Shoplifting News Across The United States

April 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (1)The pre-conceived notion that people shoplift because they cannot afford the items they steal, has been proven to be wrong.  Many people that shoplift are able to buy the items they steal without resorting into the dangerous crime of shoplifting. One of the best known reasons of why people steal is because they suffer from depression or have a mental disorder. Although some of the people that shoplift do it for profit and because they cannot afford the items, many shoplifters are battling a mental illness or give in to peer pressure.

Read some of the news about this by following the links below.

Police: Mom abandons child after being caught shoplifting

A warrant has been issued for a woman who left her 10-year-old boy behind after she was caught shoplifting from an area Walmart, police said.

Jennifer Lynn Freedman, 35, entered the store in Manor on Tuesday with a man and her child and began stealing items, police say. Loss prevention employees at the store began watching the group and confronted them.

Freedman and the man then fled the store with some of the merchandise, leaving the child behind, police say.

Manor police officers were able to contact Freedman by phone, but she was reportedly not cooperative. She told officers she would not come back for her son because she did not want to be arrested, according to police.

Child Protective Services were called to take the boy. He was later released to a family friend.

Freedman is wanted on charges of abandoning or endangering a child without intent to return, a third-degree felony. Bond was set at $25,000.

Police: Man Pulled Out Gun During Shoplifting Incident

Police are asking for help locating two shoplifting suspects after one of them allegedly pulled out a gun when his partner got caught.

It happened March 21 at the J.C. Penney located at the Citadel Mall in Colorado Springs.

Police say the pair was walking out of the store with merchandise they had not paid for when store employees stopped the female half of the couple.

That’s when the man reportedly pulled out a gun and demanded she be released. The pair got away in what police believe is a silver Chrysler sedan.

The woman is described as being between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-9 with a medium build. She is in her 20s.

The man is also described as being in his 20s. He is about 5-foot-8 with a thin build.

Anyone with information is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 634-STOP. Reporting parties do not have to give their name and could earn a cash reward.

Milton man faces shoplifting charges

ROCHESTER — Police charged a 47-year-old Milton man in the early hours of Thursday morning in connection with shoplifting at Walmart in December.
Police arrested Keith McConnell of 149 Governors Road, Milton at 12:31 a.m. McConnell was charged with two misdemeanor level offenses of willful concealment.

McConnell was also charged with one misdemeanor count of criminal mischief related to the same incident. The alleged incident actually took place on Dec. 21.

McConnell was bailed and released on $3,500 personal recognizance, pending his arraignment. McConnell will be arraigned on May 19 at 8 a.m. in the 7th Circuit District Division Rochester Court.

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Shoplifting Prevention And Employee Theft

April 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (13)According to the National Security survey employee theft cost businesses about $13.5 billion dollars yearly in the United States alone.  The figure is not only staggering but reflects the big problem retail and small businesses face every day. What are some of the solutions that business could implement to provide them with a better outcome?

Employee theft happens every day in the United States, protect your business and yourself by knowing what to expect.

Read more news about employee theft and shoplifting happening in the United States.

Shoplifting suspect arrested; reportedly took child on high-speed chase

PHOENIX  — A shoplifting suspect is behind bars, accused of a dangerous, high-speed crime spree and police say his young daughter was along for the ride.

Jesus Olivares, 23, was reportedly spotted shoplifting at a Walmart and handing items to his girlfriend, Michelle Castillo. According to court documents, when police tried to detain the pair, Olivares and his girlfriend took off in a car with their 5-year-old daughter inside.

Olivares reportedly fled from police, going up to 100 miles an hour with the unrestrained child in the car.

“Which is endangering the baby,” said Castillo’s mother, Lisa Castillo. “My daughter didn’t have any control … because she wasn’t driving. She was the passenger. She told him to stop and he didn’t listen.”

Olivares eventually did stop the car and fled on foot, reportedly hiding in a trash can, where a police dog pounced on him and pulled him out.

According to police, Olivares continued to resist arrest and fought with the dog. He was finally taken into custody and was transported to the hospital to be treated for dog bites.

Suspected shoplifting, overdose leads to wild police chase

Woodhaven police were called to a Meijer parking lot after a shopper observed a woman slumped over in the driver’s seat of a parked vehicle, appearing to have overdosed as she had a needle in her arm.

While police were driving to the scene, they received a call about a theft taking place at the same Meijer location.

Police then learned from dispatch the shoplifting suspect jumped into the same vehicle as the woman believed to have overdosed, pushed her out of the driver’s seat and drove off.

The driver would not pull over for police and led them on a chase. The chase eventually ended on West Road near I-75 when the suspect vehicle rammed a patrol car and lost control. The suspect vehicle went off the road and flipped onto its roof, narrowly missing a plunge into a nearby river.

Three adults were found in the vehicle. The woman who was initially unconscious became alert. All three were treated for minor injuries on scene.

No officers were injured in the accident.

Police are investigating where the third person in the vehicle came from. They are unsure at this time if the person was in the vehicle from the beginning or if the person got into the car with the other suspected shoplifter.

Judge Weighing Sentence in Lake Wales Employee Theft Case

A judge is considering what punishment to give a 49-year-old Lake Wales woman who pleaded guilty Thursday to stealing more than $180,000 from her employer.

Mary Scalise took the money between January 2011 and January 2013 while working as an office manager for Orange Industrial Services Inc., according to a complaint affidavit from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office.

Scalise told investigators that she began using the money to pay bills when her husband lost his job, but she became “greedy” after finding it was so easy to use the money, the affidavit states.

She pleaded guilty to grand theft and two counts of money laundering.

“I realize the heartache that I’ve caused to my family and friends, and the trust that I violated,” she said. “I cannot offer any excuses, only to say that I regret my actions.”

She faces a maximum punishment of 60 years in pri son.

Circuit Judge John Star – gel wanted more time to review the law before making a decision on what punishment to impose. Scalise’s sentencing hearing will resume April 10.

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How To Identify A Shoplifter

April 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (9)When you suspect shoplifting theft issues in your store, you have to be able to identify the problems before you can start to find a solution. Because there are different styles of shoplifters, understanding how and why they steal will help you develop a better anti shoplifting program to target the shoplifters that affect you the most.

There are three categories of shoplifter: the Amateur, the opportunist, and the Professional. Each one has it’s own defining characteristics and ways to identify the shoplifting in progress. Let’s take a look at how the Amateur Shoplifter operates.

The Amateur is the basic level of shoplifter. They are typically inexperienced but may escalate their shoplifting if they got away easily in the past. They are the people who come into a store and intend to steal rather than buying their products. They can steal for economic reasons (need based), for personal gain, or perhaps emotional reasons like peer pressure or boredom.

The Amateur shoplifter probably has a basic knowledge of retail anti theft devices, and knows to avoid them instead of trying to disable them. Because of this, anti shoplifting devices greatly reduce the losses incurred by the amateur. They will target a store that does not have the devices, versus one that does.

When an amateur shoplifter enters a store, there are a few red flags they might exhibit. They can be nervous or seem on edge. Often these shoplifters will go out of their way to avoid any employee interaction. Customer service is a highly effective deterrent.

Sometimes Amateurs will try to better enable their shoplifting. They may bring large bags or purses that appear unusually empty for their size. They may be planning on concealing merchandise in the bag. They might also come in wearing a bulky or oversized coat, even when it is warm outside. Again, the thought is to conceal the merchandise without being seen.

Lastly, when you watch a shoplifter, notice how they look at your product. Are they more concerned with anti shoplifting devices than they are with the actual product? Do they pick up items quickly and then go to a remote corner of the store. Are they watching you and your employees instead of paying attention to what they are doing? If you can answer yes, then it is more possible that they are shoplifting.

The best deterrents will be customer service and anti theft devices. Since the amateur is more likely to be deterred by the thought of getting caught and arrested, anything that might draw attention to their actions is a powerful deterrent.

Call us today at 1-770-426-0547.
Sell More, Lose Less!

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When Opportunity Strikes; Your Losses Are Their Gain

April 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)The Opportunist Shoplifter is a trick shoplifter to figure out. At their core, the opportunist shoplifter is not a person who came into a store with the intention to steal. Rather they are a generally honest customer who was presented with an opportunity to cause a loss to the store. They let that opportunity get the best of their normally honest judgment.

A common example of opportunistic theft is clothing losses in a fitting room. A customer goes into a fitting room to try on some clothes. There are extra clothes in there from the last customer that the store’s employees did not clean out. While the customer is trying on their clothes they realize that no one is paying any attention to the fitting rooms. They decide to steal one of the left over pieces of clothing because they know no one will notice.

When I train employees, I give another example. It might not be theft, per se, but it still causes a loss to your business. A customer comes to the cash register to buy some items and a cashier makes a mistake while ringing them up. They erroneously bag an item without charging for it. An honest customer who notices the error in the store will speak up to correct the error. If that same customer does not realize the mistake until after they get home, they may or may not go out of their way to return the item back to the store.

Opportunistic theft can also be as simple as a customer who is looking at a small item. When they realize that no one is watching, they pocket the item instead of paying for it. I once saw a customer who was standing in a very long checkout line finally get frustrated at the wait. He screamed how ridiculous it was, and left the store- with his entire cart full of product he hadn’t paid for.

In each of these scenarios, the root cause is a breakdown of operating procedures. The fitting rooms should be cleaned after each customer. The cashier’s should be diligent in ringing up every item. The store employees should provide excellent and attentive service to all customers regardless of where they are in the shopping process. By reducing the opportunities through operational accuracy and standard levels of execution, you reduce the amount of opportunities that are presented within your store.
Call us today at 1-770-426-0547.

Sell More, Lose Less!

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Is Your Store Protected From The Shoplifter?

April 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (4)During the economic downturn in 2008, many retailers sought to save by reducing the dollar amount they spend in loss prevention.  Although the mistake of reducing their loss prevention budget lead to more shrinkage in their stores, the harm and certainly the knowledge of reducing their budget in that sector was rectified and learned.  Retail stores need to spend wisely and investing in loss prevention devices and seminars is the way to reduce more shrinkage in their stores.

Read more about shoplifting crime by following the links below.

Pair of shoplifters cited in boutique theft

Two individuals were cited for shoplifting Saturday after they allegedly went into a boutique and stole a number of items.
Timothy Wayne Hamlet, of Cookeville, and Mandy Nicole Williams, of Baxter, were stopped by Officer Marc Declaire in a vehicle described as one involved in a shoplifting at Bella Boutique on South Jefferson Avenue.

“The suspects were described as a white male with a camouflage hat and the white female wearing pajama pants,” Officer Declaire reported.

The officer spotted the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop.

During an interview, Williams indicated that Hamlet had taken a Victoria Secret handbag that contained a green watch from the store, the report states.

“A search of the vehicle revealed numerous items from Bella Boutique, all with price tags still on them and most of which were in constructive possession of Ms. Williams,” the report states.

The boutique owner arrived and identified her property, including five headbands, a Tennessee Vols diaper cover, a leather bracelet, a green watch, a handbag, a necklace, two handmade scarfs, and other items valued at around $200, according to the report.

Woman accused of shoplifting with 9-year-old daughter

Baytown police say a woman is behind bars after leaving her 9-year-old daughter behind after she stole more than $150 worth of merchandise from a Walmart.

“People steal all the time, you’d be surprised,” said shopper Jordan Pridgeon. “But the leaving-your-kid part, that’s crazy.”

LaKeeasha Artis, 28, was booked into the Harris County Jail and held on a $3,000 bond. She made her first appearance Friday before a judge in magistrate court.

Police said she went into the Walmart on Garth Road, placed two cameras in her purse and gave the purse to her daughter.

When she went to get her SUV, police said she had the girl wait with the purse at the door.

When Artis saw a store loss prevention officer waiting for her, she reportedly jumped in her vehicle and took off.

Officers said she literally left her 9-year-old daughter — now crying and in tears — holding the bag.

Venezuelan Tourist Cleared Of Alleged Shoplifting At Macy’s

A Venezuelan tourist was acquitted Monday of shoplifting at Macy’s Herald Square flagship store, in one of several cases of shoppers saying they were wrongly accused of stealing at major New York City retailers.

Maria Paez was cleared by a judge Monday, according to attorney Daniel Hochheiser.

Court records were not immediately available Monday evening. Manhattan District Attorney’s office representatives had no immediate information.

Paez said she was stopped after putting items in a Macy’s bag to carry them around the flagship store Sept. 12. She said she believed she was targeted because she spoke Spanish and had words with an impolite fitting-room attendant.

Paez claimed she was racially profiled, falsely arrested, imprisoned and forcefully separated from her child when she was taken to the lockup at the store.

She claimed she was not allowed to call her 12-year-old son, who was shopping on another floor in the store, throughout the entire ordeal. She was charged with petite larceny, however, claims she never walked out of the store with the clothes.

Macy’s has no immediate comment.

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Shoplifters: To Prosecute or Not, That is the Question!

April 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

law-3Many Retailers struggle with this question. The decision can be fraught with indecision and even fear. “What if I am wrong?”, “Is this the right thing to do?”, “How will this impact my business?” These are all valid and important questions. Let me first say right up front that as a business owner, consultant and LP Executive, I firmly believe that you should prosecute each and every time. Let me give you some food for thought. After dealing with shoplifters for the last 35 plus years, I see four areas that you should consider when trying to decide whether or not to prosecute.

1             Legal – Every U.S. State has different laws in dealing with shoplifters. However, most of the laws are similar. Most States have what is commonly referred to as “Merchant Laws”. These laws generally protect the Merchant from criminal or civil liability if they follow the law in that State. That means in most cases that as long as you treat the shoplifting suspect fairly, you are free to investigate, if they stole from you or not. If you conclude that they have, then you should call the Police. When you do call the Police, you should never accuse anyone. Let the Police make their decisions based on the evidence presented. This way you are letting the Police do their jobs and it is the State, County or City that is prosecuting. If you are not sure about the laws in your state, go to your States Sectary of State website and search for shoplifting or theft laws.

2             Precedent – If you do not prosecute, word spreads quickly that you are an easy mark and this will actually attract more shoplifters to your store. This happens because shoplifters do talk to each other. If they know the worst that will happen is a warning from you, then the flood gates are open.

3             Prevention – Although similar to precedent, prevention is more about how you and your company deal with shoplifting overall. Our goal is to stop the shoplifter before they even try to steal. We do this with a variety of techniques. To begin with the physical store layout, customer service techniques your staff uses and the Anti-shoplifting equipment such as a Checkpoint System all combined create your stores prevention environment. This environment gives you more ability to prosecute in a business-like manner. This tells the Police, Prosecutor and the Courts that you have a defined way to not only discourage shoplifting but to detect and handle it. I cannot stress prevention enough. More prevention equals less shoplifting equals less prosecution.

4             Emotion – Whether we admit it or not emotion comes into the decision to prosecute. Anyone that steals from our stores is essentially stealing from our pockets. This applies equally to owners, managers and store staff in some form or another. They have taken something from us that has cost us. This may mean the difference in staying in business, if we make a profit, sales numbers or even have a job. Getting angry at the individual shoplifter is counterproductive. Do not “attack” the shoplifter either verbally or physically. Rather treat this as any other business problem and solve it with business solutions not emotion. Prosecution is part of this. By the way, I believe that you should also always prosecute under age and elderly offenders. If you do not get law enforcement involved and simply issue a stern warning, you open yourself up to false accusations. Let the Police deal with this. They are equipped for it.

Overall keep this in mind that your shoplifting problem is not some insurmountable issue that you have to tolerate. Do not bury your head in the sand. Tackle it head on and you will find that your frustration will go down, profits will go up and the shoplifters will go elsewhere.

Loss Prevention Systems is here to help you! We have an all-inclusive anti-shoplifting program that consists of policy and procedure, Checkpoint and Alpha High Theft solutions equipment and shoplifting prevention training that will allow you to then focus on your core business. Call us today at 1-770-426-0547.

Sell More, Lose Less!

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Shoplifting Crime

April 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (5)Some recent studies about the outlook retailers have on the economy are mixed.  While some of the retailers believe the high unemployment is affecting retail sales, others believe the consumer uncertainty in a recovering economy is a major factor in declining sales. Regardless of the outlook you personally take about declining sales and a recovering economy, it is certain shoplifting crime happens daily with detrimental effects for the retail owner.

Read more about shoplifting crime below.

Kelly’s Stupid Criminals of the week!

No shortage of them this week. Starting off in Illinois with a meth-maker busted while wearing his lucky “Los Pollos Hermanos”. Los Pollos Hermanos being the chain restaurant front that peddled meth in Breaking Bad. (Spoiler Alert).

A Florida woman who described herself as “horny” allegedly summoned a cop to her home and tried to have sex with him.  When he refused and left, she called 911 again to complain. She was arrested.

Phoenix serial shoplifting suspect in custody

The serial Walmart shoplifter that police were looking for Saturday night after an officer-involved shooting has been arrested, authorities said.

Rodney McCullough, 34, was found Sunday morning with a non-life threatening gunshot wound to his right shoulder in an apartment near Northern and 17th avenues, according to a Phoenix Police Department statement issued Tuesday.

McCullough was treated at a hospital and later booked into jail on suspicion of eleven counts of retail theft, all stemming from shoplifting cases at various Walmart stores in the Valley.

Police believe McCullough has stolen $9,000 to $10,000 in electronics.

On Saturday, police say McCullough attempted to shoplift speakers at a Walmart in Deer Valley but ran away empty handed when he saw a uniformed officer who was there with his partner for an unrelated situation.

One officer pursued McCullough in his patrol car heading south on 24th Drive until McCullough jumped over a short wall into a hotel parking lot. The officer continued the pursuit on foot.

McCullough got into his vehicle in the parking lot, and the officer punched through the driver’s side window, where his hand got caught. The suspect began to reverse the car before the officer pulled his hand free.

The officer found himself in front of the car, where he believed McCullough was going to drive at him because he was racing the car’s engine. The officer fired one shot, and the suspect drove away.

Felony shoplifting suspects wanted

The D’Iberville Police Department is requesting the assistance of the public to identify three suspects who are wanted for felony shoplifting at Target.

Police say on March 27, 2014, the three suspects entered the store and stole multiple items valued at over $500.00.  The suspects then fled the store in a black SUV.

If you have any information regarding this incident or any other crime, please contact the D’Iberville Police Department at 228-396-4252 or Crime Stoppers at 877-787-5898 or e-mail

 

 

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Is Your Store Protected From The Shoplifter?

March 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)There are many security devices that retail store owners invest to protect themselves from shoplifting theft, among them are security bars and security guards.  Some small businesses that cannot afford to hire a full time security guard for their store relay in security bars to protect their merchandise.  Although some experts agree that security bars is not the best way to protect their merchandise, small business owners have to device a way to protect themselves from the shoplifter.
Read more about this by following the links.

Employees help thwart shoplifting attempts

A trio of would-be shoplifters had their plans foiled by police and store employees over the weekend.

Chad Burk, 40, was arrested late Friday after witnesses said he left a Safeway store on North Market Street without paying for his alcohol. A clerk watched Burk grab a $13 bottle of vodka and a can of beer, walk to the frozen foods section and place the can of beer inside. Burk pocketed the vodka in his jacket and walked out without paying, according to the store clerk.

The employee followed Burk outside and a scuffle ensued, during which Burk allegedly threw some punches and the bottle of vodka into the street, where it shattered. He was booked into Spokane County Jail on a first-degree robbery charge but was released without bond this weekend.

Heather Duncan, 32, was arrested outside the NorthTown Mall on Sunday afternoon, where she was accused of stealing clothing worth roughly $110. When a store employee approached Duncan outside the store with the merchandise, she used pepper spray in an attempt to get away, according to court documents.

Shoplifting suspect flees scene, leaving purse, dog behind

STOCKTON – A shoplifting suspect fleeing an east Stockton shopping district this morning left behind some interesting evidence – her purse containing her identification and a small dog, police reported.

The 39-year-old woman was in a gray Kia when she was approached by security guards around 11:13 a.m. in the 600 block of North Wilson Way between Oak and Park streets. She used her vehicle to intimidate the store employees who had planned on making a citizen’s arrest, according to police.

In her hurry, she dropped her purse and fled the scene, according to a report, leaving behind identification and the dog.

Shoplifters cited for stealing makeup, chocolate

A woman was recently cited for shoplifting from a local department store after reportedly concealing nearly $270 worth of makeup in her purse.

Officer Robert King’s report states he was dispatched to Walmart on Wednesday.

Once there, loss prevention personnel informed him they witnessed Emily M. Birdwell, of Nashville Highway, Baxter, “conceal makeup in her purse and on her person.”

She was cited in lieu of continued custody for shoplifting.

She was also banned from the store.

In another shoplifting incident, a woman was caught concealing store items at Walgreens on South Willow Avenue early this morning.

Officer David Harris’ report states he arrived on the scene and the store manager said there was a woman in the bathroom they believed had taken merchandise without paying.

Harris waited for the woman to leave the restroom, who was identified as Bobbie A. Randolph of Buffalo Valley Road, Cookeville, and spoke with her.

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Employee Theft

February 23, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (11)Employee theft is considered and perceived as one of the biggest crimes affecting the retail industry today. Billions of dollars a year are lost due to employee theft and shoplifting crime.  Many retail stores seeking to prevent losses employ security devices to counteract this ever present issue hopping to increase their revenues and decrease their losses. For a retail owner, preventing shoplifting loss is of the utmost importance.  Shoplifting is a crime that continues to increase yearly, and owners need the most current technology in the market to counteract this devastating crime. What are some of the anti-theft devices your business should be using? From Jewel Lok’s, Shark Tags, Spider Wraps, Nano Gates and clothing alarms to video surveillance, these are some of the devices businesses would benefit from to decrease their losses. Visit Our Web store at www.RetailLossPreventionStore.com for more information.

7 Ways Your Employees Are Stealing From You

You don’t know it, but one of your employees may be stealing from you. But why would anyone want to steal from you? Don’t people think you’re a nice person?

Not him. He doesn’t show it, but he thinks you’re kind of a jerk. He thinks you’re too demanding and that you don’t treat him with the respect that he deserves. He thinks he’s underpaid and overworked. He thinks you’re clearly making the big bucks, driving around in that new, expensive car and mysteriously disappearing for “business meetings.” He’s got a family and expenses to consider too.

Yeah, he thinks he has every right to steal from you. And you will probably not even notice. He’s got some tricks up his sleeve to put a few extra bucks in his pocket.

He may collude with a fellow employee. If he’s frustrated, then maybe someone else is too. He’s going to try and find someone a little higher up on the food chain, someone who has authority to approve expenses. They’ll create a fake supplier — a little shell company equally owned by both of them. Then they’ll fabricate a few invoices and write checks to that company and split the money — your money.

6 Tips to Reduce Employee Theft

Storeowners don’t want to think their employees will steal from their store. But every day merchants discover that their trusted staff members have done exactly that. According to a retail theft survey conducted by Jack L. Hayes International, a loss prevention consulting firm, one out of every 40 employees was apprehended for theft by their employer in 2012. The survey also found that on average, employees steal 5.5 times more than shoplifters on a per-case average ($715.24 vs $129.12).

Thankfully, there are ways to surround yourself with staff you can trust. Here are six tips from our experts:

1. Weed out bad apples. Run a background screening and a drug test on all potential hires. Employees with drug addictions are at higher risk for stealing to support their habit. “I believe that past behavior is a good predictor of future behavior,” says King Rogers, chief executive officer of the King Rogers Group, a loss prevention and security management consulting company. “If someone has been convicted of theft in the past, then you don’t want them handling your money.”

Use the buddy system. Often theft happens when one employee is alone in the store or at the register. Doyle recommends having two employees work for both opening and closing to limit opportunity. Always have refunds and voids witnessed by a second employee or a manager as well, says Mark Doyle, president of Jack L. Hayes International. Rotate the employees paired together and avoid having close friends witness transactions for each other.

5 Technologies to Help Reduce Employee Theft

According to an investigation by CBS news, most companies lose about five percent of their revenue to an inside job: Employee theft. The Department of Justice asserts that 33 percent of employees commit some type of fraud and–not surprisingly–about 33 percent of all companies that file for bankruptcy are directly put into that position by employee theft. However, the US Chamber of Commerce cites an even scarier statistic: 75 percent of employees will steal from their company at some point, and many do it repeatedly.

Employee theft can range from seriously toying with accounts to taking home a stapler from the office, but it all adds up. The first thing to do in order to prevent employee theft is to simply expect it. Employers should also be firm, and institute a zero-tolerance policy for theft. Theft will happen inevitably, but here are 5 technologies to reduce the occurrence of it.

1. Remote Monitoring

Remote monitoring involves placing cameras throughout a work environment, which is especially useful for businesses with lots of inventory, such as retail stores. Whether or not the employees know about the monitoring is up to the discretion of the employer. However, letting employees know they’re being monitored can help sidestep any potential “privacy violation” finger-pointing down the road.

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What Are Thieves Looking To Steal In Your Business?

February 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)According to studies done by the US National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health, Shoplifting is a relative common behavior. People with a history of shoplifting can be associated with a psychological disorder, and men in particular can experience an anxiety episode before committing the crime. Some of the thefts are done unpremeditated and although there are many reasons for these individual thefts, we cannot compare thefts done by organized crime. What are the things that individuals and organized crime leaders fancy when entering your business? Follow the links below to read more about this topic.

The 10 Weirdest Things Thieves Steal

1. Laundry detergent

Procter & Gamble and Arm & Hammer are not the only ones to discover the value in laundry detergent. Thieves have too. This relatively expensive everyday household product is found in nearly every home, which can partly explain its appeal as a stolen good. Consistent demand makes a product much easier to sell. In particular, Tide — a recognized, easy to spot brand — is traded on a regular basis for drugs, other illicit items, and sometimes right back to stores looking for better profit margins. Additionally, the lack of serial numbers on the packaging makes detergents very difficult to track.

2. Allergy medicine

Among organized retail crime gangs allergy medicines in particular have become quite popular, according to a 2013 crime survey conducted by the NRF. Part of the value of allergy medications may be the consistently high demand for the product, as many people suffer from allergies. According to Rich Muller at the NRF, however, people are often more willing to suffer through allergy symptoms than buy antihistamines. As a result, a cheaper, boosted product has more success among consumers. While recreational use of antihistamines could be another explanation, stolen allergy medicines are re-sold primarily for intended use.

5 weirdly tempting targets for thieves (and investors)

High prices for some basic commodities have thieves stealing a lot of stuff that might not seem worth the trouble, such as cattle and manhole covers. So lock up your Nutella, and remember that hot products can make for good investments.

Some of the hottest items are commodities

Smartphones, jewelry and cash are among the things we expect thieves to target. So we take precautions and lock them up.

Fewer people, though, are as careful with laundry detergent and steaks. But a lot of everyday, ordinary items have become hot commodities with thieves.

Some items on this list may seem like unusual targets because their value is not readily apparent. For example, thieves love to steal catalytic converters from cars because they contain rare metals, including platinum. Frank Scafidi of the National Insurance Crime Bureau (NICB) also gives the example of manhole covers, which municipalities have been known to leave lying around in the street. Yet the number of thefts of manhole covers has risen considerably in recent years, as has the theft of copper pipe from homes, because of the rising price of the metals they contain.

Rising Tide Thefts Leave Colo. Retailers Airing Dirty Laundry

Retailers in Colorado are cracking down on Tide laundry detergent thefts by locking up the product and hiring undercover security guards to patrol their aisles.

The Colorado Retail Council hopes that such measures will help protect retailers from people who are shoplifting laundry detergent at an alarming rate.

“It’s a very large problem that we have to spend a lot on and, unfortunately, that cost gets passed on to the costumer,” Chris Howes, president of the Colorado Retail Council, said.

Police in Colorado are searching for a man they believe has stolen more than $8,000 worth of Tide laundry detergent in the Ft. Lupton area in Weld County. Police said the male suspect has been caught on surveillance video knocking off six different stores, taking Tide and expensive face lotions.

Tide is one of the most recognized laundry detergents with its bright-orange container. With a retail price from $10 to $20, Tide has become liquid gold on the streets. It can sell on the black market for half the price and it’s impossible to track.

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