Businesses share information on thefts

ALBUQUERQUE (KRQE) - Stores and hotels have joined forces on a members-only Web site in an effort to catch thieves.

"This whole thing is just like a neighborhood watch, but on the Internet," said Charlie Gray with the Greater Albuquerque Innkeepers Association.

That group and the Albuquerque Retail Assets Protection Association teamed up to create the site, where stores and hotels post information and pictures of thefts at their businesses, warning them to be on the lookout.

The alerts are instantly available to any other member on the site, and many businesses receive alerts on their cell phones.

"We have people that make this a living," said Craig Davis, chairman of ARAPA. "That's how they start their day, that's how they finish their day, boosting large amounts of merchandise."

Davis said the site is geared towards catching theft suspects that hit multiple businesses.

The information is also available to police, the only non-members with access to the site.

"If they see somebody very often committing a crime and maybe they get away before they apprehend them or they figure it out after the crime has been committed, they will post that online asking, 'Who is this person?'" said Albuquerque Police Chief Ray Schultz. "Most of the time one of my detectives knows who that individual is."

Since ARAPA was founded in 2006, Davis said, the group has referred 500 felonies for prosecution.

Officials from Los Angeles, Arizona and Washington are looking into how Albuquerque's system works to create their own version.

Those interested in joining the site must be a member of one of the organizations.