Although she’s worked behind a convenience store counter for
three years, Aidan Mitchell says the fear of someone walking into
the store, waving around a knife or gun and demanding money doesn’t
ever go away.
“It’s scary because every time there’s a robbery, someone has to
come in here and tell me about it while I’m working until midnight
by myself,” said Mitchell, a clerk at Cara’s Convenience on Lorne
St.
The store’s owner, Luigi Tarini, said robberies are always a
concern and that he’s fortunate there’s only been a single incident
at the store since it opened in 1988.
“We’re fairly busy so the opportunity doesn’t always arise,”
said Tarini.
A sharp increase in the number of store robberies for the first
three months of 2006 prompted Greater Sudbury Police to publish a
news release providing some robbery prevention tips to local store
owners.
“They aren’t extremely high numbers but all of a sudden we had a
few robberies in a row and so we decided that we would put
something out,” said GSP Const. Bert Lapalme.
The tips can’t guarantee complete freedom from the
possibility of being victimized, but they can serve as a deterrent,
causing a would-be robber to think twice before going ahead with
his criminal plan.
“They’re great tips,” said Tarini.
Lapalme said that while all the tips have their merit, there are
a couple on the list he would like to see store owners take more
notice of.
The first is to keep windows and doors free from advertisements,
posters and other displays.
“We try to convince store owners to keep their windows and
doorways clear so that anybody driving by the store would have a
clear view inside the store,” said Lapalme. “I would be able to see
whether or not there was anyone standing there with a knife or a
gun.”
He understands why the stores put posters in the window, but
that they often conceal a robbery in progress.
Cara’s Convenience has a few large windows in the front of the
store and while there are advertisements, there’s still a good view
inside the store.
“Every time people bring signs . . . we tell them not to put it
on the window,” said Mitchell.
The Jem Mart on Douglas St., has only got a couple of small
store-front windows near the counter, but they’re completely
covered by the tobacco shelves behind the counter.
The store’s owner, who wished to remain anonymous, said there
isn’t much he can do because of the layout of the
store.
Lapalme understands that it may not always be feasible, but
suggests having two employees working at the same time, especially
during night shifts.
He said stores with two clerks working are less likely to be the
target of a robbery.
Tarini said he’s got two employees working, but only until 9 pm.
His store stays open until midnight and the one and only robbery in
the store’s history took place 10 minutes before closing while
there was only one employee working.
The Jem Mart owner said he has two people working as much as he
can.
Another tip that came highly recommended from Lapalme is keeping
as little cash in the register as possible.
“Although we never advertise how much money is stolen in these
robberies, it’s never an extreme amount,” said Lapalme.
Mitchell had seen some of the police tips before but said there
were a few on the police list that she thought were a good a idea;
such as not standing behind the counter while no one is in the
store and greeting every customer that walks through the
door.
Greeting customers and making eye contact might also cause a
robber to second-guess himself, for fear that he might be
easily identified to the police, said Lapalme.
The final tip Lapalme offered had nothing to do with crime
prevention, but rather making sure no one gets hurt once a robbery
is in progress. This means giving a robber what they want and not
trying to be a hero and fighting back.
Mitchell said that’s what she’s been told to do by her bosses in
case of a robbery.
“Just give them the money, what else can you do,” she asks. “I’d
hand them the money, it’s not worth my life.”
For more information or tips on robbery prevention, contact Greater Sudbury Police at 675-9171, ext. 2102 or 2103.
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