Staff Editor — Page 34

Employee Theft is NEVER Funny, Or Is It? That May Depend On Your Perspective

September 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

What can make life miserable for a Human Resources or Hiring Manager? In the right circumstances, a Loss Prevention Manager can be the cause of much consternation for a Human Resources Manager. When more than one employee is being apprehended or fired for theft at the same time it requires shifting schedules, moving people around and hiring new people to take the place of the employees being removed. What makes it even more difficult for a retail H.R. Manager is if the employees work in a specialized job function. I confess (with a smile on my face as I write this) that I was responsible more than once for putting a Human Resource Manager in this predicament during my Loss Prevention Manager career. Don’t misunderstand, I was not taking pleasure in the misery of the Human Resource Manager or the Department Manager, for that matter; I was enjoying closing an investigation that netted around five employees in total, three who worked in the one area.

So what was this particular case and why was it funny to me? The case started out as a cash shortage investigation in our food service area. We had multiple departments in our store but the food services employees tended to be more specialized in their duties. Unlike other departments, there were not always employees in the store who could provide what we called back-ups to assist in food/drink preparations. For example, when the front lanes got busy, a call for back-up cashiers would result in employees from all areas of the store responding since everyone was trained as a cashier. The same thing could not be said for our food service area. We simply did not have the same number of trained people who could respond.

As I began developing my case, I conducted live camera surveillances of our food service area. Now a good investigator remains open to the possibility that there is always the chance that one “type” of case can lead to other activity and he/she is prepared to expand an investigation if necessary. Rushing to close a case simply to get a quick statistics is poor investigative technique, but I have seen it happen. It didn’t take long to identify the person I suspected was causing the cash losses, but I also found there was a second person causing shortages. That led me to conduct additional surveillances and watching all transactions that took place. Soon I was noticing drinks and food were being given at reduced prices or for free to other employees and even some customers. The passing of food and under-ringing became so routine it was comical to watch. There were customers I identified as “regulars” coming to the counter to get special deals that weren’t on the menu.

Eventually I identified three food service employees and two or three other store employees regularly getting free meals, in addition to the primary cash theft that instigated the investigation. There were several more employees who received a free drink or two but not on a regular basis. With the prior approval of my District Manager, I involved the Human Resource Manager since it was going to make a significant dent in her ability to staff food services for a little while. Needless to say, she was taken back by the amount of theft and fraud that had been taking place. She was absolutely shocked when it dawned on her that she was about to lose almost a third of her food service staff. To ease her pain a bit I let her know I was not going to go after the employees who received one or two free drinks. With her assistance, we would issue written warnings to those employees.

Because we had a good relationship, our H.R. Manager worked with me to schedule the employees at staggered times during the day so I could conduct individual interviews without one person having time to alert anyone else to what was happening. The day came when I conducted all interviews and a couple of people were prosecuted for cash theft and three or four were terminated for theft of food and policy violations. A couple of employees received final warnings for policy violations but were allowed to continue their employment with the company.

Coverage for the food service area was difficult for a few weeks, but we made it happen. I also had to chuckle because some of our “regular” customers stopped coming for food. A final word of advice to those in LP and management; build strong partnerships with each other, it is mutually beneficial for you and the store.

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

Trying To Bypass Checkpoint Systems And Other Stories Of Dishonest Employees: Part 2

September 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

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Trying To Bypass Checkpoint Systems And Other Stories Of Dishonest Employees: Part 2

Employee theft investigations were probably my most challenging and enjoyable job functions as a Loss Prevention Manager. Difficult cases could take weeks of surveillances, report monitoring, video reviews and putting in long work days. Sometimes Checkpoint Security Systems were helpful in conducting the investigations as I could watch for employees deactivating Checkpoint Tags on merchandise when no customer was nearby. I could also see if a Checkpoint antenna light flashed (our antennas had an audible alert and a visual alert built in) when an employee exited the building, confirming if they may have had stolen merchandise on their person. While the investigations could take time and be intense, the dishonest employee interviews could be short and/or occasionally humorous. In this second part of my series I will share an additional internal case that closed on a funny note.

To clarify a little first I want the readers to know what makes up Checkpoint Security Systems. Systems include electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas, Checkpoint tags and labels, deactivation units that “turn-off” the ability of a tag to set off an antenna and detachment keys to remove hard tags from merchandise. When used together these tools provide superior merchandise protection to stop shoplifting and deter theft.

One memorable case I had involved a return desk associate who had only been employed for a few weeks. Frequently I made a point to watch new employees after giving them some time to get acclimated to the new job. I also watched areas where the potential for theft and fraud was greatest. The return desk could be one of those areas. There are fewer employees or supervisors walking behind the desk so a cashier is not as concerned with intrusions as they are at the front checklanes. This service desk employee was taking back returns but I happened to notice that after she did some returns and the customer had left, she examined some items very closely, especially jewelry. Some of the items returned still had Checkpoint tags on them from when they were purchased, but the tags were no longer useful because they had been de-tuned at the time of purchase. I continued to watch this employee for the next several days she worked and began to see her remove pieces of small jewelry from a return bin and place them in her pocket. She would then go on a break or leave for the day with the pilfered merchandise.

I eventually had plenty of evidence and the approval to do a dishonest employee interview. The day I decided to interview, I watched the employee hide several pieces of jewelry, including a pair of earrings and a chain bracelet in her socks. I went to the service desk, and asked the employee to come with me to an office I had set up for the interview. I usually would have had another manager escort the employee, but in this case I did not want to give an opportunity for the merchandise to be dumped. We arrived at the office and we sat down. I introduced myself and began my interview. I normally followed a specific routine, but in this situation I stopped myself and told the employee that before we went any further I needed her to give me the earrings she had in her left sock. The woman’s mouth almost hit the floor. She stammered for a moment and when I felt she might need a little more coaxing I told her she could give me the bracelet from her other sock as well. At that point, the suspect turned over the items and I few more things I did not know she had in her pockets. The rest of the interview went smoothly with a full admission and a promissory note for the merchandise she had already taken home. She also got to wear a set of bracelets, but not the ones she wanted.

Let me close with this thought, Checkpoint Security Systems are invaluable in keeping shortage low and profits high. They do work to stop shoplifting and deter all kinds of theft. Remember, it is important to ensure all equipment works and there are procedures in place to get returned merchandise protected as soon as possible with Checkpoint tags and labels. Also, don’t neglect to monitor your return desk as well as your checklanes. Regular walks and random audits can help ensure employees aren’t tempted to engage in dishonest activity.

Checkpoint Security Systems are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547.

I eventually had plenty of evidence and the approval to do a dishonest employee interview. The day I decided to interview, I watched the employee hide several pieces of jewelry, including a pair of earrings and a chain bracelet in her socks. I went to the service desk, and asked the employee to come with me to an office I had set up for the interview. I usually would have had another manager escort the employee, but in this case I did not want to give an opportunity for the merchandise to be dumped. We arrived at the office and we sat down. I introduced myself and began my interview. I normally followed a specific routine, but in this situation I stopped myself and told the employee that before we went any further I needed her to give me the earrings she had in her left sock. The woman’s mouth almost hit the floor. She stammered for a moment and when I felt she might need a little more coaxing I told her she could give me the bracelet from her other sock as well. At that point, the suspect turned over the items and a few more things I did not know she had in her pockets. The rest of the interview went smoothly with a full admission and a promissory note for the merchandise she had already taken home. She also got to wear a set of bracelets, but not the ones she wanted.

Checkpoint Security Systems are important and we can help you with it. Call 1.770.426.0547.

Filed Under: antishoplifting Tagged With: checkpoint security system, checkpoint systems, Checkpoint tags, stop shoplifting

Preventing Shoplifting With Training

September 6, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

A woman is fired by a grocery store chain after merging with another chain, and changing their shoplifting policy because she chased a shoplifter. Employees at the biggest retail store chased and killed a shoplifting man and now they faced murder charges. Employees at retail stores, grocery stores, and specialty stores all over the country chase and try to stop shoplifters, when even the store policy where they work says “No chase, No Touch.” When hiring a new employee, management should be absolutely clear about the policies regarding shoplifting, and the store in general. Remind older employees about the policies as well, so they can have a clear understanding of what it is expected of them when a situation of this nature occurs. The safety of your employees and customers is a paramount responsibility you cannot ignore.

To read more bout shoplifting news, follow the links below.

Low Prices, High Crime: Inside Walmart’s Plan to Crack Down on Shoplifting

The nation’s largest retailer is taking justice into its own hands.

The Walmart Supercenter in Camden, S.C., is a 24/7 retail oasis in an area with few options. There are Walmarts in nearby counties, but some of them aren’t open 24 hours a day. Camden’s location—close to Lake Watertree and a nearby river with few bridges—makes it difficult for residents to go anywhere other than the sprawling complex for everything from bread to tires to electronics. And it’s a place the Camden Police Department knows well. In the first six months of 2016, 14% of the department’s police reports originated at Walmart, most for shoplifting—a figure that could be much higher if you ask the town’s police chief.

“Sometimes they don’t call us,” says Camden Police Chief Joe Floyd. “They call us when they make an apprehension of a shoplifter. But they don’t call us every time something happens there.”

Woman works at Ballard Safeway for 12 years, fired for trying to stop vandal, shoplifter

After 12 years of working for Safeway, Samira Othman, 48, never thought she would be fired for trying to prevent a shoplifter and vandal from taking liberties while on her watch, but that’s just what happened last May.

Othman told the Ballard News-Tribune that she has been a merchandise stocker at the store for years. She moved here from Jerusalem back in 2001 and got a job at a Capital Hill Safeway, but after a year she moved back to Jerusalem to care for her mother. She later returned in 2004 and asked her previous manager for a reference in order to get hired at the Ballard Safeway (1423 NW Market St.). She said she was hired immediately and stocked the shelves for over a decade.

“I’m very hard working, and I worked like a dog for them for years,” said Othman.

But she was known for doing much more than stocking the shelves; she also busted shoplifters. For years Othman said she saved the store thousands of dollars by catching thieves and retrieving store products. She said she was rewarded for her efforts with gift cards from the corporate office.

Dear CEO: How Immune Is Your Business To The Risk Of Fraud?

Dear CEO: How Immune Is Your Business To The Risk Of Fraud? – Adeniyi Bamgboye

The success of every businessman depends on his ability to make a decent return on investment and make reasonable profit while the hallmark of every professional lies in his or her ability to commercial his skills, knowledge and expertise. We all know how challenging doing business in our clime can be. Not to mention issues such as unstable electricity, poor transportation system and lack of infrastructural facilities plaguing our economic growth and development as a nation. Adding the risk of fraud which is the subject matter of this article would be tantamount to adding salt to injury of a typical Nigerian entrepreneur because he already has enough giants to contend with.

This piece was written by Adeniyi Bamgboye Emmanuel. The views and opinions expressed here are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of 360Nobs.com.

Fraudulent activities within an organisation will not only serve as a clog to the wheel of progress of such an entity in terms of causing a drastic reduction in its profitability on the short term, and its ability to continue to operate as a going concern in the long term.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-thefts devices, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Training, 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

WHO NEEDS CLOTHING SECURITY TAGS ANYWAY?

September 1, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I love my job and the industry that I work in. It provides me not only a good living, but my days are never the same; I’m constantly challenged and always looking for ways to improve store processes to reduce losses. What really ticks me off is when stores can’t or won’t follow simple steps that can save them untold thousands of dollars in shrink. My biggest pain in the side is when my stores fail to properly utilize their clothing security tags.

Take for example a few weeks ago. I get to one of my stores and the manager just starts lambasting a new line of active wear that she received. She’s going on about how the margins are too low and that they’ll end up being a magnet for shoplifters. Well, (LP) had already considered that prior to the product launch and shipped all stores a case of Checkpoint Tags, as well as sending the stores an email regarding placement of those tags. I went ahead and just assumed that this manager didn’t read that email.

I politely asked her if she had received that case of Checkpoint Tags, to which I was met with a resounding, “OF COURSE I HAVEN’T!” Lucky for us, I could very easily track the shipment and wouldn’t you know it… that very same store manager did in fact sign for the delivery days prior. A quick search of her office revealed the hidden loot. I get it, folks. We’re all very busy people. We’re also human, so it’s completely plausible that things can get overlooked in our hectic day. No problem. I uncovered the box and I even helped install those clothing security devices on all the new items she had. Problem solved… or so I thought.

The great thing about the Checkpoint Tags is that they are durable, which means the store can use them over, and over, and over, and over again. Which is what you should do if you don’t want thieves stealing your clothing. It’s quite a simple process; apply tag, sell garment, remove tag, get new garment in, re-apply tag. Rinse, lather repeat. With any good clothing security program, the name of the game is consistency. You have to make sure your initial stock is secured, and then make sure you have a solid process at the register to recycle the tags and get them re-applied to new arrivals. What do you think I found when I went back to that same store 2 weeks later for a follow up visit? You got, it… No tags!

That’s right. Even after what I discussed with her. Even after the corporate email with very clear instructions, the manager discarded the Checkpoint tags after one once. People, they’re not disposable! So just for kicks, I asked the store manager where all those nice clothing security tags were and she tells me that she sent them back, just like I told her!!

Guys and girls out there reading this please don’t be like this manager. Take some ownership of your store and at the very least, follow the established control measures that are already in place. If your office, or your owner want product “x” secured with an EAS device, then make sure product “x” is locked down like Fort Knox. You can’t very well complain about high losses if you don’t do all that’s in your power to control what you can inside your four walls.

For more information about Clothing Security contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.

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

How To Fight Organized Crime and Employee Theft

August 31, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Many new initiatives to prevent shoplifting have been put into effect at the state level, and around the world in hopes that police enforcement and retailers work together to fight this crime. The different methods, and the technology they use is up to the people involved, and in some cases the results are pretty optimistic. Fighting crime needs the collaboration of law enforcement and the management of the stores to have some success.

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

A Formula for Fighting Organized Retail Theft

A Texas task force successfully challenged a criminal enterprise of shoplifters and fences through teamwork and communication.

What started out as a small meeting in Houston to discuss the problem of infant formula theft led to arguably one of the most significant positive examples of teamwork between private sector loss prevention, law enforcement, and government officials in the fight against organized retail theft. The lessons from these collaborative efforts in the early 2000s are still applicable in today’s loss prevention industry.

In the fall of 2002, several grocery loss prevention representatives met with Joe Williams, then president of the Gulf Coast Retailers Association, to discuss the growing problem. The standard deterrence and apprehension techniques used in the industry were having little effect on slowing the theft of formula. CCTV, electronic article surveillance (EAS), and even undercover shoplift agents proved to be of little value in significantly slowing the losses. In many locations, retailers were locking up formula just to keep it in supply for their customers. While this helped to slow the theft, it also was an inconvenience for legitimate customers and was damaging sales.

The Scope of the Organized Retail Theft Problem

By comparing notes on the apprehensions made in their stores, the loss prevention representatives found that in many of the cases the suspects detained for the formula thefts were primarily from South and Central American countries, specifically El Salvador and Honduras.

USPS Employees Theft: Suspects Include Ex-Postal Union Head

USPS employee theft has led to charges against 33 post office workers in the Los Angeles area, including embezzlement and failure to deliver 50,000 pieces of mail. One of the suspects is the former president of the mail workers union.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the suspects were connected to 28 cases involving mail theft and/or possession of stolen mail. Other charges included conspiracy, bank fraud, and making false statements.

“Arrest warrants were issued for six of the 33 defendants, who were recently charged as a result of investigations by the USPS’s Office of Inspector General,” said prosecutors. “Most of the defendants were charged in indictments that were returned by federal grand juries …”City News Service said one of those nabbed, Jarol Garcia, 33, is the former president of the local Mail Handlers Union. He was charged with conspiracy and possession of stolen mail. Garcia had worked at the Moreno Valley Delivery Distribution Center as a mail handler.

Forgery May Not Constitute “Theft” Under an Employee Dishonesty Coverage

Ruling in favor of the insurer on a motion for summary judgment, on July 29, 2016 the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals held that under the terms of a commercial crime policy, proof of a forgery by the insured’s employee in extending $90 million of credit to a customer did not establish an unlawful taking as required by the policy terms. Tesoro Refining and Marketing Co, LLC v. National Union Fire Ins. Co. of Pittsburgh, PA, 2016 U.S. App. Lexis 13838 (5^th Cir. 2016).

Tesoro, a refiner and marketer of petroleum products sold fuel on credit to petroleum distributor Enmex. On several occasions the credit director for Tesoro, for unknown reasons, falsified and forged signatures on numerous letters of credit purportedly issued to Enmex. These acts enabled the Enmex debt to Tesoro to grow to $90 million before the forgery was detected. Once the forgery was discovered, Tesoro filed suit against Enmex for breach of contract and fraud, which lawsuit was settled. Tesoro also filed a claim with its insurer National Union under its crime policy. Tesoro claimed the loss fell under the “forgery and alteration” section of the policy (which section did not cover employee forgeries) and then amended its claim to proceed under the “employee theft” portion of the insuring agreement. National Union denied coverage under both provisions. After suit was brought by Tesoro against National Union for breach of contract and bad faith, cross motions for summary judgment were filed. Ruling in favor of National Union, the federal district court in Western Texas reasoned that the employee theft coverage could include theft that was facilitated by a forgery, but that it did not cover forgery losses independent of a theft, which always required an unlawful taking in order to trigger coverage. Tesoro did not demonstrate that any unlawful taking had occurred and, therefore, the district court granted National Union’s motion for summary judgment. On appeal the Fifth Circuit agreed.

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-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Training, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices

Do You Hear What I Hear? You Do If It’s The Noise Of An Alpha Cable Lock

August 30, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

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Do You Hear What I Hear? You Do If It’s The Noise Of An Alpha Cable Lock

Owning and operating a retail business is a big undertaking and takes a lot of sweat and toil to make it successful. Each time someone enters a store and shoplifts it eats into the profits of the store and ultimately hurts all employees. Finding the right retail anti-theft device to protect merchandise can be hard if you don’t know where to begin your search. You could purchase several attack dogs and let them loose in the store, but that might keep customers away. When I was a Loss Prevention Manager I once suggested armed guards in towers to my District Manager, however he nixed that idea pretty quickly. I proposed a moat surrounding the store filled with alligators but once again I was quickly turned down. And my suggestion to attach mouse traps on high value merchandise was frowned upon. One type of retail anti-theft device that does work to prevent shoplifting (and is less extreme) is the 3 – Alarm Alpha Cable Locks.

Alpha Cable Locks are just what the name implies, cables with a locking mechanism that has a built in alarm designed to activate an electronic article surveillance antenna. The cable can be placed on merchandise to allow customers to handle the item but in the event someone tries to walk out of the door with a protected item, several alarms are activated. The antenna sounds an audible alarm, lights built into the antenna light up and with a 3-alarm version cable lock, the tag has its own audible alarm that activates if the tag is removed from the store. The alarm in the tag also works as a tamper alarm should a thief attempt to cut the cable.

You might be wondering how much noise one tag can emit if someone were to try to tamper with it or walk through an EAS antenna with it. Well let me provide you with some common items you are already familiar with. According to the website chchearing.org, the items listed make noise at the following levels:

• Vacuum Cleaner 60 – 85 decibels (dBA)

• Alarm clocks 65 – 80 dBA

• Garbage disposal 70 – 95 dBA

• Whistling Kettle – 80 dBA

• Power lawnmower 65 – 95 dBA

• Tractor 90 dBA

• Electric Drill 95 dBA

• Heavy traffic, Noisy restaurant 85 dBA

• Truck, Shouted conversation 90 dBA

• Blender 80 – 90 dBA

The 3-Alarm Alpha Cable Locks sound a 95 dBA screeching alarm signal when tampered with or when someone attempts to exit the building with merchandise still protected with a lock. I am certain that no one is interested in causing this kind of volume and attracting all the attention one of these alarms is capable of doing.

One other thing about cable Locks, these retail anti-theft devices don’t simply prevent shoplifting they also improve sales. Merchants frequently lock up merchandise considered high theft in order to prevent shoplifters from picking up items and walking out with them. Lock up display cases keep merchandise secure but require a sales person to unlock and show a piece and/or sell an item. One example of this can be seen in department stores with high priced purses. The expensive purses are displayed in show cases and require constant attention from a store associate. By using Alpha Cable Locks, purses can be openly displayed with the knowledge that the lock will activate an EAS antenna if carried an attempt is made to steal it. If someone attempts to cut the cable, the retail anti-theft device sounds its’ own alarm. More merchandise can be displayed with fewer employees required to monitor it and because it is accessible, more people will make purchases.

Use Alpha Cable Locks to improve sales, prevent shoplifting and drive down shortage and the only 95 decibel noise you will hear will be your shouts of joy as you see your profits rise!

Get more information on Alpha Cable Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

• Vacuum Cleaner 60 – 85 decibels (dBA)

• Alarm clocks 65 – 80 dBA

• Garbage disposal 70 – 95 dBA

• Whistling Kettle – 80 dBA

• Power lawnmower 65 – 95 dBA

• Tractor 90 dBA• Electric Drill 95 dBA

• Heavy traffic, Noisy restaurant 85 dBA

• Truck, Shouted conversation 90 dBA

• Blender 80 – 90 dBA

Use Alpha Cable Locks to improve sales, prevent shoplifting and drive down shortage and the only 95 decibel noise you will hear will be your shouts of joy as you see your profits rise!

Get more information on Alpha Cable Locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Prevent Shoplifting

Don’t Be The Unwitting Source For Alcohol Bargain Hunters; Use Bottle Locks To Protect Wine And Spirits

August 25, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

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Don’t Be The Unwitting Source For Alcohol Bargain Hunters; Use Bottle Locks To Protect Wine And Spirits

In my position as a Retail Loss Prevention Manager I frequently had concerns about Organized Retail Crime activity in our area. I met with Loss Prevention Managers from other retailers and police to discuss the trends I was seeing and we shared information to try to identify those involved. My biggest concerns were in our health and beauty departments and electronics department. Though we sold some wine I never considered that alcohol would be targeted by professional shoplifters. I assumed that those stealing wine and spirits were doing so for a single bottle or two. Little did I realize until I did some research that alcohol IS a target of professional criminals and there is a black market for the product. It makes me wonder why more liquor stores and grocery stores that sell alcohol are not using some type of bottle security such as bottle locks on their merchandise.

Bottle locks come in a variety of styles and sizes to fit nearly any bottle on the market. These locks have built in radio frequency (RF) Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) technology that cause an EAS antenna alarm to sound when a bottle with a lock is brought in range of the antenna. The locks are built for maximum efficiency making it nearly impossible to tamper with the device to force it off. If an attempt to force a lock off the top of a bottle is made, the likely result will be a broken bottle and liquor on the floor. Bottle security doesn’t have to consist of hiding all the merchandise behind locking cases, requiring an employee to retrieve every single bottle.

What are Organized Retail Crime organizations doing with all this alcohol they are stealing? They resell the merchandise to small liquor store and bar owners who then save on the cost from a legitimate supplier and use the stolen merchandise to sell in their patron’s drinks. Below are just a few of the examples I have come across to validate my point:

• Chicago.suntimes.com dated 3/3/2016 headline “Three arrested for stealing stolen liquor at Humboldt Park store”. The story by Ashlee Rezin reports that, “Three men have been arrested for selling stolen merchandise, including more than 100 bottles of high-end alcohol at a Humboldt Park neighborhood store…”

• Patch.com dated 9/13/2015 headline “Buffalo Grove Convenience Store Owner Charged With Selling Stolen Liquor”. In the story by Amie Schaenzer, the owner of the store in Buffalo Grove, Illinois was accused of buying stolen bottles of liquor at one store he owned and selling it at another store he owned.

• 8/4/2014 citypaper.com writer Edward Ericson, Jr. reported on a case on March 16th in which a liquor store owner was charged with stealing less than $1,000 worth of Hennessy after buying it from an unauthorized distributor and failing to pay the proper state tax. According to the report a half million dollar shipment of Hennessy cognac had been stolen from a tractor trailer.

How big a problem is Organized Retail Theft in the United States? According to the National Retail Federation 2014 Organized Retail Crime Survey, Organized Retail Crime is a $30 billion dollar a year problem. It is important for even small business owners to use liquor bottle security to keep merchandise from walking out the door.

Stores can protect wine and spirits with bottle locks and allow their customers the freedom to look at a bottle and handle it without concern for sending someone to open a case. Customer service will continue to excel because shoppers can move about with merchandise and not feel rushed to make a decision, because they don’t have an employee waiting to walk away. Bottle locks can be a big win for customer service and a driver for profitable sales.

Get more information on bottle locks, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.

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

Tips To Stop Shoplifting In Your Store

August 23, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Some of the advice security and loss prevention personnel give to retailers and small businesses is that greeting a customer and asking if they need help, are some of the easiest and cheapest methods to prevent shoplifting in their stores. Having a clean, well lit store is helpful and can help employees keep track of customers entering and leaving the premises. If your store is dealing with shoplifting cases in a regular basis, invest in having security cameras installed, anti-theft tags on the merchandise, or anti-theft devices at the entrances. Preventing shoplifting is a necessity that most retailers have to take seriously, and take adequate measures to mitigate their loses.

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

Juneau police give retailers tips on stopping shoplifters

“Greet your customer.”

That’s the most important piece of advice Juneau police Officer Ken Colon wanted his audience to remember at the end of his presentation on Friday. He was meeting with nearly 20 people in the backroom of Alaskan Dames, a consignment shop in the Mendenhall Valley.

“Shoplifters, they do not like being greeted. It hinders their ability, it takes away the opportunity and it reduces the desire to commit the crime,” Colon said.

Juneau police have reported burglary and theft rates significantly higher last year than in previous years, and they’re stepping up efforts to help residents discourage thieves before a crime is committed.

Colon has been on the Juneau police force for almost 11 years. He’s experienced the increase in property crime firsthand. He said when he responds to a theft, he looks for holes in the victim’s security so he can explain ways they can prevent the same thing from happening again. Now he’s taking the next step.

Theft is erasing some of self-checkout’s benefits

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A study of self-checkout kiosks in Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US found that self-service checkout technology likely increases shoplifting, according to The New York Times.

The study, which was conducted by the University of Leicester, audited one million shopping trips between December 2013 and February 2015 in detail, and found that out of 6 million items, 850,000 were not scanned. That represents a loss of 4% of total purchase value.

Some of self-checkout’s benefits could be reversed because of the increase in petty theft they might cause.

Retailers may turn to self-checkout because they want to save labor costs and boost sales. By substituting self-checkout for regular checkout lanes, stores hope to limit staff they need working and save on personnel expenses, though this isn’t always the case. These kiosks can also allow for easier implementation of loyalty programs and give stores access to consumer data. These devices can also increase average ticket size — at Cinemark movie theaters, self-checkout helped drive 32 consecutive quarters of increases in per-person concession orders, according to Kiosk Marketplace. That might be because without direct human interaction, consumers are more likely to purchase items that are hard to pronounce or that they’re embarrassed about, according to data from Kiosk Marketplace and the Harvard Business Review.

Springfield Police, Wal-Mart Cooperate In Attempt To Reduce Theft At Stores

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Police departments across the country are getting a little annoyed about how often they have to respond to calls at Wal-Mart.

According to an analysis by Bloomberg, a violent crime has taken place on a Wal-Mart property in the U.S. almost every day this year.

In 2013, Springfield Police responded to more than 900 shoplifting incidents at the city’s supercenters.

That accounted for about two-thirds of all shoplifting calls that year, and prompted police to ask the world’s largest retailer to take action.

After taking a closer look at where property crime occurs in Springfield, Major Kirk Manlove decided police needed a rollback on time spent at Wal-Mart.

“We’ve recognized since 2013 that the 5 Wal-Mart Supercenters were taking an enormous toll on police services,” Manlove said.

In 2013, Manlove sat down with corporate reps and asked them to do more to either prevent shoplifting, or catch thieves on their way out the door.

For about a year, he did not get the response he was looking for.

“It’s a huge corporation, no secret there and so to get decisions made down at the asset protection level is probably difficult, and budget driven,” Manlove said.

Manlove now meets with Wal-Mart quarterly, and feels the company is trying to address the concerns of local law enforcement.

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, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, Perpetual Inventory, Prevent Shoplifting, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Stopping Shoplifting In Your Store

August 17, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retailers around the world lose billions a dollars every year due to shoplifting and employee theft. And while the big retail chains can financially deal with the problem, there are many small businesses that cannot afford it, nor can they fight it for long.

The laws concerning shoplifting vary by state, and therefore you have to be aware of the steps you need to do while apprehending a shoplifter or an employee caught stealing. Prevention and safety should be some of the most important steps when dealing with shoplifting in your business.

To read more about this and other stories about shoplifting, follow the links below.

To stop a thief: Shoplifting is a daily battle for retailers

On any given day, more than $35 million worth of merchandise is stolen from retail stores across the country by shoplifters – amateurs and professionals alike – who steal clothing, jewelry, electronics and a host of other items, including food.

Some sneak quickly and quietly with the merchandise, others make bold getaway attempts.

In Tupelo, the retail and financial hub of Northeast Mississippi, the Tupelo Police Department gets hundreds of reports each year.

In 2014, TPD took 483 reports related to shoplifting, according to TPD Public Information Officer Chuck McDougald. Last year, that number fell to 260. So far this year, the department has taken 162 calls.

“Higher shopping volume days correspond to more shoplifting calls,” he said. “Those include weekends and holidays.”

As for the timing of when shoplifters are busiest, apparently they’re not early risers.

Low Prices, High Crime: Inside Walmart’s Plan to Crack Down on Shoplifting

The nation’s largest retailer is taking justice into its own hands.

Police Officer Found Guilty Of Manslaughter In Shooting Of Unarmed Black Man

Stephen Rankin becomes one of the rare officers convicted of murder or manslaughter for on-duty conduct.

A white Virginia police officer was convicted of voluntary manslaughter Thursday in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old accused of shoplifting.

A circuit court jury found former Portsmouth police officer Stephen Rankin guilty for the killing of William Chapman in April of last year. It was the second time Rankin had killed an unarmed man while on duty. He now faces up to 10 years in prison, although the jury recommended just 2 1/2 years.

Earlier on Thursday, lawyers for Rankin had unsuccessfully urged the judge to declare a mistrial, citing video evidence showing a friend of Chapman’s family speaking to a juror. Rankin’s defense described this as a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of the trial ― a charge that the friend denied.

Rankin, who was fired while he awaited trial, had originally been charged with first-degree murder and using a firearm to commit a felony.

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-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Perpetual Inventory, POS ROI, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

The Wardrobing Mindset

August 12, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

What kind of person thinks it is okay to go to the store, buy an outfit, wear it out on the town and then return it for a full cash refund. For most customers, they would not dream of such a thing. Most normal customers know it is nothing short of return fraud. But for one in six women across the nation, it is a normal and acceptable way to shop. In their heads, they have made up excuses and told themselves that they are just borrowing the items for the night. Wardrobing is the sneaky way to stay stylish, and they do not consider their actions as return fraud at all. It is very costly to look good and stay up to date on the current fashions. In this social media bound world, they cannot take the chance that they may be tagged in a group picture wearing the same outfit from the last weekend’s party. Talk about a photo bomb.

These women want to look fabulous at every event without having to move into the poor house. Weddings, job interviews, proms, and other big events are the major excuses many women use for wardrobing. She can’t show up the bride in her dress, but she can certainly make sure she is the best dressed guest there. Wardrobing success involves some planning ahead. She has to make sure she is fully aware of the store’s return policy. How long can she keep the dress? Does she have to bring it back the next day or can she wait a couple weeks? That matters because she really hopes when she brings the items back, there will be different people working that day. She knows she will need to bring her original proof of purchase back with her. If she loses the receipt, she knows that will be a deal breaker. Can she claim the dress ended up fitting too tightly or that the garment was poorly made? She has to know for sure she can get away with tucking in the price tag and avoiding red wine all night. Then she knows she just needs some air freshener to do a good job covering the smoke and sweat smell, so she can take the walk of shame back in there and get her money back.

Many stores have begun making changes to their return policies to combat this free rent mentality. Some have added restocking fees to their merchandise. Some have shortened their return time periods. Some smart retailers have started adding gadgets called Alpha Shark Tags to their return policy, however, and that seems to be the most effective way to stop wardrobing so far. These tags are clipped directly on to the garment, right on the front, where they cannot be hidden or tucked away. The customer is told at the time or purchase about the store’s restrictions on returns. They should be shown the Alpha Shark Tags and told- do not remove it and expect to return it. Once the customer gets home with the item, the tag can be removed with a pair of household scissors. There is no way to reattach the tag once it has been cut. Free rent amounts to nothing short of return fraud and Alpha Shark Tags are here to help your store put a stop to it.

Putting a stop to wardrobing is important and we can help you with it. Contact us or call today: 1.770.426.0547

Filed Under: antishoplifting