Laptops are attractive to opportunist thieves, which is pretty obvious when we consider the number of laptops and netbooks that get stolen every single day.
Ok so we’re used to hearing about laptops disappearing from backs of cars, being whisked from under our noses at bus stations and at the airport or disappearing from under our desks or chairs but it’s not every day we hear about someone just walking in to a shop, asking to see a laptop and walking out with it. That’s just not clever.
For a start unless the thief is planning to make an immediate departure to another town they are likely to be recognised and they also run the risk of being chased and caught.
On saying that though, the sheer audacity of this type of theft would more than likely make most of us drop our jaw and stand there in total shock and disbelief before calling the police, or, if we were quick enough on our feet we might try and run after the thief, but not Paul Benge from Gisborne, he took an entirely different approach.
Mr Benge used technology to nab his man. He didn’t waste any time in taking what he saw as the most appropriate action, all things considered, and which did lead to him getting his laptop back and an arrest.
It all started when a man walked in off the street to a store called Business Applications in Gisborne of which Paul is the Director, and asked if he could see a laptop that would be suitable for his wife.
Mr Benge duly showed the thief masquerading as a potential customer a laptop but the cheeky guy picked it up and, popped it under his jacket when no one was looking and took off out of the shop along with the laptop. I mean what would you do?
Well hats off to Mr Benge who immediately scanned the security camera for footage and emailed an image of the suspect to everyone on his company’s database of local folk.
The action proved to be successful. More than 100 people responded to the email and an arrest was made the very next day.
Mr Benge of course is delighted with the response he got and to the cooperation he received from the local public.
“It just shows what a caring community we have in Gisborne. It was neat that people took the time and effort to reply, even if they did not recognise him.”
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