Loss Prevention Training

Taking The Offense To Shoplifting

February 28, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Some shoplifters are violent. I follow these incidents and they seem to be becoming more frequent. The reasons why are many and there is plenty of blame to go around: State and local governments, courts and lax Judges, parents and even retailers themselves. Much of that is out of our control. We must keep violent and non-violent shoplifters from even entering our stores.

What is under our control is how we, the retailer, approach the shoplifting problem? First, you cannot be on the defense. We cannot play the defensive strategy any longer. You must go on the offense! Defense is putting up a sign like “no shoplifting” or some other weak response in place and hoping for the best. This includes a camera system. I cannot even count the number of retailers that have asked me why they still have a shoplifting problem when they invested in CCTV. CCTV is a passive system; it does nothing pro-active. CCTV is great for after the fact but even the dumbest shoplifter knows you do not have the staff to be watching all the time.

An EAS system like a Checkpoint System is a PROACTIVE system. It is working 24/7. It does not take breaks, vacations or let its mind wander or get distracted. A Checkpoint System protects your retail good at all times. The shoplifters know this and for the most part will be deterred by a Checkpoint System when they look in your doorway.

If we deter shoplifters by going on the offense as they walk in, then we also reduce the chances for a violent encounter. Contact us today for information on your Checkpoint System and let’s go on the offense together.

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TAKE AN OFFENSIVE APPROACH TO EMPLOYEE THEFT

February 28, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I’ve been doing employee theft investigations for years now. Sometimes, they’re a blast. Often, they frustrate me. Not because the person is a thief, but because the loss could be so avoidable if managers would take the time and play offense. Sure, we can run reports and watch video, but all that’s doing is keeping us on the D-Line. You have to play hard and not be afraid to call an audible when needed.

Kick things off in the interview

Are you a good interviewer, or do you just think you are? I’ve sat around and listened to dozens of managers interview potential candidates. Some stick to the HR script, others go off on their own tangents, others talk non-stop for 20 minutes and rarer, are the mangers that take time to get to know their candidate. Just because someone can show up for an interview doesn’t mean they should get the job.

When asking questions, do so in a way that allows you to understand the candidates work ethic. Don’t ask if they enjoy hard work (most will say YES)! But instead ask for examples in their life where they had to work hard at a job or task. Instead of asking if they think it’s wrong for an employee to steal, ask instead at what point do they feel it’s the job’s fault that an employee steals. Bottom line, get the candidate talking. If you’re doing more than listening, take a step back and ask if you really know the candidate before offering a job.

Return with a background check

Trust, but verify. In today’s world, there really is no excuse to hire a criminal. A background check is simple, easy and provide a host of information that lets you make a more informed hiring decision. People lie. Get over and stay ahead of it.

First down with a strong training program

A good employee has to have a strong foundation. Training an employee shows that you are willing to invest into that person. That goes a long way for most people. If someone took the time to invest time, company resources and money into you, chances are, it becomes morally harder for you to steal from that person. Just look at the opposite. Say you hire a new person for your stock team. The only time they have manager engagement is during the interview and they are thrown to the wolves to learn the job on their own. They won’t care about the job and more importantly, they won’t care about you. That emotional tie is severed and an unhappy employee is more likely to steal from you.

Second down with a culture of integrity

Rules and policies are in place for a specific reason. We simply cannot live and work without structure. It’s important to always address policy violations from all of your team members. Don’t let the little things slip; they can easily snowball out of control. For example, let’s imagine Manager Dave is talking near the front lanes with Little Wendy. Little Wendy grabs a cold drink from the cooler and fails to pay. Little Wendy knows that Manager Dave saw her do this, but Manager Dave doesn’t “sweat the small stuff.” Next week, Little Wendy steals a shirt; she got away with drink, right? Week after that, she steals a designer hand bag. Before you know it, Little Wendy is robbing you blind.

Be open with your team about your expectations. Every employee should know that above all else, honesty and integrity is rewarded. Transversely, failing to meet those standards guarantees the quickest ticket to the unemployment line.

Third down with basic control policies

Implement some very basic controls to prevent employee theft. This is as simple as requiring all employees to check out at one designated register. It could also mean that no personal items/belongings such as purses, jackets, backpacks or lunch kits be kept on the sales floor/office areas and that they must be kept in the break room area. It could also be implementing a package check of all employees prior to the end of their shift. For cashiers, you could have policies that limit the dollar amount of return transactions before needing a 2^nd level approval. Think of the ways an employee can steal from you and then implement a control to stay one step ahead.

Touchdown with weeding our poor performers

Even the best interviews end up sideways. I can recall at least two from my past. One young man in particular still stands out, even 10 years later. He was the most enthusiastic and well-spoken person I had interviewed in my career at that point. He was going to be a shining star, I just knew it. 3 weeks into the job and I realized he was a complete flake. Attendance was horrible, performance was below standards, couldn’t multi-task. Disregarded the uniform policy; you name it, he did it. At first, I let it slide due to his sales ability and how attentive he was with customers. That, I learned, hurt the morale of the rest of the team. When you have someone that’s not meeting your expectations, cut them. It’s very easy for a person who can’t follow policies to quickly slip into stealing. I’ve seen it happen time and time again.

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Technology And Shoplifting

February 28, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Shoplifting affects everyone. As shoplifting and employee theft seem to be an unstoppable problem for the retail industry, researchers try to find different methods to prevent and combat shoplifting. Law makers across the country try to pass laws to deter shoplifters by imposing harsher sentences. Technology has for many years now helped loss prevention personnel catch shoplifters, and prevent bigger loses for stores. But as technology has improved, shoplifters ways have changed to account for the technology being used to catch them. As the technology evolves, so does the shoplifter. Are you keeping abreast of the problem? Keep reading by clicking the links below.

Why hasn’t security technology put an end to shoplifting?

As the UK crime rate falls, there is one crime that is on the rise. Recent figures show that shoplifting has consistently grown by an annual 6% against a wider backdrop of reduced crime. This statistic is surprising considering the vast amount of time, money and effort that goes into developing anti-shoplifting technology. So why isn’t it working?

How does anti-shoplifting technology work?

The vast majority of retail stores are equipped with several high tech security measures. CCTV cameras are the most common. According to the College of Policing, CCTV is more effective as a method of gaining evidence to catch and convict a criminal than as a deterrent.

Many security camera providers provide monitoring services to ensure footage is captured and analysed as efficiently as possible. However, surveillance systems require careful planning; Banham Group, security experts with more than 90 years’ industry experience, advise that CCTV installation must include guidance, particularly on data protection laws and system legalities.

Through the Eyes of a Shoplifter

In the June 1968 issue of the magazine, then-managing editor John J. Sullivan tried his hand at shoplifting from a few independent stores, just to see how easy it was to get merchandise past the sales register.

He didn’t have much trouble. With prior permission from the owners, he hit six stores in and around one city in one weekend, for a total of almost $250 worth of merchandise in about an hour—more than $1,700 today. Then-editor Bob Vereen got in on the experiment too, taking nearly $25 worth of merchandise in about 10 minutes from one store.

The point wasn’t, of course, to steal product from hardworking, honest hardware retailers. It was to show how easy it was to do so.

For a quick checklist you can share with your employees to make sure everyone is working to improve store security, click here to download our Loss Prevention Checklist.

Not all businesses on board with new shoplifting proposal

QUINCY, Ill. (WGEM) –

A new proposal by the Illinois State Commission on Criminal Justice and Sentencing Reform has been met with multiple opponents.

Right now, any theft valuing over $300 will land you a felony charge in Illinois. An Illinois criminal justice reform group has asked lawmakers to raise that thievery threshold to $2,000, in an attempt to combat prison overcrowding.

Executive Director Amy Looten of the Quincy Chamber of Commerce said on Monday that there are many reasons to oppose it.

“For every product that walks out the door, they’re not paying sales tax on that.” Looten said. “So our local government, our state government is not getting that income from the sales tax.”

Quincy Menard’s Assistant General Manager Scott Warner added on Monday that shoplifting affects many more people than just the person stealing.

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Ask A Trusted Friend To Look At How You Conduct Inventory And Receiving Processes; You Could Improve Profitability

January 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It is human nature, we have a way we do things, we get comfortable and someone comes along with a suggestion and we get defensive. We think to ourselves, “My way works, why change it?” When asked why we do something the way we do, we may resort to using the old, “Because we’ve always done it this way” excuse to answer an inquiry. On occasion we may not want to try something new because it involves new technology we may not be familiar with. I remember when (no laughing) Loss Prevention moved from recording on VHS tape recorders to digital recording. New technology does not come easy to me and I had to learn how to use it or get passed by. In the long run, it was a better method of storing video overall. We could search transactions more easily for suspected employee passing incidents or cash theft. We could narrow searching to specific times and we could create recording “zones”. Recording only activated when someone walked into the “zone” we were concerned with due to missing merchandise. Electronic Article Surveillance anti-theft devices became more prevalent with new and improved capabilities. Learning to trust the technology to prevent shoplifting and allow stores to take more merchandise out of lock-up cases and put them on store shelves for customer access was a difficult transition for an old school Loss Prevention Manager. In the long run these changes were for the better. We improved time management with digital recording and closed investigations faster. EAS freed up the time to unlock showcases and drove sales with increased customer access to merchandise.

The truth is, often there is a better way to do things either because it is more cost efficient, it can save time or it is more accurate. One way to determine if there are areas for improvement for your inventory and receiving processes is to ask a trusted friend to go through and review how your store operates. The friend does not have to be an expert in receiving best practices, per se, but they should be good at evaluating how something is done and being able to ask, “Why?” and saying, “What if?” A friend will also have your trust and be able to be brutally honest with you about deficiencies in how you are doing something. You have to be prepared to take critiques and suggestions and not personalize them.

What are some things you may seek to have evaluated in regard to receiving or inventory practices?

How frequently are vendors giving you credit on product that is not selling.
Some vendors such as cosmetic and jewelry vendors come in with laptop bags, purses boxes, etc. Do you inspect these for hidden merchandise before they leave your building?
Do you react to an EAS alarm for a vendor the same way you do for a shoplifter?
How much space in a stockroom is a vendor taking up with their products and can it be reduced?
How often is your store serviced by your vendors?
Have your product delivery evaluated? Is the store processing the merchandise and getting it to the floor in a timely and efficient manner?
Is product protected with EAS tags and anti-theft devices when it arrives to the store or after it is stocked on the sales floor?
How do you have your stockroom organized and how easy is it to locate merchandise to get it to the sales floor?
For inventory does your store count the merchandise and report it or do you bring in a professional inventory service?
How do you prep your store for inventory, especially your stockroom areas? Do you keep your stockroom inventory-ready all year or do you scramble to make it “countable”?
If you use a professional inventory service, do you still do a significant number of pre-counts or do you let the inventory company do what they are hired to do and can do better?

These are just a few suggestions that an evaluation of your procedures should include. The benefit to you may be that there are things that you can implement or change that will save payroll, increase productivity, improve efficiency and ultimately improve profitability.

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How Do You Handle Returns, Refunds, Voids: Is It Easy For Someone To Steal Money? Now Is A Good Time To Review Your Procedures.

January 31, 2017 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

If you were asked what area of your store would present the most opportunity for employee theft and fraud, what would you answer? The checkout lanes where cashiers have access to the register, the ability to pass merchandise, or steal gift cards and credit cards? At the register cashiers also have access to electronic article surveillance (EAS) detachment tools and deactivation pads. It is easy enough for them to “unprotect” merchandise and walk it out of the store undetected. Perhaps the sales floor, where employees can take merchandise and conceal it in the boxes of other merchandise then return and purchase it later (box stuffing)? On the sales floor they have the ability to conceal merchandise under clothing or wear clothing belonging to the store and walk out during a “break” without paying for it. Maybe the stockroom staff has the most opportunity to steal since they generally have little direct supervision and have plenty of hiding spaces to conceal empty packages if they take something not protected with EAS tags or devices. One area that could be overlooked and can be a source of a significant amount of undetected theft and fraud is the return desk.

What can happen at the return desk that makes it a vulnerable point for employee theft? Cash theft, merchandise theft, return fraud, gift card fraud or any combination of these can take place here. When a customer returns merchandise with a receipt is the cashier giving the original receipt back to the customer along with the new receipt? What do you do with items that have been returned? Is there a central location for keeping returns until they can be processed? Is there a procedure in place for getting returned merchandise protected with electronic article surveillance tags and anti-theft devices shortly after the return takes place? If you haven’t thought about the ramifications of not having adequate procedures in place, then this list will provide you with some reasons evaluate your processes and options for improving controls:

If a return is done, the item returned should be circled on the original receipt and the slip for the completed return attached and handed back to the customer. Return desk employees who keep receipts may be fraudulently refunding other items from the receipt that were not really returned. They then remove that amount of cash from the register and keep it.
Do you audit the merchandise at the return desk? You should be able to review each item and verify it was returned and when. You could find that a dishonest employee is stealing returned merchandise that was not damaged. If there is no auditing, there is little chance the employee will be caught engaging in theft.
If a piece of merchandise is returned and the same item is protected with an anti-theft device on the sales floor, is that merchandise being processed and secured right away? Failing to immediately secure merchandise with EAS protection could be an indicator an employee intends to steal it.
Is the service desk area neat, organized and set up so everything has a place? Or is the return area cluttered and unorganized with random merchandise laying all over the counters, in storage bins and on the floor? If so, there is greater opportunity for employees to hide merchandise they would like to steal. If there is no organization it becomes very difficult to determine what should be behind the desk and what shouldn’t be.
Do you monitor for excessive line voids from your cashiers, including the return desk associate? Employees who void multiple items during sales transactions may be passing merchandise to friends or family members.
Inspect boxed and packaged merchandise returns. Open the package to be sure the proper merchandise is inside. Some thieves will put in the wrong item to defraud the store. Also look at shrink wrapped merchandise being returned. There are criminals that will take the time to change out the merchandise in the box for a rock or item with a similar weight and then shrink wrap the package. It looks like it was not opened, but often a close inspection will reveal an edge or a corner that does not appear to be manufacturer issued…open it up!
Are return desk employees assigned their own register till? Multiple cashiers working on a register makes it difficult to identify the source of a cash shortage.

The return desk can be a tricky area to control and can be the location where shortage, theft and fraud can run rampant. Take the time to review your procedures and be sure you are doing all you can to deter criminal activity.

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Suggestions On How To Improve Inventory

December 29, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Each year retailers take inventory of their merchandise, counting what they have in the store, reconciling that information against sales receipts, vendor credits and receipts and markdowns. Usually the result is some amount of shortage or merchandise shrink due to merchandise that cannot be accounted for and losses due to certain markdowns and damaged products. I have in rare instances seen overages, but those are usually the result of offsets from prior year shortages often attributed to paperwork errors. The store objective each year should be to improve upon the prior year inventory result. Certainly the best case would be to have zero dollar shortages every year, but that is not a realistic expectation. I try to explain to employees that if one package of gum were to be stolen during the year, you have incurred shortage. There are steps a store owner or manager can take to work towards that yearly improvement and shoot for a zero dollar shrinkage year.

The first step to improve inventory is to look at merchandise protection strategies in the store. Are retail anti-theft devices being used to prevent shoplifting as well as employee and vendor theft? A theft prevention system includes having an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system installed. This would encompass EAS antennas at entry/exit points, EAS soft tags, labels and hard tags on as many pieces of merchandise as possible and deactivation pads and detachment tools at checkout lanes. By protecting merchandise with retail anti-theft devices, shoplifters and potential dishonest employees are deterred from trying to steal. EAS protected merchandise also activates alarms if a shopper forgets about an item on the bottom of the shopping cart that has not been paid for and a tag is not removed or deactivated. Remember, if merchandise hasn’t been paid for, regardless of the intention of the customer, it is shortage.

There are other things that a store can do to improve inventory results from one year to the next:

Consider offering incentives to employees who deter a theft through great customer service. Employees on the sales-floor are your first line of defense against shoplifting. If they are walking their areas offering assistance, they will walk upon a customer attempting to conceal merchandise, remove items from packaging or tamper with EAS tags. Offering assistance, remaining in the area and communicating with managers is an effective method of deterrence without accusing someone of stealing. An incentive for reporting this type of activity may be the purchase of a drink or putting the employee in for a weekly or monthly drawing for a $5 gift card. Be creative.
Education/Training – Make sure employees know what your inventory results are and how much was lost in the last inventory. I always made it a point to share that information and celebrate it when we had good results. Let your employees know that they make a difference. Employees also need to know how to properly respond to EAS alarms and recover merchandise without making accusations. When training is not continuous employees become complacent and begin to wave people out the door who set off an EAS alarm. Eventually that complacency turns to ignoring the alarms altogether and the system is rendered useless. Alarm activations also need to be recorded so managers can review for trends and ensure there are no malfunctions.
Make employee receipt checks and bag checks mandatory for EVERYONE. Managers should be the first to show their purchases to an employee for verification. When employees see that no one is exempt, they will not mind doing it themselves. Accountability helps prevent theft.
Have a program in place for marking merchandise that is purchased for store use. If you have to get a pack of pens from your sales-floor for office use, purchase it or account for it through a ledger and then keep the package and mark it with a date and write “store use” or put a sticker on it. It is easy for merchandise to start being used and not accounted for and it will accumulate in offices from the sales-floor. Account for EVERYTHING, even a paperclip if it is store use.
Small, independent stores may not have corporate markdowns sent to them. These stores need to evaluate their merchandise and if it isn’t selling, mark them down, but do it incrementally. Start at 10 or 15% and see if you can move it. You don’t want to lose profit margin.

Improving inventory is not an impossible task. Utilize EAS technology to deter and prevent theft. Educate and train employees and empower them with knowledge on shortage issues and how they impact it. Profit from reduced shrinkage!

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Preventing Shoplifting This Holiday Season; Inform Your Employees

December 20, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Many stores, public places, and government buildings display firearms law posters on the wall where everyone that enters their place will undoubtedly see it. Some retail stores display their shoplifting policy where customers can see it. But, many of these places though, fail to educate their employees as to their store policy when stopping a shoplifter. Who is responsible of making sure every single employee knows the policy of the store? When is this supposed to happen? At the time of hiring? For many retail stores, preventing shoplifting begins by educating their employees about the policies and procedures they need to follow when stopping a shoplifter.

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

Home Depot employees fired after following suspect

PALM COAST, Fla. (WOFL FOX 35) – Four former employees at a Home Depot in Florida were fired after they attempted to stop a shoplifter in November.

Jeffrey Miller, 59, George Ippolito, 56, Joe Spector, 29, and Jazmin Kelly, 27, all worked together at a Home Depot in Palm Coast, Florida. On November 19, the 4 employees attempted to track down a customer who appeared to be shoplifting at the store.

However the co-workers did not know that their act to prevent crime went against company policy.

The Home Depot released a statement in regards to the incident: “Pursuing shoplifters in the store or in the parking lot is extremely dangerous and risks the safety of everyone, which is why we only allow trained security personnel to do so. We’ve had instances of serious injury and even fatality in our stores. No amount of merchandise is worth risking the safety of others.”

The employees expressed shock by their termination as Fox 35’s Kelly Joyce reports from Flagler County in the video above.

The suspect has been identified as 22-year-old Brandon Charles Edward Mullins Lowe of Hastings, Florida who allegedly admitted to stealing close to $1,000 worth of tools from the store. Lowe was being held in the Flagler County Jail on grand theft charges.

Police: Shoplifting doubles near holidays

As shoppers hit area stores for the impending holidays, so will shoplifters, say area police.

“It probably doubles during the peak of the holiday shopping season,” said Logan Township Police Chief Tim Mercer, referring to the number of retail theft calls the township’s officers will handle.

Mercer said officers typically get one to two calls each week, and with the increase in retail thefts also comes increases in other crimes related to shopping, such as identity theft, where people are opening up credit cards in other people’s names, and thefts from vehicles.

Most of the incidents of retail theft and other thefts occur at two highly concentrated shopping areas — Logan Town Centre and the Logan Valley Mall, Mercer said.

Stores are reluctant to talk about shoplifting, either out of a fear of calling attention to their stores and becoming targets or because they don’t want to divulge exactly how they deal with retail thefts.

One store manager of a longtime township store, who spoke only if his name of business wasn’t published, said stores take two approaches to dealing with shoplifters — either they try to catch them or they try to prevent them from stealing in the first place.

Five Steps to Recruiting the Right Loss Prevention Professionals

The success of any organization is determined by the talent of its people. In his book Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t, Jim Collins put it this way: “People are not your most important asset. The right people are.”

Whether it’s a company, a loss prevention and safety department, or a sports team, the more talented people within the organization, the greater chance it has to succeed. Loading any organization with talented loss prevention professionals requires a comprehensive five-step people strategy.

Want an awesome LP career? Download this FREE Special Report, How to Find the Best Loss Prevention Jobs and Build a Successful Loss Prevention Career.

Recruiting. The first component of this strategy is recruiting. It all starts with a sound recruiting strategy to ensure there is a sufficient pool of applicants.

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How To stop A Shoplifter?

December 13, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Police Departments across the nation are busy this holiday season launching operations aiming at catching shoplifters. Serial shoplifters go from store to store stealing hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise from each store. Police and retailers alike have been working together to stop this vicious and financially crippling crime. Shoplifters are not necessarily from the area where they commit their crime, there are serial shoplifters that go from state to state, and from store to store, stealing as much as they can. For a retailer, the hundreds of dollars stolen from their store is a financial burden, and jeopardizes their ability to stay open for business.

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

How local law enforcement are working to stop organized retail crime

BUFFALO, N.Y.–

Organized retail crime is rising across the country, according to the National Retail Federation. In Western New York, local law enforcement said they’re constantly working to stop it.

“They’ll steal goods and products from various stores, sometimes taking orders,” Officer Craig Johnson, field intelligence officer for the Amherst Police Department, said. Johnson said organized shoplifting rings operate locally and even statewide.

“[They’ll go] down the thru way through the major cities, Albany, Syracuse, Rochester, Buffalo, even to Erie, Pennsylvania,” he said. HE said the thieves use stolen ID’s and credit cards to rent cars. They’ll even sometimes steal a license plate from another car to put on their rental. Then they spend hours stealing from stores, including items like clothing, medication, baby formula and even appliances. They then move on to another city by the time law enforcement is notified.

“They could be from different states. They could be from downstate New York. It’s very hard to find out that information of who these people are,” Johnson said.

Serial Shoplifters Target Burlington Stores

It was a busy day for Amanda Bean. First, she stole several hundred dollars’ worth of merchandise from a store that shares her surname — L.L.Bean. Burlington police cited her for retail theft and released her. Two hours later, Bean allegedly stole goods valued at several hundred dollars from the Skirackon Main Street. Bean was again charged with retail theft and let go.

Since that day in April, Bean, 33, of St. Albans, pleaded guilty to the L.L.Bean theft, but her stealing apparently hasn’t stopped. She has been arrested on similar charges twice — including on October 22, while she was serving a community-based furlough for the L.L.Bean theft. All told, Bean has been arrested more than 20 times and has at least nine retail theft convictions, along with convictions for other crimes.

Downtown merchants are frustrated with frequent fliers like Bean. While other crimes such as burglary are declining in Burlington, retail theft is escalating, police say. Between 2012 and 2015, annual retail theft calls to Burlington police increased from 341 to 423. This year, the trend continued. The number of calls between January and November 1, 2016, totaled 404, compared to 374 over the same time period last year.

‘Operation Blitz’ To Target Professional Shoplifters

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — As we look to get started on our holidayshopping lists, police will be looking for professional shoplifters.

Beginning on Black Friday, more than 30 Twin Cities law enforcementagencies will launch “Operation Blitz.”

The first-of-its-kind partnership in the state will target organized retail theft and financial fraud.

Police showed WCCO how these professionals do their best to avoid detection.

Take what police say happened at a St. Paul CVS two weeks ago, when a man walked in with a gym bag and loaded it with cleaning supplies. He was out of the store in under 40 seconds.

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Avoid Being A Victim This Holiday Season

December 7, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Happy Holidays! Or, are they really? Retailers are not the only ones that suffer from theft during the holiday season. Yes, shoplifting, employee theft, and merchant thefts occur more during the holiday season than at other times of the year for retailers, but people around the country are more and more vulnerable to theft that occurs at their front door. Have you bought anything online? Has it been delivered? There are many stories of packages being delivered, but never actually received by the recipient. Where is it? Some of them at least are at the hands of thieves that go prowling neighborhoods in search of delivered packages left at your front or side door. If you ordered something online and won’t be at home during the day, asking a neighbor to accept the package for you is not imposing, it is just neighborly. Take precautions this holiday season to avoid being the victim of theft.

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

Chamblee Police: Tips to Avoid Becoming a Holiday Crime Victim

Chamblee, GA, December 5, 2016 – The Post Reports – The Chamblee Police Department provides the following information on why thieves love the Holiday season and what you can do to prevent becoming a victim.

Why Thieves Love the Holiday Season

All the hustle and bustle going on over the holidays gives thieves what they want, almost as much as an unlocked bank vault and that is the opportunity to become invisible. Thieves can move through big crowds of rushed and distracted people without anyone noticing them. They can pickpocket and shoplift and when their victims realize that they have been robbed, they will have no idea who did it.

Thieves Feed on Opportunities

Thieves know that the police are overloaded during the holiday season and they take full advantage it. They thrive on the fact that the police and stores’ loss prevention staff have their hands full with amateur thieves who are hauled to jail for trying to steal from the electronics departments or waiting for the parents of teenagers who pocketed the latest video game.

In the meantime, the professional thieves are busy breaking into cars in the parking lots to steal gifts, cell phones and electronics or stalking and robbing. Some thieves prefer burglarizing homes. They spend their time walking neighborhoods, looking for houses that appear that the homeowners are away. Darkened homes nestled between neighbors with front yards bursting with holiday lights will draw their attention.

Albany police encourage businesses to be on constant crime watch

businesses should increase their vigilance, watching for crime in their stores, as shoplifting and thefts increase during the holidays.

It’s a serious issue, because a large theft in a small store could mean a merchant having to go out of business.

Chuck Roberts has owned John Ross Jewelers at his Dawson Road location for 30 years, and one reason he has been so successful is he was already thinking about criminals when he designed the shop.

“We built this store the way it’s built, to stop the shoplifting,” explained Roberts.

Police said that during this time of year, shoplifters and thieves increase their activity, because stores have more customers to hide among, and there is more on hand to steal.

“They have more merchandise available. So there will always be someone who is looking to find an illegal way to acquiring that merchandise,” said Albany Police Chief Michael Persley.

Roberts has well established trade practices to deter thieves and lots of surveillance cameras watching customers, because he has thousands of dollars worth of jewelry in his store cases, and knows crooks will go to almost any length to steal them.

Consumers beware of holiday crimes

TERRE HAUTE, Ind. (WTHI) – The winter months cover a time of seasonal giving and cheer.

Unfortunately, crime doesn’t pause for the holidays.

Especially after major online shopping events like Cyber Monday.

Ryan Adamson with the Terre Haute Police Department says you have to watch out for the occasional Grinch looking to steal.

He says, “Thefts of packages increase this time of year. Somebody is at work, they get a notification on their phone that UPS, or Fed-Ex, has dropped off a package. They get home and lo and behold, it’s not there. So be mindful of where your packages are going.”

Criminals are looking for an easy steal, so what is easier than an unattended package on a door step?

Adamson suggests, “If you can have it delivered to work, do so. Or, try to have them sent to a friend’s house or a relative’s house. Just somebody that’s going to be home. Or, make it to where somebody has to sign for the package, so the package is verified that somebody is there for it.”

Adamson also says to be careful where you place your presents once wrapped.

He says, “Don’t put your gifts in plain view right in front the window where everybody can see. Don’t put your big expensive TV right in front of the window. If you’re not going to be home, let your neighbor know. Have somebody check on your house for you to make sure everything is okay.”

Unfortunately, your car isn’t safe from winter scrooges either.

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Partnership With EAS Technology And Policy

December 5, 2016 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

If you are reading this, chances are you are experiencing a shoplifting problem. Shoplifting takes a toll, not only on your stress level, but your bottom dollar. When people have a problem, they research a solution. One way to prevent shoplifting is having an electronic article surveillance system installed by a reputable company. Searching for such a company can be daunting. Shoplifting is an issue that needs to be addressed and resolved quickly. Why would you choose Checkpoint equipment from Loss Prevention Systems Inc. (LPSI?)

Checkpoint has been paving the path for EAS systems and building RF technology for over 40 years. All equipment is new and installed by factory trained technicians. Checkpoint and LPSI never sell refurbished equipment. The founder and owner of Loss Prevention Systems Inc., Bill Bregar, has over 30 years of experience in loss prevention. The small retailer may not have the resources for a loss prevention department. Our background and expertise in Loss Prevention sets us apart. Over the decades, Bill has taught and created successful Loss Prevention policies and procedures for the small retailer to send shoplifters elsewhere. Both companies partnership provide a path to decrease shrink and increase profit.

Checkpoint offers several different types of EAS systems for different situations. A favorite antenna system for small to medium retailers is the P10. This system is known as a workhorse. As part of the EVOLVE line, it has people counting capability and remote access. With an internet connection, a trained technician can access the system remotely to perform preventative maintenance and typically resolve potential issues. With its strong frame and Evolve capabilities, it will last a long time and is “future proof”.

What tips and suggestions can the small to medium retailer apply to their business? Compliance and enforcement. Create, implement and abide by policies to keep the business on track. Loss of compliance equals loss of control. Employees need a reliable example and understand what is expected of them. It’s up to you to enforce the process and standards of your business.

Combine your Checkpoint technology, people and process to prevent shoplifting. Having and EAS system is only as good as the people using it. With the right people following the right process, the technology will do its job.

Protect your business with qualified staff, effective procedures and the latest EAS technology. Take control of your success.

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