A man of Pakistani origin living in the UK grew increasingly frustrated by a number of shoplifting incidents at his pharmacy. However, he came up with a brilliant idea that has since proved successful. Whasuf Farooq noticed the growing issue of theft in Birmingham and decided to address the problem by creating a ‘wall of shame’ outside his store, displaying photos of the culprits. Interestingly, the plan worked well for him.
According to The Metro’s report, the shop owner based in Saltley, Birmingham, does not know the names of any of the suspects. To make the wall of shame more intriguing, he has given them nicknames based on the items they stole. These include nicknames such as ‘Nivea Man,’ ‘The Lynx Thief,’ ‘The Dummy Thief,’ ‘The Travel Thief,’ and several others.
Whasuf Farooq’s idea has proven to be successful, as he states that some of the thieves have returned the stolen items or paid for them. Farooq added that he came up with the concept after the police failed to investigate the issue.
Farooq explained that shoplifting had been a significant issue in the area, but the police did not provide any assistance. Over the past year, approximately 15 to 16 people have appeared on the ‘wall of shame.’ However, if the culprits come forward and pay, their picture is taken down without any trouble. People reconsider stealing now when they know they might be featured.
“Naming and shaming work, people see them and tell us where they live or who they are. I do plan to keep it going,” he added.
Interestingly, Farooq not only gives nicknames to the shoplifters but also writes amusing descriptions, which have caught the attention of the locals in Birmingham.
Farooq mentioned that other shops have started applying a similar method, but none of them includes humorous captions that people seem to enjoy. He recounted an incident in which a man’s parents saw his face on the ‘wall of shame,’ encouraging him to return and pay back everything he owed to have his picture removed. On the other hand, some individuals’ families have come to pay on their behalf.
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