Grocery store uses 'wanted' posters

PITTSBURGH - A grocer is cracking down on shoplifters by merging cutting-edge digital technology with crime-fighting methods straight out of the Wild West - ``wanted&#39;&#39; posters. <br> <br> There were four such posters on a wall at Dan Serafin&#39;s Food Market on Friday, each showing an alleged crime in progress. <br> <br> Serafin, whose grandfather opened the grocery in Erie 76 years ago, said signs notifying the public they are being monitored didn&#39;t work. <br> <br> ``You don&#39;t see a simple written warning now, you see the end result,&#39;&#39; Serafin said. ``There is no doubt the cameras are real and the people on the camera are busted.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Shoplifting has dropped off dramatically since the wanted posters went up, Serafin said, and he feels much safer. <br> <br> ``My dad is 75 and he&#39;s been punched and kicked trying to stop somebody who was shoplifting a $2 product,&#39;&#39; he said. ``We&#39;re not putting our lives on the line for that stuff anymore. You can run away, but I&#39;ve got your picture and somebody is going to recognize you.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Despite a population of about 100,000 people, Serafin said Erie is still a small town where ``everybody&#39;s connected and word travels fast.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Defamation lawyers said Serafin could be at risk of misidentifying the innocent - but said if evidence of theft is clear, they would not waste their time going to court. <br> <br> ``These are private people and they would only have to show negligence (in placing the posters),&#39;&#39; said Dan Berger, a Pittsburgh attorney who specializes in defamation suits. ``That being said, it would be difficult to find a jury that would award punitive or compensatory damages to a person clearly shown on tape stealing.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> The grocery uses an 18-camera digital video system created by ADT Security Services Inc. of Boca Raton, Fla. <br> <br> Serafin said when he puts up a poster, there is no doubt the person was shoplifting. <br> <br> ``I can show you second by second the person taking a bottle from the shelf, tell you what the product was and at every point where the bottle is going down his sleeve,&#39;&#39; Serafin said. ``Then I can show him walking out of the store without paying.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Officials at ADT Security said they have never heard of someone printing wanted posters using their equipment, but said Serafin is doing nothing illegal. <br> <br> ``It&#39;s certainly an unusual practice to put wanted posters out in public to view,&#39;&#39; said Lisa Ciappetta, an ADT product marketing manager. ``But as far as privacy issues go, the 6 o&#39;clock news doesn&#39;t ask for permission to use images of bank robberies on TV.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> She said ADT does speak with clients about privacy issues, but those topics are usually related to cameras in restrooms or changing areas. <br> <br> Digital technology has advanced tremendously in the past two years, said George Jacob, video products manager at ADT, which has allowed smaller retailers to install comparatively complex surveillance systems. <br> <br> He said the digital format on ADT products is protected so that it cannot be altered, and the video is almost universally accepted in court as evidence. <br> <br> ``Most of the time you get an admission without going to court,&#39;&#39; Jacob said. ``It&#39;s pretty convincing.&#39;&#39; <br> <br> Police in Erie agree, and say most thefts that have been recorded do not make it to trial before a defendant cops a plea. Police could not say how many cases they have handled involve digital imaging. <br> <br> Serafin said he has no plans to discontinue use of the wanted posters in his store. <br> <br> ``I was nervous a little bit but you&#39;re up against the wall,&#39;&#39; he said. ``If you just let it go, you shouldn&#39;t even be in the business.&#39;&#39;