Bad Luck For Shoplifter, Prevent Shoplifting With A Bit Of Humor Attached!

October 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Some people should not be allowed out in public unsupervised. This shoplifter is one of them. You have to see the humor in it though. This is a great idea to prevent shoplifting !

Bad luck for shoplifter
(Jun. 24)

A suspected shoplifter who evaded loss prevention officer at a Home Depot in southeast San Diego was apprehended after he ran into a throng of two dozen police officers gathered for a public service event, according to an article in the San Diego Union-Tribune.

The 21-year-old suspect, who was not named in the article, ran out of the store’s parking lot and made a right turn, running in the direction of a gathering of 25 officers, including members of a SWAT team, who had gathered at a school safety event at a YMCA. A radio dispatcher had already alerted the officers, who filed outside, weapons ready, to intercept the suspect.

The merchandise was later recovered in a brown bag, which the suspect discarded along the way.

 

Imagine the look in the shoplifters face when he runs into the SWAT team!
I love it, prevent shoplifting with the SWAT Team and a couple dozen other officers,

For more information contact us at prevent shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

 

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Reasons you may want to get help with an employee theft investigation

October 11, 2010 by Leave a Comment

There are reasons why you may want to get help with an employee theft investigation and by help I do not mean calling the police (I’ll get back to that).

When you get an idea you may have a problem with internal theft you likely have a rush of thoughts and feelings about what is happening to you/ your business and maybe even some thoughts about specific employees you feel may be suspect of internal theft. Often times business managers and owners make the fatal mistake of reacting in a way that alerts the thief and allows them to cover tracks and or prepare themselves for accusations.  Sometimes the knee jerk reaction is to point fingers at employees too quickly, those who are innocent.  These reactions can cause some damage to the team and effectiveness of any organization.

Back to the police…calling the police before you have a proper case documented including a written confession can blow your chances of ever getting justice.  Police are simply not trained to be experts at internal theft /  corporate fraud and they are not likely to conduct a corporate fraud investigation or employee theft investigation when they have piles of dangerous criminals committing crimes regularly, missing children to find and so on.  It is simply a matter of not being a priority and I do not mean that in a negative way against law enforcement in any way.

Hiring a professional for your employee theft investigation who knows how to build a rock solid case with proof including getting written confessions is a very smart and cost effective way to get solutions.  And it insulates you from the employees protecting you from creating uncomfortable feelings with your good employees in the process.

To learn more visit: employee theft investigation

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Conducting Employee Theft Investigations

October 9, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Let’s face it, as much as we may hate to admit it an employee theft investigation is a necessary part of doing business in today’s retail environment. According to the National Retail Security Survey from 2008, managers reported 48.6% of their shrinkage was attributed to employee theft. For those of you, like me, who struggled tooth and nail through high school math that means nearly half of your losses are created by someone you’re paying to be there. So how do we stop it?

First of all you MUST create a concise and easily understood set of rules and regulations. In this, the definition of theft should be clearly explained. These rules must also apply to everyone from the General Manager to the guy/girl who fills the vending machines. There can be no exceptions. It is important that the employee understand that they do have rights, but it is equally as important that the employee realize that you, the employer, have the right to protect your property and your investment from would-be criminals.

Employee theft investigations are extremely sensitive matters and should be handled as such. Preferably a professional, or someone with considerable experience in these matters, should handle the investigation and subsequent interviews. Everyone being interviewed should be reminded of the sensitive nature of the process and in certain cases having the interviewee sign a confidentiality agreement may be a proper course of action.

Once the employee theft investigation is complete and the proper action taken there should be an immediate after action meeting. Why was this opportunity for theft present? What can we do to limit or eliminate future problems of this kind? Remember, a properly conducted employee theft investigation can potentially save your company countless dollars in shrink, but only if done correctly.

For more information contact us about employee theft investigation or call 1.770.426.0547

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Hire faster and smarter using a background check company for employment screening

October 8, 2010 by

If you are considering the use of a background check company for pre employment screening you are probably aware that there are powerful benefits in doing so.

Hiring managers and HR departments spend many hours weeding through the mountains of resumes and applications received for each open position. This process takes time that can cause other tasks to lag behind and good candidates to slip by to the competition in the meanwhile.

The latest technology in employment screening offered by any leading edge background check company allows you to enter some basic info on line at your convenience and submit for very fast results.  Getting theses results emailed to your inbox means you do not have to wait for your provider to get around to your file for processing and you can read them on your timetable.

Having your background check company perform pre employment screening before you get too far along in your hiring process will weed out some candidates cutting down on the face to face time spent with someone you may like personally in one brief meeting only to discover serious disqualifiers in the employment screening results later… and then it is back to the drawing board.

It is easier than ever to know who you are hiring and that what you think you see is what you are actually getting.  We would all like to trust our gut with candidates but the smart thing to do to protect your business and employees is contract your employment screening to a background check company. There are countless stories of ” I trusted…”

To learn about your employment screening options, visit: background check company or call 1-770-426-0547

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Could Background Check Have Prevented Rape?

October 8, 2010 by

Could Background Check Have Prevented Rape?

The question above was asked by CNN, who investigated and incident on the Gulf Coast last month when an oil spill worker was put to work with a background check being done on him.

The oil company that employed the worker along with hundreds of others conducted drug checks on their workers, but not background checks.  The 41-year-old employee, who had a criminal record dating back to 1991,and has been a registered sex offender since 1996, offered to give a ride home to a co-worker who wasn’t feeling well.  Once at her hotel, he asked to use the bathroom and when he came out, he attacked and raped her.

He was charged with sexual battery and failure to register as a sex offender.  He was held under $505,000 bond in Jackson County Mississippi.

It’s easy now to play Monday morning quarterback and question the actions of the oil company.  They decided that drug testing was important enough to run to avoid hiring users, but not a background check in order to determine if the potential worker had a past that included violent criminal acts and sexual offenses. The oil company, already dealing with a public relations nightmare and an environmental disaster, now had yet another embarrassing incident to defend.

Background checks are now an accepted part of the hiring process and are quick, and economical to do, making it so easy to avoid problems like those described above.  Everyone deserves the safest environment possible in the workplace, and the victim’s exposure to this predator could have been easily prevented.

As the victim was quoted as saying, “If they would have ran the background checks, they wouldn’t have had a man like that working.”

To discuss your background check program, click here, or call 770-426-0547.

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Clothing Security In Europe vs The U.S.

October 8, 2010 by

I just got back from a much-needed vacation in France and Germany. Even though I tried to shut down from work a bit, I found it difficult as we were doing a bit of window-shopping. What I saw amazed me. Shoplifting, use of a clothing alarm and clothing security by retailers is alive and breathing in Europe.

In fact it was unusual to see a retailer of any size that did not have some protection. It seems that European retailers have figured it out; proactive clothing security is the way to go if you want to make any money (or survive). I even saw a clothing alarm system in a shop that could not have been more that 200 square feet and one isle.

I saw security tags on clothes of every kind. Of course leather but they have in many cases gone down to a lower price point than I see in most U.S. retailers. What I heard is that “If you have a system, use it”. Clothing security was even being used on items with price points in the $1 – $2 area. This applied to both large and small retailers.

I did not see the use of as much CCTV as I thought I would have with clothing security . Major retailers had them in several locations but I would have thought the POS and all entrances would have been covered much more. Of course these cameras could have been hidden. We also have to keep in mind that the laws governing liability are different there. They are not as concerned about lawsuits.

What I wondered about was their use of a Loss Prevention Agent on the sales floor. My wife decided for me that testing the system was probably not a good idea!

But clothing security did seem to be a huge issue.  Retailers made use of everything we have here in the U.S. also such as lanyards, flex strings and keepers. I also saw a fair amount of ink tags. What I did not see is some of the more recent security tags on clothes like the new Checkpoint releases.  Clothing security tags there seemed to be on the larger size. Also clothing security tags in Europe use the same various lengths of pins that we do here.

For more information on clothing security tags , clothing alarm or security tags on clothes contact us at clothing security or call 1.770.426.0547

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Atlanta Journal Constitution On Smash & Grab

October 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment

In the world of retail loss and retail shrinkage in Atlanta this story that was recently published in the AJC really hits the nail on the head.

Arielle Kass, October 7, 2010
 
Sharla Jackson can rattle off a list of stores that have closed due to smash-and-grab crimes over the past three years.

Since July, a new state law has imposed tougher penalties on those convicted of smash-and-grabs, in which thieves bust through windows, walls, roofs or doors then snatch merchandise like jeans or flat-screen TVs to resell. It comes as the number of such crimes is the highest it’s been in years said Jackson, senior assistant district attorney in the Fulton County district attorney’s office and a member of the retail theft task force.
 
With 132 smash-and-grabs so far this year, the count is already ahead of 2008, when there were 130 instances in metro Atlanta’s five biggest counties.  Last year, there were 119 smash-and-grabs; in 2007, there were 97, according to the task force.
“They do it so quickly, it makes it difficult for them to be apprehended,” Jackson said. “They steal thousands of dollars of merchandise in a very short period of time.”
 
The latest happened Tuesday at Urban Outfitters on Ponce de Leon Avenue at North Highland Avenue. The chain declined to comment.
 
Metro Atlanta saw more than 300 incidents from 2007 to 2009, said Angelica Rodriguez, senior director of loss prevention for the National Retail Federation. The losses totaled more than $3 million, and Rodriguez said because not all incidents are reported to the organization, that is likely just the tip of the iceberg.
 
A new state law that took effect in July defined the crime and lengthened minimum sentences, ensuring that juveniles who are arrested for smash-and-grabs causing at least $500 worth of damage are subject to up to five years of custody. Adults who solicit juveniles for the crime serve between one and five years of jail time, and minimum sentences for participating adults were extended to two years.
It is still too early to know if the new laws will deter the crime, Jackson said, but she noted that the issue is a problem outside Atlanta’s city limits.
 
Smash-and-grabs happen “As far north as Dawsonville, up at the outlets . . . It’s not just an Atlanta issue, it’s an issue that affects so many businesses.”
Rodriguez, of the National Retail Federation, said thieves have moved on to department and electronics stores as boutique owners have enhanced security. Now, they also often target ATMs in grocery and convenience stores.
 
House of Adrene, on Peters Street in Castleberry Hill, had been hit several times at its old location, manager Erica Morton said. Since moving down the street in March, the store’s owner has taken measures to prevent the thefts, including locking up the denim that was a frequent target.
 
The crimes are worse in metro Atlanta than elsewhere, said John Heavener, president of the Georgia Retail Association. Jackson said that is because Atlanta has a large retail concentration and is near several highways. The stolen property can show up at flea markets, in online stores or on the street.
 
Small business owners don’t often have large security budgets, Jackson said, and are selling inventory so they can buy new inventory with their earnings. When those items are taken, they can’t pay to replenish their stock and repair the damage. Retailers hit more than once may be dropped from insurance, and Jackson said it can be impossible for a business to stay open.
 
“It’s a huge deal for retailers,” she said. “In a poor economy, you don’t want to have to pass those losses on to customers.”

If you are a retailer do not just sit back. Get involved. Join the Georgia Retail Association (GRA) and make sure your voice is heard on the smash and grab epidemic that is occurring. Prevent retail loss and retail shrinkage . You never know your store could be next.

For more information about retail shrinkage in Atlanta contact us at retail loss or call 1.770.426.0547

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Retailers see an increase in Corporate Fraud

October 8, 2010 by Leave a Comment

Most experts agree no company is immune to corporate fraud. Although all companies would love to believe they have the most honest employees, the reality of it is, they don’t.

Corporate Fraud is damaging to both the associates and the reputation of the company. Fraudsters cause millions of dollars in loss every year, and the estimates continue to rise.

I remember an employee working out of the corporate office of a beauty products company I worked for. She got herself into the mix of fraud. Befriending a vendor, the employee had control of a select line of merchandise coming into the company. After building a relationship with the vendor, she decided to push her luck. The vendor and employee partnered up and started their scheme. As the vendor pushed the merchandise, the employee inflated the purchase orders, buying more than what the company expected. The vendor delivered only what the company expected and the employee kept the additional items. These additional items were kept inside of a storage unit, rented by both the employee and vendor. Over the period of about 6 months, the two had enough merchandise to start their business. Initially, they started with a booth at a local swap meet. Realizing the possibilities of the internet, their business quickly left the swap meet scene and their new beauty endeavor started on Ebay.

These two were eventually stopped, but caused a significant loss to the company. The two initiated their scheme prior to the beauty company starting a loss prevention program. Hired as a loss prevention Investigator, I immediately saw huge issues at the store level that led me to investigate the corporate office. Shrink numbers as high as 25% told me the story of theft and inaccurate book keeping. The investigation led me to the buyers, and with the help of an additional loss prevention investigator we were able to uncover the scheme.

Corporate Fraud is damaging, no doubt about it. Having a program in place to combat the inevitable and remain profitable is the solution.

For more information contact us about corporate fraud or call 1.770.426.0547

 

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Alpha EASy Guard’e Anti Shoplifting Bottle Cap

October 7, 2010 by Leave a Comment

If your liquor store is experiencing shoplifting and “customers” opening and taking a drink then you need some new anti theft devices . For example one of the most popular targets of the shoplifting public is Grey Goose. Put an EASy Guard’e on the top of your Grey Goose bottle caps and the shoplifter will go elsewhere.

Alpha is a division of Checkpoint systems who produces the best anti shoplifting devices made

These anti theft devices fit over the top of the bottle and encase the cap and upper bottleneck in a very tough hard plastic. The top of the EASy Guard’e is clear so you can see Tax ID stamps.

The slim clear top allows for a much cleaner looking display. In will not interfere with your display. Besides being anti theft devices the EASy Guard’e will prevent customers from opening the bottle until it has been purchased.

These Checkpoint systems anti theft devices come in different sizes to insure a snug fit that provides maximum protection. They are easy to use and can only be removed by your staff with an S3 key.

The EASy Guard’e comes with either a RF or AM tag embedded inside. This non-deactivatable tag cannot be reached or damaged. The EASy Guard’e has the word “alarm” printed on the front to let the shoplifting customers know that they are playing with fire.

The new S3 EASy Guard’e combines the highest level of protection with optimal merchandise aesthetics. This sleek design is perfect for high-end displays and maximum merchandising.

Bring your liquor anti shoplifting program to new heights and start keeping your hard earned money on the bottom line.

For more information about Alpha, checkpoint systems , anti theft devices  contact us at anti shoplifting or call 1.770.426.0547

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Do you really need to do Criminal Background Checks?

October 7, 2010 by

You’re a pretty good judge of character and you consider yourself a “people person”, so why do you need to go through the trouble of a criminal background check? Well think about it, every serial killer, kidnapper or bank robber in recent history has had some neighbor who stood up on the 6 o’clock news and testified to what a nice person they seemed to be. Guess what? I bet that person worked somewhere too. A criminal background check is a good way to make sure the next subject of America’s Most Wanted isn’t sitting in the cubicle next to you.

Ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic. However, a criminal background check is an invaluable tool to help prospective employers discover possible security and safety issues before they become a liability. Sure, anyone can commit a crime but statistics state that 61% of all felons are repeat offenders. That means that, for whatever reason, if you’ve committed a crime in the past you’re far more likely to commit one again in the future. I don’t know about you but that’s not the guy/girl I want with their hand in my cash register.

There are many companies that specialize in these checks. Shop around and see which one works best for your company’s needs. Also be aware that the extent to which you, the employer, may consider someone’s criminal history in making your final decision on who to hire varies depending on which state you do business in. For this reason it is prudent for you to consult an attorney or do some research into your individual state laws before making your final decision on an applicant based on their criminal background check.

For more information contact us at Criminal Background Checks or call 1.770.426.0547

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