Shoplifting News

April 29, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (11)Some of the news about shoplifting that may give you an insight into the way some shoplifters view the act of stealing merchandise from your stores.  How can you prevent shrinkage at your business? Is the cost associated with a loss prevention system worth it?  Read the articles below to find more about how installing a loss prevention system in your store is the right move to increase your profitability.

Family Dollar rolls out Checkpoint Systems EAS across its chain

Family Dollar is rolling out Checkpoint Systems’ EAS loss prevention technology across its 8,000 stores in the US. It is claimed to be is one of the fastest roll-outs in the industry, with 3,500 installations already completed and 120 more occurring each week.

Both companies have also begun the planning process to implement source tagging as well as a hard tag @source program. By working with Family Dollar’s consumer packaged goods and apparel suppliers, this new program will ensure merchandise arrives at Family Dollar stores EAS tagged and shelf-ready, enhancing their customer’s shopping experience. With both tagging programs, Family Dollar aims to further reduce shrink and increase Team Members productivity by focusing their time on customer-facing activities.

After extensive field-testing, Family Dollar chose Checkpoint’s EVOLVE P10 ECO electronic article surveillance (EAS) solutions because it positively impacted their store profitability by reducing shrink, lowering energy costs and had a significant increase on merchandise availability of key high-velocity items.

Julie Giblin, Family Dollar’s VP of Loss Prevention, said: “This rollout has already positively impacted our profitability. We could not be more pleased with the results and the partnership with Checkpoint, especially with the implementation speed.”

Shoplifting suspect had a cart full of baby formula

ROCHESTER — Police on Thursday arrested a man they say tried to steal more than $1,000 worth of baby formula from Walmart in Rochester.
Dillon Johnson, 19, of 640 Poverty Pond Road, Hill, N.H., is being held in jail after being charged with felony willful concealment, after trying to run out of Walmart Thursday with a shopping cart full of baby formula, said Police Capt. Paul Toussaint.

He said Johnson’s charge is a felony because of the value of merchandise he attempted to steal from the store.

Baby formula, said Toussaint, is a frequent item shoplifters steal. He said that sometimes baby formula is used for cutting drugs. In most of the Rochester incidents, suspects steal baby formula because it’s so expensive, Toussaint said, with thieves reselling the stolen formula at lower prices.

Police got involved in the incident after a member of Walmart’s loss prevention department reported the theft, according to a police affidavit. The sworn affidavit states that Walmart employees tried to stop Johnson as he was running out of the store with the cart full of baby formula. Police reviewed the surveillance tape at the store before arresting Johnson.

‘Bling Ring’ Tumblr Shoplifting Community Gets Rocked By Outsiders

They go by names like Lift Witch, Klepto Princess and Lifting for Survival. They offer up weirdly worded disclaimers about how what they’re doing is “fake” or that their stories are “fiction” or “roleplay.” They repost and celebrate each other’s victories. They are the young women who spend their time on Tumblr talking about things that they’ve stolen.

On Wednesday, Tumblr user We Unhallowed posted a list of the sites she called “Tumblr’s Bling Ring,” throwing a delicate community of shoplifters into disarray. Earlier that day she’d written, “Have stumbled upon a circle of teenage shoplifters on Tumblr. It’s hilarious. They post pictures of everything they steal and call them ‘hauls.'”

Since posting her list, a few Tumblrs on it have been disabled, but not before their comments were endlessly reblogged by fellow members of the community. Like New Lifterr, who wrote, “i just realized that the post called us tumblrs bling ring and i’m even more flattered. i’m famous. for free.”

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

Do Your Employees Know Your Business Shoplifting Policy?

April 28, 2014 by Leave a Comment

law-3If the management and/or supervisors do not have a clear sense what the shoplifting policy for the store is, the chances are your other employees will not have any idea what to do in a case of a shoplifting  case at the store.  Making your workforce knowledgeable about the company’s policy about shoplifting can in the future prevent situations that can be detrimental for your business and your staff.

Read more about the shoplifting rulings in Arizona, and other measures in other Townships.

An Arlington Kroger Manager Was Fired For Body-Slamming a Shoplifter

Kroger, according to the wisdom of online shoplifting forums, doesn’t have a firm “no-chase” policy, at least not one that’s routinely heeded. Leave the store without paying, and you may well have a store manager on your tail.

Claude Medlock did. The 51-year-old — a seasoned veteran of taking other people’s stuff, with a long rap sheet of robbery and theft convictions — was confronted in the parking lot of an Arlington Kroger by a store manager.

It did not end well for Medlock. The manager slammed the alleged shoplifter into a car, disarmed him of a knife, then body-slammed him on the pavement. All captured on video.

It didn’t end well for the manager, either. Kroger fired him, telling Fox 4 that his actions were “not a reflection of our company’s fraud prevention, protocol, procedures or training.”

Ruling: Right to jury trial in shoplifting cases

PHOENIX — Citing 17th Century English law, the state Court of Appeals concluded Thursday that those charged with shoplifting are entitled to demand a trial by jury.

In a unanimous decision, the judges said the Arizona Constitution makes it clear that if a jury trial was mandated for a crime during territorial days, then that right remains more than a century later. They said the fact that the crime is only a misdemeanor, punishable by six months in jail, does not override that constitutional right.

Thursday’s ruling is most immediately a defeat for the city of Peoria which had argued against having to go through the time and expense of a jury trial for Edward Bosworth. But the decision has implications for other city and county prosecutors who have until now convinced municipal judges and justices of the peace that they alone can decide a shoplifter’s guilt.

Both the state and federal constitutions entitle people charged with crimes to a trial by jury. But courts generally have held that right does not extend to offenses which can result in jail time of less than six months. And that means all misdemeanors.

In Arizona, however, there’s another factor at work. The state constitution, adopted when Arizona became a state, spells out that “the right of trial by jury shall remain inviolate.”

Appellate Judge Lawrence Winthrop, writing Thursday’s ruling, said that means if someone was entitled to a jury trial prior to 1912 for a comparable common law offense, then that right continues to exist.

When shoplifting cases are selling like hotcakes

Deptford Township has the right idea with a new ordinance that fines retail businesses if they call police on shoplifters and fail to follow through.

Police in the township handle about 2,000 shoplifting calls annually, which is understandable for the home of Deptford Mall and a multitude of mega-power centers.

But here’s the rub, and the main rationale for imposing limits: Only about 400, or one fifth, of the five-finger-discount calls result in prosecution in any given year.

Police should not waste time responding to businesses that won’t sign complaints. Worse, say officials, police can wait in court to testify against suspects — but the store owners don’t show up.

When the ordinance takes effect, a store will get only two cases per month that don’t result in prosecution. If there are more such calls, the store will be fined $250 for each one.

Mayor Paul Medany says that “big-box” retailers — those most likely to have sophisticated store security — take the most advantage of the willingness of the police to come running.

“I feel very strongly, personally, that the big-box retailers have to provide security, cameras and loss prevention officers,” Medany said. “You’ve got to protect your store better.”

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

Shoplifting News

April 25, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (12)Shoplifting cases across our nation are ever so present.  Shoplifting cases in New Jersey, Washington, Texas, and Detroit are some of the examples of what the retail industry faces every single day.  Shoplifting rings are as prevalent as the shoplifting individual, and the economic hardship the stores suffer because of it can be devastating for the store and for the economic growth of a community.

Read more news about shoplifting by following the links below.

Shoplifting Suspects Possibly Part of a Ring

Police believe they may have busted up part of a shoplifting ring. Three women were arrested over the weekend, accused of stealing from a Gaithersburg store. Investigators believe at least one of them also hit a Lord & Taylor where a security guard was pepper-sprayed Friday.

Police believe they’ve busted up part of a shoplifting ring in Montgomery County.

Groups of women have been targeting stores in the area and even pepper-sprayed an employee at one last week.

Shoplifters hit two Lord & Taylor stores Friday and a Burlington Coat Factory Saturday, where three were arrested.

“Them stealing from stores brings up our prices, and we have to pay more, so it is a concern of ours,” said Gaithersburg police Officer Dan Lane.

Police arrested Ikia Williams, Shantel Dorsey and a third woman Saturday. At least one of them is suspected in the pepper-spraying of a Lord & Taylor security guard.

Detroit Police Bust Shoplifting Ring Accused Of Stealing $15K Of Stuff Per Day

While you might think you know about shoplifting based on that ill-advised stint in middle school when everyone was doing it, cops in Detroit have fried a much bigger fish than your normal grab-and-go thieves: Investigators say they’ve just busted a shoplifting ring responsible for stealing as much as $15,000 worth of merchandise a day and reselling it on the Internet.

According to the Detroit Free Press, the accused thieves worked out of a 7,600-square-foot warehouse that served as the hub for the multimillion-dollar theft ring. Cops say it’s the largest such operation they’ve seen.

The county sheriff called the operation “amazing in size and scope,” and said it probably has been doing business for years before drug investigators happened upon it last month.

Investigators say the shoplifters were given shopping lists of what to steal, like cold medicine, antacids and other over-the-counter drugs from CVS, Walgreens and others. Theft of those items led investigators to the ring, thinking perhaps it was connected to making methamphetamine.

The “shoppers” would then wear special clothing designed to hide their ill-gotten gains, stuff their pockets full and bring the goods to the warehouse. They were allegedly paid $2,500 in cash per day for their hauls.

Two Deputies Hurt as Shoplifting Suspect Flees

Two alleged shoplifters face charges in connection with a knife attack on a Loss Prevention Employee at Park City Center.  City police responded to a call at about 1:30 pm to Boscov’s Park City store where Loss Prevention employees were holding two shoplifters. Before officers could arrive on the scene one of the male suspect produced knife. He stabbed the employee on the hand and then he and the female fled on foot.

The first officers began to arrive on the scene. After seeing that the employee was being taken care of, they pursued the suspects. The female was apprehended after a short chase. Other officers spotted the male suspect running across a parking lot and back inside Park City. Converging police caught up with the suspect in a common area outside J.C. Penney without further incident.

Witnesses positively identified the suspect who taken to police headquarters in downtown Lancaster. The knife used in the assault was also recovered. Witnesses told police that the suspects had been confronted regarding thefts from multiple retailers in Park City. When the male suspect produced the knife and cut the employee, he then held the knife to the employees throat and threaten to harm again. The male told the female to collect the loot that had been confiscated. The female put the loot into her purse.

Two Loudoun County Sheriff’s deputies were injured when they tried to stop a shoplifter from fleeing the scene on Saturday afternoon.

Police said a suspect was trying to take two televisions from a Costco store in Sterling, Va., when deputies confronted him. The suspect got into his car and closed the door on one deputy’s hand.

A second deputy tried to grab the suspect through the window, but the suspect began driving away.

“This individual drove off and dragged one of our deputies approximately 60 feet,” Loudoun County Sheriff Mike Chapman said.

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

Electronic Article Surveillance

April 22, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (4)Electronic article surveillance is one of the many methods employed by retailers to prevent shoplifting from their stores.  Special tags are attached to the merchandise and removed or deactivated by the clerks at the registers.  When an article is removed and the person exits the store with such item, a detection system sounds alerting the staff of what’s happening giving them the opportunity to alert security.

Read more about this and other topics by following the links below.

Retail loss prevention team priorities for 2014

The challenges facing today’s retail loss prevention teams are increasingly complex and serious, from cyber security to active shooter to workforce training, compliance issues and – unfortunately – even armed gunmen inside stores or shopping malls. And with NRF’s annual Loss Prevention Conference and EXPO coming up in June, we wanted to know what’s top of mind for retail LP professionals.

We asked a few of our LP Advisory Council members to weigh in on what their top priorities are for 2014. Three different retailers, three different answers. But in our unofficial small survey, we found one common theme — people.

Our top priority is two-fold. Reducing shrink is always a priority, but the No. 1 priority in our company is always the safety of our associates and customers, so we’re focusing efforts on making sure all of our LP programs address how to keep people safe in the world we live in today. We’ve put a complete policy in place about how to handle what we call an “active incident,” not just an active shooter, and that will continue to evolve this year.

Family Dollar Promptly Applying EAS Loss-Prevention Technology To Stores Nationwide

Checkpoint Systems, leading global supplier of merchandise availability solutions for retail businesses, recently announced they are rapidly supplying more than 8,000 Family Dollar Stores with electronic article surveillance (EAS) systems nationwide. Since deployment in October 2013, 3,500 systems have been installed and 120 are happening each week, this marks the move as one of the fastest introductions of the new service for Checkpoint.

Family Dollar will be implementing use of Checkpoint’s source tagging, hard tagging program on merchandise as well as installing EVOLVE P10 ECO, “the most advanced shrink management system on the market” throughout all stores by December of this year. The powerful EAS system features include data analytics, alarm management, energy savings, and RFID technology. All three systems combined will provide Family Dollar with an all-inclusive approach to reducing shrink and increase sales.

Family Dollar entered into a multi-year agreement with Checkpoint in October 2013 after analyzing positive results during three years of testing EVOLVE P10 ECO system in select stores. Use of EVOLVE ECO electronics is expected to reduce store shrink in addition to reducing energy consumption by 75 percent compared to other solution alternatives. “We are thrilled to participate in the continued success story of Family Dollar.

Two charged in stabbing of Loss Prevention employee at Park City Center

Two alleged shoplifters face charges in connection with a knife attack on a Loss Prevention Employee at Park City Center.  City police responded to a call at about 1:30 pm to Boscov’s Park City store where Loss Prevention employees were holding two shoplifters. Before officers could arrive on the scene one of the male suspect produced knife. He stabbed the employee on the hand and then he and the female fled on foot.

The first officers began to arrive on the scene. After seeing that the employee was being taken care of, they pursued the suspects. The female was apprehended after a short chase. Other officers spotted the male suspect running across a parking lot and back inside Park City. Converging police caught up with the suspect in a common area outside J.C. Penney without further incident.

Witnesses positively identified the suspect who taken to police headquarters in downtown Lancaster. The knife used in the assault was also recovered. Witnesses told police that the suspects had been confronted regarding thefts from multiple retailers in Park City. When the male suspect produced the knife and cut the employee, he then held the knife to the employees throat and threaten to harm again. The male told the female to collect the loot that had been confiscated. The female put the loot into her purse.

 

 

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

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: , , , , , ,

Shoplifters: To Prosecute or Not, That is the Question!

April 4, 2014 by Leave a Comment

law-3Many Retailers struggle with this question. The decision can be fraught with indecision and even fear. “What if I am wrong?”, “Is this the right thing to do?”, “How will this impact my business?” These are all valid and important questions. Let me first say right up front that as a business owner, consultant and LP Executive, I firmly believe that you should prosecute each and every time. Let me give you some food for thought. After dealing with shoplifters for the last 35 plus years, I see four areas that you should consider when trying to decide whether or not to prosecute.

1             Legal – Every U.S. State has different laws in dealing with shoplifters. However, most of the laws are similar. Most States have what is commonly referred to as “Merchant Laws”. These laws generally protect the Merchant from criminal or civil liability if they follow the law in that State. That means in most cases that as long as you treat the shoplifting suspect fairly, you are free to investigate, if they stole from you or not. If you conclude that they have, then you should call the Police. When you do call the Police, you should never accuse anyone. Let the Police make their decisions based on the evidence presented. This way you are letting the Police do their jobs and it is the State, County or City that is prosecuting. If you are not sure about the laws in your state, go to your States Sectary of State website and search for shoplifting or theft laws.

2             Precedent – If you do not prosecute, word spreads quickly that you are an easy mark and this will actually attract more shoplifters to your store. This happens because shoplifters do talk to each other. If they know the worst that will happen is a warning from you, then the flood gates are open.

3             Prevention – Although similar to precedent, prevention is more about how you and your company deal with shoplifting overall. Our goal is to stop the shoplifter before they even try to steal. We do this with a variety of techniques. To begin with the physical store layout, customer service techniques your staff uses and the Anti-shoplifting equipment such as a Checkpoint System all combined create your stores prevention environment. This environment gives you more ability to prosecute in a business-like manner. This tells the Police, Prosecutor and the Courts that you have a defined way to not only discourage shoplifting but to detect and handle it. I cannot stress prevention enough. More prevention equals less shoplifting equals less prosecution.

4             Emotion – Whether we admit it or not emotion comes into the decision to prosecute. Anyone that steals from our stores is essentially stealing from our pockets. This applies equally to owners, managers and store staff in some form or another. They have taken something from us that has cost us. This may mean the difference in staying in business, if we make a profit, sales numbers or even have a job. Getting angry at the individual shoplifter is counterproductive. Do not “attack” the shoplifter either verbally or physically. Rather treat this as any other business problem and solve it with business solutions not emotion. Prosecution is part of this. By the way, I believe that you should also always prosecute under age and elderly offenders. If you do not get law enforcement involved and simply issue a stern warning, you open yourself up to false accusations. Let the Police deal with this. They are equipped for it.

Overall keep this in mind that your shoplifting problem is not some insurmountable issue that you have to tolerate. Do not bury your head in the sand. Tackle it head on and you will find that your frustration will go down, profits will go up and the shoplifters will go elsewhere.

Loss Prevention Systems is here to help you! We have an all-inclusive anti-shoplifting program that consists of policy and procedure, Checkpoint and Alpha High Theft solutions equipment and shoplifting prevention training that will allow you to then focus on your core business. Call us today at 1-770-426-0547.

Sell More, Lose Less!

Filed Under: Featured 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: , , , , ,
« Previous Page
Next Page »