Robbery in Old Town Riga makes us think about investing more in security mechanisms - expert

RIGA - The robbery of a watch shop in Old Town Riga a does not indicate an increase in crime in the country, but it makes us think about investing more in security mechanisms for exclusive goods shops, Artis Velss, Director of the Security Functions Department of the security company G4S Latvija and former Chief of the State Police, told LETA.

He points out that the launch of the large-scale search operation to catch the criminals and the videos of the crime circulated in the public space have caused a sufficiently large resonance, which may give the impression of an increase in crime by some parts of society. However, such armed robberies of retail outlets are very rare and were more common in the 1990s and at the turn of the century.

Although for some people in Riga the triggering of the search operation caused inconvenience in getting to their destination, Velss acknowledged that his former colleagues had acted appropriately, as the crime was committed by an armed group in broad daylight in the city center.

Velss does not have detailed information about the circumstances of the crime, but he agreed with the opinion of Raimonds Kronbergs, Chief of the Criminal Police Department of the Riga Regional Department of the State Police, that the watch shop could have been robbed by an organized mobile group that deals with this type of crime.

Regarding the security of shops selling expensive goods, Velss said that in his practice he has observed that entrepreneurs often seem to rely on the fact that crime is decreasing in Latvia and are therefore reluctant to invest in security.

"Undoubtedly - and this is also shown by police statistics - crime is decreasing in Latvia, but as this week's case shows, this type of crime also happens here," Velss stressed.

He acknowledged that security companies around the world offer a wide range of security measures, and it is technology-based solutions that are now in demand.

Having an armed security guard on duty in a shop is also, of course, an effective enough means of preventing a potential crime, but in some situations it is not the answer.

In the world of security solutions, video analytics are used, where AI-based technologies allow security systems to be triggered in a timely manner, for example by locking a shop door at the time of a crime before criminals leave the scene, or by blowing a gaseous substance into a room in cases of theft, making the plans of the thieves more difficult, Velss said.

LETA already reported that on Tuesday, the exclusive watch shop Baltic Watches was robbed using firearms or similar objects. One person was injured during the robbery and was taken to a medical facility, police said.

A video posted on social media shows four masked robbers running out of the store, while one of the criminals blows a canister of unknown origin towards the store door.

According to the information available to the police, the perpetrators crossed the Akmens Bridge in a dark-colored Volkswagen Golf 5 with stolen registration plates.

Criminal proceedings have been initiated in connection with the incident for robbery if committed with firearms or explosive substances or if it involves causing serious bodily injury to a victim or other serious consequences.

The material damage caused to the shop is being clarified.

Law enforcement officers continue to search for the perpetrators. Police are asking people to look at pictures of the alleged perpetrators and the car and to report to police by calling 112 or 27892080 if they recognize or have seen these persons, or if they have seen the car moving or parked in unusual places, yards or elsewhere.