Alpha 2 Alarm — Page 19

Do You Need To Build A Loss Prevention Team In Your Store?

June 9, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

According to the National Retail Federation-NRF organized retail crime costs the retail industry approximately $30 billion each year. 97% of the retailers surveyed admit to being victims of organized retail crime in their stores, and the problems of organized retail crime, employee theft and shoplifting do not seem to abate. The solution to this devastating problem seems to elude retailers, law enforcement, and communities across the country.

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

How to Build a Loss Prevention Program in a High-Risk Store

Integrating an effective loss prevention program can yield dramatic improvements when it comes to mitigating inventory shrinkage. But aligning an LP department appropriately within the structure of an existing company is not an easy thing to do. It is crucial to ensure that the LP team becomes an essential component of the entire store process.

Which Stores are High-Risk?

It makes sense to target the stores with the highest amount of loss risk first in order to make the greatest impact from the very beginning. When Stage Stores decided to realign its loss prevention department in the early 2000s, for example, the LP corporate manager worked with regional managers to rank stores based on shrinkage performance and its change over time.

Other attributes that were factored into the grouping evaluation included geographic location, internal and external theft history, and employee turnover rates. They eventually landed on a bundle of 50 stores that could be designated as “high-risk” and decided to focus their attentions on these stores.

Employee theft cited as largest cause of retail loss

Crime cost retailers £2.34 billion last year, according to a recent survey conducted by conference series Retail Risk London, and the UK Retail Fraud Survey 2016.

Employee theft was identified as the single biggest cause, with 68% of retailers citing it as their top area of loss.

Published by Retail Knowledge and sponsored for the second consecutive year by WIS International, the survey is the most extensive report into the systems, processes and strategies of the UK’s top retailers available, and covers retail transactions accounting for some 32% of all UK retail sales online and offline through 34,950 stores across the UK.

Shrinkage rates vary by retail sector from mass merchants and department stores at 2.68% of sales to a low of 0.25% of sales for hospitality and leisure retailers. However, mass merchants and department stores have seen a massive increase in shrinkage rates since last year, of 58% whereas hospitality and leisure retailers have seen a decrease of 38%.

Employee involved in retail theft ring that stole $11,000 from Clinton outlet store

CLINTON–Police are trying to find a group responsible for stealing $11,000 in merchandise from a store at Clinton Crossing.

A group that was connected to an employee at the POLO outlet in the mall was able to steal the merchandise between January and March 2016. The scam worked by having the employee, who was a cashier, void large transactions but still place the merchandise in shopping bags for the customers. The customers were involved in the scam, and left with the stolen merchandise.

The same “customers” were involved during all the transactions.

The employee at POLO admitted to the scam, but she refuses to name the other suspects. Police are not yet naming her or saying if she’s been charged.

The suspects may be from the New London area. If you have information please call Clinton Police at 860-669-0451 or email [email protected].

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Increase Your Margins Without Spending Anything

June 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Do you REALLY know how to stop shoplifters? I mean, really know? Your Checkpoint System is only half of the strategy. You spent the money, put the labor/time into using labels and tags but after the newness wears off, are you still having more losses than you want?

As a customer of Loss Prevention Systems you have more. Because you bought your system from us and purchase tags/labels from us, we will train you and your staff in any or all of our awesome FREE, LIVE webinars:

Yes, we will conduct these webinars privately for you. As reasonably often as you need. Change in staff, new hires, new supervisor, new manager, refresher training, one person or fifty…. Just call and schedule it.

You see, I believe that the Checkpoint System and Alpha High Theft Solutions equipment is as good as the staff that is handling it. So these webinars are not about how to use the equipment but about how to deter the shoplifters in the first place and what to do when you do catch one. I cover your stores policy (or help you design one), how to approach a suspected shoplifter and deter them, how to handle an alarm from the Checkpoint System, your State’s laws and much more.

My 30 years as an LP professional starting as a Police Officer, Store Investigator, District LP Manager, Regional LP Manager and the Director of LP for two major retailers, give me a vast amount of experience to draw on to help you solve your problems. Think of Loss Prevention Systems as your LP Department. All of that because you are our good customer!

My goal is to reduce YOUR losses. If LPSI can do that, then we are all happy.

So call or email us, get one scheduled before you lose any more merchandise to thieves.

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

DID CALIFORNIA JUST DECLARE OPEN SEASON FOR SHOPLIFTERS?

June 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There’s been some news swirling around the LP world for a few weeks now about California and some new laws that the state has passed. Basically, the state raised the threshold for a felony theft to $950. The article hinted that shoplifting has increased in the major retail stores and calls for shoplifting cases have increased by 25% to the LAPD. The article blamed the new legislation for this. Here’s a link to that article if you’d like to read it. (http://losspreventionmedia.com/insider/shoplifting-organized-retail-crime/welcome-to-california-a-shoplifters-paradise/?mqsc=E3836406).

I know I’ll catch some flak from my colleagues, but I’m going to openly disagree. Honestly, I don’t think your average shoplifter is paying much attention to the state laws governing shoplifting. In my home state of Louisiana, felony theft, when I started my LP career was $350. Over time, the state legislators have increased that to $500, and more recently to $750. So where that shoplifter was being charged with a felony 10 years ago, they are now being charged with a misdemeanor. In most cases, they are still booked into parish jail and have to bond out. Very rarely do officers issue a citation. Our jails are just as over-crowded as California and our budget situation is arguably worse. If California is seeing an increase in shoplifting, let’s also consider that the state has no laws regarding organized retail crime.

In Louisiana, there are organized retail crime laws on the books. In addition, shoplifting has a habitual offender clause. These two pieces of legislation are what makes an impact, not the dollar threshold for a felony. Your organized criminal enterprises are what’s causing you problems. These are the boosters who target stores up and down the interstate. The groups that make a living conducing refund fraud and those individuals who just will continue to steal because they see it as “victim-less”. These are the people that impact retailers and these are the ones that deserve the harsher penalties. I don’t believe a high school kid, or college freshman should be subject to a felony if their first offense is stealing a $300 pair of headphones. They need consequences, but a felony record is not one of them.

Why organized crime laws work for the state

If you are stealing for the sole purpose of re-selling for profit, you are a problem. Chances are, if you’re involved with a group like this, you’re also involved in other, more serious crimes. Just this past year, I was able to help local detectives make a case against a ring of car thieves. While detectives didn’t have enough evidence at the time to book anyone on the car thefts, the same people were involved in organized retail crimes. They were stealing large quantities of ammunition and then selling the merchandise at local flea markets and gun shows to fund their car theft operation. Police were able to use the organized crime laws to bring felony charges against them, which led them to the evidence they needed to bust the car theft case wide open. Had it not been for those laws being on the books, these violent criminals may still be out on the streets.

Additionally, Louisiana has a habitual offender clause in the shoplifting law. Anyone convicted of shoplifting 3 times shall be charged with a felony on each subsequent arrest. Basically, if you are convicted 3 times of shoplifting, whether those convictions are misdemeanors or felonies, any subsequent arrest is upgraded to felony charges from the DA’s office. I’ve seen this work in action a dozen or so times throughout my time here. Just last year, we busted a guy for stealing about $200 worth of apparel. He was out on parole for aggravated battery. He had 4 other shoplifting convictions. The DA prosecuted him as a habitual offender, which revoked his parole and he went back to prison to serve the remainder of his 5 year sentence. That’s what has an impact. If a person knows that they can face actual time, you have a deterrence to shoplifting.

So maybe, retail leaders in California should shift their focus from complaining about the felony threshold, to lobbying their elected leaders to pass meaningful legislation that will actually have an impact on shoplifting. While some professional criminals will take advantage of this new law, the retail community and lawmakers should work together to pass laws that target those that are the true problem. That starts with an organized retail crime law, California.

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EMPLOYEE THEFT – A LESSON IN HUMAN NATURE

June 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It’s no big secret that I can’t stand a thief; I did make a career out of catching them. Shoplifters really get under my skin, but employee theft really fires me up. You put people to work, give them opportunity to grow and instead of putting in the long hours, hard work and dedication needed to move forward, they steal from you. They betray your trust, slap you in the face and take money out of your pocket and food off your family’s table. Will you ever stop employee theft completely? Probably not. You can, however, minimize the risk.

If you employ people, there’s a good chance one of them will eventually steal from you. Through my Loss Prevention career, the excuse I’ve heard the most from dishonest employees was that they did it because it was “easy”. So why are we, business owners and managers making it so easy for our employees to steal from us? The first problem I see constantly is that, over time, complacency sets in. The next is a failure to follow established controls and finally, my personal favorite, is a lack of oversight.

A key to being a good manager is to not be over-bearing. I’ve learned a long time ago to “trust, but verify”. What that means is that you trust that your employees are doing what they are supposed to do when you’re not around, but you verify, and not simply assume they are. For example, you tell your warehouse team that the back door should never be open without a manager present. This is a basic control measure to prevent product from walking out of the back door. You obviously can’t be in your warehouse all hours of the day and night, so you have to verify. CCTV makes this easy. Managers often fall victim to complacency. If the warehouse crew knows that that the manager never checks to see if the doors are open, or that manager never addresses the violation, an environment for a dishonest associate to thrive is created.

Failing to adhere to established controls is yet another way we, as managers, often let our employees steal from us. (It also goes hand-in-hand with complacency.) I’ll give you a great example. I worked for a company that had a carry-out policy with respect to large, bulk items. If an employee was assisting a customer with a large item, the employee had to have the door greeter sign off on the receipt before it was carried outside. This was of course to discourage employee theft. I remember walking near the front doors as an employee rolled out a TV set. The door greeter asked to sign the receipt, and the employee said, “I’ll sign it outside”. There was a manager at the door as well. Both the greeter and the manager did not react to this. I immediately went back to the cameras and discovered this employee had just stolen this TV. A subsequent investigation showed he had rolled out thousands of dollars in this same manner. If the store would’ve followed their established controls and not fell into complacency, this employee would never had the opportunity to steal.

Manager. The word manage is actually in the name! The working world needs managers because most people need oversight. Some may need more than others, and you’ll find that some people need very little. You have to adapt your style of management to suit each of your employees. Managers that sit in the office all day long and are never give a sales floor presence are more likely to be the manager that employees feel comfortable stealing around. This isn’t to say that the manager is “in on it,” but the dishonest employee knows their chance of being caught is greatly reduced when “that manager” is working. Presence on the floor and constant follow up are traits of a good retail manager. Knowing that at any moment you can round the corner to see what the team is working on will keep those dishonest employees on their toes. Chances are, they won’t risk being caught, or better yet, they won’t ever see an opportunity to steal from you!

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Workshop, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

WHAT’S THE VALUE IN LOSS PREVENTION AWARENESS TRAINING?

June 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Whether you’re a small one store business, or a large chain store, loss prevention awareness training for your teams cannot only protect against criminal acts, but also make a direct and positive impact on your bottom line. There is an inherent value in awareness training that lots of managers just don’t take advantage of. The core of any successful loss prevention program is not how many shoplifters are caught, nor is it how many employees were arrested; it’s training and awareness of your store teams. We are called loss “prevention,” not loss “reaction,” right? So how do you persuade your managers to see the value?

In my experience, in order for a manager to really do something, and to buy in to anything, you have to appeal to the “what’s in it for me” mentality. (Because a job and steady paycheck just aren’t enough.) What’s the biggest complaint from your managers? What I hear most is “payroll”. They need more people and more allotted hours to get the job done right. You surely just can’t dole out payroll hours, as this is the biggest controllable expense you have. So you have to work with what you’re given; but what if what you’re given is slowly being eaten away by shrink?

Shrink has a direct impact on payroll. Take for instance, if your store lost $12,000 last month to shrink and we assume that you have an average hourly rate of about $10/Hr. That $12k you lost could’ve been sales, had you had the product in stock for the customer. That equates to about 70 payroll hours you’ve lost. That’s 3 part time workers, or 1 full time and 1 part time worker. So how do you recoup some of those hours? Awareness training.

Well, who do you train? I always start with the cashiers. This group is your last line of defense against fraudsters. So much can happen at the point of sale. You can have price-switchers, quick-change artists, box stuffers, counterfeiters, etc. A well trained cashier can quickly spot these thieves and save you thousands. Take for example, ice chests/coolers. A poorly trained cashier may never think about opening these up as they come through the line. This is a gold mine for organized criminals. How much product can you hide in a 160qt ice chest? This would be a good starting point for any training program. Every cashier should be expected to open the contents and check for any hidden product. You’d be surprised at what you’ll find.

Monitor your success. Let’s assume you start with this simple step. Each time your cashier finds hidden merchandise, you record the dollar value of the save. Maybe you even spark a little competition amongst your cashiers. At the end of the month, you (and the manager) have a solid number to show the value in that small investment you made in training. Now you can expand.

What makes a successful training program work is having fun. I had a store manager years ago that really inspired her team. She went around the store and hid little notes inside backpacks, coolers and anything else that she wanted her teams to open and look inside. Those notes said, “When found, bring to a manager”. Those cashiers were then rewarded in some way. From this program, this manager was able to make a positive financial impact of over $10,000 in what otherwise would have been stolen product.

That’s an extreme example. I have other stores that have an “item of the week”. The cashier supervisors’ partner with the department supervisors and each week, they showcase a high ticket item. One week it may be an expensive tent, and the next week a high end toothbrush. During the week, all the cashiers have an opportunity to touch the product, learn about it and understand that it’s an expensive item. This not only gives them the ability to speak to the product to our customers, but to also identify any potential price switch scenario they may encounter.

It’s hard to argue with the value a good LP training program can bring to your store. Not only can you increase your sales, but you can also positively impact your shrink and wage metrics. You also limit the exposure your store has to criminal activity, so your employees and customers can shop and work in a safer environment. If you’re not using your entire team to prevent shrink, it’s time to do so; your bottom line is depending on it.

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

Identifying The Problems To Prevent Shoplifting

June 2, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

To fix a problem, you first need to know what is wrong with it. Shoplifting and employee theft are two of the main causes of billions of dollars lost in the retail industry every year. Employers and management personnel do not know how to fix those problems, and sometimes are not aware there is a problem till much later. If employees are caught stealing, the problems then are the financial costs associated with prosecuting such individuals. Is firing them enough punishment? Should the employer pay thousands of dollars in legal fees to bring such individuals to court? There are many issues associated with shoplifting, do you know what to do about them?

To read more about this topic, follow the links below.

Managing Retail Shrink Begins with Problem Identification

The retail shrink action plan should begin with problem identification.

One question I have been asked frequently is, “How did you know how to battle retail shrink in the grocery business, especially considering your background is predominantly in discount retail?” My response to that question is almost always the same, which is: “I follow the loss prevention road map.” Often I get blank stares, but after explaining, most understand and realize they have probably been following their own road map for years without realizing it.

I have always described the road map as a six-step process; one that takes years to perfect, but when executed properly can yield amazing results in not only retail shrinkage reduction, but any expense a company is attempting to minimize.

The process includes the following six steps:

• Step 1—Problem identification
• Step 2—Program development
• Step 3—Program execution, or what I like to call countermeasures
• Step 4—Comprehensive awareness programs
• Step 5—Auditing for compliance
• Step 6—Measurement

Shoplifting prevention tips for businesses

JOHANNESBURG – Preventing petty theft such as shoplifting is not an exact science, however, here are a few tips to help business owners and shopkeepers.

Danny Maduray, owner of Ria Sebetsa Security, warned businesses of shoplifters.

“If you suspect someone may be shoplifting, never accuse him but rather ask if you can help him,” said Maduray.

“Keep the person in your sight and contact security or a manager immediately. Never try to stop the shoplifter. Rather provide security with a detailed description of the person, including his vehicle, if possible.”

Maduray also listed a few tips for businesses to prevent shoplifting:

Greet customers as soon as they come into the store. Addressing customers removes their anonymity. Shoplifters are known to avoid stores with attentive salespeople.

Face to Face

With facial recognition tools, do benefits outweigh privacy concerns?

Facial recognition technology has progressed through several generations, been tested in the workplace and is employed on a daily basis by transportation venues, casinos and law enforcement.

So why aren’t retailers making wider use of it, either to identify known shoplifters or to personalize visits of loyal customers when they walk into the store?

The technology may be in wider use than most people suspect, but some merchants are hesitant to publicize their efforts and risk having them be misinterpreted by privacy advocates. As with video surveillance, facial recognition raises fears of privacy invasion, but these can be overcome, says Colin Peacock, visiting fellow at the University of Leicester in England and strategic coordinator for Efficient Consumer Response Europe’s Shrinkage and On-Shelf Availability Group.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Nano Gate, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Training, 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

What Are You Doing To Prevent Shoplifting In Your Business?

June 1, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The United Kingdom police arrested people involved in a shoplifting ring this past week, The New York police in the United States arrested 3 people involved in a shoplifting ring, and 3 more people are arrested in Delaware for the same crime last week. Shoplifting is a crime that in Europe, The United States, and other developed countries is so widespread that is costing businesses billions of dollars a year, and authorities are trying to find a solution to a problem that so far has no end in sight.

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

Can Science Stop Stealing? UF Researcher Aims to Find Out

University of Florida Research Scientist Dr. Read Hayes is gathering data to better understand shoplifters’ habits.

By Stephen Sellner · May 20, 2016

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Theft plagues all kinds of retail stores across the country, and one University of Florida researcher thinks he can prevent stealing through science.

Dr. Read Hayes started the Loss Prevention Research Council 30 years ago. There, he studies video surveillance supplied by retailers to study shoplifting tendencies and better understand what deters them from stealing. Part of Hayes’ research involves interviewing shoplifters who are caught in the act to learn more about how they operate and what entices them to steal certain items. In exchange for talking, Hayes gives them a gift card to the store.

“We’re trying to really understand the thought process,” Hayes told Fox 13 News. “We’ve got to understand the psychology here in order for us to help influence their decisions.”

Below is a video that goes into more detail on Hayes’ work that has retailers very interested.

Delaware troopers arrest 3 in organized shoplifting

Delaware State Police troopers have arrested three people in connection with an organized retail theft operation.

Around 8:40 p.m. Saturday, May 28, troopers were dispatched to the Marshall’s store at 4575 Coastal Highway for a report of a shoplifting in progress, police said. When the troopers got there they saw a loss prevention employee chasing after three people running from the store, police said, and the troopers were able to detain the three suspects without further incident.

Police said the investigation revealed the three were removing security devices from clothing in the store and then concealing them in a backpack which they also took from the store’s sales rack. When the loss prevention employee confronted the three and identified himself, they dropped the merchandise and fled, police said.

Sue vows to fight teenage crime using free toiletries and underwear with launch of ‘Sue’s Essentials’

East Cambridgeshire Police’s crime reduction officer has launched her ‘Sue’s Essentials’ project by handing out boxes of toiletries and sanitary items to colleges across the region.

The case of a 12-year-old girl caught shoplifting toiletries in Ely inspired Sue Loaker to kick-start ‘Sue’s Essentials’ – an initiative that aims to reduce crime – theft in particular – through the distribution of free toiletries, sanitary items and underwear.

Toothbrushes, sanitary towels, hairbrushes and bras are just a selection of goods on offer to teenagers who may be unable to buy the items themselves or may not be receiving them at home.

Ms Loaker believes that offering the items to the region’s young people for free can help reduce the number of teenage shoplifters, and hopes it will also aid in the prevention of bullying in schools.

She said: “Ultimately, it’s a self esteem issue, and not having these items can lead to bullying and crime.

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, Employee Theft, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Workshop, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices

Is Low Income A Reason To Shoplift?

May 20, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Lawmakers across the nation have been asking for harsher theft penalties for shoplifting. California and other states have passed laws that anything below $950 dollars worth of stolen merchandise is a misdemeanor. The punishment for shoplifters is negligent, and small business owners wonder whether the laws are there to protect the small business or the shoplifter. Many government officials believe that an increase in wages will help the fight against shoplifting, but many small business owners are skeptical.

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

N.J. Senate committee to take up $15 minimum wage

A New Jersey Senate committee is expected to act Monday on a plan that would phase in the state’s minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next five years.

The National Federation of Independent Business says raising the cost of labor will be a blow for small businesses. It predicts the move will cost 70,000 jobs in New Jersey over the next decade.

Senate President Steve Sweeney disputes that. He says giving low-income workers more money to spend will make the economy stronger.

“We raised the minimum wage last time. They predicted thousands of layoffs. Guess what? There were thousands of jobs added,” said Sweeney, a Democrat from Gloucester County.

William Rodgers, public policy professor at Rutgers, says the number of job openings has increased but companies are not filling many of those positions because the salaries are low.

“So by raising the minimum wage you’re going to help some of these employers fill those vacancies that they’ve been having for a long period of time,” he said. “You’re also going to see improvement in morale. Productivity is going to improve.”

Change in law results in big jump in California shoplifting

ROCKLIN, Calif. (AP) — Perry Lutz says his struggle to survive as a small businessman became a lot harder after California voters reduced theft penalties 1½ years ago.

About a half-dozen times this year, shoplifters have stolen expensive drones or another of the remote-controlled toys he sells in HobbyTown USA, a small shop in Rocklin, northeast of Sacramento. “It’s just pretty much open season,” Lutz said. “They’ll pick the $800 unit and just grab it and run out the door.”

Anything below $950 keeps the crime a misdemeanor – and likely means the thieves face no pursuit and no punishment, say retailers and law enforcement officials. Large retailers including Safeway, Target, Rite Aid and CVS pharmacies say shoplifting increased at least 15 percent, and in some cases, doubled since voters approved Proposition 47 and ended the possibility of charging shoplifting as a felony with the potential for a prison sentence.

Shoplifting reports to the Los Angeles Police Department jumped by a quarter in the first year, according to statistics the department compiled for The Associated Press. The ballot measure also lowered penalties for forgery, fraud, petty theft and drug possession.

$37,000 in goods shoplifted, couple arrested

The couple allegedly stole from Safeway, Target and Fred Meyer.

SALEM, Ore. (KOIN) — Salem police, with the assistance of a region retail theft prevention coalition, arrested 2 people for unlawful racketeering.

Salem Police Lt. Steve Birr said Michael Rascon and his wife, Maria Rojas, were arrested on Thursday morning after detectives executed a search warrant in the 100 block of Connecticut Street Southeast.

A large amount of new retail items still in their original packaging was located at the residence, police said.

Rascon and Rojas will be charged with unlawful racketeering, money laundering, organized retail theft, and first-degree theft by deception.

Investigators with Safeway/Albertsons, Fred Meyer and Target collaborated as part of the Northwest Organized Retail Crime Alliance to build the case against them.

KOIN 6 News has learned the two were selling stolen items online, buying stolen merchandise and even had “shopping lists” of things that they wanted stolen so they could turn around and sell.

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Prevent Shoplifting – Focus on the Basics

May 13, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

For decades the gold standard of learning theory was that people needed to be told something 3 times before they really understood and remembered it. If you wanted people to learn something you were supposed to: tell them what you’re going to tell them, then tell them, then tell them what you just told them.

Not anymore. People’s attention spans and retention abilities have dramatically decreased over the last 10 – 15 years. Depending on the research it’s now believed the average person needs to hear something 5 – 7 times before he understands and remembers it.

This new standard in learning has changed the way effective businesses conduct their training. Training modules are shorter and on-going, which gives employees the chance to retain and integrate the material.

The new normal is particularly important in retail. Well-trained employees are still one of the best ways to prevent shoplifting. Therefore, a successful store will combine new training methods with fundamental shoplifting prevention techniques.

Pay attention at all times

Distracted employees are a real problem in retail and it’s getting worse. Training includes, but isn’t limited to: the store’s policy on cell phone use, avoidance of personal on-the-floor conversations, proper customer service, common shoplifting tactics, and how to handle “lingering” customers.

Greet and be attentive to every customer

Friendly, conscientious employees are a natural deterrent to shoplifters. Impulse or thrill thieves are less likely to act and professional ones are more likely to go somewhere else where the employees are less diligent.

Monitor the high risk areas/merchandise

Ongoing reminders of at-risk areas are useful. When people get familiar with their environment they don’t “see” it any more. The dark area in the corner gets ignored because they stop seeing it as a prime shoplifting site.

Some items will always be a target for theft, while others are just the most recent trend. It makes employees’ jobs easier if they know that pink T-shirts are now disappearing, rather than the blue ones that were 3 months ago.

A solid, basic training program which provides a solid, basic education to employees is still the most effective way to prevent shoplifting. An additional bonus is, when done correctly, it can increase morale and employee buy-in.

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

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Shoplifting And The Law

May 12, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

States around the country have for many years now, ask lawmakers for harsher sentencing for shoplifters and specially if they are repeated offenders. Many states have passed harsher sentencing laws regarding shoplifting, but the problem seems to be getting worse not better. And although retail stores around the country try to find a solution for the problem, shoplifting is still a crime with no easy solution.

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

Is the Rise of Organized Retail Crime a Product of Soft Sentencing?

If not sentenced more harshly, those convicted will almost certainly continue their behavior.

During a panel discussion on organized retail crime (ORC), the panel discussed current ORC issues, legislation, coalitions, online sales of stolen property, and industry information sharing. The panel consisted of six of the top ORC minds in the industry, all of whom agreed that organized retail crime is on the rise, and more and more criminals are committing these nonviolent crimes.

The moderator asked specific questions relating to retail theft, and these experts were quick to answer and share information on steps they are taking to battle organized retail crime. They talked about the many successes in the past few years, which include building law enforcement interest (ORC coalitions) across the country. Considering ongoing efforts to collaborate with organized law enforcement-retail coalitions nationwide, getting police and retailers working together to solve these crimes is by far the most important element concerning organized retail crime.

Concealment = Shoplifting

Intent is the Driving Factor in Most States

It is a common misbelief that in order to commit the act of shoplifting, an individual must exit the store and permanently deprive the merchant of the unpurchased merchandise. The truth is, however, that in most states, an individual commits the act of shoplifting by taking actions that would cause one to reasonably believe that he intends to permanently deprive the merchant of the goods.

Most states require that the merchant have probable cause (or reasonable grounds) to believe that an individual has committed an act of theft or is attempting to shoplift before making a decision to detain the individual to determine if their observation was correct. Probable cause or reasonable grounds is not limited to observing the individual exiting the store with unpurchased merchandise. In addition to clear cases of theft, such as when a person opens a product’s container, consumes the contents and fails to pay for the product, probable cause or reasonable grounds to detain and make inquiry can also be obtained by observing an individual conceal unpurchased merchandise or in some states, by the activation of EAS even if the individual was not observed concealing merchandise. The majority of states do not require that an individual exit the store in order to have a civil cause of action for shoplifting.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (WMT) Brings Back the Store Greeter

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE:WMT) has decided to bring back the store greeter. The global retail giant will have employees at all of its entrances and exits to improve customer service and prevent theft. Simply put: it’s bringing back the hallmark door-greeter program that was vanquished a few years ago.

Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. Make Their Return to a Store Near You

Wal-Mart founder Sam Walton believed that customer service was the key to success. One area of customer service that Wal-Mart became famous for was the iconic store greeter. These greeters, usually senior citizens looking for part-time income, would stand at doors, greet customers, thank them for coming and even check receipts to deter shoplifters.

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