“Whether it’s through increased service charges or prices, we all pay the price for the self-serving acts of shoplifters.”
Asked by the Advertiser to confirm the name of the stores in the three incidents, the OPP refused, “in an effort to protect the privacy of the victim.”
When it was noted that police appeals for assistance to solve crimes would likely yield more results if people knew where the crimes occurred, OPP spokesperson Josh Cunningham agreed.
However, in an email to the Advertiser he stated providing that information could “cause more damage, real or perceived, to the victim.
“We have to respect that a victim, whether an individual or a business, still holds the right to be free from publicity that they might endure reporting a crime,” he stated.
Cunningham added, “Victimization is rarely just a monetary loss, it could also be a loss in security, reputation or any other fallout that the victim may not want.”
He concluded that police officials would “never want a victim afraid to report a crime because they fear an outing in public.”
