Booze thefts pester police

Thieves keep stealing booze from Geelong bottleshops despite a police strategy targeting repeat offenders.
Recent incidents include a thief taking two one-litre bottles of Jack Daniels at 1pm on Easter Sunday before returning seven hours later to swipe the same amount of Johnny Walker.
Police posted on Facebook an image of a man they believed “may very well be able to assist them with their enquiries”.
“The offender is described as being male, Caucasian, mid-to-late 20s with short light brown hair (and) wearing a blue hoodie,” police posted.
“If you have any information regarding these offences you are requested to contact Senior Constable Niksic at the Waurn Ponds Police Station on 52473527 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.”
Police have posted a series of calls for help with booze thefts over the past few months.
Alleged offenders have included pairs of men, individual women and suspected repeat offenders at bottleshops across the city.
Brazen thieves have been caught on surveillance cameras walking out of bottleshops with packages as large as slabs of beer.
Other incidents included a pair of men stealing two dozen bottles of bourbon from a Geelong West store before fleeing in a vehicle with a blonde female driver.
In August Geelong Police’s Liquor Licensing Unit launched Relapse Strategy which was aimed to curtailing recidivist alcohol thieves.
The strategy allows police to target and ban the thieves from entering liquor stores for up to 12 months. Sixty liquor outlets had signed up to participate, police said.
Police told the Indy that the strategy was attracting interest from stations across the state.