Shoplifters Under Heavier Surveillance At Broken Arrow Store

The owner of a popular shop in Broken Arrow's Rose District has come up with a plan to keep shoplifters out of his business.

The latest suspect was caught on a recently installed security camera.

The part of town is growing with new shops opening every day.

The owner of American Hatfield said they work too hard to allow people to take advantage of them.

Kyle Hatfield's shop has been in Broken Arrow for about three years, but a few months ago he realized it was time to get some cameras.

"This family comes in and they use little girl to distract us when they go and pocket things in the store," Hatfield said.

Most recently, Hatfield said a woman was doing a little browsing herself when he got a gut feeling she was up to something.

"Here she was sniffing away like "Yup, I don't like that one." Then she sniffed this one, "Yup, I like this one," Hatfield said.

You can see in the surveillance video she chooses the one she likes and puts it right in her bag.

Hatfield said he and his fellow business owners in the Rose District aren't having it.

"I work hard for my company and what we do and I'm not going to let someone just come in and be entitled to grab whatever they want," Hatfield said

Once he confronted her, she gave back most of the items, claiming she was planning to pay.

And then she walked out into other shops on the block.

Hatfield called police and other business owners to warn them.

They confronted her and police made an arrest.

"And they found things from all stores up and down the street," Hatfield said.

So now he takes precautions, like putting smaller items up front in direct view of the register and in cabinets that aren't the quietest to open.

"We put it in here and make it harder and more noticeable that someone is in here," Hatfield said.

"It is kind of pathetic because it's an $8 bar of soap and $20 candle that these people are able to risk for that amount of money. It's ridiculous," Hatfield said.