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Cobble Hill Trader Joe's Hit with Another Theft, But Still Has No Cameras

Police say they are making regular visits to the store to deter crime.
Police say they are making regular visits to the store to deter crime.
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DNAinfo/ Nguyen Tuan

COBBLE HILL — Trader Joe's, which has refused to install security cameras despite a rash of thefts there, was the scene of another crime last week, officials said.

On June 2, at around 5:20 p.m., a woman discovered her purse missing when she went to the cashier to pay for her groceries.

There were five other thefts inside the popular grocery store at 130 Court St., where officials have so far refused to heed police advice to install surveillance cameras.

"No one wants to use the stick when you can use the power of your voice," said Capt. Jeffrey Schiff, commanding officer of the 76th Precinct, at a community council meeting Tuesday.

"So far, they have been open to talking with us."

Schiff told neighbors at the meeting that he will continue to send police officers to the store regularly in hopes of deterring crime.

A police source also told DNAinfo New York that routine preventive action can help protect customers from thefts.

"Hiring security guards, using electronic alarm tags on merchandise and installing security cameras would be just a few crime-prevention techniques that would be recommended to any business," the source said. 

"If thieves know that a uniformed police officer may walk in at any time, this may help them think twice about committing a crime there."

Meanwhile, Trader Joe's shoppers said that it is the customer's responsibility to be more cautious about leaving their belongings in unattended shopping carts.

"I really never thought about the cameras," said Debbie Truong, as she carried her groceries out of the store. "I think with anything, it's important to be vigilant wherever you are. These kind of crimes can happen anywhere."

Anne Hutton, another Trader Joe's shopper, said the thefts made her fearful and all the more protective of her valuables.

"I'm worried," she said as she was leaving the store, "but I'm careful."