Staff Editor — Page 33

CAN YOU FIND ME NOW – CLOTHING SECURITY

October 2, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

CAN YOU FIND ME NOW – CLOTHING SECURITY

I was at a recent conference with various LP departments across the retail industry not too long ago. I struck up a conversation with an LP manager from a high end clothing store. As conversations do, we ended up swapping stories about shoplifters and the latest technology out there to combat them. Being from the apparel business, I asked what type of clothing security they use on some of the most expensive items they carry. His response was killer!

My stores have a rather large apparel footprint; however we are not exclusive to that category. We also have a rather large hardgoods section, so my clothing security experience was limited to a few Checkpoint tag varieties. Personally, if I’m having a problem with a certain item that we’re really getting hit hard on, I go to the ink tags. I don’t know what it is about those tags, but the thieves just hate them! Wait… you’re not reading this to hear about my tags; you want to know what my apparel buddy is using, don’t you?

Imagine having a store where you carry a dress that retails for $3,000. Maybe you are that retailer, or perhaps are familiar with one. What can be done to really secure that dress? Sure, you can put a Checkpoint tag front and center and it will most likely deter anyone from trying to steal it. Well what happens if someone, even after you secure the product, is able to steal it? Will your staff be alert enough to get a license plate number? Is your camera system good enough for the police to run the image through facial recognition? All three of those are a big, fat maybe… if you’re lucky. What if you could install a tiny GPS tracker in your most expensive items? That’s exactly what this retailer is experimenting with.

How awesome is that? Someone comes in, steals something from you, but you don’t fret. You just log into your computer and alert the local authorities to its exact location. Bad guy goes to jail, you get your product back, and everybody wins. I honestly think this is the future not only for clothing security, but retail LP in general. It’s a fascinating new technology and ideas that will no-doubt prove itself over time. Probably within 5-8 years, the technology will be small enough and cheap enough that it will be within financial reach of all retail outlets, no matter their size.

For now, that technology is a ways off, even if some high end folks are testing it out. For now, the gold standard and go to clothing security device for me will still be Checkpoint tags. For now, I’ll just dream about the day when a Checkpoint tag will come standard with GPS tracking. Just imagining the look on the shoplifter that thought they got away is priceless!

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

Imagine having a store where you carry a dress that retails for $3,000. Maybe you are that retailer, or perhaps are familiar with one. What can be done to really secure that dress? Sure, you can put Checkpoint tags front and center and it will most likely deter anyone from trying to steal it. Well what happens if someone, even after you secure the product, is able to steal it? Will your staff be alert enough to get a license plate number? Is your camera system good enough for the police to run the image through facial recognition? All three of those are a big, fat maybe… if you’re lucky. What if you could install a tiny GPS tracker in your most expensive items? That’s exactly what this retailer is experimenting with.

For now, that technology is a ways off, even if some high end folks are testing it out. For now, the gold standard and go to clothing security device for me will still be Checkpoint tags. For now, I’ll just dream about the day when Checkpoint tags will come standard with GPS tracking. Just imagining the look on the shoplifter that thought they got away is priceless!

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

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Checkpoint tags, Clothing Security

5 MORE ITEMS YOU SHOULD BE USING ALPHA SPIDER WRAPS ON

September 29, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I recently gave some advice on the top 5 items (in my opinion) that should be protected with an Alpha Spider Wrap. After writing my thoughts, I went to power down my laptop for the night, but I couldn’t. While those 5 items were at the top of my priority list, I couldn’t help but think of 5 more. I’d be remised if I didn’t share them with you.

6. Electronic Razors

I recently replaced my aging shaver, and quickly realized that costs have gone up over the past 2 years. I guess I could’ve waited until Christmas, but I’m not going for the Duck Dynasty look. I noticed that all these clippers were well above the $50 price-point, but the store was not taking any measures to prevent shoplifting. A simple Alpha Spider Wrap would be the perfect solution if thieves are clipping you daily.

7. Printers/Printer Ink

These are targets for organized crime rings. They are expensive, hard to secure and easy to resell. Most retailers opt to keep the ink behind glass cases and the printers behind cages. Great idea to prevent shoplifting, but customers are probably leaving empty handed if they can’t track down an employee to open those cases.

8. Headphones

Little square boxes that sell for $200+. The better the sound quality, the higher the price. The higher that price, the more likely it is to be stolen. If you aim to keep your product accessible to customers, the Alpha Spider Wrap is the sure fire bet to keep you from hearing about all that loss from shoplifters.

9. High-end Cookware

Ever go out and purchase a good pot, or pan? It’s likely to set you back a few dollars. Additionally, most individual units aren’t packaged in any type of box, but are mostly open so the customer can marvel at high quality metal. So how are you supposed to secure a $100+ single item that no traditional tag can? The Alpha Spider Wrap can be a great solution to this problem, as they are perfect for those awkwardly shaped items!

10. Televisions

People steal TV sets more often than you would ever imagine. One thing that seems to deter this activity is a physical security measure in place. The most effective method I’ve seen to prevent shoplifting is the Alpha Spider Wrap. I’ve seen criminals completely bypass TVs that were secured and steal the smaller ones that were not. Needless to say, we use them on all boxed TV sets that we display on the sales floor!

Get more information on Alpha Spider Wraps, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Alpha Spider Wrap, Prevent Shoplifting, Spider Wrap

Using Technology And Training To Stop Shoplifting

September 28, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It is evident that small businesses and big retail chains have problems dealing with shoplifting and employee theft. Technology that helps them prevent shoplifting is an investment that their store cannot refuse. But, having the technology that helps prevent shoplifting is only a small part of the solution. Having employees trained and knowledgeable should be a big part of their strategy to prevent shoplifters. Do they know the steps to take when apprehending a shoplifter? Are they knowledgeable about the rights, and store policies regarding shoplifters? Technology can certainly help, but training your employees is a big part of the solution to stop shoplifting in your store.

Creepy Mickey Mouse arrested for shoplifting

That is one goofy mugshot.

A 22-year-old female tourist inside a Mickey Mouse outfit was busted in Germany for trying to steal nail clippers and a bottle of shampoo — and hiding the pilfered goods in her gigantic head, according to Central European News.

Police in the southwest city of Kaiserslautern released the suspect’s mugshot, erring on the side of hilarity and the woman’s privacy.

“The good news for Disney fans is that Mickey Mouse has been released from prison,” according to a spokesman for regional police in the state of Rhineland-Palatinate.

How to prevent shoplifting: 10 ways to protect your retail business

Every week there’s a new story – someone has tried to shoplift something in brazen or bizarre fashion.

Whether it’s the well-known trick of trying to secrete something away in a bag or under clothes, or something more devious, like the people who set up a fake company hiring ‘mystery shoppers’ and ordering them to steal, there are those out there who will try to pull a fast one on you.

With that in mind, these are our top 10 tips for preventing theft, and what to do if you do fall victim to it.

10 tips to prevent shoplifting

1. Know how to spot a shoplifter

One of the first things to prepare yourself and your employees for is how shoplifters are likely to behave. That way you’ll be able to spot them more easily and hopefully be able to stop them.

If someone is planning to shoplift from you, they may well display the following behaviours:

Attempting to avoid being noticed
Looking nervous, sweating or becoming flushed
Picking up and putting back the same items repeatedly
Paying more attention to what’s around them than the product in their hand or on the shelves in front of them
Wearing large coats, even in hot weather, or carrying large bags

Of course, this behaviour doesn’t necessarily mean that someone is planning to steal from you, but they’re signs worth looking out for.

Security Cameras with Facial Recognition: A Game-Changing Technology for Retailers

Retail security systems with facial-recognition technology are becoming more prevalent in stores.

EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is based on the experiences of a well-known retailer who implemented a facial-recognition security camera system. Because of the potential value of this technology to the retail industry as well as the critical issues surrounding its deployment, the executive who leads this initiative approached the magazine to offer his insights on the condition of anonymity. Therefore, the names of the individual and the company have been changed.

“We’re seeing shoplifters—known shoplifters—come up to us and ask permission to buy something.” Is this some kind of loss prevention Twilight Zone, or the delusions of a loss prevention associate who has spent too many hours watching surveillance video? No, this is everyday life in stores at a leading retailer who has recently deployed a facial-recognition system. And it’s just one of the changes that have led the company’s head of LP to call facial recognition a game-changing loss prevention technology.

“We now know within seconds of a person walking in the store if they’ve previously been caught stealing from us,” says Tom Smith, vice president of loss prevention for Store-Mart. “We now know which hours of the day see the most shoplifter activity. We now know that 26 percent of the people we detain, we see again in the brand within one month, on average 13 days later. We never had a way of knowing things like this before. This is stuff that LP associates will salivate over. It’s going to be a game changer.”

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Addiction and Shoplifting

September 22, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The retail industry loses billions of dollars a year due to shoplifting. And the small business owner that loses money due to shoplifting is a struggling business, without the resources the big retail chain has. Shoplifting, employee theft, organized crime, and even merchant theft, are major reasons why some small businesses close their doors for good. Shoplifters with a drug addiction problem are also a big problem for these businesses, because they enter their store to steal big quantities of merchandise to sell for cash to keep with their addiction drugs.

Prosecuting the shoplifter is always a hard decision for the small business owner to make, specially when they consider the financial burden attorneys’ fees will have in their business. A small quantity of small business owners choose to prosecute, but many choose to terminate the employee and deal with the loss instead.

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

It’s better to prevent addiction than cure

Addiction is powerful and destructive.

And there is no magic bullet, no magic cure.

Ask any alcoholic or drug addict in recovery and he or she will confirm that it takes perseverance and self-discipline to remain clean and sober, one day at a time, for the rest of his or her life.

What does this have to do with the American court system?

Empirically, addiction and crime go hand-in-hand. And people charged with crimes end up in court.

As a judge to whom thousands of criminal cases have been assigned, I have detected patterns when it comes to substance abuse.

A horrific crime with unspeakable allegations? Methamphetamine addiction.

Property crimes, including burglary, shoplifting and auto theft? Heroin addiction.

Domestic violence? Child abuse/neglect or animal abuse? Alcohol and methamphetamine.

DWI? Alcohol and/or drugs, both legal and illegal.

Of course, this is not an exhaustive list, just patterns I have noticed in my courtroom. Additionally, there is often an overlay of mental illness, sometimes specifically brought about by years of chronic substance abuse.

Shoplifter stole food for drugs

A PERSISTENT shoplifter who stole to fund his drugs habit was handed a suspended prison sentence and warned that if he committed another offence he was likely to be jailed immediately.

Christopher Page pleaded guilty to eight charges of theft from a shop – seven of them from the same One Stop shop in Pinehurst. The total value of the goods stolen was more than £200.

James Burnham, prosecuting, told Swindon Magistrates Court on Wednesday that Page went into the One Stop on August 5 and took six packs of steak without paying. He returned just before 5pm on August 7 and picked up washing liquids and gels worth £67.80, putting them down his trousers and walking out. The following day he was back to steal milkshakes valued at £3.

Then on August 9 he put more washing liquids, five packs of bacon, sausages, shower gels and a packet of hot chocolate worth £35.45 down his trousers and left without paying.

On August 14 he took washing liquids and the following day he stole fabric conditioner and washing capsules to the value of £13.65. “He sold the items to buy food and drugs if they were not food or were high value,” explained Mr Burnham. Ten days later he was back at the One Stop but this time he was seen hiding three boxes of Ferrero Rocher worth £19.50.

Good start in tackling gun violence-drug addiction problems

I attended two meetings recently that provided me with valuable information about problems in our community.

The Heroin Awareness meeting presented by the City of Myrtle Beach was excellent. I hadn’t realized the extent of the problem. My heart aches for those addicted and their families. Many try heroin because of peer pressure and become addicted. Others had been taking prescription meds for pain, became addicted, and then turned to heroin. Some overdose the first time they try it. Some go through many painful withdrawals before they are finally able to stay clean. Drug addicts are responsible for many crimes of shoplifting, burglary and prostitution in order to feed their habits.

I hope this Heroin Awareness program will be offered again to a countywide audience and especially students. Was the whole program filmed? If so, could it be shown in schools and community groups?

I also attended an Horry County Democratic Party Committee meeting on gun sense. We are seeking information so that we can understand how gun violence can be reduced. Horry County officers Wyatt and Conti were generous with their time and knowledge.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Liquor Bottle Security; Ideas For All Budget Sizes: Part 1

September 21, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Liquor bottle security-3 WC blog 180
Bottle Locks – 5

Liquor Bottle Security; Ideas For All Budget Sizes: Part 1

Recently I was thinking about merchandise protection and how does a store owner go about choosing the method that will best suit his or her needs. I had this revelation while watching car commercials which were intruding upon one of my favorite television shows. The first advertisement was to sell me a pick-up truck followed by a commercial for another company selling me a sports car. A little later a commercial came on trying to entice me to purchase an affordable car. There is a similar concern for small grocery store and alcohol beverage store owners trying to get a feel for what they can afford in terms of liquor bottle security. Can they get by with the bare essentials, the affordable compact car or do they need a workhorse, 8 cylinder 440 horsepower pick-up truck? How about the shop owner looking for the equivalent of the sleek, powerful and fully equipped sports car? Okay, I am only talking about theft prevention which can vary from using just bottle locks to a full blown security system. But the point is the same, what will fit the needs and budget of the small or medium size retail business owner? In this series I will address each “vehicle” in terms of how it relates to varying budgets.

What are bottle locks you may be asking, and how do they work? Bottle locks are devices that fit on top of a bottle of wine or liquor and lock in place. Locks may be in the form of a collar the covers only part of the neck of a bottle, or it may cover the entire bottle cap and part of the bottle neck. Some bottle locks are clear and allow customers to see the manufacturer’s designs or logos on the foil or paper on the neck of the bottle. Other locks are totally black and no information on the neck can be viewed. To some store owners this may or may not be an important consideration in which lock style to purchase.

Many bottle locks also have the ability to activate an Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antenna if brought into the radio frequency range of the antenna. Locks are manufactured with radio frequency technology built into the lock that can be sensed by the antenna and trip an alarm if it is too close to the antenna and doors. Locks may also have tamper alarms that will sound if someone tries to force a protective cap off and some have a third alarm that will activate in the lock if the device is carried out the door.

SO, the question becomes what kind of liquor bottle security are you looking for in order to protect your store? Let’s assume you are on a somewhat tight budget and you need to keep your merchandise safe from theft, in other words, you’re in the market for the compact economy car. It’s advertised for great gas mileage, gets you where you want to go and the small print always reminds you that additional features cost more. For this kind of protection I am going to suggest you may not be able to protect all of your products. You may be limited in the amount of items you can protect due to cost crunching. In this case, establish a price point and protect every bottle that hits that mark or higher, you might decide any bottle $30 or greater will be locked. Even for the “economy” car budget you invest in an EAS antenna system for all of your entrances ensuring product being stolen will be detected.

Staffing will probably be minimal in order to increase profit margin. In this case, place the register near the front door to be able to immediately respond to any EAS alarm. Set up drink coolers or candy fixtures and turnstiles to prevent a person from grabbing and running in a straight line to the door. Assuming you can’t afford cameras keep your shelves and fixtures no higher than chest level so you can observe customers. Also, while cameras may not be affordable, you can purchase mirrors to place in corners that aid in seeing those sections that are not in the line of sight.

Following these easy steps you can have an affordable ride that will keep expenses low and still have an impact on your drive to minimize shoplifting and theft. Did I say we are still talking about liquor bottle security?

Liquor bottle security is important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547 and let’s talk.

Filed Under: Security Tagged With: bottle lock, bottle locks, bottle security, liquor bottle security

Preventing Employee Theft

September 14, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

One of the best method to prevent shoplifting is by eliminating the opportunities the shoplifter has. Greeting a customer and asking them if they need help is a nice way to let the customer know you are alert. Security cameras, and signs alerting the shopper that as a business you will prosecute if they are caught stealing, are great deterrents that can help you prevent shoplifting. But, what about employee theft? The amount of money employees steal is greater than what the normal shoplifter steals. So, how can you prevent your employees from stealing? For more about this topic, follow the links below.

The Employee Investigation: Does It Pass the Smell Test? Part 1

Red flags during an employee theft investigation usually confirm that “the milk is spoiled.”

When it comes to an employee investigation, sometimes the “smell test” will just not let you rest. You know, those situations when you listen to a story or a business practice and something just plain stinks. On the surface nothing appears to be wrong, but there is a smell just below the surface that makes you think, “This is spoiled milk.” We don’t have to taste it to know that it’s bad. A quick sniff, a glance at the label on the side of the bottle, the floating lumps, and our decision is made.

Our last several cases failed the smell test because there were so many red flags. There were problems and circumstances that should have been further explored, yet they were overlooked. Occasionally, the smell test is wrong. But over the years we have seen that when the red flags appear, they consistently confirm that the milk is spoiled.

Let’s take a look at the red flags we have found to be most useful in ferreting out the dishonest employee. When reflecting on our interview and interrogation techniques, we should note that there are great differences between an employee who is a thief, and one who is a fraudster or embezzler. While both types may be stealing from the organization, their methods are often very different, as are the red flags indicating dishonesty. Part 1 of this article series focuses on the employee suspected of fraud.

Reduce employee theft

Loss prevention and theft experts weigh in on a thorny topic.

According to statistics from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, 75 percent of employees steal from work. And most do so repeatedly. If that’s not enough to get you to pay attention, that same U.S. Chamber of Commerce study, 30 percent of corporate bankruptcies are a result of employee theft. The FBI calls employee theft the fastest growing crime in America.

The employee is key

King Rogers has helped companies with loss prevention and security for nearly half a century. After helming his own company for many years, Rogers now is business leader, security management services for Master Technology Group. He says the first step to preventing employee theft begins with the hiring process.

“It starts with recruiting the employee,” Rogers says. “The orientation should include a clear communication of expectations.”

Part of this orientation should include disclosing any initiatives that exemplify how much the business owner values his or her company and all the people working there.

“This let the employees know management cares very much about this business and about the employees,” Rogers says. “As a result, management is going to keep an eye on the business as well as the employees.”

Former Bothell PD employee charged with theft from agency

The evidence technician is accused of taking cash for himself from the evidence room.

A former Bothell Police Department employee is accused of taking more than $50,000 from the agency’s evidence room.

William Kenney, 62, is charged with first-degree theft after police say he admitted to pilfering money from the evidence room for his own benefit.

The missing money was discovered during a regularly scheduled audit of the evidence room in January 2015. Kenney, an evidence technician, had called in sick that day and employees claimed he had been acting strangely in recent months, according to court records.

Employees conducting the audit were unable to find money that records indicated was in a safe, according to the Washington State Patrol, which conducted the independent investigation.

When Kenney was asked to call the department about the safe, he replied with a personal email with an apology, reports say. The email allegedly detailed a “nasty divorce,” financial woes and an admission that, “I found myself borrowing from the property room …”

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, anti-theft tags, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Workshop, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Your Checkpoint System is Only Delivering Half of the Shoplifting Prevention You Need!

September 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Having a Checkpoint Systems Electronic Article Surveillance System (EAS) is only half a plan. Picture this: you buy a Checkpoint System (or heaven forbid a competitive system). It is installed and your shoplifting losses go down. They will! The simple act of installing a system will make a percentage of your shoplifters go elsewhere.

But 6 months later you are scratching your head wondering why after the time, money, payroll dollars and effort you and your staff have put in, your shoplifting problem is climbing back up again. Your losses are more than you can take. Why?

Because…… you and your staff are not trained and do not have sufficient policies and procedures in place. I know what you are thinking now…. We are a small operation we don’t need that. Yep, you sure do! This part of the plan is not just for the big box stores. In fact you need it more than they do. You do not have a dedicated LP staff.

So if you are contemplating buying or have bought your Checkpoint System or other EAS system from somebody other than Loss Prevention Systems, you are missing out!

Loss Prevention System provides training! Not just how to use your Checkpoint System. We teach you how to prevent shoplifting with our FREE, PERSONALIZED (for you), LIVE TRAINING.

Our customers who purchase Checkpoint Systems from Loss Prevention Systems get free LP training for the LIFE of their Checkpoint System. Just buy your system, labels and tags from us. Is your EAS vendor doing that for you?

And that’s not all. We provide you more than shoplifting prevention training. How about employee theft and pre-employment interviewing training? All free, personalized and live. Taught by me, Bill Bregar, a 30+ year Loss Prevention Expert. Here are the courses:

1-2

But there is still more! This is NOT a onetime deal. We will teach these live webinars as reasonably often as you need. Staff turnover, promotions, follow up training, one employee or fifty…. Just schedule the session. Oh, by the way. I will also provide you with 15 draft LP Policies and Procedures that you can customize to your operation. Shoplifting, employee theft, robbery, key control…..

As the founder of Loss Prevention Systems, I know that this training works. I have been training retail management and staff in loss prevention for over 30 years. Your losses will go down and it will help you to keep the losses in check.

Why am I doing this? Because I know that if I save you money, then you will be my customer. It’s that simple!

Loss Prevention Systems is so much more than someone selling you “stuff”. We want you to succeed!

So contact us today and let’s get you on the path to better margins!

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 Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Workshop, mobile POS loss prevention, Periodic inventory, POS ROI, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, retail security and monitoring

Retail Burglary and Robbery – How To Train Employees To Prevent, React and Recove

September 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

As a Loss Prevention Manager for nearly 14 years, I was involved with training employees on robbery response. It is an unfortunate fact that store robberies do happen and it can be difficult to prevent them. We can do little to influence the choice of someone who wants to commit the crime other than to make a business an uninviting target. Public View monitors and signage indicating closed circuit television is in use can be deterrents to robbery; however a determined criminal may still choose to try to commit the crime. It is our responsibility to prepare employees on steps they can take to prevent a robbery and how to react and recover should a robbery take place.

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2014/crime-in-the-u.s.-2014/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/browse-by/national-data

It is important that employees are taught:

To make eye contact with and greet customers. Criminals don’t want undo attention.
If robbed, don’t panic. It is easier said than done but, panic makes it more difficult to comply with the robber’s demands and can make him/her more nervous.
Do whatever the robber demands. Give them what they want and get them out of the store.
During the event, pay attention to as many details as possible about the robber; what were they wearing? How tall are they? What color is their hair? Did they have an accent? Could you tell an approximate age of the subject?
If possible, watch the direction of travel when the robber leaves the store. Did they go to the right or left? Was there a vehicle waiting for them? NEVER try to follow the robber outside. Whatever you see should be done from inside the store.
Don’t touch ANYTHING once the robber leaves. This includes the cash register, the checkout counter, doors and anything else the robber may have touched.

There are also tips for managers and supervisors following a robbery:

Call 911 and report the robbery and provide any information they ask. Stay calm. The dispatcher will have specific questions to ask and needs clear responses.
If you have a supervisor or supervisors to assist, ask witnesses to stay to speak to the police and separate them from other people and each other. Information sharing tends to change a person’s perception of events. If possible, provide pens and paper and ask them to write down their recollection of events.
The building is now a crime scene and needs to be secure. If you have rope, chairs, wet floor signs, use them to block off areas where the robber was believed to have been. Locking doors is discouraged since customers may want to leave. You also don’t want to touch areas on the door where the suspect may have touched. Prop a door open, pushing it from the bottom of the door (an unlikely place for a suspect to touch) and use it for entry and exit. Have someone stay at the door to turn away new customers and ensure no one touches the doors. This person will also direct police to a manager when they arrive.
You can’t force people to stay, but you can ask them to stay to talk to police. If they are reluctant, ask if they will leave their name and contact information for police follow-up.
Be prepared and have a counseling service number in your emergency contacts. Employees and customers may experience trauma and need to talk to a professional who can help them recover from the event.
If you have video recording in your store, let the recorders run. Do not try to stop them or playback and review until the police ask for access to the recordings. Usually a Crime Scene Investigator will have the ability to retrieve the videos stored on a recorder or computer. If they need your assistance they will ask for it.

Recovery and getting back to “Business as Usual” is the final step. It is important to restore a sense of normalcy as soon as possible. Owners and managers must be sensitive to the needs of their employees. Everyone will have a different reaction to a traumatic situation. Be patient and allow for people to take some time off if necessary. There will be those employees who are ready to get back to work. For them it is their way of handling stress, so let them work. You may also have employees who were not working so they will not be affected in the same way as those who were present at the time. Rely on them to get the store back in business.

Have a robbery plan and review it regularly with employees. Being prepared will help you get through a crisis and back on your feet quickly.

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-thefts devices, Background checks, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

3 No-brainer Ways to Decrease Theft

September 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

If you work in retail then you know theft is a big problem. The theft of supplies, merchandise, time and money are just a few of the things managers have to deal with daily. They have to address it on many fronts (i.e., impulse and professional shoplifters, employees and their friends and families, vendors).

Unfortunately, these concerns aren’t going to go away. At this time, no one has a solution for stopping all forms of stealing. You can’t change human nature and some people are just going to be dishonest. That’s the bad news.

However, there’s some good news too. While you can’t completely stop it, there are ways you can prevent or minimize a lot of your loss due to theft. Loss – caused both externally and internally — can be decreased by making a few operational changes.

Here are 3 operational areas where you can make some headway in your on-going struggle against theft. If they seem like they’re “just common sense” you’re right, they are. But, there are a lot of managers and organizations out there who don’t do them — you probably know some.

Put the right person in the right job. We all do some things better than others; everyone has strengths and weaknesses. Putting people in positions they’re not trained to do or aren’t capable of doing affects the way they’re able to perform their job. Sink or swim is a destructive way to manage and it rarely works.

If a person is good with organization think about making them responsible for keeping a tight rein on your high-risk inventory. How about putting the out-going person in charge of greeting, engaging and monitoring customers on the floor?

Everyone is accountable for their job duties. Lack of accountability is one the biggest complaints people have with their jobs. Consequences for poor performance and behavior are some of the most effective deterrents to theft. Honest, responsible, motivated employees want to work in fair and equitable workplaces.

Prioritize effective communication. This is a simple, smart fix. Yet, most companies struggle with it. Billions of dollars have disappeared in a pocket or walked out a door because somebody didn’t: pass on important information, talk over a problem, speak up with a concern, get enough training, get the memo or listen well enough.

There are other operational ways to decrease internal and external theft. But, these 3 are a good place to start. If they are done well and consistently they might be all you need. If not, they’ll give you a good base on which to build further.

Nicole Abbott is a professional writer who’s had over 200 articles published. She’s a business consultant and former psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in mental health, business and addiction. She’s a coach, lecturer, trainer and facilitator. She has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, seminars and college classes.

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Retail Alarm System Tips and Tricks; Do’s And Dont’s

September 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retail alarms are necessary to ensure a store is protected against break-ins and even theft from within. I know from personal experience that they work. As a Loss Prevention Manager I once had to respond to a burglary alarm when two young men threw a cement block through the front doors of my store in the middle of the night. I also responded to a number of false alarms due to system errors and failures. As a Manager On Duty I know that it can be stressful wondering if you locked all the doors and set the alarm at the end of the night. With those situations in mind, I would like to provide some practical tips to help avoid excessive false alarms and worry about building security.

Schedule regular alarm tests for your store(s). Doing a walkthrough test once a month is good practice. This can be done by the store owner or management before the start of a business day or after close when customers and employees have left.
Have two people conduct the alarm test. They can walk the building together or one can stay near the alarm panel and monitor the alarm points or zones as they are activated.
Your alarm system should be monitored by an alarm company. Notify them when you are starting and ending your alarm test so they don’t request a false police response. At the end of the test ask for a copy of the test results. They should be able to provide a digital copy to you with a day or two.
Have at a minimum, an annual alarm inspection by a technician from the alarm company or one of their certified contractors. They can do a more detailed inspection of alarm sensors and contact points, making sure there is no excessive wear and tear or damage due to moving parts.
Have a current list of building alarm responders on file with your alarm company and the police department responsible for the jurisdiction where your store is located. Should a key holder/responder leave, make sure the list is updated. This goes for phone numbers as well. There is nothing more frustrating for a dispatcher than to call an out of service number or a call list that is no longer current.
Have employees conduct a final walk of the building at the end of the day when the doors are locked. Check restrooms and off-stage areas, including break rooms and janitor closets to make sure no one is “hiding out,” waiting for employees to leave so they can steal and run out through a fire exit.
Have at least two people close the store. They can look out for each other as they leave and verify doors are locked and alarms are set.

DON’T

Schedule alarm tests for the same date every month. Establishing patterns can tip off a potential robber of when the alarm system will be in “test” mode and not active for a police dispatch.
Allow someone to conduct an alarm test alone. For their safety it isn’t good practice to leave a person alone in a store or building. Remember, there is always safety in numbers.
Ignore an alarm zone issue. When setting the alarm at the end of the night, if an alarm zone fails to set, don’t automatically try to bypass it. You should have a zone description list that identifies where the alarm points are located. Check the point, making sure that door is secure. If you cannot identify the problem for the night, contact your alarm company, describe the issue and arrange for a technician to come out the next day. They can help you shunt the one zone while still alarming the rest of the building. Call your local police department and ask for a police check once or twice that night. Let them know you are having an issue with your alarm system. Most departments are willing to send a patrol by at least once to check your store.
Finally, don’t automatically respond to a phone call that your alarm is going off. Ask for a call back number and the caller’s name. You should have the alarm company phone number available, call them and verify the alarm activation and the name of the person who called you. If you are responding to an alarm, call the police and ask if someone can meet you at the building. Stay in your vehicle until an officer arrives, then enter together. NEVER enter the building by yourself when responding to an alarm.

Following these retail alarm system tips you will be able to sleep easy at night knowing you are protecting your business AND your employees.