How To Protect Your Store From Shoplifters

April 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (8)In the United States alone the retail industry loses approximately $35 million each day due to shoplifting for a whopping $13 billion a year.  While you may be wondering if the shoplifting is done by customers only, the answer is a resounding No! A lot of the shoplifting is done by employees in the company and the rest by the customers.  How can you prevent yourself from the shoplifting that is happening in your store or small business? Read more about this topic by following the links below.

Top tips for preventing shoplifting

According to a new report, shoplifters now steal goods worth £400,000 from British retailers every single day. The cost of shoplifting is going up, and retailers need to consider ways to protect themselves.

Shoplifting losses are never welcome, but with many retailers concerned about the potential for reduced consumer spending this year, protecting yourself against theft has rarely been so important.

Preventing shoplifting is something of a Sisyphean task. But, while you may never be able to eliminate the risk altogether, there are some simple steps you can take to help protect yourself from thieves.

1. Install visible security

Many shoplifters are simply opportunists. If your shop looks like easy pickings, your chances of falling victim to thieves are increased. On the other hand, if your premises are visibly secure, many potential shoplifters simply will not bother coming in.

Make sure that your security systems are within plain sight, but not obtrusive. You may also consider displaying polite but firm notices explaining that shoplifters will be prosecuted.

2. Minimise access

Customers should not have unnecessary access to products, particularly if those products are of high value. Consider placing big-ticket items in cases or behind counters. Alternatively, if you want potential customers to be able to touch and try them, make sure that they are properly secured.

You should also make sure that toilets and similar areas do not have outside access. This will help to prevent shoplifters picking up an item, taking it to the toilet, and leaving through a window.

COMBATING THE SHOPLIFTER

What can you and your employees do to discourage shoplifters from frequenting your store? Training in alertness and effective detection techniques will improve your chances of recognizing the shoplifter.

Crime prevention experts generally agree that the best deterrent to shoplifting is an alert, well-trained staff which pays careful attention to the needs of the customers.

Here are a few more things you and your staff can do:

• Serve all customers as quickly and efficiently as possible. Customers who are approached immediately will appreciate the service. Shoplifters will realize that this is not the time or the place to attempt a theft.

• Acknowledge the presence of additional customers with the phrase,“ I’ll be with you in a moment” when you are busy with a previous customer.

• Don’t ever turn your back on a customer. This is an open invitation to the shoplifter to proceed with his business. If you have to use the phone, turn so you can see your sales area.

How to Protect Your Store from Shoplifters

  1. Make sure your store is equipped with security cameras. Even if they are fake, any shoplifter may think these are real and be discouraged. Try to think like a shoplifter. Make sure items that would be more likely targets of shoplifters are protected by video surveillance.
  2. Get some Sensormatic detectors installed at all entrances and exits if you can afford it. These detect unpaid tags.
  3. Encourage the store employees to practice great customer service in order to deter shoplifters. A person who overtly attempts to evade store associates could be a potential shoplifter. Set some people at main entrances to monitor the Sensormatic detectors.
Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Shoplifting News Across The United States

April 17, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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

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

Police: Mom abandons child after being caught shoplifting

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

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

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

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

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

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

Police: Man Pulled Out Gun During Shoplifting Incident

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Milton man faces shoplifting charges

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

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

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

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Shoplifting Prevention And Employee Theft

April 10, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Suspected shoplifting, overdose leads to wild police chase

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

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

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

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

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

No officers were injured in the accident.

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

Judge Weighing Sentence in Lake Wales Employee Theft Case

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , ,

How To Identify A Shoplifter

April 9, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , , ,

When Opportunity Strikes; Your Losses Are Their Gain

April 7, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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

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

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

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

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

Sell More, Lose Less!

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , ,

Is Your Store Protected From The Shoplifter?

April 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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

Read more about shoplifting crime by following the links below.

Pair of shoplifters cited in boutique theft

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

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

The officer spotted the vehicle and initiated a traffic stop.

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

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

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

Woman accused of shoplifting with 9-year-old daughter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Venezuelan Tourist Cleared Of Alleged Shoplifting At Macy’s

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

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

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

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

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

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

Macy’s has no immediate comment.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , ,

Shoplifting Crime

April 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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

Read more about shoplifting crime below.

Kelly’s Stupid Criminals of the week!

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

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

Phoenix serial shoplifting suspect in custody

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Felony shoplifting suspects wanted

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

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

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

 

 

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , ,

Is Your Store Protected From The Shoplifter?

March 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

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

Employees help thwart shoplifting attempts

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

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

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

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

Shoplifting suspect flees scene, leaving purse, dog behind

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

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

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

Shoplifters cited for stealing makeup, chocolate

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

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

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

She was cited in lieu of continued custody for shoplifting.

She was also banned from the store.

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

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

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

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , ,

Shoplifting Prevention And Technology

March 20, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (3)There are countless instances about people shoplifting; we see them in the news daily. According to the National Association for Shoplifting prevention 1 out of 3 shoplifters are “at risk” of shoplifting again even after getting caught.  And although the association declares that shoplifters are individuals struggling with personal conflicts and needs, we rarely see those issues being addressed by authorities.  Regardless, shoplifting prevention is a matter of extreme importance in the retail industry, and businesses have to address the issues and the consequences shoplifting causes.

Read more about this topic by following the links below.

The Future of Retail: 6 Ways the Cloud Will Reinvent the Sales Floor

The scope of change in the retail industry is stunning. New web-based, cloud-hosted software-as-a-service solutions are making data available in real time and are poised to unite the digital and physical retail environments, disrupting the retail landscape. Here’s how the needle is moving:

1. Real-time data from the sales floor. Real-time data is available across all channels and will fuel decision-making throughout the retail enterprise — from the C-Suite to the sales floor. Retail management teams can see sales trends develop as they are developing. They can see traffic patterns in real time and be able to see conversion rates at the product level. For example, for apparel retailers — imagine how powerful it would be to know which products are being brought into fitting rooms and then which are converted to sales.

2. Real time data on the sales floor. Perhaps the most powerful impact will be on the sales floor. Retail sales is a difficult job, and it can become tedious and boring. Sales associates can become disengaged, feel isolated and disinterested. As a result, customer service suffers. Making real-time data available on the store floor can change the game.

Shoplifting suspect rescued after falling down ravine

ELYRIA — A suspected shoplifter who led police on a chase Saturday night fell down a steep Ford Road ravine and had to be rescued by firefighters.

The man, arrested by police after being lifted about 200 feet up the steep hill in a Stokes basket, suffered a possible broken ankle, said Assistant Elyria Fire Chief James Cawley.

“We splinted him, but he was conscious and talking,” Cawley said.

The suspect, whose name was not available at press time, reportedly took items from the Radio Shack store in the Midway Crossings shopping area off West River Road, said Elyria police Capt. Chris Costantino.

After leaving the store about 7:30 p.m. without paying for merchandise, the man ran toward Ford Road, where he apparently fell down a hillside while being chased by police, Lorain County Metro Parks rangers and Lorain County sheriff’s deputies, Costantino said.

Jim Ziemnik, executive director of metro parks, said rangers told him the man jumped a fence near a mattress store where Midway Boulevard and Ford Road come together.

“He went down the incline,” Ziemnik said. “That’s a steep hill.”

This woman received life in prison for shoplifting

What do you think is a fair punishment for someone who has been caught shoplifting 29 times?  Community service, jail time, hands cut off, forcing them to do all their shoplifting at Old Navy?

I ask because the Oklahoma woman pictured above – Cecilia Rodriguez – was sentenced to life in prison for shoplifting. She was caught doing the act 29 times. Her appeal of the sentence was recently denied by the U.S. Supreme Court. That really sucks for her… and for us as taxpayers. We now have to spend $18,000 per year to imprison her because she’s a bad thief. Hopefully she’ll get some thieving tips from fellow inmates while in jail.

The U.S. Supreme Court declined on Monday to review the case of an Oklahoma City woman who received a life sentence in 2009 for shoplifting.

Without comment, the court rejected the appeal of Cecilia Cathleen Rodriguez, whose life sentence was imposed by an Oklahoma County judge because of a long list of previous convictions.

 

 

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Employee Theft And Tips To Prevent it

March 19, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (4)According to a post by Hirepowerassociates.com, the U. S Chamber of Commerce estimates that 75% of all employees steal at least once, and half of those employees continue to steal repeatedly.  The amount each employee steals varies and the reasons they give for stealing are as varied as they come, but the truth is billions of dollars are lost annually due to employee theft and the repercussions they carry do not stop at the business from where they steal, the local economy is hurt, employees and consumers loose income and benefits the business cannot afford to give because of the loss they are experiencing. To read more about this topic follow the links below.

5 Ways To Keep Employees Happy And Engaged In Tough Times

You can’t fool your employees–they know when times are tough. But if you show you care, they’ll stay happier longer.

With the economy at a low point, many people feel trapped in their jobs, seeing dim prospects for better opportunities outside their present situation. On the surface, this may seem like an ideal situation for companies, bringing down turnover costs. But there’s a hidden underside that’s not so positive.

When the economy is in high gear, unhappy employees can easily move on. Now they stay in their jobs, bringing down the productivity level and morale of the organization. To counter this and generate more buy-in from your staff, here are five things you can do.
1.    Be consistent and open in your communication
If people are kept in the dark about what’s going on, they will make up their own version and it won’t be a positive one. Instead of avoiding, minimizing or trying to hide a negative situation, tell it like it is. Trust that staff will understand and appreciate being informed. Not disclosing will only breed mistrust, suspicion, and fear.

Candles, heroin and theft a bad combination: Mayfield Heights Police Blotter

MAYFIELD HEIGHTS

Theft, SOM Center Road:

Officers responded to CVS March 2 after an employee said a woman had just left the store after stealing merchandise. The suspect was located in front of Hillcrest Hospital carrying a bag of items from CVS and arrested on suspicion of the theft, valued at $72.46. An officer, working off-duty at the hospital, said the Cleveland Heights woman, 37, had just been discharged after she had been taken to the hospital by the South Euclid fire department after she was arrested for shoplifting at Giant Eagle in that city. While at the station, the woman told an officer she had stolen candles from the store because she needed them to thwart off evil spirits. She also said she had ingested heroin while at the hospital and had a used syringe stuffed up her rectum. She was subsequently returned to the hospital for a psychological evaluation.

Burglary, Mayfair Boulevard:

A boy, 17, said Feb. 27 when he returned home after school he found two back doors to his and his father’s apartment kicked in but nothing was missing from inside the home. He said drawers in his bedroom were open and it appeared someone had gone through them.

Shoplifting suspicions lead to child porn charges in Hallandale Beach

A routine shoplifting arrest evolved into a child pornography case, with the suspect in jail on a whopping $610,000 bond, Broward jail records show.

Nicholas Coffey told police he downloaded the porn using public Wi-Fi at a fast-food restaurant, according to Hallandale Beach Police.

Detectives discovered the images Saturday after Coffey, 24, was stopped as he walked out of Wal-Mart, 2551 E. Hallandale Beach Blvd., with a backpack full of belongings and stolen items, according to the arrest report.

The store’s loss prevention officer watched Coffey push a shopping cart full of merchandise into the Home Goods department, where he loaded the items into a backpack he had gotten from the Sporting Goods department, the report stated.

When Coffey walked past the checkout and out the door, he was taken into custody and held in the security office until police arrived. Officers found an estimated $9,820 worth of electronics in the backpack, including a Garmin GPS, a Samsung Galaxy tablet and an iPod, investigators said.

 

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: , , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »