Prevent Shoplifting by Juveniles

Juveniles aren’t the only customers that shoplift by any means. But the National Crime Prevention Council estimates that 25% of all shoplifters are between the ages of 13 and 17.  This age group has always presented a problem to retailers, but lately gang activity and the use of juvenile shoplifters by adults has only added to the problem’s magnitude.

Various reasons are given for why kids steal from stores: Peer pressure, rebellion, greed, immaturity, and lack of supervision are often cited.  All of these reasons are valid.  Juveniles also tend to think that they won’t get caught and if they do, nothing will happen to them.

Teen shoplifting is such a problem that special programs have been set up by some law enforcement agencies to specifically deal with it.

I worked with a local county probation office as a facilitator for a program designed to prevent shoplifting among juveniles by teaching teenagers (and their parents) just how costly shoplifting could be.  Juveniles and some of their parents downplay the crime of shoplifting as a minor inconvenience and not really so bad.

Admittedly it is not as bad as some crimes, but some law enforcement officers consider it a “gateway crime”, often leading to greater crimes.

Some things I noticed in conversation with juvenile shoplifters and their parents.

§ Juvenile shoplifters were rarely alone.  They were usually with in pairs or with a group.
§ The juveniles were often not where their parents thought they were, and were not with the people they were supposed to be with.
§ Most of them knew someone who had shoplifted and gotten away with it.
§ Most didn’t need the item they stole.  They tended to steal items that were trendy, or insignificant.
§ Juvenile shoplifters were seldom “good” at the act of shoplifting.  They tended to use the more obvious ways and were only able to get away with it because store staff ignored them.
§ The parents were amazed to find that their son or daughter shoplifted, despite unexplained new clothes and other items that appeared in their child’s closet.

The storeowner is faced with several options when he is being taken advantage of by juvenile shoplifters.

He can keep them out of his store, which is bad for business.  He can instruct staff to stick to them like a flea while they do their shop(lift)ing, which is not always possible when they split up or staff is busy elsewhere.  Install retail theft devices that alert when unpaid for merchandise leaves the store, such as those offered by Checkpoint Security Systems.

If one of these is actually caught in the act, there are two choices (besides letting them go):  Call the authorities or call their parents.  You never let a juvenile go on his own, or you could open yourself up for liability.

It is recommended that the authorities get involved, as there is usually some type of diversion program available for first timers, and if they are not first timers, more appropriate action can be taken.

For ideas on how to prevent shoplifting at your retail business call 770-426-0547 or click Stop Shoplifting.  Visit our online store at Online Loss Prevention Store.

 

When most consumers think of ways to prevent shoplifting, they think of merchandise that is highly desirable and expensive.  This is not always the case, even with those classified as “professional’ shoplifters, those who steal not for their own use but to resell and convert their gains to cold hard cash.

I recently read an article [read it here…] about a couple in Portland, Washington, who are accused of shoplifting more that $5 Million dollars in merchandise over the past four or five years.

A couple of things grabbed my attention.  First of all, how could a major grocery chain with its own CCTV system and loss prevention department allow these thieves to get away with stealing form them all this time.  They were either phenomenally lucky or good at what they do. Or they were very selective about the merchandise they stole.

The second thing was the items that the couple were taking were all fairly common items: razors, shampoo, Rogaine, teeth whitener, conditioner, batteries, CD’s, and DVD’s.  No fur coats or flat screen TV’s.

These items have several things in common.  They are small and easy to conceal and they are items that are used every day. Most of them have a limited useful life before they must be replaced. 

The article stated that the police were looking for a third suspect who gave the couple a “shopping list”. 

To prevent shoplifting of these types of items, retailers have turned to Checkpoint Security Systems, along with Alpha Security products to keep merchandise safe from shoplifters from those who steal on impulse to professionals like those described in the article.

Call 770-426-0547 for more information to help prevent shoplifting or click here.  Visit our Online Retail Loss Prevention Store for more ideas!

As a retail loss prevention professional, one of my goals is to prevent shoplifting .

Working in stores as a loss prevention agent has really opened my eyes the needs and benefits of each individual location. What I can safely say, is that no two locations are similar. While one store location may suffer from intense shoplifting, another just a few miles away may see very minimal amounts.
Creating an action plan to prevent shoplifting will and does require some sit down and thinking time. What and how do you wanna go about it? Well, look at the business that you have. Do you want or need an obvious deterrent, similar to a security guard, uniformed, and standing at the front of your store? Or do you need or want a more discreet measure?

I had a store location in an upscale part of town, selling general merchandise. The area simply would not allow a uniformed security guard at the front of the store. What I mean by wouldn’t allow, is that the neighborhood would not shop a store with a guard standing inside. This would automatically be looked at as a negative. However, going to another store I had not 1.5 miles away, the public and employees requested uniformed guard presence to help prevent shoplifting. However, understanding that this store needed more of a discreet program.

I encourage senior management to go with the undercover agent program to catch shoplifters and prevent shoplifting. To this day, the program is effective and although there is no fool-proof way to prevent shoplifting, the store certainly has seen a dramatic decrease in the number of incidents.

Don’t forget to consider your neighborhood/clientele and the needs of the business when developing your action plans to boost profits through a proactive loss prevention environment.

For more information, visit us at prevent shoplifting or call us at 1.770.426.0547