Shoplifting is a growing concern, with one local business calling for stronger action to address the issue and a deeper dive to see why it is happening.

PJ Company Ltd in Siusega said they are concerned.

Speaking on the matter, Faumuina Sami said she felt saddened by the situation and the impact shoplifting has on businesses and the wider community.

“If anything is stolen, we can’t get these items back even if these people are found,” she said.

“We also need the government to do something about this and look at the consequences for these people’s actions, for the betterment of our community, so this won’t happen again anytime soon,” she said.

Faumuina pointed out that shoplifting involves more than just a few individuals. “I know these are not the only ones. There are heaps of them out there,” she said.

She also shared her concerns about exposing suspects on social media, saying, “Putting them up and exposing them on social media is a waste of time.”

She said there was a need to find out why so many shoplifting incidents were happening.

When speaking about PJ Company Ltd’s branch in Savai’i, Faumuina noted that she was not aware of any shoplifting cases there, which she believes may be due to stricter village rules.

“For my branch in Savai’i, I don’t think any shoplifters have been found because village rules are very strict compared to Upolu,” she said.

Members of the public have also voiced their opinions on the issue.

A 38-year-old woman from Vaitele said people should be careful about how they respond to what they see online.

“Even if this keeps happening every day and the number of shoplifters is rising, we still need to be alert and careful,” she said.

She also urged the public to act responsibly on social media.

“People should not make funny videos out of it. Instead, they should report it to the police so the issue can be solved,” she said, adding that failure to act could allow the problem to continue. “It’s for the better of our community,” she said.

Her comments follow a Facebook video showing a young teenager caught on camera taking a mobile phone that was charging inside a store, once again drawing attention to the seriousness of shoplifting in Samoa.