STAYING SAFE DURING AN APPREHENSION

What is the most important factor to consider when you make a shoplifting apprehension?

Safety. There is no single factor that is stressed more heavily within my department than personal safety when making a shoplifting detention. Not only do I implore my teams to be vigilant of possible weapons, but to also make sound business decisions before making a detention that could jeopardize their safety, the safety of the employees of the store and the safety of our customers. In the blink of an eye, what seems like another routine apprehension can quickly turn violent.

Play by the rules.

Our industry, over the past decades, has come a long way from the days of chasing down shoplifters by any means necessary. We’ve evolved from brute strength and a show of force, to a more pro-active and analytical approach to shrink, especially the way we approach shoplifting incidents. Enter the 5 steps for an apprehension. Selection, display intent, conceal, maintain visual, exit store. Every LP department, for the most part, has adopted this. In addition to no touch policies, this greatly reduces the chances for an apprehension to become physical in nature.

Cooler heads will always prevail

Hiring someone that cannot control their own temper is a dreaded mistake. Even I am not immune to making this type of mistake. Granted, we ask our agents (and ourselves) to be there to stop someone from stealing from us. Shoplifters come from different backgrounds, and often we are facing career criminals, or those with drug addictions that are not in a stable mindset. More often than not, the shoplifter will immediately escalate a detention from the moment they are approached. How many times have you stopped someone and they immediately began yelling at the top of the lungs every swear words known to man? I experienced this three times this past week for me. This is where a calm, collective LP professional is most needed. What if you started yelling and screaming back? Chances are, things will get ugly. My advice is simple. Act like an airline pilot. It doesn’t matter if the wings are on fire and you’re hurtling towards the earth at 500 mph. That pilot will still speak in the same tone and pace. It’s to keep the masses calm. This technique works great with rowdy shoplifters too.

What if I’m faced with a weapon?

This has happened to me personally on 3 occasions. Once, a heroin addict pulled a knife on me. The second time, a firearm fell from the pants of a shoplifter and the third, my personal favorite, is when I was pepper sprayed by a shoplifter. Even though it was hard to do so (especially my sprayer), I immediately disengaged the apprehension and allowed them to make quick egress of the store. Yeah, I was pretty upset for a day or so that they got away, but the end result is that no one got hurt. That’s the key; there is nothing in your store that is worth sacrificing the safety of anyone for.

There really isn’t another job in the retail industry where personal safety can be compromised in the blink of an eye. I bet that guys in the IT department never have to worry about being pushed to the ground by a maniac as they try to run out of the store with $2,000 worth of cologne. LP is a unique business. We thrive on what others shy away from. While you’re out this week busting thief after thief, please remember your safety, and the safety of those around should take absolute priority above all else. There is nothing in your store that is worth the risk of injury. Be safe and happy hunting.