Successful small businesses often outgrow their spaces.
That's what happened to Cottage by the Sea at Ward Warehouse.
"We've grown from a 700 sq foot to 1000 sq feet to now about 2500 square feet," says Jen Sarsuelo, Cottage by the Sea owner.
With the added space came the need for more employees and watchful eyes.
"Now we have about 17 cameras," says Sarsuelo.
An elaborate set up .. including strategically placed cameras .. and flat screen tvs.
"That's been a big help or deterrent for thieves," says Sarsuelo.
But last Thursday .. a woman stole a necklace .. and it was all caught on tape.
You see the woman at the checkout counter.
"While she was making a fairly large purchase of several clothing outfits one of the jewelry items displayed by the register system, she proceeds to look at, and talking very friendly. And she took it off right there, and crumples it into her hand, and twists it, it's a 30 inch necklace, now it's in her hand," says Sarsuelo.
The video then shows her putting her cell phone over the necklace .. then a few seconds later .. she puts her phone -- and the necklace -- into her purse.
"We've seen her before so it wasn't anything suspicious," says Sarsuelo.
But when the manager looked at the display soon after, and saw the necklace missing ... she reviewed the surveillance footage .. which caught everything.
Jen made a copy of the evidence and handed it over to police .. and a theft case is under investigation.
Surveillance video often leads to shoplifting arrests.
Remember these pictures from last December at Windward Mall?
"I would say within an hour after the show aired we had about 300 phone calls and tips online, giving us the names, so it's helped us as the police department and crimestoppers a lot," says Honolulu Police Sgt Kim Buffett.
In just the past two months .. there were 438 reported thefts in the Honolulu Police department's district 1 -- which includes Ward Centers and Ala Moana Center.
First and second degree thefts are felonies.
"Our own customers have helped us apprehend people," says Sarsuelo.
Like last month.
Cottage by the Sea's cameras caught someone stealing jewelry.
Jen posted the woman's photo on Cottage by the Sea's facebook page.
"We had over 100,000 people look at it because it was shared and people commented. And it was because of 2 fans that we got names and the whole thing started and enough evidence to hand over to the police," says Sarsuelo.
Surveillance systems can cost several thousand dollars .. but what they provide in return is priceless.
