Georgia shoplifting systems

Can High -Tech Prevent Shoplifting?

June 14, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The causes for shoplifting are varied and the solution to these issues are not yet answered. Many people shoplift because of a mental issue, while other shoplift because it is easy and profitable for them.

The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention states that shoplifting has become one of the most prevalent crimes committed in the United States every year. Shoplifting though is viewed by many of the people committing the crime as an issue of no importance, or one that does not affect the communities or the people around them.

For a retailer, the issue of shoplifting is a big problem that cost them billions of dollars every year.

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

Police give tips to prevent shoplifting

Albany police said the number of shoplifting cases usually increases during the summer, so they’re working to keep local businesses safe.

Police held a meeting for their business watch group on Thursday and shared tips to prevent shoplifting. Some of those include using and testing alarms and video surveillance systems regularly and leaving lights on at night to discourage burglars.

They also encouraged having an employee check in with suspicious shoppers and have a greeter walking around the store.

Police said businesses should also communicate with their neighboring shops and with police to share information and surveillance video.

Store Security Turns High-Tech to Prevent Shoplifting

That five-finger discount will kill your bottom line. With $45.2 billion lost to retail theft in 2015, some stores — hoping to avoid the estimated tens of thousands it costs to employ a two-person security team — are turning to higher tech solutions that don’t need to be paid overtime. Technology like facial recognition software that keeps an electronic eye out for known shoplifters can be tough for small independent retailers to afford. But proponents say it doesn’t just catch shoplifters, it discourages them in the first place.

There is more to shoplifting than meets the eye

Last week The National reported that a 29-year-old Macedonian woman, a tourist visiting Dubai, was sentenced to two months in jail. She was arrested in January for attempting to steal lingerie, perfume and lipstick from the Victoria’s Secret store at Mall of the Emirates. She admitted the charges, but in her defence she claimed that she didn’t know why she shoplifted. “I have money, but I steal,” she told her prosecutors.

The UAE is home to some of the world’s largest shopping malls; it also has one of the highest per-capita retail shopping centre densities in the world. It makes sense, in this context, to understand why people shoplift. Globally, billions of dollars are lost each year to shoplifting. So understanding its causes and consequences and trying to find cures are good for business.

In the case of the tourist, we might never know, for sure, why she decided to stuff her handbag with goodies from Victoria’s Secret. More generally, however, psychology and those concerned with consumer misbehaviour have advanced many ideas about why some people shoplift.

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, Background checks, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Training, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting statistics, surveillance

Alpha High Theft Solutions Blending With The Checkpoint Label

June 2, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

As many of you know Alpha High Theft Solutions was acquired by Checkpoint Systems many years ago. Checkpoint has encouraged Alpha’s brand growth and innovation. Alpha has produced the best high theft solutions, hands down in the industry. Innovations like Spider Wrap, Keepers, Bottle Locks, Cable Locks, Shark Tags, specialized hard tags literally protect billions of retail products worldwide.

As the largest nationwide Checkpoint Dealer we have watched and even helped with the research and development of some of these products.

It comes as no surprise to Loss Prevention Systems and many of you, that the Alpha High Theft Solutions name is being blended into Checkpoint High Theft Solutions. From the inside, the accounting and management functions have been the same for some time. But this has been accomplished slowly and carefully over time. The Alpha DNA is still there, stronger than ever.

When we at Loss Prevention Systems met recently with Checkpoint High Theft Solutions, we clearly saw the Alpha DNA. In fact to us it seems that it is even stronger than ever. We were shown new products, some we cannot discuss yet, as they are still in development with R&D and will be real game changers. The scientists and product specialists at Checkpoint overwhelmed us with the new items they are working on.

These are concepts that are becoming reality other companies have never even thought of. The application of science is, well, amazing. As soon as they give us the green light we will begin rolling them out to you. Maybe even a few lucky LPSI Retailers will get to test and evaluate some of these new game changers.

Checkpoint has evolved into inventory control solutions not just shoplifting electronic article surveillance solutions. When we couple that with Loss Prevention Systems actual loss prevention experience in both the shoplifting and employee theft arenas, you have a powerful partner to help you achieve the profitability you want and deserve. Our real world live training is included on every system we sell, as often as you need it, for the life of your Checkpoint System, FREE of charge.

Loss Prevention Systems includes even more. We are there to help protect you from the bad guys. Shoplifters, employee theft, robbery, burglary, pre-employment investigations, pre-employment interviewing, vendor fraud are threats to your very livelihood. We have personally dealt with all of these for large and small companies alike. A single store owner can have the same loss prevention programs that the big box stores have with Loss Prevention Systems and Checkpoint Systems High Theft solutions.

But rest assured the Alpha brand is alive and well and living in Checkpoint High Theft Solutions. It courses through everything we do and stand ready to help you with. There are exciting times ahead for retail loss prevention and security so stay tuned for more information.

And remember that if you hate shoplifters and theft as much as we at Loss Prevention Systems, please share this with your retail friends.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Alpha’s brand, Alpha’s DNA, Alpha’s growth, 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 prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Loss Prevention Workshop, pre-employment investigations, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance, vendor fraud

Customer Safety: Those Who Steal From Your Store Pose A Security And Safety Risk To Your Customers

June 2, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I don’t know how many times I have heard it, but I have heard it said that shoplifting is not a crime that is premeditated. I have heard and read the arguments that dismiss the seriousness of the crime and portray the criminals as opportunists acting on the spur of the moment. Implicit in the argument is the minimizing of the extent of Organized Retail Crime rings as well as the willingness of shoplifters to steal from your customers. I have even had people who think along these lines voice their disapproval when I had shoplifters I had apprehended and was walking to my security office. I recall one occasion when I apprehended three young men, about 14 years of age and was by myself. I had them stand with their faces against the wall as I had to get my keys out to unlock the door to my office. Two men were sitting outside my office and one muttered under his breath that I was being a butt, only he used a more colorful adjective. I looked at him and told him to mind his own business. The point is that there are people more sympathetic to the criminals than retailers and see shoplifting as a minor infraction at worst and mischievous behavior at best. The attitude among those that hold to those beliefs might change if they realized that these shoplifters aren’t necessarily choosy about who they steal from. They also don’t consider the safety risks posed by the careless acts of these criminals.

Whatever your perception may be of shoplifters and no matter how you may try to excuse or rationalize the behavior, theft is a crime. Many of those engaging in shoplifting are engaging in other crimes as well. Frequently those crimes are against other customers in the store. How can I be so sure? I have caught some of those shoplifters who also took advantage of others. I recall a shoplifting incident in which I was following the suspect through the store and watched her concealing merchandise in her purse. I followed her through the store observing her pick up small items and hide them while pushing a shopping cart. I then saw her stop her cart next to another customer’s buggy. The second customer had a purse in her own buggy and a wallet was exposed, she was facing the merchandise and had her back to her belongings. The shoplifter stopped and while the victim wasn’t paying attention the shoplifter deftly removed the wallet and kept going, eventually placing it in her own purse. This was one of those rare situations when I made my apprehension while the perpetrator was still in the building. A victimless crime? A sudden, unplanned prank? I don’t think the woman who had her wallet stolen thought so.

What other safety issues or concerns do shoplifters pose to your customers? Let’s discuss their actions once they have stolen. I have seen shoplifters grab and run with merchandise. There was nothing that caused them to run, they weren’t approached by Loss Prevention personnel and they didn’t see L.P. following behind, they simply snatched merchandise and ran out the door. I recall working for a department store and I was in the camera room conducting CCTV surveillance and a shoplifter entered the store. He immediately went to a table of men’s Polo shirts, grabbed an armful and ran back out. He jumped into a car parked by the curb and the driver sped off. There was no concern for the safety of the patrons entering the building, he made no attempt to look for small children or elderly people, he just shoved a door open and ran. The driver of the car was reckless in speeding away, endangering pedestrians and other drivers.

There is nothing cute or funny about shoplifters. They hurt the profit line of the stores they steal from. They often victimize other shoppers, frequently stealing personal belongs or identification. They may also be in your parking lot breaking into cars. Don’t underestimate the risks posed by thieves. Keep them out of your store in the first place by using retail anti-theft devices on all of your merchandise and offering significant amounts of customer service.

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 shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, mobile POS loss prevention, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, retail security, shoplifting, shoplifting statistics

Tips To Counter Website Advice For Potential Shoplifters

June 2, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

There seems to be an advice website or YouTube video for nearly everything these days. Want to know who to call for home repairs? Need information about a car before you buy it? Looking for someone to date? Yes, it’s all on the internet, I’ve even completed some plumbing repairs and small vehicle repairs with the aid of online videos. Unfortunately, while there is a lot of help and good information on the world wide web, there are also sites that purport to be “informational” only but the information they provide supposedly tells people how to shoplift. What I find even more irritating is that some of these theft websites allegedly are written by former Loss Prevention personnel. The information they give is sometimes too accurate and could cause problems for a retailer who isn’t informed themselves on how to prevent thieves from stealing from them.

Here is some ‘information’ that is published on the web and our advice can help you fight back against these shoplifter websites.

Website: Carry money with you, no money makes it hard to say it was spontaneous.
Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI) Advice: It makes no difference if the shoplifter has or does not have money. Treat all shoplifters the same and be consistent in prosecuting within whatever your policies say.
Website: Carry a bag but don’t place anything in it. It may get you off the hook if they can’t find anything in it.
LPSI Advice: Store Loss Prevention or Managers should never be stopping a suspect if they don’t know where the concealment took place and what was concealed. If you don’t know and didn’t see it, smother them with extensive customer service.
Website: Security does not go looking for poorly dressed people. They may pick on you out of boredom but they anticipate professional shoplifters will dress up a bit. Wear whatever you want.
LPSI Advice: Loss Prevention professionals who do the job right look for signals that may indicate someone is going to shoplift and the types of clothes worn. Are the clothes unseasonable? Is the person wearing a bulky coat when it’s warm outside? Is the person in a known high theft area? Does the person avoid customer service from employees?
Website: If you get caught don’t act tough or be a smart “arse” (sic), cry, bawl, beg them not to call the cops, that your kids will be taken by CSV (child services).
LPSI Advice: Always be consistent. Don’t play favorites and don’t do “favors”. Not applying the rules equally to everyone can actually get you into legal hot water. If there are children with the shoplifter there is nothing wrong with allowing them to call a family member or close, trusted friend to pick up the children. Often shoplifters who have no record of shoplifting have been caught before they were just released and not prosecuted. See how that works?
Website: Look for younger, or less ‘affluent’ associates who may turn a blind eye if they see you shoplifting.
LPSI Advice: Train ALL of your associates on the importance of customer service and the necessity to report all suspicious activity. Perhaps initiate a reward program for employees who can demonstrate they have prevented a theft. This may be done if they can show clothes with torn off tags or an anti-theft device that was being tampered with and the associate walked up and disrupted the thief. Maybe it’s a fitting room attendant who finds merchandise hidden that a shoplifter was going to try to take into the fitting room. Age of an employee should never be a factor.
Website: Most employees at places with EAS (electronic article surveillance) door alarms (towers) view them as an annoyance instead of as an asset. If someone does respond to an alarm they are usually only allowed to ask you if you “forgot to pay for something”. They cannot threaten to call the police. There was no evidence.
LPSI Advice: Ensure all associates are trained on appropriate EAS alarm response. Waving goodbye or saying, “It’s okay” is not appropriate. Employees should be asking politely for receipts and then looking for dates, time stamps, and verifying the items on the receipt are the items being carried out. If a discrepancy is found a manager should be called over. If nothing is found in bags or in the shopping cart, there are additional steps to take in order to determine the cause of an alarm.

Loss Prevention Systems provides training for managers and staff on preventing shoplifting. You can contact LPSI for information on how to approach an EAS/Checkpoint system alarm. These are simply a few tips on how to overcome the tips from these “informational” websites. Don’t be a victim to shoplifters. You can prevent theft, reduce your shortage and increase profits. Proper training for you and your managers can pay big dividends regardless of what criminals may read on the world wide web.

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

Too Small A Store For A Loss Prevention Department? Loss Prevention Systems Inc. Is The Solution To Your Dilemma

June 2, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Shortage control and theft prevention for small retailers which have no Loss Prevention Associates in the store was the topic of a recent article in an online loss prevention magazine. The points were well made and much of it was directed at stores that may have district or regional Loss Prevention Managers. But the truth is there are many small, independent retailers with no affiliation to a larger company. How do these stores cope with reducing shrink and preventing theft? It could be a tough problem but Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI)has the solutions that can keep small stores keep shortage down and profits up.

So what are the solutions for those smaller retailers and how can LPSI help?

LPSI offers business owners advice through the blog posts on its website. The blogs are written by professionals who have years of experience in retail management and retail Loss Prevention. They give helpful insights from their personal experiences and knowledge of how shortage occurs. These insights can often be applied to any retail environment from a local “Mom and Pop” shop to a big box retail store.
LPSI posts videos on YouTube. Bill Bregar, owner and President of LPSI regularly posts videos to the web site, sharing stories from his extensive Loss Prevention experiences and tying them in with tips and strategies business owners and managers can employ in their own buildings. The videos are short yet informative and interesting as Bill includes anecdotes from his time in the field.
LPSI’s Facebook account provides additional videos and information on merchandise protection tools like Checkpoint and Alpha security tags and electronic article surveillance towers.
Small business owners may not have all of the information they need on how to prevent theft from employees or from shoplifters. While they are knowledgeable on the aspects of ordering products, replenishing the stores, running point of sale terminals they may not be equipped or even aware of all the various methods that can impact shortage. LPSI offers training seminars for business owners and managers that will give them the knowledge and information they need to prevent shoplifting, dishonest employee activity, and fraud. A store may not be able to afford its own Loss Prevention department but this does not prevent them from proactively deterring or stopping thieves. LPSI has provided training both nationally and internationally to give business owners the tools that will allow them to defeat thieves even without a Loss Prevention Department.
Were you aware that hiring the wrong people to work for you can lead to internal theft and fraud, poor employee morale or worse, they could be a legal liability? LPSI offers professional background check services. They can look at an applicant’s criminal history, driving record, verify academic records, check on prior addresses, and verify employment history. Will the employee be working around children or other employees? The background check services offered by LPSI can check on sex offender registries to make sure your other employees and customers are safe and secure. Our company can make sure your hiring practices are optimizing your investment in staffing your store(s).
Consider that retail anti-theft devices and EAS pedestals can significantly deter shoplifting crime and even internal theft. You might be thinking about investing in it but you’re not sure how much you should invest or what the impact of your investment will be? LPSI offers a Free ROI Calculator on its website. There is no obligation to use it but simply entering the amount of money you are thinking about investing in Checkpoint equipment and how much your annual sales are, you can get a quick estimate of what your savings from shortage reduction would be.

Shortage reduction and theft prevention does not necessarily require a Loss Prevention Department.

By using all of the resources available through Loss Prevention Systems Inc. you can effectively reduce merchandise shortage. We can also assist you in making the right investments in merchandise protection that will best suit your store size and the type of merchandise you carry. Spend some time reviewing the LPSI website and social media posts and see if WE can be meet your Loss Prevention needs.

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, CCTV cameras, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security, retail security and monitoring, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

What Are You Doing To Prevent Shoplifting In Your Store?

June 1, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

In some regions, police departments warn retail stores and home owners of an increase in shoplifting and burglaries during the summer months. Many of the burglaries and shoplifting accidents committed during these months are from young adults that are out of school with nothing better to do.

The problem-although serious- is nothing compared to the thousands of dollars that are stolen by organized retail crime rings in some cities.

People in an organized retail crime ring can enter a store and leave it within minutes with thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise. They are professionals and their goals is simple: Steal as much as you can in the least amount of time.

Training to prevent this kind of shoplifting is paramount to the well being of your store.

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

Shoplifting plagues Portland retailers

SHOPLIFTING IS A CONSTANT PROBLEM FOR PORTLAND RETAILERS, BUT POLICE DON’T HAVE THE RESOURCES TO CRACK DOWN ON MANY OF THE THEFTS.

Rise in organized retail theft is costing you

RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) – They’re fast, they’re sneaky – and their crimes are impacting your wallet.

Organized retail thieves are costing retailers billions of dollars each year, which inevitably ends up costing you.

But it’s more than just shoplifting. Organized retail theft includes:

Receiving goods that are believed to be stolen, even if they’re not
Shoplifting goods ($200+ value) through an emergency exit door
Theft of infant formula more than $100
Credit card/gift card fraud

International Super-Heist Cost Retailers Billions Last Year

One woman in El Segundo stole $10,000 of clothes from a shop in about 20 minutes during the course of three visits.

Retailers ready to launch their new fashion lines can bet some of that apparel will be stolen the minute it hits their shelves, according to private investigators.

The products are being shoplifted, in some cases, thousands of dollars at a time, by thieves committing organized retail crime.

A private investigator, speaking to NBC4 on the condition of anonymity, helped detectives with the El Segundo police department, tie two Colombian nationals to an international theft ring.

The two were arrested after police discovered $67,000 worth of stolen merchandise in their Hawthorne apartment.

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, Background checks, EAS Devices, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Prevent Shoplifting, retail security and monitoring, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Loss Prevention Training Seminars

May 17, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Preventing shoplifting is by far one of the major problem for big retailers. For the small retail store, shoplifting takes on a different meaning. For those stores, shoplifting threatens their livelihood and the prosperity of their community.

Shoplifting Prevention seminars are not only beneficial for the management personnel of big retail stores, but play an important aspect for the small mom and pop stores across the country. Knowledgable employees, management, and owners can greatly reduce the shoplifting incidents by being proactive and taking preventable measures to combat shoplifting in their stores.

Some of these preventive measures are:

1. CCTV cameras that are clearly monitored by trained personnel is an asset for every store. Positioning cameras with clear view of the aisles can deter the would be shoplifter from attempting to steal merchandise. Spacious and well lit aisles can help prevent the theft, or at least make the theft more difficult to achieve.

2. Parking lots, and spaces around your store should be well lit. Thieves like to inspect the place they are robbing. Providing a well lit store can deter the shoplifter from even entering the place.

3. Do not engage in any physical confrontation with them. The shoplifting issue can escalate and become one of life and death situation. Remember that safety should be your first concern when dealing with shoplifting suspects.

4. Customer service has been known to deter shoplifting incidents in a store. If your customer service is subpar, invest in the training of your personnel.

5. Facial recognition software can help you identify known shoplifters that are in a store’s database.

Preventing shoplifting incidents in your store is a difficult job that trained personnel should be specifically trained to deal with, and should be dealt with care. There are many shoplifting incidents where there are lives lost because non-trained personnel felt they could take care of it themselves. Lives lost, jail time,and lawsuits are some of the tricky issues stores around the country are dealing with year after year.

Training your loss prevention personnel is an investment the store, and you as an owner would benefit from having.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha Security, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, CCTV cameras, CCTV equipment, Customer service and shoplifting, Employee Theft, Facial recognition software, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, mobile POS loss prevention, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, retail security and monitoring

The Habit of Shoplifting

May 2, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The National Association for Shoplifting Prevention studies have shown that there is not a profile for a typical shoplifter. Women and men shoplift as frequently, and the majority of the shoplifting is done by adults. And although, shoplifting has been shown to start early in a person’s teenage years, as teenagers become adults, the tendency to shoplift stays with them. Drugs, poverty, and mental illness have been factors for people who shoplift. In other cases, the reasons are still unclear. People from all walks of life shoplift.

Studies in the United Kingdom have shown that people who shoplift will do so again within the year. That is the case in most developed countries. Shoplifting can be a way of life for many of these people, and if retail stores across the globe do not find measures to mitigate the damage these shoplifters do, the profits these retail stores can count on at the end of their fiscal year diminish tremendously.

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

One in four criminals re-offend within a year

More than a quarter of offenders are re-convicted within a year, according to official statistics.

Figures from the Scottish Government show that in 2014-15, 28.2 per cent of the 43,634 people released from prison or given a non-custodial sentence such as a community payback order or fine had a further conviction within a year.

The overall re-conviction rate has fallen 0.3 per cent from 2013/14, continuing an 18-year downward trend.

But of those given a custodial sentence of six months or less, 57 per cent were re-convicted within a year and 39 per cent were back in prison 12 months later.

Offenders released from jail in 2014/15 had a higher re-conviction rate at 43.9 per cent than for any other type of sentence except drug treatment and testing orders.

Statisticians highlighted that offenders who receive short sentences typically commit “low level” crimes such as shoplifting, but often in higher volumes and are more likely to be re-convicted.

Sex offenders had the lowest re-conviction rate at 12.1 per cent, while people committing crimes of dishonesty such as theft or shoplifting had the highest out of the crime classifications at 42.5 per cent.

Justice Secretary Michael Matheson said the figures showed that community sentences, including community payback orders (CPOs) brought in to replace community service, were more effective at cutting re-offending than short jail terms.

Former State Rep. Hurley pleads guilty to three shoplifting incidents

ROGERSVILLE – Local businessman and former State Representative Bruce W. Hurley, 83, entered guilty pleas in Hawkins Co. Criminal Court on Friday, April 28, to three counts of theft of property valued at less than $500.

Court records indicate that Hurley, who pleaded guilty before Criminal Court Judge John F. Dugger, Jr., will serve no jail time as a result of his pleas of guilty to what amounts to three shoplifting charges.

Judge Dugger imposed a sentence of 11 months and 29 days, but ruled that all but 120 days of that sentence is to be served on probation. The remaining 120 days is to be served on community corrections (house arrest), court records indicate.

In addition to a $50 fine on each count, Hurley was ordered to pay $4.02 in restitution to Walmart, one of his two theft victims. The other theft victim was the Rogersville Food City supermarket. All three charges were brought against Hurley by the victims, according to a Rogersville Police Department spokesman.

Court records indicate that the thefts took place on Aug. 25, 2016; Sept. 29, 2016; and Nov. 16, 2016.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee shoplifting training, Employee Theft, Former State Representative shoplifting, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Training, National Association for Shoplifting Prevention, Prevent Shoplifting, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, Shoplifting prosecution, Shoplifting Sentencing, shoplifting statistics, Shoplifting Training Seminars, shoplifting violence, surveillance, Walmart shoplifting

Have Fun With Shoplifters, Yeah Really!

April 30, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Okay we know that shoplifters are one of the lowest forms of life. Stealing from people is not noble or right in any situation. I believe that shoplifters are a strong competitor for the oldest profession in the world. After all, I bet a cave man was able to steal a rock from another before prostitution even existed and politicians didn’t even exist yet. Even though some in Congress seem to have been around much too long.

So if we can’t get rid of them, we might as well have a little fun with them. In the process make them very frustrated and uncomfortable. All the while your staff is being entertained. This provides a great break to the normal retail grind for your folks, ultimately sends the shoplifter packing with an empty bag and the best part of all saves you money. And let’s not forget this sends a signal to the shoplifting community to go elsewhere and leave your store alone.

So what’s the secret????? Customer Service! Once you know how to spot a shoplifter customer service them to death, overtly and openly. If you don’t know how to spot shoplifters even before they steal, contact us, we can teach you how to do that.

You see the one thing that all shoplifters need is privacy or at least the perception of it. If you or your staff is customer servicing them, they can’t do the dirty deed and they get the message. Typically they simply go elsewhere and don’t bother you further.

Entertainment is great but try to avoid getting the popcorn and 64 ounce drink out and watching. That would just be rude.

CC Intro:

I bet you never thought that shoplifters could be a form of in-store entertainment did you? Why not! These bottom feeders are not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed so let’s drive them crazy and have some fun at the same time. That is what our Feature Article is all about this month. ENJOY!!!!

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, Background checks, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Workshop, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, racial profiling, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Credit Card Fraud, Bad Checks And Counterfeit Money: Tips To Combat All Three

April 30, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I live in a resort area so we get all types of fraud activity. Stolen credit cards, stolen and counterfeit checks and counterfeit cash, in addition to the day to day shoplifting and employee theft cases keep us busy. For L.P. departments in our area this can become overwhelming from an investigation standpoint. Employee training and awareness is crucial to effectively combat this activity, L.P. Managers can’t be in a store 7 days a week and even if we could be we can’t see everything. Store associates and managers are the first line of defense in preventing fraud at the point of sale. Here are some tips to identify and deter financial transaction fraud.

Let’s start with credit card fraud. I used to harp on cashiers to look for signatures on the back of cards and if a card wasn’t signed or had “See I.D.” written on it, they were expected to ask for ID. When proper ID was not produced a transaction was declined, no exceptions. With today’s technology, people swipe their cards or hold smartphones up to the card reader and the information is transferred to the Point of Sale (POS). Chip cards are also considered a more secure means of payment than the older self-swipe. With chip technology every transaction has a unique code attached to it, whereas the old mag stripe cards had unchanging data that could be replicated and transferred to another card (source creditcard.com). Because chip enabled cards still have mag stripes and not all companies have changed to chip reader technology, fraud is still an opportunity. To minimize risk, if a small transaction for a few dollars is followed by a large dollar transaction be cautious, there is a strong possibility a stolen card is being used. The small transaction acts as a test to be sure the card is going to work. Second, if you have chip readers, don’t bypass them. Ask for a different form of payment if necessary but let the system work for you. You are always free to ask for an ID to compare to the card, and turn down a sale if the customer doesn’t have one.

Check fraud is becoming less common. The advent of Apple Pay, Pay Pal, and pay apps for various companies, has resulted in fewer checks being written. Still, business checks are pretty common and a personal check is tendered from time to time. Check creation kits are easy to purchase and with a routing and account number it is a piece of cake to create a fraudulent check with any name, address or phone number you want on it. The good thieves will also have fake ID’s to match the information on the check. A few actions you can take to reduce the chance of check fraud in your store include, requiring a government issued ID for check transactions and recording the ID number on the check. If your POS system can electronically process a check let it. Don’t override the system if a check is declined. Look for high dollar checks being written in the later evening hours and on weekends when banks tend to be closed. The bad guys are counting on you not being able to verify account information.

Counterfeit money is a problem and with high quality printers available on today’s market it is easier for criminals to create currency that at first glance appears very convincing. Without going into specifics, counterfeiters have found ways to get paper that can pass muster with regular people like you and me, though trained bankers would notice the difference in quality. They spread their money around a town for a few days and then leave before authorities can start following a trail. The only thing I can suggest to combat these thieves is to watch for the small purchases, such as a pack of gum or soft drink being purchased with a $50 or $100 bill. The criminals are getting real money in change at the cost of no more than a couple of bucks. Along the same lines, watch for the $1 bills that have been altered by pasting higher denominations on two of the corners, usually $50’s and $100’s although sometimes $20’s are used. These bills will be mixed in with several other bills with the dollar corners concealed in the stack.

One last word of caution, if you use the words “In Training” on your name badges, stop! Criminals look for people they think are new and easier to con. Identifying your new people is an invitation for trouble. Financial transaction fraud can be expensive and cost you a lot of money. Properly training cashiers and monitoring transactions can help you deter the crime from happening in the first place.