Shoplifting and Racial Profiling

October 28, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)Experts agree that shoplifting can be reduced by having a trained team of employees and managers at the store.   Shoplifting seminars or shoplifting prevention training can help reduce shoplifting at your store, and let you keep more of the profits. By training your employees you can avoid racial profiling, or at least mitigate it and avoid lawsuits that are costly for you. For more about this topic, follow the links below.

The black man arrested in Georgetown because he looked like a shoplifter

An hour after Bilaal Briggs clocked in for work at Sports Authority in Arlington on a mid-May morning, a tall African American man walked into Georgetown’s Zara. He grabbed some clothes and, when a manager spotted him, bolted out of the store. The manager called police and dispatched a warning on a private messaging app that hundreds of Georgetown retailers, residents and officers use to discuss people they deem suspicious in the wealthy, largely white community.

“We just got hit,” wrote the manager, Neetu Kaur. The description: “African American male 6’2 tattoos of stars on right side of neck and a tattoo of letters on the left side of his sideburns.”

Two days later, Briggs, who is black, 6-foot-1 and has tattoos of stars on his neck, arrived at Zara to buy a shirt he had placed on hold. The manager spotted Briggs, mistook him for the thief and called police. Within minutes, Briggs was in cuffs, wondering what had happened.

Police to start charging businesses for ‘excessive’ shoplifting calls

LANCASTER, Pa. (WHTM) – Surveillance cameras keep a watch on anyone who walks into Keystone Fireworks in East Lampeter Township.

Business owner Kevin Shaub says that’s one of the reasons they’ve never had a problem with shoplifting.

“Our product, being that it’s generally a fairly large product, doesn’t lend it to be easily shoplifted,” he told ABC 27 News.

Township police told ABC 27 News they’re getting called to more than 300 reports of shoplifting a year and have been burdened by the amount of shoplifting calls from retailers.

That’s the reason behind a new ordinance which calls for business owners who make “excessive” shoplifting calls to pay police.

Businesses who call officers more than 10 times a month will have to pay $250 for each call.

Stores using app to detect shoplifters accused of racial profiling

Some businesses in an upscale Washington, D.C. neighborhood are accused of racial profiling through a mobile app that allows shopkeepers to alert each other — and police — through private messaging about people acting suspiciously in their stores, reports CBS News correspondent Jeff Pegues.

In trendy Georgetown, store owners will tell you shoplifting is part of the cost of doing business.

“The type of people that is more like a shoplifter, they come here all the time, they go to that same item, they get the feel of the store,” said Keisha Green, an employee at the Sports Zone Elite.

In the last 60 days alone, police recorded more than 120 thefts in the heart of Georgetown.

To counter crime, businesses are using an app called GroupMe. It works like a private chat room, in which 380 members — including merchants, employees, community leaders and on-duty police officers — send each other descriptions and pictures of customers acting suspiciously.

But in Georgetown, where nearly 80 percent of residents are white and have a median household income of almost $120,000, the vast majority of the reports are about black customers.

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Protecting Your Employees From Shoplifters

October 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment

law-3Protecting your business and employees from shoplifters seem to be getting harder. Knowing when and what to do when a shoplifting incident occurs in your store  can help prevent employees and customers from getting hurt.  Do your employees know who to call? What to do when a shoplifter is taking goods from your store and walking out? Making sure your employees know what do, and how to respond when an incident occurs can help prevent accidents.

Follow the links below for more information about this topic.

Spike in shoplifting drives property crime wave in Taos

TAOS — Taos Municipal Court may seem quaint, decorated as it is with landscapes painted by the judge himself, but it’s not sleepy. The court’s docket of shoplifting cases nearly doubled during the last fiscal year to just under 90.

Judge Dickie Chávez says approximately 3 out of 4 shoplifting cases in his court concern the purported theft of alcohol.

And it’s not usually teens stocking up for parties.

The spike in shoplifting cases comes despite the Taos Police Department’s tough approach, arresting rather than citing virtually every suspect apprehended regardless of how small the alleged theft. But it also raises questions about whether law enforcement and courts are the right institutions to address a problem officials say is driven by substance abuse.

‘Operation GroupMe’ was meant to fight shoplifting, enables racial profiling instead

Georgetown has had a shoplifting problem lately, so local citizens turned to group-messaging app GroupMe for help. The Georgetown Business Improvement District partnered with local police to launch “Operation GroupMe” early last year to connect small businesses, police officers, and community leaders in a concerted fight against shoplifting. Instead, it’s become an exercise in racial profiling.

Local police in the Washington, D.C., neighborhood recorded more than 120 thefts in just the last 60 days, according to CBS News. The group-messaging chat room, which comprises 380 members, was meant to help shopkeepers, police, and others alert each other about shoplifters or people who seem suspicious.

In the more than 3,000 messages exchanged about suspicious people in the Operation GroupMe group since January, nearly 70 percent were black, according to a review by the Business Improvement District. This is a particularly startling finding, given that nearly 80 percent of Georgetown’s residents are white.

Police: Helena man bites Capital Sports employee in shoplifting attempt

A 38-year-old Helena man faces a felony robbery charge on accusations he bit a store employee’s hand during an attempted shoplifting. 

Dwight Edward Pierson is jailed on $20,000 bond.

Police responded to Capital Sports, 1092 Helena Ave., on Friday after receiving a report that a store employee had detained a suspected shoplifter. Officers noted the employee had two open, bleeding wounds on his right index finger, charging documents say.

The employee told police another worker saw a fishing reel sticking out of Pierson’s pocket while in the store. Pierson, who is on probation, ran from the store, court documents say. An employee grabbed Pierson by his hood and pinned him to the ground.

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BOTTLE LOCKS FOR THE WIN!

October 20, 2015 by Leave a Comment

 

BOTTLE LOCKS FOR THE WIN!
I was recently asked to lend a helping hand to a family friend, who just so happens to run a small grocery store in town. We’ve known the owners of this store for decades. This is the only grocery store in my small, hometown. The current owner and my dad were talking one night and my dad brought up that I do LP investigations for a national retailer. Well, turns out that the grocer wasn’t doing too well. His profits were down and he was getting hammered in theft, mainly alcohol. He asked for my help and I was gladly willing to assist. The first thing we talked about was physical security measures, and what Alpha Security could do for his business. 
After spending a few days working in the store, I quickly saw that alcohol theft was a huge problem. Looking over his invoices/deliveries and then his sales, I could see that there was a theft issue. First order of business was to secure all alcohol with bottle lock. It didn’t take long for us to see how the thieves would react. 
It wasn’t but maybe a week after installing the bottle locks that I came to the store to check on things. I went to the back office where the owner was at. He was staring at the camera screen. He was watching a thief (try to) steal a bottle of vodka. I had a few minutes, so I watched too. This was going to be good. 
So our thief walks over to the vodka, grabs two bottles off the shelf and places them in his back pockets. As he walks towards the rear of the store, he takes one out and begins to inspect it more closely. He’s noticing the bottle lock. With a confused look on his face, we see him approach a stocker. They have a brief interaction and the thief continues on. We later asked the stocker what the guy said. The thief asked if “Alpha Security” was the name of the vodka… Did I mention, he was also pretty drunk?
We continue watching the thief as he attempts to remove the bottle lock. He pulls, pries and even attempts to chew it off. Nothing. As if a light bulb had gone off in his head, he stops dead in his tracks. He begins walking feverishly to the small hardware section of the store. He takes a hammer and starts beating the top of the bottle. Alpha security tags are a bit stronger than you would think and the lock holds up to the light beatings of a drunken thief. Just as we think he’s going to give up, he hits the actual bottle with the hammer, shattering the glass right at the neck. 
We both go running down the stairs from the office to meet our thief as he’s walking out the front doors. He’s broken both bottles and has shoved them back into his back pockets. We confront him and he starts to run… only he’s already inebriated so he essentially takes a nose dive into the pavement; vodka spills down his back. As the police arrive on scene, he tries to get rid of the evidence, only to severely cut one of his hands on the broken glass as he pulls it from his back pocket. Not the most elegant thief I had ever encountered. 
A few weeks after that I went back to see if the bottle locks were working. There had only been 3 other theft attempts, but each had failed. A recent inventory showed that the store was selling more alcohol than ever, which meant profits were rising. A great day for all. 
For more information about Bottle Lock, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

I was recently asked to lend a helping hand to a family friend, who just so happens to run a small grocery store in town. We’ve known the owners of this store for decades. This is the only grocery store in my small, hometown. The current owner and my dad were talking one night and my dad brought up that I do LP investigations for a national retailer. Well, turns out that the grocer wasn’t doing too well. His profits were down and he was getting hammered in theft, mainly alcohol. He asked for my help and I was gladly willing to assist. The first thing we talked about was physical security measures, and what Alpha Security could do for his business. 

After spending a few days working in the store, I quickly saw that alcohol theft was a huge problem. Looking over his invoices/deliveries and then his sales, I could see that there was a theft issue. First order of business was to secure all alcohol with bottle lock. It didn’t take long for us to see how the thieves would react.

It wasn’t but maybe a week after installing the bottle locks that I came to the store to check on things. I went to the back office where the owner was at. He was staring at the camera screen. He was watching a thief (try to) steal a bottle of vodka. I had a few minutes, so I watched too. This was going to be good. 

So our thief walks over to the vodka, grabs two bottles off the shelf and places them in his back pockets. As he walks towards the rear of the store, he takes one out and begins to inspect it more closely. He’s noticing the bottle lock. With a confused look on his face, we see him approach a stocker. They have a brief interaction and the thief continues on. We later asked the stocker what the guy said. The thief asked if “Alpha Security” was the name of the vodka… Did I mention, he was also pretty drunk?

We continue watching the thief as he attempts to remove the bottle lock. He pulls, pries and even attempts to chew it off. Nothing. As if a light bulb had gone off in his head, he stops dead in his tracks. He begins walking feverishly to the small hardware section of the store. He takes a hammer and starts beating the top of the bottle. Alpha security tags are a bit stronger than you would think and the lock holds up to the light beatings of a drunken thief. Just as we think he’s going to give up, he hits the actual bottle with the hammer, shattering the glass right at the neck. 

We both go running down the stairs from the office to meet our thief as he’s walking out the front doors. He’s broken both bottles and has shoved them back into his back pockets. We confront him and he starts to run… only he’s already inebriated so he essentially takes a nose dive into the pavement; vodka spills down his back. As the police arrive on scene, he tries to get rid of the evidence, only to severely cut one of his hands on the broken glass as he pulls it from his back pocket. Not the most elegant thief I had ever encountered. 

A few weeks after that I went back to see if the bottle locks were working. There had only been 3 other theft attempts, but each had failed. A recent inventory showed that the store was selling more alcohol than ever, which meant profits were rising. A great day for all. 

For more information about Bottle Lock, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547

 

 

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You Can’t Afford to Ignore Employee Theft

October 14, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (2)People like to believe that the hard work, dedication and sacrifice that goes into starting and building a business will be rewarded, but that’s not always the case. It’s sad to see a business fail, especially when an owner has put a lot of time, energy and money into it.

It’s particularly troubling when the reason for the failure is employee theft or occupational fraud (stealing money, property and time).  Occupational fraud accounts for about 30% of small business closures per year (U.S. Department of Commerce).  It’s destructive to them because they’re unable to absorb the losses created by the fraud. 

The 2014 Global Fraud Study “Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse” estimated the average small business loses about 5% of revenue each year to fraud (The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners).  When they have small margins 5% can be the difference between profit or loss — the difference between remaining open or closing the doors. 

Most owners don’t think their employees are stealing from them.  They believe their workers are more honest and loyal than the average.  If they do suspect theft they ignore it by rationalizing “it’s not much”.  They assume the statistics are because of the other guy’s workers, who must be taking a lot from him. 

Unfortunately, that’s not a valid assumption.  There have been many studies, done over decades, about employee dishonesty and the results are interesting — as well as disheartening.  Depending on the study, 75% — 85% of people admit that they have in the past, are currently or will in the future steal time, money or property from their work place.

One of the constants, in the studies, is the conclusion that how an employee is treated doesn’t have much to do with whether they commit fraud or not.  They’ll take from a boss who they like as well as from one who they don’t.  Some of those 30% of business who failed were run by nice guys.  No small business owner can afford to ignore occupational fraud.

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Don’t Confuse Training with Meetings

October 13, 2015 by Leave a Comment

meetingpic.Initial and continued on-the-job training is one of the most effective ways to curb shrinkage and loss.  When done correctly it can reduce employee theft, lower shoplifting loss, cut down on administrative mistakes and catch vendor fraud.  Unfortunately, it’s become one of the most dreaded parts of a job.

It’s dreaded, by both managers and employees, for a good reason.  On-the-job training has become confused with and replaced by the employee meeting, which is usually boring, poorly run and downbeat.  But, they aren’t the same thing.   

Over the years experts have promoted replacing the “old way” of individualized on-the-job training (and management) with the “new and time saving” plan of having employee meetings instead.  The idea of managing and training people by group, rather than individually, is becoming the norm.

Supervisors are trying to change and manage behavior through group meetings, instead of properly training (at first and on a continuing basis) employees individually.  But, that way of managing only goes so far with good or average employees, and it especially doesn’t work with problem ones. 

It’s not uncommon for a new policy to be created as a response to one or two people’s problem behavior.  The policy is then presented in an employee meeting as a store wide issue, rather than the individual one it actually is.  Often, new policies don’t need to be written – the old ones just need to be enforced. 

They need to be enforced at the individual on-the-job training or coaching level.  Employee meetings are, at best, ineffective places to address one person’s behavior; at worst, they undermine management’s credibility and authority.

For example, this was overheard in a retail store – “Don’t forget the employee meeting at 3.  You know, where we all get yelled at for something Brittney and Josh are doing, but the team leaders are too scared to say anything to them.” (These weren’t their real names.)

It’s a given that proper training is the best defense against mistakes, loss and shrinkage.  Employee meetings are good places to give information and do general training.  But, the best and most effective training is still individual coaching based on the employee’s strengths and weaknesses. 

Nicole Abbott is a writer and psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in the fields of mental health and addiction.  She’s an educator, consultant, lecturer, trainer and facilitator, who has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, college classes and seminars. 

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After Dark Is Not Just For Vampires

October 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment

Money1For Retailers there are a number of scary things that happen when the sun goes down. As we get into fall it becomes darker, earlier. This can become problematic for us. We have issues that get magnified with darkness that concerns employee/customer safety and the safety and security of our businesses. There are the usual concerns of employees walking to their cars after closing and the like. I want to bring up some that you may have not considered.

Employees – Are you taking your deposit after closing? Night makes this a much more dangerous task. Consider changing this to mid-day. Take it at lunch time. Lock the deposit into the safe overnight. Then take it during the day when there is less risk. Safes are not very expensive. $400 will get you a decent safe. Bolt it to the floor so someone does not steal the safe. When you take the deposit to the bank conceal it in something other than the bank bag. Let’s not make it too obvious. 

Robbery – Many of us never discuss this with our folks, we should. What is your plan? Do they understand that their safety and the safety of your customers trump everything else? If you are not sure what you should do or say, contact us.  I can send you a draft policy and some materials you can use (free of charge and I am not going to try to sell you anything). 

Customer and Employee Safety – Yes you could be liable for something that happens while on your property. This includes your parking lot. Even if you are leasing in a strip center. If there are lights out in the parking lot or if it is poorly lit then do or say something. An email to the management company or property owner will put them on notice that you have a concern. If you have control, get it fixed. If there are people hanging around that you are uncomfortable with, then contact the Police. Ask to meet with a Sgt. or Lt. over your area. They would rather prevent an issue than deal with the results. If the department has public business meetings, you should attend. This will give you information on crime trends in your area and ideas on how to combat them.

Speaking of the Police, have you taken the time to make acquaintances with the Police Officers working your area? Do they know that you always have a cup of coffee available and want their presence in your store? Do they know that you encourage and support their efforts? A uniform officer and a patrol car in the area of your business goes a long ways to preventing problems. 

As a former Police Officer, I can tell you that these things mean a lot to them. The majority of contact they have with people is with criminals and victims. Normally they do not see the rest of us as we are not their normal “customers”. Especially in today’s times a kind word, show of support and asking for their opinion and guidance mean a lot to them. Do this enough and when you really do need them, They will be responding to the face of a person they know instead of an address.

Remember, those Officers, their spouses and friends are also your potential customers.

Shoplifters – Remember that shoplifters need one thing to ply their craft: concealment. Even if you have a Checkpoint System make sure that your store is brightly lit, that there are no hidden spots that make a shoplifter feel warm and fuzzy about concealing merchandise. Make sure that your folks fully understand your vision of customer service. Staff that display good customer service skills will shut off most impulse shoplifters. Consequently good customer service skills are not just a tool for sales but a weapon against shoplifting.

Customers that have Checkpoint Systems that LPSI installed can always schedule a free, live on-line shoplifting seminar. We are happy to help. October is a great time to schedule this before the holiday season gets in full swing. This will help raise your staff’s shoplifting awareness for the holidays.

Let us know, if we can help you get ready for your holiday selling season!

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THE SHOPLIFTING NETWORK

October 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting7We live in a world where technology helps us with everything. From the mundane, to sending a rocket to the edge of our solar system to beam back pictures of Pluto. Without the rampant growth of technology and the way we communicate today, none of this would be possible. In the Loss Prevention World, our technology helps us to detect anomalies that could be indicators of fraud. We have the latest high definition camera systems (that we can also access on our smart phones) to view those anomalies with the push of a button. I often think about our industry 20 -30 years ago and wonder how we ever got by. Could you imagine prosecuting an internal fraud case with absolutely no video? I’m sure there’s a lot of you out there that remember those days.

One thing we, as a society, probably take for granted the most is ease of communication. With the touch of a button you can communicate with anyone, from anywhere, so long as there is an internet connection. So what has that done for the LP industry? It’s allowed us to connect and share ideas with our peers across the country and across the globe. We can share information with our law enforcement partners anywhere, at any time. If there’s a big ORC group, we can identify them, track them, share information with others and ultimately have them arrested. The greatest advancement in the LP world, in my opinion, is how well we network with one another.

Networking is key to our survival. I want to know what’s happening somewhere else before it begins to affect my stores. Likewise, I want to share new ideas and tools to help my peers, even if we work for competing retailers. No matter who we work for, our main goal is the same; reduce losses caused by theft, fraud and other forms.

What if I told you criminals operate in the same manner?

shoplifting1

This is a screen shot from a popular blog website. If you know where to look, you can find a treasure trove of shoplifting “how to” guides. What we see above is someone who wants to boost some alcohol. Simply ask the “community” and someone (usually multiple someones) will be more than happy to provide you with tips, tricks and even specific methods to steal from whatever store your heart may desire.

Not only are these individuals concerned about what’s the best way to shoplift, some (if not most) are concerned with potential consequences of actually getting caught. There exists here, a somewhat underground community of shoplifters who are more than eager to share thshoplifting2eir knowledge to others who may be new to the game. Much like a tenured LP manager taking a green agent under their wings.

I must admit that is very easy to distinguish the “rookies”. This community is very well versed on all the latest EAS devices that we use to (try) stop them. I’ve even seen links posted to different websites where one can purchase magnetic detachers and
other tools that would make the most seasoned LP professional cringe at the thought.shoplifting3

Of course, it doesn’t just stop at shoplifting. Take this one for example. This member is boasting about a new computer and monitor he “walked out” with. This was your classic “sweetheart deal” with a dishonest associate. Note how they state the dishonest employee was able to fake a transaction because “everyone trusts him and no one pays attention.”

Does that sound like your store?

shoplifting4

I could sit back here and post screenshot after screenshot. The one common theme amongst all these posters is that stealing from big box retailers is a victimless crime. They see what they do as something that is not “a big deal” as they perceive that our insurance will cover our losses. What they fail to see is the actual damage they are doing to our stores. Lost product = lost payroll = lost wages. They, like every shoplifter and dishonest employee, are taking money right out of the pockets of our employees (including us!).

I hope by reading through this today, you will have a little better understanding of how the 21st century shoplifter operates. No longer is shoplifting a shameful thing. Tto people like this, it is something to be celebrated. By “saving” money, they may very well put each and every one of us out of business.

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Shoplifting Problems Today

October 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting5

Shoplifting is a problem that affects retailers worldwide. In the United States shoplifting is a problem that affects the retail industry tremendously. Millions of dollars are lost daily due to this problem, and although legislation about this problem continues to change to punish the perpetrator accordingly, the problem is far from disappearing.  The rules and regulations about shoplifting that are to be observed by the management and employees of your store should be reviewed regularly to ensure they reflect the times and views of the owners of the retail store.

For more about this and other news follow the links below.

Indianapolis shoplifting suspect dies in police custody after breathing problems

Indianapolis police said they were investigating the death of a shoplifting suspect who complained of breathing problems.

The man died in the back of an ambulance on Saturday afternoon after being arrested by the Indianapolis metropolitan police department (IMPD) and Cumberland police department, the IMPD said in a news release.

The man told officers he was having trouble breathing and an ambulance was summoned. The medical crew assessed the man and determined he could be transported to the city’s arrestee processing center, but while in the back of a jail wagon the man again complained of breathing problems.

A second ambulance was called, but the man’s condition quickly deteriorated and he died despite attempts to save his life, police said.

Walmart employees in hot water over video of suspected shoplifter

ARLINGTON, Texas — Walmart employees who confronted a suspected shoplifter in a Dallas suburb may now be in trouble themselves, reports CBS DFW.

A cashier recorded the incident in North Arlington, which was posted on a Facebook page for Walmart employees. It appears to show a woman shoplifting and employees taunting her and grabbing her bag on her way out of the store.

The video then shows an unidentified woman walking up to the suspected shoplifter outside the store and and starting to fight with her.

One of the employees involved has resigned and an investigation is underway, CBS DFW reports.

Retailers call for legislation amid rise in shoplifting in Dublin

Retailers are lobbying the Government to introduce tougher penalties for repeat shoplifters as gardaí reported a 40 per cent increase in the activity in inner city Dublin.

A Dublin central Joint Policing Committee was told this week that overall property crime, such as burglaries, car thefts and shoplifting, was up by 8 per cent in the division.

Chief Supt Pat Leahy told the meeting that burglaries and car thefts were down this year but a sharp increase in recorded shoplifting had brought up the total.

He said the apparent increase in shoplifting coincided with a change in the way the crime was recorded.

“Every single incident of shoplifting now is recorded as a crime. Whether it is a lipstick or it is a €400 jacket, it goes in as a crime,” he said.

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The Habitual Shoplifter

September 25, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting2According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) there is no profile of a typical shoplifter. 

And while three quarters of the shoplifters are adults, the rest are under age persons. Men and women shoplift equally, and more than three quarters of the shoplifting done in the United States is considered opportunistic.  Habitual shoplifters, which according to the NASP steal an average of 1.6 times per week, employee theft and organized shoplifting rings are a major concern for the retail industry, and the cause of billions of dollars of loses.

For more about this and other topics follow the links below.

Habitual Shoplifters are an International Concern

Shoplifting and other forms of retail theft cost retailers tens of billions of dollars each year. As a result retail leadership has learned to recognize the value of a well-trained management staff and a professional loss prevention department. We have learned to drive operational efficiency, and ensure that controls are in place and adhered to throughout the organization. We have learned the value of deterrence, limiting the desires and the opportunities for theft and other losses by integrating loss prevention concepts with retail practices. We have embraced a belief in training and awareness as being at the heart of a successful loss prevention program.

Despite our best efforts, there will always be those that will test our resolve. For those retail loss prevention professionals that must deal with shoplifters every day, we are trained to recognize that a shoplifter can look like anyone—shoplifters are not bound by gender, race, creed, or social standing. Professionals are trained to identify patterns of behavior and must follow strict protocols before shoplifting suspects can even be approached. There are well-defined principles that guide our decisions, and clear steps that must be followed before an apprehension is made.

But there are times when specific individuals will draw our immediate attention. Based on well-established patterns of previous behavior, the habitual thief—those that are known to have stolen from us on multiple occasions in the past—deserve our efforts and focus. While not a definitive indicator of future intentions, their presence in the store warrants priority consideration.

Teton Village Sports shoplifters arrested

TETON COUNTY, Wyoming –

Two suspects in a recent shoplifting were arrested after they returned to the same store wearing the clothing the store managers say they stole.
On Saturday at 10:24 AM the Teton County Sheriff’s Office received a call from an employee of Teton Village Sports reporting that the suspects from a shoplifting incident earlier that week were back in the store. They were reported to be even wearing the same clothes they had been wearing when captured on surveillance video earlier.

Teton County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who were patrolling the area, arrived within seconds and positively identified the suspects as those wanted for the original crime. The deputies say that the suspects were in the process of victimizing the store for the second time.

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Using Policies and Procedures as a Shoplifting Deterrent

September 11, 2015 by Leave a Comment

law-3The policies and procedures about shoplifting and detaining shoplifters should be known  by every person in your store or business to ensure the safety of your employees.  The importance of the policies can help with employee theft in your store.  If a zero tolerance procedure is known by everyone, it can serve as a deterrent for future or possible theft. For more about this and other stories, follow the links below.

Adidas turns to a new data collection system to pinpoint problems and reduce shrinkage.

When he came home to Germany after the First World War, Adolf “Adi” Dassler went into the athletic shoe business, creating a company that was eventually named for its founder: Adidas. (His brother Rudi moved across the river and founded Puma. Shoes run in the family.)Today the Adidas Group, still headquartered in the small Bavarian town of Herzogenaurach, is a global leader in the sporting goods industry, with 2014 sales of just under $16 billion. Its brands include Adidas, Reebok, TaylorMade, Ashworth, CCM and Five Ten. Earlier this year, the company sold its Rockport unit to a new entity formed by Berkshire Partners and New Balance.

“Adidas is not a natural retailer,” says Ken Bohnert, the company’s profit protection manager. “We came into the retail world on the back of our manufacturing arm — 10 percent of our income stream comes from retail, 90 percent from manufacturing.”

Wisconsin College Admin: Police Shouldn’t Prosecute Shoplifters [VIDEO]

An administrator at the University of Wisconsin-Madison suggested at a recent roundtable conversation that, in order to combat “overpolicing” in the community, police should no longer respond to shoplifting claims at large stores such as Wal-Mart, and shouldn’t agree to prosecute people caught stealing.

“I just don’t think that they should be prosecuting cases … for people who steal from Wal-Mart. I just don’t think that, right?” said UW-Madison director of community relations Everett Mitchell. “I don’t think [with] Target or all them other places, them big box stores that have insurance, they should be using justification, the fact that people steal from there as justification to start engaging in aggressive police practices, right?”

 Everett’s remarks were made Tuesday as part of a UW-Madison panel on the topic of “Best Policing Practices.” Everett argued that community police shouldn’t prioritize enforcing the law, but instead should focus on achieving “safety” as it is defined by a local community, even if that definition includes allowing some stores to be robbed with impunity.

Can You Sue an Employee for Stealing?

Dealing with customer theft is one thing, but what happens when it’s your own employees stealing from your store? Of course there are criminal laws against theft, but that may not get you the full value of what was stolen.

So can you file a lawsuit against an employee for theft? And, if so, what kinds of theft are covered?

Paycheck Penalties

If your state allows, and if you’ve decided not to fire the employee, you could consider deducting the amount of the theft from his or her paycheck. Just be careful: some states (like California) prohibit this entirely, and some states have certain restrictions on when employers can deduct wages and how much they may deduct. You don’t want your attempt to deal with theft to end up in a lawsuit against you.

 

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