LAS VEGAS, Nev. (FOX5) – Antique malls throughout the Valley are teaming up to investigate alleged thieves on social media.
Last week, FOX5 reported on the Paradise Valley Antique Mall posting photos at the front of their store of people who have stolen.
Now, we’re learning that several antique malls have partnered to share these photos and other information on social media to prevent theft.
“We’re a small community, we all know each other,” Antique Mall of America Manager Teresa Odell says.
Odell says the group includes Paradise Valley Antique Mall, Charleston Antique Mall, and many others.
When one of the malls is stolen from, Odell says they will post a photo of the alleged thief in their social media group. Then, other malls can grab that photo and post it at the front of their store.
She says the method has already helped them catch at least one alleged thief in the act.
“I said, ‘I don’t want you in my mall,’ and I said, ‘Please leave,’ and I said, ‘Your pictures are already all over the malls,’” Odell says.
Odell says theft at the mall is at an all-time high. Her goal is to protect her vendors’ merchandise from getting stolen.
“They work hard, a lot of them are seniors, they’re trying to sell off their collections, pay their bills,” she says.
Her effort isn’t going unnoticed.
“She’s awesome, she’s got a network going, sending out pictures, information, letting other malls know,” one of her vendors, Robert Dailey, says.
He says he’s hopeful that they’ll continue to see results.
“We depend on this financial income to survive,” he says.
Vendors have to report theft themselves because they own their merchandise, but Odell says she encourages them to file police reports with Metro, and many have.
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