Does Your Business Culture Encourage Employee Theft?

January 9, 2015 by Leave a Comment

theft (2)There is a belief among many small business owners that, because the company belongs to them, they ought to be allowed to behave anyway they want. They want to be able to run things their way and believe the employees “should and will” respond accordingly. That’s why they went into business for themselves – they wanted to create and control the work environment or cultural.

This is the paradox, and downfall, of many small business owners. The characteristics of independence and self-determination, coupled with the need to be in charge, are the hallmarks of a successful entrepreneur. Unfortunately, they’re also the attributes of unsuccessful, bankrupt entrepreneurs.

One of the differences between successful and unsuccessful owners is the ability to marginalize the negatives and maximize the positives of their desire to be in control. This ability is particularly important when establishing and maintaining the business’s security culture. Yet, ask any business consultant or security advisor and they’ll say this is one of the areas owners are least likely to address.

They usually don’t address it because they have the mistaken belief that the culture they’ve established and are maintaining, through the power of their personality, is an effective theft deterrent. They believe the way they behave (i.e. nice, nasty, supportive, demeaning, conciliatory, confrontational) will keep them safe from employee fraud.

However, it rarely works that way. The company’s culture is usually not enough to stop employee theft. “Good” guys who try to create an atmosphere of ease for their employee and “bad” guys who create one of stress have the same amount of fraud. The statistics and antidotal information show that owners who manage through personality, rather than systems and controls, are likely to fail.

Employees are 15 times more likely to steal than outsiders and are responsible for 44% of a business’s theft losses (National Federation of Independent Business). This results in almost a 1/3 of businesses failing due to employee fraud (U.S. Department of Commerce). In another 1/3 it’s believed to be a .05% – 1% loss of profit.

The number 1 deterrent is security systems and controls embedded into the cultural. A business’s security culture – values, beliefs and norms which guide how the business and the people in it operate – is important to a business’s survival. When people work within one there’s a profound positive effect on employee morale, operations and the bottom line.

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What’s Trending in the World of Shoplifting?

January 8, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting1Wouldn’t it be nice if the criminal world was as easy as Twitter? You could just go online and look at what’s trending and then take proactive steps to stem any potential losses. That would be great! Unfortunately, criminals, especially thieves rarely broadcast their intentions. It’s up to the loss prevention community and local law enforcement to share these trends amongst each other in order to combat shoplifting.

You may or may not be aware, but shoplifting is much more than just putting one item in your purse, or pockets. I routinely see individuals and groups operating some very sophisticated fraud schemes in order to remove product from the store. One of those trends that have become more and more prevalent over the past year has involved refund fraud. I had a very complex case that spanned several months that was more sophisticated than anything I had every come across in all my years conducting Loss Prevention Investigations.

The basic storyline is that a brick and mortar store front was employing individuals to target stores for small, high dollar merchandise. Once the product was stolen from one store, it would then be brought to a second store where a refund was given for the product in the form of store credit. That individual would then utilize that credit in order to purchase a high end electronic item. The item, along with the receipt was sold to the store front. This is where it takes a more complex turn.

The store owners would then arrive back at the store with the receipt and electronic item and ask to exchange it for other product. This was routinely conducted with footwear or apparel items. The store owners would conduct the exchange and, on most occasions, pay a difference in cash of anywhere between $10 and $20.

Over several days, the store owners would return to my store and refund each item that was purchased during that exchange transaction. Since the receipt showed they paid a cash balance, inattentive store personnel would always give them a full cash refund. Did I lose you?

Essentially, I was at a loss 5 times for the same product. First it was stolen. Second, I gave them a store credit for stolen goods. Third, the store credit was then spent. Fourth, the product the credit was spent on was exchanged for additional merchandise. Fifth, we gave them cash. It was incredible once it was all uncovered. This group has figured out a way to essentially launder stolen goods and with a few steps and some patience, get cash. All while keeping the appearance of a legitimate transaction. All told, our stores lost well over $100k to this scam.

It was an expensive lesson to learn, but it goes to show just how creative people can be when it comes to fraud. While this was the first time I had ever seen something of this complexity, I can assure you that in the next year, someone will come up with an even more complex method to defraud retailers.

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The 80/20 Rule

January 5, 2015 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting2The 80/ 20 rule for retail is actually a series of rules, or guidelines to how and where your inventory shrink comes from. Once you drill down to see what is actually driving your shrink, you have the ability to implement much more efficient anti theft and anti shrink strategies.

The first part of evaluating the 80/ 20 rule is to determine a generalization of how your store is incurring losses. There are three main areas of shrink loss that all shrink can be categorized as. They are Internal, External and Operational shrink. As a rule of thumb, internal shrink is explained as asset losses intentionally carried out by an employee of the store. Employees who are stealing merchandise drive internal shrink.

Operational shrink, on the other hand, is merchandise losses carried out by an employee unintentionally. These are the store’s operational errors that end up causing losses. Did an employee accidentally miss an item when they checked a customer out? Did an employee pull some glass cleaner from the shelf to clean their workstation, but not record it on a store use log? Did an employee break an item of merchandise beyond repair and threw it in the trash without letting anyone know?

These are all everyday examples of how an employee can unintentionally cause losses. These are not theft related actions that we would arrest and prosecute and employee for, but the end result is still the same. We are now showing missing merchandise and our bottom line has suffered from the shrink loss. Unidentified items missing from freight shipments also fall into this category.

External shrink losses are created by anyone outside of the company. These are non-employees who steal our products- the shoplifters. The average shoplifter steals much less per incident than an employee does. Even if you have a higher frequency of shoplifters in your store, employee theft will still outweigh the losses caused by shoplifters over time.

While it is really up to you to determine the actual breakdown in your store, most retailers average about 40% of their losses from internal theft, 40% from operational errors, leaving only 20% to external theft. Obviously these numbers can change based upon your location, kinds of goods sold, and staffing sizes. Overall, these numbers equate to about 80% of your shrink is derived in house (by your employees), and 20% comes form external sources.

Next you want to drill down even further into your losses by looking at departments, and the individual items that are being stolen. Ideally you want to have an inventory system that allows you SKU level accuracy. By drilling down to the actual item number that is shrinking out, you can create an action plan suited specifically to that item. At the very least, you should know which departments and product assortments are the highest losses.

Once you determine your highest shrink items, you should know the quantity and/ or dollar amount lost. You can then put your efforts into where the biggest losses are. You might be loosing 100 packs of gum that cost $1.00 each, or you could loose one handbag worth $200. Frequency versus actual dollar amount lost might dictate a closer eye on your handbags, than the multiple losses in packs of gum.

By taking a look at the highest dollar losses, you should see that about 80% of your total shrink losses are coming from only about the top 20% of your shrink items. This drill down approach further streamlines your anti shrink strategies. Now, instead of focusing on every little loss that occurs in your store, you can focus on only the top items. By creating feasible reduction strategies on only those items, you can create a significant reduction in your store’s overall shrink losses.

 

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Loss Prevention

December 18, 2014 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting3During this time of year the number of shoplifters visiting your store is more than at any other time of the year. Stores across our nation invest millions of dollars in loss prevention, and still billions of dollars are lost due to this crime. Some of the measures retail stores use to prevent shoplifting are the use of video surveillance, security guards, and special tags that are attached to the merchandise and are set off when leaving the store without paying. These are some of the many other prevention measures that help retailers deterred shoplifters from entering their stores. Are your loss prevention measures adequate? Do you need to do more to prevent loses? Read the articles below for more news about shoplifting.

Police conduct holiday shoplifting operation, 19 arrests

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. —

Yesterday plain clothed detectives with the Department’s Economic Crimes and

C.O.T.A. Units conducted a one day operation with loss prevention officers at

the Wal-Mart Store located at 201 34th Street North.

The purpose of the operation was to address the problem of shoplifting that increases during the holiday season.

A total of 19 individuals were arrested, mostly on charges of retail theft although several had outstanding warrants and one juvenile was in violation of court ordered home detention for a previous burglary charge. Of those arrested, 9 were adults and 10 were juveniles.

Great Falls merchants go on guard against shoplifting

Downtown Great Falls’ Amazing Toys owner Dave Campbell said his staff noticed that a $350 Legos set was missing from its perch. They searched the store and found the valuable toy stashed near the front door where a thief planned to retrieve it later.

Dragonfly Dry Goods owner Alison Fried said her staff warmly greets customers, which most shoppers welcome. But some folks, possibly with bad intentions, turn around and walk out the door. She said she has a good camera system inside and outside the store that videotapes 24 hours a day. Fried lets other downtown merchants know who to look for if her store has been hit by a shoplifter.

“We use the team approach,” she said. “We’re a cooperative community downtown.”

“Shrink,” a business concept that includes shoplifting, employee or supplier fraud and administrative errors, cost the retail industry around $42 billion in sales in the United States last year, according to the latest Global Retail Theft Barometer. Worldwide, those factors cost businesses $128 billion.

Man Accused Of Abandoning Child While Shoplifting Speaks Out

A Lexington couple who allegedly abandoned their child while fleeing from loss prevention officers at Walmart say that the police have it all wrong.

Eric Powell and his girlfriend Samantha Barker are accused of shoplifting and taking off leaving behind their 9-month-old child.

Powell says that is not at all what happened.

“We was at Walmart shopping she was at the store shopping and I was by myself looking at magazines and stuff,” says Powell.
He says when they went to check out, he realized he couldn’t pay for the diapers they were trying to buy.

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Just Don’t Do It- Loss Prevention Seminars

December 16, 2014 by
When I was growing up, my parents were notorious for telling me not to do things. They never really explained why not, they just told me not to. I can attest to the fact that this was not the most effective way to teach me a lesson. Now, as an adult, when I conduct loss prevention seminars, I go beyond just saying, “don’t do it” and actually share information to make a difference.
When employee theft is happening in a store, or is about to happen, you have to be more prepared than having a sign that says, “shoplifting will be prosecuted”. You have to train your employees that you are aware of different methods, and tactics used in employee theft. You have to be able to train the other employees to be eyes and ears when you are not there.
By sharing information on employee theft during loss prevention seminars you have the information to help your employees make better decisions. Employees who see the heightened awareness level in a store are less likely to try and get away with employee theft. 
The stores that have a blanket statement, but no training or awareness, are more likely to have theft issues. Without a clear understanding of how deep the awareness and prevention goes in a store, the more likely employees are to abuse the system.
For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia
Visit the Loss Prevention Systems website for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.

When I was growing up, my parents were notorious for telling me not to do things. They never really explained why not, they just told me not to. I can attest to the fact that this was not the most effective way to teach me a lesson. Now, as an adult, when I conduct loss prevention seminars, I go beyond just saying, “don’t do it” and actually share information to make a difference.

When employee theft is happening in a store, or is about to happen, you have to be more prepared than having a sign that says, “shoplifting will be prosecuted”. You have to train your employees that you are aware of different methods, and tactics used in employee theft. You have to be able to train the other employees to be eyes and ears when you are not there.

By sharing information on employee theft during loss prevention seminars you have the information to help your employees make better decisions. Employees who see the heightened awareness level in a store are less likely to try and get away with employee theft. 

The stores that have a blanket statement, but no training or awareness, are more likely to have theft issues. Without a clear understanding of how deep the awareness and prevention goes in a store, the more likely employees are to abuse the system.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Visit the Loss Prevention Systems website for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.

 

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Negative On Hands

December 1, 2014 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting2When you are conducting perpetual inventories, you are constantly assessing your stock levels. By maintaining accurate stock levels, you are ensuring your customers will have access to the merchandise they are looking for. This creates consistent customer service and maximizes your store’s sales potential. Having an accurate on hand inventory also helps you to reduce your cost of goods by eliminating erroneous inventory orders, as well as identifies potential theft issues more readily.

To have an accurate on hand inventory, you need to have a system in place that captures your inventory movement at the SKU level. This system should recognize any time an item comes in or goes out of your store. This should include receipt of product from the vendor, sales, customer returns, returns to vendors, and miscellaneous usage like damages or store use. You should also have a way to manually make inventory adjustments through processes like cycle counts or inventory replenishment audits.

By maintaining these counts and processes, you should be able to look at any given product and know exactly how many of this item you have. This helps you prepare for sales and special promotions, or to satisfy a larger than normal quantity purchase by a customer. Cycle counts are an invaluable tool in ensuring these counts are up to date and accurate.

A cycle count is a manual count done by a store employee to determine if what the store’s computer system says you should have on hand matches with what you actually have on hand. For example, you are preparing an end cap to be filled with “Item A” for an upcoming sale this weekend. Your on hand inventory says you should have 20 of the item, so you go and look to find all 20 pieces. After searching the sales floor, you discover that you can only find 15 pieces. So you take those 15 to the end cap and enter a cycle count adjustment into the computer system to subtract the missing 5 pieces. Your computer now says that you only have 15 pieces, and you have a shortage of five pieces.

After the weekend is over, all of “Item A” was sold. Your inventory tracking system shows that you have -5 on hand. Negative 5? That indicates that you sold more than what you physically had on hand. Hmm. Something is very clearly off.

One very likely possibility is that when the employee was looking to fill the end cap, they did not look in the back stock room to see if there was any merchandise there. During the weekend, another employee found the missing 5 pieces and restocked the end cap for the sale. Because the employee had cycle counted and adjusted the items out of the inventory, a negative was created when the “missing” five pieces were sold.

This is one example of why it is important to maintain an accurate inventory, even when a manual adjustment is made. When the employee made the adjustment, there was the potential to accidentally order more product than what was needed. If the computer system thought that there was less than what you actually had, an order could have been generated to get the stock levels back to where your store should be. Because the product was physically still in the store, you could have been left with extra product that you didn’t need.

Having a negative on hand of an item means that a recount should be made quickly to determine what the error was and have it fixed. Adjusting your inventory back up to the actual stock levels will not create an overage.

This is not extra product that you didn’t have before. Think of it like loosing a five-dollar bill and not knowing where it went. Then the next winter, you pull out your coat, reach into the pocket and find a five-dollar bill. That money did not magically appear. It was your money that you misplaced and later found.

Fixing your negative on hands does not add extra to your inventory, or your bottom line. It fixes your inventory where a shortage was previously created in error.

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Prevent Shoplifting During This Holiday Season

November 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

shoplifting2The security of your retail store during this holiday season is an important part of your business. Shoplifting prevention and employee theft are more critical during this time of year, and having your store prepared for this can be the difference between profits and losses. To read more about this follow the links below.

5 Quick and Low-Tech Tips To Prevent Shoplifting in Your Retail Store

As a small business retailer, it’s not always easy to just throw money at problems like shoplifting and take advantage of all the technology that big box retailers may be privy to. Whether it’s cameras, door scanners, or facial-recognition software, sometimes their big-ticket cost just doesn’t fit with your small business security budget.

But when you recognize facts like shoplifting costing retailers upwards of $13 billion each year, it’s important to identify it as a problem that needs to be dealt with.

So, what’s a boutique owner to do? In this post, I’ll be looking at cost-effective and low-tech tactics that you can start implementing right away.

Let’s dive in.

1. Keep Your Store Organized and Products Well-Placed

How easy should it be to identify whether something has gone “missing” from your store? Empty space on your shelves should be enough of a visual cue to signal something has gone wrong.

Holiday Shopping: More Shoppers, More Theft — Prepare Your Business

The holiday season can be a stressful time for most people, not to mention retailers. With the seasonal shopping season starting earlier and earlier each year, many small businesses are scrambling to order inventory, ensure their shelves are stocked, all the while decorating their storefront in a way that will entice customers to come in and shop local.

While some may complain about the commercialization of the holiday season, there is proof in the “figgy pudding.” According to the National Retail Federation, holiday sales represent approximately 19.2 percent of the retail industry’s annual sales of $3.2 trillion. And that’s not just for the big box stores and e-commerce giants, the upcoming holiday season is extremely important for small business owners. It’s the biggest revenue driver of the year, and can keep a business afloat or sink it. However, the increase in potential shoppers, brings an increase in potential theft. Seasonal shoplifting can be detrimental for small businesses owners, who are trying keep their doors open for another year.

Opiate epidemic

The message, delivered Thursday night to a standing-room-only crowd at the Wood County Educational Service Center, was clear: the opiate epidemic in Ohio, and Wood County, is a community problem.

And the problem must be solved by a community-wide effort.

The Opiate Epidemic Town Hall meeting, presented by the Wood County Opiate Task Force, featured a panel of experts on the subject from a variety of fields.

The issue of opiate addiction has ramped up in Wood County, and nationwide, in recent years. In the U.S., someone dies from an opiate-related overdose every 15 minutes. Some addicts begin with an addiction to prescription painkillers like Oxycontin and Vicodin, obtained legally or illegally, and then move on to heroin – which has become cheaper and easier to obtain.

Heidi Riggs, of the Ohio Attorney General’s Heroin Unit, shared the story of her daughter, Marin, who died in 2012 at age 20 of a heroin overdose. Marin, despite a variety of gifts, dealt with a self-esteem problem that led to her addiction.

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Gambling and Embezzlement – It’s That Time of Year

November 21, 2014 by Leave a Comment

theft (2)Anyone with a business knows the holidays bring a distinctive set of challenges. For many owners one of the biggest is the increased risk of loss and fraud through consumer theft. Other owners are relieved that they aren’t in those kinds of businesses and believe that they don’t need to “worry about all that stuff”. But, they forget about or ignore employee theft.

All businesses are subjected to the increased possibility of theft around this time of year. The holidays are exactly the time to monitor employees and financials for signs of embezzlement. There are a few reasons why incidents of embezzlement are more likely to start or increase now. One of them, that’s regularly overlooked, is gambling addiction.

The Marquet Report on Embezzlement is the culmination of a 5 year study which looked into employee misappropriation. It found that gambling addiction is one of the top 2 reasons people embezzle. Therefore, it’s important for an employer to be aware of this issue and to know what to look for, especially now.

For most people increased stress is a given in the months of November and December. Gambling addicts respond to stress by gambling more and when they gamble more they lose more. They then gamble more to try to cover their losses, get back to even, or hit the big score. This leads to more losing and the cycle continuing. Inevitably, they run out of money and accumulate debt they can’t repay.

Because of the season money irregularities can become more pronounced in their domestic situation, triggering more stress, lies and gambling. Gambling addicts will go to drastic measures to cover up their addiction. Now, feeling more pressure, they may embezzle for the first time or steal larger amounts.

But, this doesn’t happen in a vacuum, there’re always signs along the way that something is wrong. Some of the signs to look for include the following.

  • Giving flimsy excuses or lying about absences during the day. This can be more pronounced in areas where there’s a gambling venue.
  • Inappropriately defensive or dishonest when talking about spending habits or income.
  • Asking for advances on pay and/or frequently borrowing money from co-workers.
  • Excessively talking about and showing interest in gambling games, venues, beating the system, odds, etc.
  • Suspiciously guarded and controlling of the company’s financial records.
  • Taking financial work home, even though there’s time to do it during the business day.
  • Insisting on being in charge of bills, invoices, payments, receivables, dealing with vendors, etc.

Embezzlement can emotionally and financially devastate an organization. At best it‘s a violation of trust and at worst it can cause a business to go bankrupt. Nobody likes to think about or have trouble this time of the year, but a good manger doesn’t ignore problems no matter what the season.

Nicole Abbott – writer, educator and psycho-therapist

 

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What Makes You Vulnerable? – Shoplifting

November 20, 2014 by
Shoplifting happens to the best of us. No matter how many protections we place in and around our store, shoplifting is going to happen and there is nothing we can do about it… At least that’s how some business owners seem to think.
The reality is that most shoplifting can be prevented. Some of them might be easy fixes, and some of them might require a more complex system to keep the shrink losses at bay. 
The difference between the two thought processes is in the amount of loss prevention training you have. The more training and education you have, the better your chances of reducing your overall shrink losses.
The key is in knowing what your specific store vulnerabilities are and how they happen. Maybe you have inattentive employees on the weekends. Perhaps your high theft merchandise would benefit from being placed at the front of the store where employees can watch it better. Can you use EAS and other retail anti theft devices to keep your desirable products on the sales floor for customers, but deterring theft at the same time?
Loss prevention training isn’t just about how to apprehend a shoplifter. It is about identifying your store’s vulnerable areas and finding plausible, financially sound, and effective solutions for them. 
For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia
Visit the Loss Prevention Systems website for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.

Shoplifting happens to the best of us. No matter how many protections we place in and around our store, shoplifting is going to happen and there is nothing we can do about it… At least that’s how some business owners seem to think.

The reality is that most shoplifting can be prevented. Some of them might be easy fixes, and some of them might require a more complex system to keep the shrink losses at bay.

The difference between the two thought processes is in the amount of loss prevention training you have. The more training and education you have, the better your chances of reducing your overall shrink losses.

The key is in knowing what your specific store vulnerabilities are and how they happen. Maybe you have inattentive employees on the weekends. Perhaps your high theft merchandise would benefit from being placed at the front of the store where employees can watch it better. Can you use EAS and other retail anti theft devices to keep your desirable products on the sales floor for customers, but deterring theft at the same time?

Loss prevention training isn’t just about how to apprehend a shoplifter. It is about identifying your store’s vulnerable areas and finding plausible, financially sound, and effective solutions for them.

For more information on Loss Prevention Seminars, Loss Prevention Training, or Loss Prevention Workshop contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 – Atlanta Georgia

Visit the Loss Prevention Systems website for more information on Retail Employee Theft and Retail Shoplifting problems and view the Retail Loss Prevention Seminars, Retail Loss Prevention Training and Retail Loss Prevention Workshop we offer to help with your Employee Theft and Shoplifting problems.

 

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Court Room Drama

November 6, 2014 by Leave a Comment

law-3If you have never been in court before, it can be a very eye opening experience. There are similarities between TV courtroom proceedings and real life, but the overall experience is very different. If you are planning on prosecuting shoplifters or employees for theft, it is important to understand this step in the process.

Working within the court system is essential to ensure the employee or shoplifter has an official record of their wrongdoing. This criminal prosecution provides concrete evidence against an employee or shoplifter of their alleged acts. This record makes it easier for potential employers to understand an applicants past history, an indicator of their future reliability.

Here is how the process generally works. At the time of a shoplifter’s apprehension, or the completion of an employee theft interview, local law enforcement will be called in. This could be the city police, county police, or even the local sheriff’s department based on your individual store’s location and jurisdiction. If you have multiple locations, understand the jurisdiction might be different for each one. Specifically knowing which department to call ahead of time will simplify the process during an actual incident.

The responding law enforcement will ask a few questions from you. They will take a statement from both sides, and usually ask to see any video available. This is the initial opportunity to present your evidence against the suspect. This is not a time to hold back actual evidence you may have, or give unsubstantiated opinions as evidence.

Law enforcement will take the suspect into custody (if applicable) and file a police report. You may need to go down to their station to fill out additional paperwork depending upon the local protocol. From there papers will be filed with the court system. You should receive a subpoena stating the time, date and place of the court case for your suspect. Understand that it might take a few weeks to several months for this to happen. It is all based upon your local court’s current caseload.

During this downtime, you should ensure that you have created a case report with statements explaining each step of the shoplifting incident, any statements made by the suspect, any paper evidence, a detailed listing of merchandise stolen (size, style, UPC or SKU, color, quantity) photos taken of the suspect, their ID or the merchandise, employee ID, and any video evidence. This case report needs to be kept in a private, locked file cabinet or other place that eliminates contact or access by other employees. Any deviation may allow the defendant’s attorney to question the integrity of the chain of evidence and speculate that it has been tampered with.

When you are set to go to court on the specific time and date given, make sure you show up early and bring your case report with you. Law enforcement may have requested copies at the time of the arrest, but it is better for you to not rely on law enforcement to bring it with them. They have so many cases on a daily basis; they may not remember months later what they were given. It is your responsibility to prove the suspect guilty based upon your evidence. If you show up with nothing, the suspect may be found innocent. Bring the report and file with you.

When you show up, find the prosecuting attorney. They are the ones presenting the case on your behalf. Show them your file, your video, and answer their questions. They are not trying to pick your case apart; they just need to have a full understanding of what they can present to the defense attorney and the judge. Arriving early allows you enough time to best prepare your case with the attorney and have better end results.

While you cannot dictate that a suspect is charged with a specific crime (felony theft vs. misdemeanor theft) you are allowed to let the attorney know that the suspect is not to return to any of your store locations. If so, they will be charged with trespassing.

At this point the attorney will confer with the defense attorney. They will try to work out a plea bargain, which the suspect hopefully will take. They may not stick with the original charges, but a plea bargain will save you countless hours and trips back and forth to the courthouse for an actual trial.

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