Tuktoyaktuk store manager has novel approach to shoplifters

Like many grocery stores, the Northern Store in Tuktoyaktuk, N.W.T., had a chronic problem with theft. But that problem is now a thing of the past, says store manager Kevin Murphy.

His secret?

Accentuate the positive.

Murphy estimates he caught about 30 kids shoplifting over a period of a few months. He admits there were probably more that were never caught.

"We felt, 'What can we do to turn it around and make it a positive?'" Murphy says.

He worked with the local school to come up with a plan. Instead of punishing the thieves, Murphy decided to focus attention on good deeds. As a solution for shoplifting, it seemed counterintuitive, but it seems to be working.

Here's the idea: Any student who does any good deed gets a "Caught Being Good" certificate. That certificate is then entered into a draw, and the winner gets a $100 gift card, donated by Murphy and his wife.

Making a mark

Now Murphy's got a stack of papers, representing dozens of students who have been "Caught Being Good."

Those good deeds include everything from helping a young classmate tie her shoes to welcoming a new student to school. Some students earned certificates for helping their teachers clean classrooms.

Student Dawson Elias earned his certificate for helping a teacher who uses a wheelchair navigate the school's corridors. 

"She needed help getting through the hallway," he says. "So I moved all the chairs to the side."

Student Courtney Keevik says she believes the "Caught Being Good" certificates are having a real impact on how students behave.

"If there was a fight at school, right away you would see people trying to stop it," she says.

Elias agrees that the program is making a mark.

"It gives students the confidence to stand up and be a leader in the future and present," he says.

And shoplifting at the Northern Store? 

"Stopped almost overnight," says Murphy.

Sometimes it pays to be good.