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A fed-up Brooklyn deli owner has come up with a new way to try to stop a group of local teens from repeatedly shoplifting at his popular Park Slope store — public shaming.

Majeed Arbahri, the proprietor of Green Olives Deli & Grill Juice Bar on Seventh Avenue, has begun displaying a “Thieves of the Week” video behind the counter, hoping it discourages a troublesome group of local high school girls from robbing him blind.

“I told them the first time I caught them about four weeks ago I’m going to do it if they repeat stealing,” Arbahri, 25, told The Post Wednesday.

“They said they were going to do it again, and then they did it again,” he said. “There are other people who steal. We catch them and tell them to leave it and don’t ever come back, and they don’t come back. But these people, they don’t feel embarrassed.

“They steal and they come again and again,” he said.


  Majeed Arbahri, proprietor of Green Olives Deli & Grill Juice Bar in Park Slope, says a group of local high schoolers have continually shoplifted at the store. Paul Martinka Majeed Arbahri, proprietor of Green Olives Deli & Grill Juice Bar in Park Slope, says a group of local high schoolers have continually shoplifted at the store. Paul Martinka

  Arbahri wants to shame teen shoplifters at his Park Slope store. Paul Martinka Arbahri wants to shame teen shoplifters at his Park Slope store. Paul Martinka

The 30-second video shows the four schoolgirls walking into the store, with at least one filling her coat pockets with chips and other snacks while the others stand guard.

They eventually walk out without paying.

So Arbahri took drastic measures.

“I told them, if you guys need something, I can give you, because sometimes people call for orders for sandwiches and they don’t pick them up,” Arbahri said. “I told them, ‘We can give you sandwiches for free.’

“But they just want to steal,” he said. “For them, it’s fun. But for us, it’s business.”

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Green Olives Deli's Theives of the Week video
A grab from Green Olives Deli’s “Thieves of the Week” video.Paul Martinka
Green Olives Deli's Theives of the Week video
“I told them the first time I caught then about four weeks ago I’m going to do it if they repeat stealing,”owner Majeed Arbahri, 25, told The Post Wednesday. Paul Martinka
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Green Olives Deli's Theives of the Week video
The 30-second video shows the four schoolgirls walking into the store, with at least one lining her coat pockets with chips and other snacks while the others stand guard.Paul Martinka
Green Olives Deli's Theives of the Week video
“They just want to steal. For them, it’s fun. But for us, it’s business,” Arbahri said.Paul Martinka
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Other students at the John Jay Educational Campus, the girls’ school about four blocks away, told The Post the video has indeed had little effect on the alleged thieves.

“They were laughing about it,” said student Jose Robles, 16. “They’ve got a problem. They don’t really care. They just don’t want to come into the store anymore. They said they regret it, but I highly doubt that.

“I just think it’s stupid, coming in here to steal,” Robles said. “They have money, I’m sure.”

Arbahri said he has spread the word about the video among other John Jay students who frequent Green Olives — but isn’t sure the public shaming is getting the results he wants.

“I think they weren’t even embarrassed,” he said. “Somebody told me they were cool with it. They don’t want to come back, but they weren’t embarrassed.”


  Majeed Arbahri says he hopes his “Thieves of the Week” video will deter local shoplifters at his Park Slope store. Paul Martinka Majeed Arbahri says he hopes his “Thieves of the Week” video will deter local shoplifters at his Park Slope store. Paul Martinka

  “I just think it’s stupid, coming in here to steal. They have money, I’m sure,” said Jose Robles (right), 16, who said he goes to school with the girls. Paul Martinka “I just think it’s stupid, coming in here to steal. They have money, I’m sure,” said Jose Robles (right), 16, who said he goes to school with the girls. Paul Martinka

He said he even spoke to the school principal and sent him the video.

“He said they did it outside the school so there’s nothing they can do,” Arbahri said. “I told him, ‘At least you can tell them it’s not a good habit.'”

The drastic video-shaming ploy comes as Park Slope merchants are up in arms over a spike in shoplifting and thefts in the neighborhood.

The Post reported Tuesday that petty and grand larceny in the neighborhood has been spiking with a 55% jump through the first nine months of 2022 compared to 2021.

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