Staff Editor — Page 25

Wondering Where Stock Shortage Came From And How To Prevent It? A Discussion On Shrinkage And How A Checkpoint Security System Can Improve It

April 20, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Checkpoint Security System-5 WC Blog 306

Retail Theft Prevention-4

Checkpoint Tags-5

Wondering Where Stock Shortage Came From And How To Prevent It? A Discussion On Shrinkage And How A Checkpoint Security System Can Improve It.

While the cause of shortage may vary depending on the type of retail store you own. The Global Retail Theft Barometer Report for 2014/2015 provides an overall picture for North American Retailers. Shoplifting was reported to account for approximately 36% of shortage, Dishonest Employees caused 45%, Administrative and non-crime losses 13% and vendor fraud 6% (page 53). For store owners this means that in some manner, a Checkpoint Security System can make an impact on all four areas that cause shortage for a store. I am not saying 100% of losses can be prevented by retail theft prevention, but a significant amount of it can be stopped.

When I am talking about a Checkpoint Security System, I am referring to the electronic article surveillance (EAS) pedestals, Checkpoint tags, deactivation units and detachment keys. Pedestals are the towers you frequently see at the doors of many stores. Tags may be soft, adhesive style labels that stick to merchandise or hard, two-piece designs that are pinned to products. Often hard tags are used to protect softlines goods, clothes, bedding, towels, etc. and can be reused many times over. Each tag design is compatible with EAS pedestals so that protected merchandise carried too close to a tower will prompt the alarms in the tower to activate. When employees hear the alarm they react and conduct receipt checks, verifying which items are paid for and which are not. The customer is provided an opportunity to pay for merchandise or return it. In some situations shoplifters toss the item they were planning to steal when the alarm sounds and they run off.

It is clear then how a Retail Theft Prevention System can deter and prevent shoplifting, most thieves don’t want to take a chance of being caught when an alarm sounds. This means you can automatically impact 36% of our losses. But what about Administrative and non-crime losses? How can the use of Checkpoint tags make a difference in this area? Non-crime losses may include merchandise that is left in a shopping cart and missed during the checkout process. A customer loads their goods into the car and picks up the bag of dog food on the bottom rack of the cart. If the cashier wasn’t paying attention the merchandise was missed but the customer doesn’t always know it. While the missed bag of pet food was an accident, it is still a loss and creates stock shortage. By placing a soft Checkpoint tag on the bag the store would have caused a situation that activated the pedestal alarm and an employee would have caught the error during a receipt check.

Vendor fraud only accounts for about 6% of merchandise losses however even this can be improved upon when a Checkpoint Security System is in place. The majority of vendors are honest but there are some who will conduct a store visit to service their merchandise and in the process steal some of their product line. Stores I have worked in have had cosmetic, sunglasses, ball card and jewelry vendors in addition to food and greeting card vendors who regularly made visits. Though they were supposed to sign in and out and speak to a manager before leaving the store it did not always happen. Making sure all of your products are protected with Checkpoint tags ensures that a dishonest vendor who may be stealing will cause an EAS tower alarm and merchandise will be recovered. You can then partner with the vendor’s company to request a different representative service your store in the future.

Employee theft accounts for the final 45% of shortage and can be one of the more difficult areas to stop because of the various methods of theft available to employees. Dishonest team members can underring and pass merchandise, create fraudulent returns, steal cash, hide merchandise, etc., making it more challenging to identify their activity. A Checkpoint Security System can detect those staff members who do try to conceal product and walk out without paying. Remember that any reduction in shortage still adds to the profit line of the store and there are methods to deter, prevent and detect those types of employee theft that a security system cannot detect.

Retail Theft Prevention programs that include Checkpoint tags and hardware can impact all areas that cause shortage. Don’t wring your hands wondering where your merchandise went, invest in a Checkpoint Security System and make a difference starting today!

Get more information on Checkpoint Security Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

Do you ever wonder how it happens? You conduct inventory in your store, you get the results and you find out you have SHORTAGE! How did that happen? Where did all that merchandise go? In Loss Prevention we generally recognize five areas that are the cause of retail shrinkage, shoplifting, employee theft, vendor or supplier fraud and administrative losses.While the cause of shortage may vary depending on the type of retail store you own. The Global Retail Theft Barometer Report for 2014/2015 provides an overall picture for North American Retailers. Shoplifting was reported to account for approximately 36% of shortage, Dishonest Employees caused 45%, Administrative and non-crime losses 13% and vendor fraud 6% (page 53). For store owners this means that in some manner, a Checkpoint Security System can make an impact on all four areas that cause shortage for a store. I am not saying 100% of losses can be prevented by retail theft prevention, but a significant amount of it can be stopped.

Get more information on Checkpoint Security Systems, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

Filed Under: antishoplifting Tagged With: checkpoint security system, Checkpoint tags, retail theft prevention

The Advantages of Hiring and Training Good Employees

April 11, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

A study done by the University of California at Berkley found that hiring a new employee costs an approximate $4,000 dollars per employee and in hiring for higher positions-professionals and management level employees-the figure increases to $7,000. If you are a small business, then the figure increases per every new employee you are trying to hire. If you are a small business that offers other benefits to their employees, the cost increases considerably. The importance of hiring quality employees, or training the employees you already have, are an economic advantage many businesses cannot pass. Hiring and training new employees is expensive, why not do it right the first time? Background checks, and recommendations from other employers are not something you can take lightly. Checked them before you hire, and it would likely paid dividends.

For more about this and other stories, follow the links below.

Loss Prevention Management Must Focus on Quality Recruitment and Retention

Loss prevention management has the power to improve understanding, morale, and workplace inclusion.

Let’s face it—the bottom line to any corporate organization is the profit margin. However, those in executive loss prevention management should always be mindful that quality of service drives the margin. Factors that lead to high-quality service are often the result of well-retained employees. Specifically, all management levels need to be mindful of what policies work, what don’t work, and what looks promising.

Recruitment and Training

Think back to when you first joined your company. What was your initial impression of the first few people you met when you went in for the initial interview? Do you remember their general attitude about the company?

Chances are that your initial impression was positive. Perhaps this is why you stayed. Do you think the same attitudes are being conveyed to new recruits today? If not, you might consider those colleagues who left the company. What was it about their experiences that differed from yours, that made them leave?

Oxford Square Alliance Meets To Combat Rise In Shoplifting

The Square Alliance met this morning to discuss ways to combat the increase in shoplifting in the hub of Oxford’s shopping. Business owners had a Q&A with OPD investigator Chris Case about how to prevent shoplifting and deal with those who are caught in the act.

Case provided tips in shoplifting prevention such as a more visible security system, keeping an eye out for suspicious activity and more. Business owners voiced their opinions and discussed certain tricks and trends that they’ve noticed shoplifters using to attempt to steal merchandise. Case mentioned that shoplifters will usually work in pairs rather than alone to attempt to distract workers while they commit the crime.

A heavy importance was placed on figuring out how to deal with shoplifters when they are caught in the act to find the balance of ensuring security but not overstepping the boundaries. Businesses and workers have the ability to recover stolen merchandise and keep the violator in the store until the authorities arrive, as long as they have probable cause. It is also unlawful to lock them in a small space such as a closet or use force.

Wal-Mart has a unique way to cut down on shoplifting

Wal-Mart has taken the law into its own hands.

No, the company has not started its own jail, and any employee who wears a cape and fights crime must still do so on his own time. Instead, the retail chain has taken a new approach to fighting shoplifting that requires less involvement from the police. The retailer has been using a “restorative justice” program in 1,500 of its stores, according to The Gainesville Sun. That’s a program in which people deemed low-risk, first-time offenders are given the choice of paying to take an anti-shoplifting course rather than facing arrest and prosecution.

The effort is in its early days, but the results have been good so far. The company has seen a 35% reduction in calls to law enforcement nationwide since restorative justice programs were first implemented, Wal-Mart spokesman Ragan Dickens told The Sun in an email.

“No retailer is immune to the challenge of crime. We recognize the importance of this issue at the highest levels of the company, and we are investing in people and technology to support our stores,” he wrote, noting that police are not being cut out of the loop.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Anti-shoplifting training, Background checks, combating shoplifting, employee background checks, Employee retention, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, hiring, loss prevention management, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Workshop, pre-employment background check, quality employees, quality recruitment, recruitment, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, small business hiring, surveillance, theft prevention, training, Wal-mart, Wal-mart shoplifting prevention, workplace inclusion, workplace morale

Not All Clothing Security Tags Are Equal, But They Are Necessary. Get Informed!

April 11, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

AA Blog 39

Clothing security tags: 5

Security tags on clothes: 3

Clothing security: 3

Not All Clothing Security Tags Are Equal, But They Are Necessary. Get Informed!

It is truly amazing what you can find on the internet. It seems like you can find a how-to-video on anything you want to learn to do or fix on the internet. My husband and I are not very handy when it comes to fixing things or diagnosing problems, but I will tell you I have found some good information by doing a web search. We have managed to fix our television, our washer, our garbage disposal and various other things. I have learned how to do small home projects, make crafts, sewing Halloween costumes and even new dinner recipes. Anything you want to know is literally at your fingertips. Although, having technology and information readily available isn’t always a positive thing. I have learned that you can find out how to do a lot of bad things on the internet as well. Being in loss prevention and law enforcement, I tend to look for things on the internet that can assist people with circumventing the law, or personal stories on how to get around security or other loss prevention protections. I think it is important to understand how people are managing to get around certain protections so you can better protect your interests. For example, when I search clothing theft several how-to-videos come up that show you how to remove hard tags from clothing, to help people steal property from retailers. I think with anything, there are always going to be people out there that will go to great lengths to try and get something for nothing, which is why clothing security is so important. I wonder what these people could truly do if they put their minds to something productive. Reviewing this type of information and tutorials has helped me realize how important it is to equip my stores with quality clothing security tags, to prevent these types of breaches in our security program.

If you are in the clothing industry, you know how important it is to have security tags on clothes. Clothing has become a lucrative market, due to increases in clothing production and transportation costs, making clothing security a priority. Designer clothes are a high pilferage item, which makes it imperative to protect these items from theft. Quality clothing security tags provide a deterrent to shoplifters and should be used on your high valued items. These tags are equipped with EAS technology, which sounds an alarm when someone attempts to remove the tag in the store, alerting associates to the attempted theft. This prevents someone from removing the items with a magnet or other device without detection. The EAS system also prevents the shoplifter from removing the clothing from the store. Clothing security tags are deactivated by the cashier at the time of sale, thus preventing breaches in security, and can be re-used multiple times. This allows for a secure, cost-efficient means to protect your property, without detracting from the shopping experience. When you use quality security tags on clothes, you can sleep well knowing you will not be a victim of theft.

Clothing security is a top priority in my stores, due to high theft rates. I have learned through experience and failures that you get what you pay for. That’s why I always choose quality clothing security tags that offer electronic article surveillance, so I can ensure that my property is properly protected, and that a simple how-to-video does not offer a means to circumvent my security efforts. If you are not protecting yourself, by placing security tags on clothes in your store, you are setting yourself up for failure. Be sure to choose a quality tag to ensure you are getting a product that will truly protect your interests, decrease overhead, and increase profits.

Clothing security tags are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Clothing Security, clothing security tags, security tags on clothes

Fighting Shoplifting Locally

April 4, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Across the United States, local governments are passing legislature to combat and punish shoplifting and employee theft. The harsher sentences are supposed to deter the shoplifter while sending the message of severe persecution if caught shoplifting. Now, small business owners are taking a new initiative. They are uniting to fight retail theft, and being able to provide information about shoplifters and shoplifting among retailers in the area.In some areas, the increase of shoplifting is hitting businesses hard and according to them “We are fed up.”

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

East Coast supermarket chain finds talent in former drug dealers

PHILADELPHIA

When Jeffrey Brown looks to promote employees within his 13-store supermarket chain, he looks for people with hustle, ability, commitment, all that.

There’s another unlikely attribute that has turned out to be a predictor of success at Brown’s ShopRite and Fresh Grocer stores.

“What we realized is that a lot of the people we hired were in the drug trade,” said Brown, founder and chief executive of Brown’s Super Stores Inc. “We were surprised that some of the people we hired have fairly good business skills. The drug trade is a business. It’s an illegal business. You are buying. You are selling. You have inventory. You have some of the common problems that any retailer has. A lot of them are accelerating into management.”

That’s the kind of human capital insight that Brown would never have imagined in 2008, when, at the urging of an outspoken customer, he decided to make it his company’s mission to hire people coming out of prison.

Research Findings from Employee Theft Articles

Peer-reviewed employee theft articles can stimulate discussion and reassessment of policies among LP professionals.

As many of you know, I have been researching employee theft, occupational crime, employee dishonesty, and workplace deviance for more than 30 years. I peruse scholarly journals and academic publications regularly for relevant research studies that can help us all better understand this phenomenon. This column features a couple of employee theft articles that may shed some light on this continuing problem. I have included the full citations so you can find these publications online or in your local library to read and share with your staff. If you do not have direct access to a major research library, try using Google Scholar.

“Workplace Theft: An Analysis of Student-Employee Offenders and Job Attributes”

The first of the two employee theft articles is authored by Elizabeth Ehrhardt Mustaine (University of Central Florida) and Richard Tewksbury (University of Louisville) and published in the American Journal of Criminal Justice 27:1 (pages 111 – 127, 2002). This employee theft study surveyed a large population of college students attending a number of major universities. Since existing research suggests that many dishonest employees are younger, part-time, untenured, and dissatisfied, these two researchers concluded that college students would make an ideal sample of employees to survey about their occupational criminal behavior.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, Businesses and shoplifting, dishonest employees, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Illinois shoplifting laws, juvenile shoplifters, Local business fighting shoplifting, Loss Prevention Workshop, Management and shoplifting prevention, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, preventing shoplifting in your store, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Retailers and shoplifting, security devices, Shoplifting Education Programs, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting training, shoplifting violence, surveillance, workplace theft

Defective Hiring

March 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Would you knowingly buy a car with a defective engine? Of course not! So why would you hire a “defective employee”?

My definition of a defective employee is one with a criminal history, horrible credit history, has lied on their application and more.

Getting this kind of problem child in your business is asking for trouble you don’t need or have time for. On top of that, do you really want someone who has stolen, committed violent acts or worse in the environment you are trying to build? That person then wastes your hard earned resources including payroll, training and time by causing the same aggravation they have for others. But this time you have to deal with them.

Do you know what the most lied about item is on an application? It is not pay, experience or even that they really do not have a sunny disposition. It is the dates of employment from their previous jobs. Let’s say they have had three previous jobs. They got fired from number two so they stretch the dates of number one and three and whoosh job number two never existed. As employers we want to have it all including the good, bad and especially the ugly. This allows us to make better hiring decisions.

We can find this out for you. The criminal acts, thefts, assaults, DUI’s, rapes, illegal drug convictions and more. Oh yes, we can even find those jobs they are not telling you about and get the dates of employment.

You do not want a car that breaks down as soon as you drive it off the lot. Why would you want the same thing in an employee? Contact us today; we can start pre-employment background checks for you right away. In most cases we have same or next day results.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, employee background checks, employee hiring, Employee Theft, employment training, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Workshop, pre-employment background check, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, retail security and monitoring

Physical Security Inspections Can Help Impact Sales While Keeping Customers And Employees Safe

March 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Daylight savings time is over and for most of us in the U.S. (yes, there are a few exceptions) we have moved our clocks and groaned at the loss of a precious hour of sleep. We have to adjust and get used to the change and eventually we do. For our personal lives there isn’t a lot of impact, once we are used to it we do benefit from the additional daylight and get to enjoy more outdoor activity. The time change is useful as a reminder for changing batteries in smoke detectors. You may even use it as a point when you will start planning your summer vacations. For business owners daylight savings time can be a reminder that it is time to conduct a store physical security review. Time changes may not impact us much individually but for retailers there is an impact for the building, employees and your customers.

How does daylight impact your business? With more daylight you may want to take a look at your parking lot lighting. Are the lights on the exterior of the building set to timers? If they are it would be appropriate to set them to the new hours of dusk. Lights turning on too early wastes energy and drives up electric expenses. Having lights come on when it is already dark makes a parking lot feel unsafe and will keep shoppers away from your store. In an article from Buildings.com titled “4 Parking Security Essentials” by Jennie Morton, 11/30/2012, the author states, “Give your lighting a hard look stresses Geary Robinson, parking and transportation services director for Indiana University – Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) and a member of IPI. Dark shadows that can conceal aggressors, reduced visibility for pedestrians and vehicles, and inadequate color rendering all chip away at safety.” The article continues, “Not sure if your parking area has a lighting problem? Look at the behavior of visitors. If people feel compelled to use their headlights in your garage or cars are grouped in your lot closest to light poles, these activities indicate that users may be uncomfortable with the level of darkness.” (Emphasis mine). If lighting is not adequate or if lamps are out, this is the perfect time to get them replaced. If you lease your property a call to your property management company is in order to get lights repaired or replaced.

Since we are talking about a thorough physical security review of the building I would recommend testing fire exit push bars. Are they alarming properly? Do the doors open easily? I once had a set of fire doors that would not close properly after testing the push bar and we could not reset the alarm. What if the opposite had been the problem? What would have happened had the doors not opened properly in an emergency situation? You cannot assume that systems will work simply because you want it to be so. While you are at the fire doors, check the fire exit lights, make sure they are lit. This can be difficult with some lights. While they may seem dim to you, some are designed this way. Ask the fire department to come to the store and test the lights to ensure they meet code requirements. By auditing and testing you identify potential issues and get them repaired so you can depend on them in the event you need them. You could also avoid hefty fines for safety violations in case of an inspection by the Fire Marshall.

Include testing of your burglary and fire alarm systems at this time. Your alarm system company should be able to walk you through a test of the burglary alarm system. Testing door alarm points and any motion sensors your store may have. You may also need to do a break glass test to be sure your system will pick up front door and window glass breaks. Fire alarm tests and sprinkler riser tests can be conducted through a third party vendor. You don’t need to be the expert in how to conduct the tests, just be sure to get them done.

Many people associate spring with a fresh start. Give your business a fresh start annually, use this time of the year as a reminder to check your safety measures. Keep your customers and employees safe while protecting your business from unnecessary fines or lawsuits.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, CCTV equipment, CCTV monitors, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting statistics, small business security, small business security lighting, surveillance

Tuning Up Your CCTV To Maximize Safety And Security

March 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

When do closed circuit television malfunctions occur? I’m sure you can guess, it is always at the point when you need it most. I can’t recall the number of instances when I had a cash shortage I needed to look for and when I attempted to pull video through the DVR the video was already dropped or the camera wasn’t functioning. I remember having to look for an image of a suspect in a shoplifting incident and the picture was too grainy to be of any use due to a dirty camera lens or dome. One slightly embarrassing situation that stands out in my mind involved robberies that were taking place behind our store. I had developed a great working relationship with our local police department and they knew the quality of our camera system. Investigators came to me seeking assistance with outdoor camera footage to try to identify the criminals conducting the robberies. I pulled up video of the date and time in question and much to my chagrin the camera had a great shot of the ground directly underneath it. A power surge had impacted the programming of the pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) camera and placed it in a default position. I had not noticed the problem in a timely fashion and could not recall how long it was before I did catch the issue. The good news was I was able to re-program the camera and eventually we did provide footage of an incident a little later that led to an arrest.

It is important to do a spring cleaning of your Loss Prevention tools, and especially a tune up of your closed circuit television (cctv) equipment. As a Loss Prevention Manager for a big box retailer, each spring we would have what we referred to as a bounce back checklist. The checklist covered a number of housekeeping items, including cleaning and checking CCTV components. Doing so helped to ensure we were getting maximum video retention, quality camera pictures, clear public view monitor images and we would identify equipment needing repairs.

I used to train my team to look at CCTV equipment from the eye of a shoplifter. If there is a public view monitor it is supposed to be a deterrent to crime. When the bad guys see their picture on a monitor the idea is that they will be less inclined to do what they intended whether it is shoplifting, stealing purses or robbing the business. I would emphasize that a filthy monitor or poor quality picture indicated to the bad guys that the store didn’t take Loss Prevention seriously and diminished the deterrence value.

CCTV equipment maintenance is not just for stores with a Loss Prevention Department. Many stores do not have a security department but there is equipment that is a precaution against crime. Often a camera system with a digital video recorder, computer and or multiplexer is housed in a small office recording activity. It can be easy to forget about it if there is not someone assigned to check on it daily. Sometimes it is neglected until a robbery takes place or money is missing from a register and then a manager goes to review footage and finds the system is not functioning. Using a spring checklist helps managers ensure equipment will be functioning when it is needed.

So what should be included in a cctv tune-up checklist?

Dust digital video recorders, keyboards, computers and multiplexers with canned air and good quality dusters
Check all connections and ensure nothing has come loose and no wires are frayed
If equipment is maintained in a small office, ensure the room is properly cooled
Review each camera and picture, is it positioned to see what you need it to see?
Clean every camera lens
Wipe down all camera domes (even dummy domes)
Clean Public View Monitors. If a monitor has a burned picture, replace it. Look at it during different hours of the day is there a time when too much glare hits it? If so, you may want to try repositioning it.
Check your video retention. If you aren’t getting at least 30 days follow up with your vendor to see about clearing space or optimizing recording. You may be able to set recording zones or sensors that will only record when movement in an area happens.

No one wants to think about a robbery, employee theft or shoplifting taking place in their store but it is something you have to be prepared for. Take care of your cctv by tuning it up so that IF the time comes when you need it you will have the video necessary to help police in their investigation to put the criminals away.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV, CCTV cameras, CCTV equipment, CCTV monitors, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Robbery, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Spring Cleaning Should Include A Review Of Evidence Held For Shoplifting And Employee Theft Cases

March 30, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

When I was a Loss Prevention Manager we would catch a shoplifter or a dishonest employee and recover merchandise. Depending on the type of case we would sometimes hold the evidence for a few days until the court hearing other times it could be much longer. If a shoplifter refused to plead guilty or requested a jury trial cases could be held up for months if not longer. I had several cases that went on for more than a year. Felony shoplifting cases and juvenile cases in our jurisdiction often meant lengthy wait periods depending on caseloads in the court. I also recall at least one shoplifting case in which the lawyer for the defendant requested extensions three separate times hoping that I would not appear for the hearing and the case would be dropped. No dice, I showed up for each hearing and finally the lawyer entered a guilty plea. The problem with the lengthy cases was that we would have to hold the evidence until the cases were settled. In some situations the police department held the recovered merchandise, such as when they stopped the suspect after the suspect fled the store. When merchandise has to be held for long periods it is possible for it to sit in evidence and be forgotten about. For stores that are too small to have security or Loss Prevention Departments management may be storing that evidence and no one is thinking about following up on cases with their police department or court.

Spring is the perfect time to look through cases and see if there is merchandise that can be returned to inventory. Before you just go in and start looking through evidence closets or lockers that you may have in your store take some things into consideration. Just as police have chains of custody, a store should have a similar program in place. No one should be able to open a security cabinet and start digging through it. A proper evidence locker will have a listing of evidence that is associated with a case number, date and suspect(s) name. This enables the store to track the progress of a case. It also gives reference information so that a call to the Clerk of Court can help their employees find the status of a case. When the locker is opened, there should be a signature sheet with a date and time entry showing when it was accessed. There should also be an evidence release form in the event police have to take custody of property (be aware that they will have their own chain of custody form for you to sign too).

Why is it so important to go through and review for evidence that can be cleaned out? From an inventory standpoint the product could be losing value. I did have merchandise sit in my evidence locker and some SKU’s went clearance as the merchandise had to be held while the case was in limbo. In a few instances merchandise completely dropped from the books and I had to take financial sheets and account for the products. Occasionally police would come by with merchandise from cases I had forgotten about and let me know that they were cleaning out their evidence lockers and a case had been dismissed or adjudicated without any follow up with our store. Again, this was infrequent as most cases were disposed of with me present or a call from the Clerk of Court letting me know the defendant had entered a guilty plea. Our store was large enough that we could absorb some of these lost markdowns or the items dropped from the system without making a major impact on our stock shortage. For smaller stores this could be problematic. Every dollar and piece of merchandise should be accounted for whenever possible at inventory time. The lower the annual sales the more impact each lost or uncounted piece of merchandise has on overall shortage.

What is the solution to potential losses because merchandise is in evidence? Use spring as the time to review what you may have in your evidence locker from shoplifting and employee theft cases. If there are cases that have been sitting for a month or more, place a call to the court that is responsible for the case and ask about the status. If it has been closed on their end you should be able to release the goods back to the store. If it is still awaiting trial or disposition continue holding it in evidence. One final piece of advice, some jurisdictions will permit photos of evidence to suffice for court. Contact your local police department or court to find out their rules and guidelines.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, clearance, employee background checks, Employee Theft, inventory, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Workshop, mobile POS loss prevention, Perpetual Inventory, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Avoiding A Lawsuit Due To Shoplifting Prevention

March 29, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Macy’s, Barneys, CVS, Victoria Secret and many other retail stores have been sued during the last year. From racial profiling to unlawful arrest and defamation, these big chains are dealing with costly legal representation due to shoplifting. To prevent shoplifting these stores spend millions of dollars every year hiring, training, and buying technology to help them combat shoplifting in their stores. Trained personnel that know the policies and rules on how to apprehend and deal with a shoplifter can be an instrumental asset to the store. It can possibly save you millions of dollars from lawsuits.

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

Preventing Shoplifting Without Being Sued: Practical Advice for Retail Executives

Practical, clear advice on what you can do to prevent shoplifting in your retail establishment, and how to go about recovering damages from shoplifters.

Retailers offered new, free online course to prevent racial profiling

HALIFAX — The Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission has launched a new online course aimed at preventing racial profiling at retail outlets.

The free, 20-minute education program — described as the first of its kind in Canada — has already attracted attention from businesses in other provinces and the United States.

The commission says racial profiling is a serious issue in Nova Scotia, where visible minorities are significantly more likely to be followed, searched and ignored than other customers.

Called “Serving All Customers Better,” the course is for front-line security and service staff.

Christine Hanson, CEO of the Nova Scotia Human Rights Commission, says the goal is to promote inclusive and welcoming environments for consumers.

The course was developed with the help of the Retail Council of Canada, and is meant to complement existing training.

Green Bay, retailers brainstorm to stop shoplifters

GREEN BAY, Wis. (WBAY) – Retailers and police teamed up in Green Bay on Tuesday for a summit to crack down on retail theft.

ITcame one day after Green Bay police arrested a woman for shoplifting, who had six previous shoplifting charges and eleven warrants — highlighting the importance of this meeting.

While shoplifting may sound like no big deal, police say it is.

Green Bay’s police chief says they see more complaints of retail theft every week than any other crime.

Police brought retailers from across Brown County together to brainstorm ways to prevent retail thefts.

As Action 2 News has been reporting over the last year, police have been trying new initiatives like sending people to jail, charging them in circuit court, or posting pictures of chronic offenders on Facebook.

While they say that’s working, they’re asking retailers to take steps, too. They suggest things like posting signs saying if you’re caught for retail theft, your car will be towed.

They’re also encouraging upgrades to surveillance cameras to get higher-quality images and make it easier to identify shoplifters.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Workshop, Prevent Shoplifting, racial profiling, Retailers and shoplifting, shoplifting and police, Shoplifting Education Programs, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting violence, surveillance

A Loss Prevention Professional’s Perspective On The Benefits Of Alpha Security Products

March 23, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Alpha Security-5 WC Blog 254

Alpha Cable Lock-4

Prevent Shoplifting-3

Retail Anti –Theft Devices-5

A Loss Prevention Professional’s Perspective On The Benefits Of Alpha Security Products

I have found over the years with my Loss Prevention Experiences I have developed a knack for irritating my family when we go shopping. While they may look at merchandise, I look at merchandise protection. I don’t mean to irritate them, but my wife may be looking at comforters and I am looking at how easy it would be to stuff it with merchandise. My boys may be looking at video games and I do too, then I look at what the store is doing to prevent shoplifting of them. I even listen to my daughter tell me about her day at her retail job and suspected shoplifters they had in the store and I ask about the retail anti-theft devices they use. I look for missed opportunities stores have to reduce their shrinkage if they would only invest in Alpha Security products.

Alpha Security specializes in Retail Anti-Theft Devices that can and do prevent shoplifting. I mentioned that I look at comforter protection rather than the comforter when I am shopping with my wife. I am looking for strategies that keep the comforter from being used to hide merchandise in between the folds and can also prevent shoplifting of the comforter itself. One of my favorite retail anti-theft devices that can do this is the Alpha Cable Lock. The Alpha Cable Lock comes in several sizes making it extremely versatile for use on different products. Long cables can be strung through coat sleeves or around bicycle wheels and frames, while mini cables can be used for securing the zippers of comforter cases together. Alpha Security also suggests using an Alpha Cable Lock on purses, shoes and detergent bottles. Not only are the Locks made from aircraft grade cable, they are designed with electronic article surveillance (EAS) capability. This means that if merchandise protected with an Alpha Cable Lock is carried to a doorway with an EAS antenna, the antenna alarm will activate and warn employees of an attempted theft. A thorough receipt check can result in recovered merchandise. Added to these protections is the fact that these retail anti-theft devices are tamper proof and will sound an alarm if someone were to attempt to cut the cable.

Why am I so convinced that Alpha Security products work? Because I have first-hand experience using them and see how effective they are in deterring and preventing shoplifting. I have watched shoplifters try to remove a retail anti-theft device from an item and get frustrated enough to put the merchandise down and go on to something else. I have also heard the sound of an alarm from an Alpha product when someone cut a cable. While the device was damaged, the merchandise was abandoned on the salesfloor because the alarm noise was so loud. I have recovered merchandise from receipt checks when an unpaid item started to be taken out the doors of the store and the antennas sounded. Believe it or not, these are not always from attempted thefts, but merchandise a customer forgot on the bottom of a shopping cart. Even inadvertently Alpha Security can stop shortage from taking place.

Get more information on Alpha Security. Contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting