shopkeepers, the young thieves -- some just 12-years-old -- are getting more cunning.

Police yesterday blamed the rise on boredom and lack of supervision of youngsters.

In the last three years, the number of under-16s caught shoplifting has quadrupled.

In 1992, 229 shoplifting cases were reported, representing 4.3 percent of crimes against property. There have been 158 shoplifting cases for the year to date.

Of the 1992 cases, 31 involved juveniles (under-16). In 1989, there were five juvenile shoplifting cases, in 1990 there were 16, and in 1991 there were 26.

Figures for 1993 are not yet available.

"The figures are extremely high,'' Police spokesperson Sgt. Roseanda Jones said. "But they are probably even higher because a lot of cases aren't reported by the shops or businesses -- they prefer to deal with the shoplifters themselves.'' Statistics show only 10 percent of all shop thefts are detected, Chamber of Commerce Retail Division president Mr. Bobby Rego said.

Of six people caught shoplifting last weekend, four were under the age of 16.

In fact, they were all caught in the same store, said Sgt. Jones.

"They are going in groups now, so one can distract the sales people while the others put the goods in a bag,'' Mr. Rego said. He recalled catching a group of juvenile thieves which included 12 and 14-year-olds.

Mr. Rego said his store, Knick Knack on Reid Street, had been forced to implement a card system for its changing rooms, similar to the system used by most US clothing stores, to keep tabs on the number of items customers try on.

Sgt. Jones blamed the rise in juvenile shoplifting on boredom.

Summer was the "worst time'' for shoplifting, especially among juveniles, she said. "They're out of school and don't know what to do with themselves. It starts (increasing) again in November and December.'' Acting Community and Juvenile Department head, Insp. Sharman Markers said a lack of supervision in the home was also contributing to the rise.

She added: "It's always the ones from single parent homes that are doing it.'' She noted stores, such as the Phoenix Centre, were getting tougher on juvenile shoplifters, calling in Police for kids caught stealing candy instead of just scolding them as in the past.

"They (stores managers) are getting tired of people taking their goods,'' she said.

Sgt. Jones said Police efforts had been helped by store employees becoming more vigilant.

She said it was significant that all six caught over the weekend were detained by staff at the stores they stole from until Police arrived.

"It seems shopkeepers and staff are becoming more vigilant and more willing to take action these days,'' she said.

Juvenile shoplifters are put on a Juvenile Liaison Scheme, which calls for a Police officer to visit the offender once a month. And they are sent to Juvenile Court if they commit any other offence within a six-month period.