What he had in mind was that some of his patrons were noted for their light-fingered habits.
An infant school teacher, for example, may suspect that a child has been light-fingered and has removed property belonging to another child or a piece of school equipment.
We spoke of loopholes and light-fingered accountants, of the ability of business to subdivide itself, to find continual excuses.
Some stores have one-way mirrors to spy for the light-fingered and sometimes to catch the careless; there are the peepholes through the doors.