The naming and shaming of a teenage shoplifter on social media will make others "think twice'' about stealing, a Dunedin retailer says.
Quest Dunedin owner Craig Strong said he caught a teenage boy shoplifting in his clothing store in George St on Tuesday.
Mr Strong went on the boy's Facebook page and copied a photo of him, smiling and waving. He then posted it on Quest's Facebook page, named him and stated he was "about to be taken away by the cops'' for shoplifting.
Mr Strong's post, which he has since removed, received scores of comments on social media. Some questioned the legality and ethics of the post, while others praised him.
Mr Strong said he copied the photo in the "heat of the moment'' and while the post was never meant to be "malicious'', he was annoyed he lost thousands of dollars to shoplifters each year.
He had posted CCTV footage of shoplifters before but it was the first time he had copied a photo to post on social media and he hoped it would deter shoplifters entering his store.
"It might make them think twice.''
He is booked for a restorative justice conference this week with the boy and his family.
The Otago Daily Times has decided not to name the boy.
In a statement, a police spokeswoman said more members of the public were turning to social media to report crime-related issues.
"Police advise social media users to exercise caution when posting crime information online, as social posts on offenders could also jeopardise a criminal investigation and any subsequent court process that may take place.''
Otago Chamber of Commerce chairwoman Ali Copeman said shoplifting was a long-standing issue for Dunedin retailers.
"But we would be hesitant of any retailers going to those lengths and encourage them to join the chamber's retail committee, so we can work through initiatives to combat it.''
Paul Roth, of the University of Otago Faculty of Law, said Mr Strong's actions were probably legal, as long as the boy had, in fact, shoplifted from the store. If not, then Mr Strong had breached principle eight of the privacy principles.
Presumably, the copied photo was "publicly available information'' because the boy's security settings allowed the copy to be taken.
Stirling Sports Dunedin owner Russell Fowler said he posted CCTV images of people shoplifting from his store on its Facebook page. He never named a shoplifter but the images helped bring shoplifters to justice.
"I had two parents drag their children back in to pay for the items they stole.''
