Recycled gold and cold cash deter burglars: Now there should be more security.

The past three months have seen Kirkens Korshærs thrift shop in Horsens experience two burglaries and an attempted burglary.

With sledgehammers and blowtorches, burglars have targeted the shop's cash registers. But it's not just the revenue that's affected, says the shop's coordinator, Svend Aage Nielsen.

- They destroy more than they take. Doors, windows, thermostats, and so on need to be replaced, and it creates a huge inconvenience for the volunteers who work in the shop, he says.

> We hope that it can stress the burglars so much that they give up.

> Svend Aage Nielsen, shop coordinator, Kirkens Korshær

Another location in Horsens has also experienced two burglaries, where burglars targeted the cash registers.

- I'm really wondering why there are people who break into a thrift shop, where all surplus funds go to charity and help those in need, says Margit Winther, who is the chairperson for the Red Cross in Horsens.

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Alarms systems to deter burglars

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Following several burglaries, thrift shops in Horsens have taken action. Both locations have increased security measures, and Kirkens Korshærs shop in Horsens has installed surveillance equipment with alarms and cameras.

It is the first shop for the charitable organization to implement security measures on this scale.

- We've only had the new surveillance and alarm system for a month, so we don't know what results it can yield. But we hope it can deter burglars so much that they give up, says Svend Aage Nielsen.

It's not coincidental that the shop in Horsens has been chosen to test the new security system. The head of recycling for Kirkens Korshær, Dorthe Egede Hansen, explains.

- We have different levels of security in our shops, depending on their location and the risks they face. When we notice that there are multiple burglaries in a particular area, we upgrade security.

The shop is trying to keep as few cash registers as possible. (Photo: © Asger Hinch)

So far, only one shop in Horsens out of Kirkens Korshærs 233 thrift shops is testing the new system.

- If it works as intended and has the preventative effect we hope for, we will roll it out to other shops that need it, she says.

The Red Cross's thrift shop in Horsens has also invested money and resources into better security. Chairperson Margit Winther is frustrated that they even have to spend money on an alarm system.

- If you look back a few years, I don't think there were many thrift shops that needed alarm systems. It's money that could have gone to people who need it, she says.

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Troublesome cash causing dilemmas

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The common motivation for burglaries in thrift shops is cash. But for Kirkens Korshær in Horsens, it's a challenge to get rid of the temptation for burglars.

- We can't deposit them at the bank. They won't take our cash anymore. So we have an agreement with a company that comes and collects the cash as often as possible, says Svend Aage Nielsen.

The problem isn't unique to Horsens. It's a challenge that Kirkens Korshærs thrift shops face in various locations across the country.

- It's become difficult to get rid of the cash, and it increases the risk of burglaries in the shops, says Dorthe Egede Hansen.

The industry association for recycling organizations, Isobro, also hears from all its members that cash presents significant challenges. General Secretary Kenneth Kamp Butzbach explains.

- Previously, volunteers could take the money to the local bank, but they're closed, and some don't even accept cash. Volunteers have to go to other towns and pay high fees to get rid of the cash, he says.

It's an economic burden for the shops as well as an inconvenience and a dilemma for the volunteers.

- Should we leave the cash in the shops with the risk of theft or take it home and assume responsibility for it in our free time? I've heard of cases where people have slept with the cash under their pillows because they couldn't deposit it in a bank for several days, fortells Kenneth Kamp Butzbach.

The organization is constantly working to have as little cash in the shops as possible, and he believes they're doing their best, but it's a struggle to keep up.

- Shops are constantly adapting to the market, and they're doing it with measures like surveillance, safes, and collaboration with other shops, but the banks' cash handling is disappearing rapidly, he says.

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