A Disturbing Situation

Several months ago I began working for a department store that was unlike my other positions because they didn’t utilize any type of asset protection technology, while my previous employers all used some form of a Checkpoint security system. What was difficult about working for this store was not only did their retail theft prevention strategy rely solely on apprehensions, but as a result of their lack of security tags, the store attracted a distinctive type of thief that I had encountered sporadically in my previous years of experience, but not in this volume. The troubling situation I’m referring to is adult females shoplifting while their children are with them.

As I mentioned, I had encountered cases involving mothers and their offspring acting as accomplices and detained the occasional parent with their kid in tow. However, I had never witnessed the kind of neglect, endangerment, and blatant disregard for a child’s well-being as I did at this retailer. These women committed acts of retail theft that led to situations that confused and terrified their children and often jeopardized their safety during the arrest. One subject hid a pair of denim jeans under her baby carrier in the stroller, another threw a hat in her diaper bag, and one woman even concealed jewelry in her infant’s diaper. Upon detainment, we would have to not only deal with a difficult shoplifter, but also screaming toddlers and the question of what to do with them when mommy goes to jail with the police.

I believe that the frequency of these incidents were the result of this store’s lack of a comprehensive retail theft prevention strategy. These mothers could steal the high-price merchandise available at other department stores, but this retailer didn’t pose the problem of defeating a Checkpoint security system in front of their kids. In addition, shopping with children in tow tends to set the thief at ease that they don’t look suspicious and may deflect the attention of an inexperienced LP associate.

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For more information on Anti Shoplifting, Checkpoint Security System, or Checkpoint Security Tags contact us at Retail theft prevention or call 1.770.426.0547