By Tyler Wright
After more than $200,000 worth of goods were stolen from their store early on Monday 26 September, staff at an Emerald jeweller are calling for more security cameras in the area.
A three-diamond ring, sapphire ring and a $1,000 silver sterling agate piece were among the roughly 1000 goods stolen, Star of Emerald bench jeweller Teena Germano said.
“The robbery not only affects their ability to sell, but it affects their ability now to employ people, because we’ve got to cut costs somewhere else to build the business back up,” Ms Germano said.
“It’s like working with one hand behind your back.”
Star of Emerald owner and master jeweller Mark Dabrowski, said it will take the business two years to rebuild the stock, with takings during the upcoming Christmas period expected to be “much less” with far less stock to sell.
Mr Dabrowski also said the store was hit with another robbery about a year ago, with the robbers making a small hole in the front window of the shop but eventually being spooked away.
“We don’t have enough cameras in town, folks come in here and ask me ‘do you have any surveillance across the road? No we don’t”
“In fact, I think we should have near the pedestrian crossing….it would be easy to install one…near the library, it would be easy to install one, near the bakery, it would be easy to install one.
“I’d rather see this as a benefit of our situation, where can have a bit more monitoring, so the strange car at 2 o’clock in the morning, coming police can go and view the situation.”
Ms Germano echoed Mr Dabrowski’s call for more surveillance cameras, and said the culprits were working on breaking through the store’s automatic door for around half an our to 45 minutes, with nobody seeing or hearing anything.
“Imagine trying to slit open a door on a bank, and no one notices anything…that sort of proves [Mark’s] point about the cameras… that there needs to be more cameras,” Ms Germano said.
Surveillance cameras previously not activated inside Star of Emerald and outside the front door are now in operation, with Mr Dabrowski encouraging other businesses to check on their monitoring systems.
It is understood cameras are in operation at Emerald Police Station, with no external CCTV cameras currently operated by Cardinia Shire Council in Emerald.
The investigation remains ongoing, anyone with information is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000
