Loss Prevention Seminar

Retail Burglary and Robbery – How To Train Employees To Prevent, React and Recove

September 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

As a Loss Prevention Manager for nearly 14 years, I was involved with training employees on robbery response. It is an unfortunate fact that store robberies do happen and it can be difficult to prevent them. We can do little to influence the choice of someone who wants to commit the crime other than to make a business an uninviting target. Public View monitors and signage indicating closed circuit television is in use can be deterrents to robbery; however a determined criminal may still choose to try to commit the crime. It is our responsibility to prepare employees on steps they can take to prevent a robbery and how to react and recover should a robbery take place.

https://ucr.fbi.gov/crime-in-the-u.s/2014/crime-in-the-u.s.-2014/offenses-known-to-law-enforcement/browse-by/national-data

It is important that employees are taught:

To make eye contact with and greet customers. Criminals don’t want undo attention.
If robbed, don’t panic. It is easier said than done but, panic makes it more difficult to comply with the robber’s demands and can make him/her more nervous.
Do whatever the robber demands. Give them what they want and get them out of the store.
During the event, pay attention to as many details as possible about the robber; what were they wearing? How tall are they? What color is their hair? Did they have an accent? Could you tell an approximate age of the subject?
If possible, watch the direction of travel when the robber leaves the store. Did they go to the right or left? Was there a vehicle waiting for them? NEVER try to follow the robber outside. Whatever you see should be done from inside the store.
Don’t touch ANYTHING once the robber leaves. This includes the cash register, the checkout counter, doors and anything else the robber may have touched.

There are also tips for managers and supervisors following a robbery:

Call 911 and report the robbery and provide any information they ask. Stay calm. The dispatcher will have specific questions to ask and needs clear responses.
If you have a supervisor or supervisors to assist, ask witnesses to stay to speak to the police and separate them from other people and each other. Information sharing tends to change a person’s perception of events. If possible, provide pens and paper and ask them to write down their recollection of events.
The building is now a crime scene and needs to be secure. If you have rope, chairs, wet floor signs, use them to block off areas where the robber was believed to have been. Locking doors is discouraged since customers may want to leave. You also don’t want to touch areas on the door where the suspect may have touched. Prop a door open, pushing it from the bottom of the door (an unlikely place for a suspect to touch) and use it for entry and exit. Have someone stay at the door to turn away new customers and ensure no one touches the doors. This person will also direct police to a manager when they arrive.
You can’t force people to stay, but you can ask them to stay to talk to police. If they are reluctant, ask if they will leave their name and contact information for police follow-up.
Be prepared and have a counseling service number in your emergency contacts. Employees and customers may experience trauma and need to talk to a professional who can help them recover from the event.
If you have video recording in your store, let the recorders run. Do not try to stop them or playback and review until the police ask for access to the recordings. Usually a Crime Scene Investigator will have the ability to retrieve the videos stored on a recorder or computer. If they need your assistance they will ask for it.

Recovery and getting back to “Business as Usual” is the final step. It is important to restore a sense of normalcy as soon as possible. Owners and managers must be sensitive to the needs of their employees. Everyone will have a different reaction to a traumatic situation. Be patient and allow for people to take some time off if necessary. There will be those employees who are ready to get back to work. For them it is their way of handling stress, so let them work. You may also have employees who were not working so they will not be affected in the same way as those who were present at the time. Rely on them to get the store back in business.

Have a robbery plan and review it regularly with employees. Being prepared will help you get through a crisis and back on your feet quickly.

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Retail Alarm System Tips and Tricks; Do’s And Dont’s

September 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retail alarms are necessary to ensure a store is protected against break-ins and even theft from within. I know from personal experience that they work. As a Loss Prevention Manager I once had to respond to a burglary alarm when two young men threw a cement block through the front doors of my store in the middle of the night. I also responded to a number of false alarms due to system errors and failures. As a Manager On Duty I know that it can be stressful wondering if you locked all the doors and set the alarm at the end of the night. With those situations in mind, I would like to provide some practical tips to help avoid excessive false alarms and worry about building security.

Schedule regular alarm tests for your store(s). Doing a walkthrough test once a month is good practice. This can be done by the store owner or management before the start of a business day or after close when customers and employees have left.
Have two people conduct the alarm test. They can walk the building together or one can stay near the alarm panel and monitor the alarm points or zones as they are activated.
Your alarm system should be monitored by an alarm company. Notify them when you are starting and ending your alarm test so they don’t request a false police response. At the end of the test ask for a copy of the test results. They should be able to provide a digital copy to you with a day or two.
Have at a minimum, an annual alarm inspection by a technician from the alarm company or one of their certified contractors. They can do a more detailed inspection of alarm sensors and contact points, making sure there is no excessive wear and tear or damage due to moving parts.
Have a current list of building alarm responders on file with your alarm company and the police department responsible for the jurisdiction where your store is located. Should a key holder/responder leave, make sure the list is updated. This goes for phone numbers as well. There is nothing more frustrating for a dispatcher than to call an out of service number or a call list that is no longer current.
Have employees conduct a final walk of the building at the end of the day when the doors are locked. Check restrooms and off-stage areas, including break rooms and janitor closets to make sure no one is “hiding out,” waiting for employees to leave so they can steal and run out through a fire exit.
Have at least two people close the store. They can look out for each other as they leave and verify doors are locked and alarms are set.

DON’T

Schedule alarm tests for the same date every month. Establishing patterns can tip off a potential robber of when the alarm system will be in “test” mode and not active for a police dispatch.
Allow someone to conduct an alarm test alone. For their safety it isn’t good practice to leave a person alone in a store or building. Remember, there is always safety in numbers.
Ignore an alarm zone issue. When setting the alarm at the end of the night, if an alarm zone fails to set, don’t automatically try to bypass it. You should have a zone description list that identifies where the alarm points are located. Check the point, making sure that door is secure. If you cannot identify the problem for the night, contact your alarm company, describe the issue and arrange for a technician to come out the next day. They can help you shunt the one zone while still alarming the rest of the building. Call your local police department and ask for a police check once or twice that night. Let them know you are having an issue with your alarm system. Most departments are willing to send a patrol by at least once to check your store.
Finally, don’t automatically respond to a phone call that your alarm is going off. Ask for a call back number and the caller’s name. You should have the alarm company phone number available, call them and verify the alarm activation and the name of the person who called you. If you are responding to an alarm, call the police and ask if someone can meet you at the building. Stay in your vehicle until an officer arrives, then enter together. NEVER enter the building by yourself when responding to an alarm.

Following these retail alarm system tips you will be able to sleep easy at night knowing you are protecting your business AND your employees.

Employee Theft is NEVER Funny, Or Is It? That May Depend On Your Perspective

September 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

What can make life miserable for a Human Resources or Hiring Manager? In the right circumstances, a Loss Prevention Manager can be the cause of much consternation for a Human Resources Manager. When more than one employee is being apprehended or fired for theft at the same time it requires shifting schedules, moving people around and hiring new people to take the place of the employees being removed. What makes it even more difficult for a retail H.R. Manager is if the employees work in a specialized job function. I confess (with a smile on my face as I write this) that I was responsible more than once for putting a Human Resource Manager in this predicament during my Loss Prevention Manager career. Don’t misunderstand, I was not taking pleasure in the misery of the Human Resource Manager or the Department Manager, for that matter; I was enjoying closing an investigation that netted around five employees in total, three who worked in the one area.

So what was this particular case and why was it funny to me? The case started out as a cash shortage investigation in our food service area. We had multiple departments in our store but the food services employees tended to be more specialized in their duties. Unlike other departments, there were not always employees in the store who could provide what we called back-ups to assist in food/drink preparations. For example, when the front lanes got busy, a call for back-up cashiers would result in employees from all areas of the store responding since everyone was trained as a cashier. The same thing could not be said for our food service area. We simply did not have the same number of trained people who could respond.

As I began developing my case, I conducted live camera surveillances of our food service area. Now a good investigator remains open to the possibility that there is always the chance that one “type” of case can lead to other activity and he/she is prepared to expand an investigation if necessary. Rushing to close a case simply to get a quick statistics is poor investigative technique, but I have seen it happen. It didn’t take long to identify the person I suspected was causing the cash losses, but I also found there was a second person causing shortages. That led me to conduct additional surveillances and watching all transactions that took place. Soon I was noticing drinks and food were being given at reduced prices or for free to other employees and even some customers. The passing of food and under-ringing became so routine it was comical to watch. There were customers I identified as “regulars” coming to the counter to get special deals that weren’t on the menu.

Eventually I identified three food service employees and two or three other store employees regularly getting free meals, in addition to the primary cash theft that instigated the investigation. There were several more employees who received a free drink or two but not on a regular basis. With the prior approval of my District Manager, I involved the Human Resource Manager since it was going to make a significant dent in her ability to staff food services for a little while. Needless to say, she was taken back by the amount of theft and fraud that had been taking place. She was absolutely shocked when it dawned on her that she was about to lose almost a third of her food service staff. To ease her pain a bit I let her know I was not going to go after the employees who received one or two free drinks. With her assistance, we would issue written warnings to those employees.

Because we had a good relationship, our H.R. Manager worked with me to schedule the employees at staggered times during the day so I could conduct individual interviews without one person having time to alert anyone else to what was happening. The day came when I conducted all interviews and a couple of people were prosecuted for cash theft and three or four were terminated for theft of food and policy violations. A couple of employees received final warnings for policy violations but were allowed to continue their employment with the company.

Coverage for the food service area was difficult for a few weeks, but we made it happen. I also had to chuckle because some of our “regular” customers stopped coming for food. A final word of advice to those in LP and management; build strong partnerships with each other, it is mutually beneficial for you and the store.

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Tips To Stop Shoplifting In Your Store

August 23, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Some of the advice security and loss prevention personnel give to retailers and small businesses is that greeting a customer and asking if they need help, are some of the easiest and cheapest methods to prevent shoplifting in their stores. Having a clean, well lit store is helpful and can help employees keep track of customers entering and leaving the premises. If your store is dealing with shoplifting cases in a regular basis, invest in having security cameras installed, anti-theft tags on the merchandise, or anti-theft devices at the entrances. Preventing shoplifting is a necessity that most retailers have to take seriously, and take adequate measures to mitigate their loses.

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

Juneau police give retailers tips on stopping shoplifters

“Greet your customer.”

That’s the most important piece of advice Juneau police Officer Ken Colon wanted his audience to remember at the end of his presentation on Friday. He was meeting with nearly 20 people in the backroom of Alaskan Dames, a consignment shop in the Mendenhall Valley.

“Shoplifters, they do not like being greeted. It hinders their ability, it takes away the opportunity and it reduces the desire to commit the crime,” Colon said.

Juneau police have reported burglary and theft rates significantly higher last year than in previous years, and they’re stepping up efforts to help residents discourage thieves before a crime is committed.

Colon has been on the Juneau police force for almost 11 years. He’s experienced the increase in property crime firsthand. He said when he responds to a theft, he looks for holes in the victim’s security so he can explain ways they can prevent the same thing from happening again. Now he’s taking the next step.

Theft is erasing some of self-checkout’s benefits

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A study of self-checkout kiosks in Belgium, the Netherlands, the UK, and the US found that self-service checkout technology likely increases shoplifting, according to The New York Times.

The study, which was conducted by the University of Leicester, audited one million shopping trips between December 2013 and February 2015 in detail, and found that out of 6 million items, 850,000 were not scanned. That represents a loss of 4% of total purchase value.

Some of self-checkout’s benefits could be reversed because of the increase in petty theft they might cause.

Retailers may turn to self-checkout because they want to save labor costs and boost sales. By substituting self-checkout for regular checkout lanes, stores hope to limit staff they need working and save on personnel expenses, though this isn’t always the case. These kiosks can also allow for easier implementation of loyalty programs and give stores access to consumer data. These devices can also increase average ticket size — at Cinemark movie theaters, self-checkout helped drive 32 consecutive quarters of increases in per-person concession orders, according to Kiosk Marketplace. That might be because without direct human interaction, consumers are more likely to purchase items that are hard to pronounce or that they’re embarrassed about, according to data from Kiosk Marketplace and the Harvard Business Review.

Springfield Police, Wal-Mart Cooperate In Attempt To Reduce Theft At Stores

SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – Police departments across the country are getting a little annoyed about how often they have to respond to calls at Wal-Mart.

According to an analysis by Bloomberg, a violent crime has taken place on a Wal-Mart property in the U.S. almost every day this year.

In 2013, Springfield Police responded to more than 900 shoplifting incidents at the city’s supercenters.

That accounted for about two-thirds of all shoplifting calls that year, and prompted police to ask the world’s largest retailer to take action.

After taking a closer look at where property crime occurs in Springfield, Major Kirk Manlove decided police needed a rollback on time spent at Wal-Mart.

“We’ve recognized since 2013 that the 5 Wal-Mart Supercenters were taking an enormous toll on police services,” Manlove said.

In 2013, Manlove sat down with corporate reps and asked them to do more to either prevent shoplifting, or catch thieves on their way out the door.

For about a year, he did not get the response he was looking for.

“It’s a huge corporation, no secret there and so to get decisions made down at the asset protection level is probably difficult, and budget driven,” Manlove said.

Manlove now meets with Wal-Mart quarterly, and feels the company is trying to address the concerns of local law enforcement.

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Stopping Shoplifting In Your Store

August 17, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Retailers around the world lose billions a dollars every year due to shoplifting and employee theft. And while the big retail chains can financially deal with the problem, there are many small businesses that cannot afford it, nor can they fight it for long.

The laws concerning shoplifting vary by state, and therefore you have to be aware of the steps you need to do while apprehending a shoplifter or an employee caught stealing. Prevention and safety should be some of the most important steps when dealing with shoplifting in your business.

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

To stop a thief: Shoplifting is a daily battle for retailers

On any given day, more than $35 million worth of merchandise is stolen from retail stores across the country by shoplifters – amateurs and professionals alike – who steal clothing, jewelry, electronics and a host of other items, including food.

Some sneak quickly and quietly with the merchandise, others make bold getaway attempts.

In Tupelo, the retail and financial hub of Northeast Mississippi, the Tupelo Police Department gets hundreds of reports each year.

In 2014, TPD took 483 reports related to shoplifting, according to TPD Public Information Officer Chuck McDougald. Last year, that number fell to 260. So far this year, the department has taken 162 calls.

“Higher shopping volume days correspond to more shoplifting calls,” he said. “Those include weekends and holidays.”

As for the timing of when shoplifters are busiest, apparently they’re not early risers.

Low Prices, High Crime: Inside Walmart’s Plan to Crack Down on Shoplifting

The nation’s largest retailer is taking justice into its own hands.

The Walmart Supercenter in Camden, S.C., is a 24/7 retail oasis in an area with few options. There are Walmarts in nearby counties, but some of them aren’t open 24 hours a day. Camden’s location—close to Lake Watertree and a nearby river with few bridges—makes it difficult for residents to go anywhere other than the sprawling complex for everything from bread to tires to electronics. And it’s a place the Camden Police Department knows well. In the first six months of 2016, 14% of the department’s police reports originated at Walmart, most for shoplifting—a figure that could be much higher if you ask the town’s police chief.

“Sometimes they don’t call us,” says Camden Police Chief Joe Floyd. “They call us when they make an apprehension of a shoplifter. But they don’t call us every time something happens there.”

Police Officer Found Guilty Of Manslaughter In Shooting Of Unarmed Black Man

Stephen Rankin becomes one of the rare officers convicted of murder or manslaughter for on-duty conduct.

A white Virginia police officer was convicted of voluntary manslaughter Thursday in the fatal shooting of an unarmed black 18-year-old accused of shoplifting.

A circuit court jury found former Portsmouth police officer Stephen Rankin guilty for the killing of William Chapman in April of last year. It was the second time Rankin had killed an unarmed man while on duty. He now faces up to 10 years in prison, although the jury recommended just 2 1/2 years.

Earlier on Thursday, lawyers for Rankin had unsuccessfully urged the judge to declare a mistrial, citing video evidence showing a friend of Chapman’s family speaking to a juror. Rankin’s defense described this as a deliberate attempt to influence the outcome of the trial ― a charge that the friend denied.

Rankin, who was fired while he awaited trial, had originally been charged with first-degree murder and using a firearm to commit a felony.

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Could Good Training Help Prevent Deaths In The Retail Industry?

August 4, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It is not rare when the news report another death from a shoplifting incident. Organized crime is a global and national problem affecting millions of people, and the retail industry loses billions of dollars every year due to shoplifting. LP personnel deal with highly strenuous situations every single day they try to apprehend shoplifters, and their safety is not always guaranteed. What are you doing as a retailer to ensure the safety of your employees? Are you doing enough? Is their training subpar, or are you enlisting the best possible training for them to do their job?

To read more, click on the links below.

Employees charged with fatally crushing shoplifting suspect

It was the middle of the night on Feb. 7, at a Florida Walmart Supercenter, when Kenneth E. Wisham, 64, allegedly decided to steal $380.74 worth of DVDs.

Pushing a shopping cart stacked high with them, Wisham tried to leave the store without employees noticing, but when they did — and then confronted him — the man ran, police said, tugging at his falling pants along the way.

At some time Wisham fell, the initial police report said, and three Walmart employees detained him.

Twelve hours later, Wisham was dead.

Reports from police at the time hinted at a medical mystery that had overtaken the 64-year-old man, who stopped breathing while he was being detained. Wisham never regained consciousness, despite lifesaving efforts at Walmart and the hospital, and died later that afternoon.

Two days later, the Polk County Medical Examiner’s Office performed an autopsy.

The cause of death, officials determined, was mechanical asphyxia by restraint, meaning his airwaves were suppressed during a struggle. Wisham also had 15 broken ribs.

INVESTIGATION: Female shoplifting on the rise at some Cleveland-area malls

A string of shoplifting incidents at several local malls have one thing in common — predominantly female suspects.

Strongsville police tell newsnet5.com that women have made up the majority of shoplifting arrests at the South Park Mall for several years. But the number of female arrests is on the rise.

In 2014, 66 percent of shoplifting arrests were female suspects. In 2015, 68 percent of shoplifting arrests were women. And so far this year, 71 percent all shoplifting arrests have been female suspects.

Beachwood had nine reports of shoplifting involving female suspects at Beachwood Place over the last two weeks, according to police reports.

A $5200 Chanel purse was stolen from Saks Fifth Avenue, along with clothing from H&M, jewelry from Claire’s and six different incidents at Sephora, racking up several hundred dollars worth of pocketed cosmetics.

GPS anti-theft device leads deputies to Saks shoplifting suspects

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL (WFLA) – Three woman suspected in a retail theft at the Tampa Premium Outlet Mall are in custody, each facing multiple theft charges.

Pasco County Sheriff’s Office deputies arrested Toccara Huff, Ayanna Palacio and Sharhonda Pedroso Tuesday. Deputies said the women entered Saks Fifth Avenue and ran out with $1,539.78 worth of merchandise. Investigators caught up with the woman 15 minutes later, about 8 miles away.

The arrest was recorded on a deputy’s body camera.

“You’re going to be going to jail for felony retail theft, OK, because the clothes you stole from the store had a GPS tracker on them,” the deputy says.

“I ain’t did nothing,” one of the suspects said.

Deputies used an anti-theft tracking device that was attached to merchandise from Saks Fifth Avenue.

“It was a complete surprise to them,” Sgt. Richard Jones said.

Deputies said this is the first time they’ve caught suspects using a GPS tracker. “Obviously criminals will be more creative in committing crimes, so obviously, law enforcement, loss prevention have to be just as creative in catching those criminals,” Jones said.

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Sometimes We Simply Do Not See The Obvious

August 3, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Sometimes we simply do not see the obvious even when it is right in front of us. For many years we have worked really hard to hide or disguise Checkpoint Labels. The thought being that the shoplifter will not be able to locate and possibly defeat the label.

But new studies show that although that is still a great strategy, you should also look at the opposite. Putting a clearly identified label in plain sight with a warning on it.

Here is a good example using one of the newer clear, Checkpoint Systems stock labels. The trademarked “lock” and wording has been tested extensively.

Rather than bore you with all the details of the study, I will simply tell you that it works and works well. Visible tagging can increase sales and reduce loss. The last study found:

As many of you know I, Bill Bregar have been in the loss prevention field most of my career. So now putting that hat on let’s look at this from another view. We know that shoplifters are broken into three distinct groups; Impulse, Amateur and Professional.

The bulk of shoplifters you encounter are Impulse. I teach this in my shoplifting classes, which by the way I conduct live, in person or by webinar and are FREE of charge to Loss Prevention Systems customers. I always explain that Impulse shoplifters are easily deterred with employee contact. In other words if you greet the Impulse shoplifter with eye contact, a simple hello and “can I help you”, many studies show that the Impulse shoplifter will most likely NOT shoplift during that visit.

Well if we now apply the thought of a Checkpoint Systems visual deterrence label it makes sense. Given the same circumstances where the Impulse shoplifter has not been greeted but is faced with a visual deterrence label it casts enough doubt into their minds that they do not steal.

Well if that is the case then why doesn’t a sign like this work?

Besides being funny to us I have learned that signs do very little. Probably because of sign “pollution”. They either don’t see it or it is really not a threat. But a specific label on the merchandise they are considering stealing, casts doubt. They do not know what other element may be protecting that merchandise.

Something to consider! If you would like some samples of these labels just reach out to us. We will get them in the mail to you at no charge.

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PROSECUTING A SHOPLIFTER – 101

August 2, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

How do I approach a shoplifting incident? This question is asked of me almost on a daily basis by store managers and owners. We always give advice and best practices on how to deter a shoplifter by using EAS devices, but what should you actually do if you are faced with a shoplifting incident that you personally witness? When should you call the police? When can you legally detain someone? While not every situation is the same, there are some basic best practices to follow. Here’s what I train my managers and can be a great starting point for you.

Establishing probable cause

Before you detain anyone for theft, you have to establish probable cause to do so. The best way to do that is to follow the LP industry’s “5 steps” to an apprehension. By following these steps, you always ensure that a detention is within the legal limits, which protects you and your store from any potential civil liability. Those steps are:

SELECTION

You need to witness the suspect select something from your display shelf/rack or peg. This lets you know that the product is yours, and that the customer did not come into the store.

DISPLAY INTENT

Displaying intent to commit a crime is a pretty big umbrella. A customer can display intent to permanently deprive you of merchandise is dozens of ways. Some of the most common are removing the item from its packaging, concealing it on their person, altering the pricing indicator, or even consuming the merchandise.

MAINTAIN POSSESSION

The most common way a shoplifter will display intent is to conceal the item on their person, or maybe in a shopping bag or purse. It’s vital that they maintain possession of your product at the point in which you detain them. You can get yourself into some legal trouble if you detain someone that doesn’t possess any stolen property, so it’s imperative that you keep constant, unbroken observation on the suspect.

FAILED TO PAY

This one is obvious. They have to not pay for the item. Pretty straightforward and simple.

EXIT THE STORE

Once you witness that shoplifter select your property, conceal it in their pants and then walk all the way up front, past the registers and out the door, you have now established probable cause to detain that individual.

There are obviously various scenarios that can throw a monkey wrench in the gears, so it’s also very important for retailers to know and understand your state laws regarding shoplifting. These can usually be very easily found by going to your Secretary of State’s website and searching for the statutes governing theft. Even though I’m well versed in my state’s laws and have been doing this job for a very long time, I still keep printed copies of the law in my bag that I carry at all times. I also encourage you to reach out to your local law enforcement agency for help. Most departments have a retail liaison or similar position that can help you to understand exactly when a crime is considered to have been committed and what they expect from you as the retailer when responding to calls at your store.

Lastly, I implore everyone to always prosecute to the fullest extent of the law. Don’t give one person a pass. Show that your store will not be a soft target and that you are committed to keeping prices low for your customers. By prosecuting each shoplifter, you’re also committing to keeping your store safe for your customers and your employees. There’s a theory in law enforcement called “broken windows”. It goes something like this:

You walk past a house or building with a few broken windows. The windows go unrepaired and that leads to other window breaking. Before long, the building is covered in graffiti and squatters may take up residence. Drug use inside proliferates and it attracts others with ill-intent. Fires could be set inside. This “moth to flame” action starts trickling down to other buildings and houses in the neighborhood and soon the area is a criminal hot bed.

While this is only a theory and is a matter of great debate in the world of criminology, it should get you thinking. If shoplifters know they can get away with stealing from you, they’ll come back. Eventually, they will get brazen enough to physically assault a store clerk that may intervene. If you’re not prosecuting these individuals, word gets out that your store is an easy mark. You may eventually get robbed and ultimately shut your doors because your customers refuse to shop at a store they feel is unsafe. You can stop this snowball effect by taking pro-active measures to prevent those from shoplifting as well as taking the necessary action to hold those accountable to the law that do take from your store.

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HOW SOCIAL MEDIA CAN HELP BUILD SUBSTANTIAL SHOPLIFTING CASES

August 2, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Facebook and other social media sites can be a proverbial gold-mine of information; especially if you are dealing with a rather stupid criminal. In my job, I see and interview dozens and dozens of “professional” shoplifters every month. My job is to get as much Intel as possible from them and make bigger cases. Often, that means working very closely with local and state law enforcement officials and even other retailers. No other time have I had such a prolific criminal than with “Jane”.

I first met Jane at my home store (I am responsible for 30). My agent apprehended Jane and several of her cohorts after they attempted leaving the store with several hundred dollars’ worth of clothing concealed on them. After they left for jail, I started my research. Facebook has become my first stop. 10 seconds later I find her page. Completely open to the public. First thing I see is this:

It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure this one out. As a seasoned investigator, Just looking at this told me it was stolen. Based on some other photos, I knew this came from one of my stores. Since Jane was nice enough to keep her profile public and include a time, date and location stamp on those pictures, I started my research. Within an hour, I found corresponding CCTV footage of her entering another one of my store locations. Sure as heck, I had video of her stealing everything in this picture. I started scrolling from there. I found that she was also returning stolen goods for gift cards. She posted some shots of a few from my stores. In the comment section (which generates a lot of activity) she was kind enough to take a photo of the rear of the card. I suspended the funds ☺

With all this great information, I decided to compile it all and share it with law enforcement and my LP contacts throughout the state. I was able to make some significant cases on this very prolific shoplifter from some simple research on a social media page. In fact, the evidence was enough to cut several warrants for her arrest, which caught up to her relatively quick in a place, far, far from her home. ☺

To me, what’s even more ridiculous is reading the comments on her “items”. It would seem as though everyone on her “friends list” is well aware of how she is obtaining the merchandise and are even encouraging the actions. These are the types of people that hurt big box retailers and that can put small shops out of business. These are the shoplifters we need to focus on and the ones that the criminal justice system need to come down hard on. The only thing that will stop Jane from stealing is being behind bars. This is her full time job.

Jane is not alone. Across the country and in every city, there are shoplifters that are targeting your stores that do this for a living. They steal full time instead of getting a job. As Loss Prevention professionals, these are the cases that deserve prosecution to the fullest extent allowed by law.

So the next time you’re dealing with a shoplifter, take the extra step and see what you can’t uncover from their online footprint. You may be surprised at what you find!

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LP Personnel And Safety

July 28, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The billions of dollars the retail industry loses every year due to shoplifting and employee theft have not decreased, but rather will likely continue to increase every year. Deaths due to shoplifting are not rare anymore. News about managers and employees getting shot while trying to stop a shoplifter is commonplace now. Training your LP staff to follow strict regulations when approaching a shoplifter should be a top priority for your business.

Read more about this topic by following the links below.

To stop a thief: Shoplifting is a daily battle for retailers

Some sneak quickly and quietly with the merchandise, others make bold getaway attempts.

In Tupelo, the retail and financial hub of Northeast Mississippi, the Tupelo Police Department gets hundreds of reports each year.

“Higher shopping volume days correspond to more shoplifting calls,” he said. “Those include weekends and holidays.”

As for the timing of when shoplifters are busiest, apparently they’re not early risers.

RETAIL INVENTORY SHRINKAGE INCREASED TO $45.2 BILLION IN 2015

The 2016 National Retail Security Survey, conducted in collaboration by the National Retail Federation and the University of Florida, reveals that retailers’ inventory shrink averaged 1.38 percent of retail sales, or $45.2 billion in 2015, up by $1.2 billion from 2014.

According to the report, 47 percent of retailers surveyed reported increases in overall inventory shrink in 2015, with shoplifting accounting for the greatest cause with an average loss of $377 per incident (39 percent), up nearly $60 from 2014.

Robberies continue to be a growing expense for retailers, costing an average of $8,180.17, up from $2,465. The rise in robberies in 2015 was driven by an increase in jewelry stores reporting extremely high average losses.

“With a constantly evolving retail landscape, loss prevention becomes more complex every day,” said NRF Vice President of Loss Prevention Bob Moraca. “LP professionals have been working diligently to find advancements in technology aimed at deterring crime in our industry, sometimes even before it happens – but as our techniques get more sophisticated, so too do the criminals.”

Shoplifting: Retail’s $45 Billion Problem

Retailers are struggling to keep tabs on shoplifters who are increasingly becoming their top source of loss, averaging $377 per incidence, up $60 from the year before.

At 39 percent, shoplifting was found to be the biggest contributor among factors that led to overall inventory shrinkage in 2015 causing a $45.2 billion loss across the United States, according to NRF’s 2016 National Retail Security survey. The new numbers reflect a $1.2 billion increase in losses from 2014.

The inventory shrink averaged 1.38 percent of retail sales and saw 47 percent of retailers reporting losses in 2015.

Another factor adding to inventory shrinkage was a rise in robberies that exclusively targeted jewelry stores. The average loss reported by robbed stores increased from $2,465 per incidence in 2014 to $8,180.17 last year.

“Loss prevention professionals continue to do an exceptional job at locating the issues and finding solutions to prevent additional loss in their retail stores,” said Dr. Richard Hollinger, University of Florida criminology professor and lead author of the NRSS. “It is important for retailers to continue building relationships with law enforcement and leverage new technologies that can further provide protection to their assets, customers and employees.”

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