Facebook users ID suspected shoplifters

A Carterton business has harnessed the power of social media to identify a pair of men they are accusing of theft.

The owners of Sargent Motorcycles posted CCTV images of two men, who they believe were stealing accessories from the store, on their Facebook page and say within five hours they had been recognised and named.

Kelly Sargent said after a break-in in January, the business had beefed up security and they were able to contact their security firm to get clear images of their suspects. Posting images online was a warning to both thieves and shop owners.

"The message to thieves is, we just don't want them in our shop. If you can't pay for it, don't get it."

"I've seen other local companies do it, and I think that we can help other businesses or other people ..." As of yesterday, the post had 32,000 views.

The men had seemed friendly, chatting with staff, Mrs Sargent said. It was not until after they left that staff discovered about $150 worth of goods, including gloves, grips and goggles, had been taken.

There was an element of "name and shame" in using social media, Mrs Sargent said.

"We want to get it out there that we are not an easy target. If you are going to do it, that is what is going to happen.

"The shaming part of it may potentially stop [thieves] from doing it in the future."

Small businesses like theirs could not afford to ignore shoplifting, Mrs Sargent said.

"It's the principle of it. If you get somebody doing that once a week it adds up over the year. We are a family-run business - we are not a massive corporate business.

"We can't afford to take losses like that all the time," she said.

The names of the two men, as provided by the Facebook community, have since been passed on to police.