anti-theft devices

Shoplifter Quick Tips

December 11, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Since you are in the middle of your Christmas selling season and do not have much spare time I wanted to give you a very brief list of important shoplifting prevention tips:

Impulse, amateur and professional shoplifters are all deterred by customer service. If you suspect shoplifting, pour on the customer service. They will get the message.

Shoplifters tend to hit when you are busy and not paying attention. Do not give them the opportunity, they will exploit it.

Some shoplifters work in teams. One person will distract as many of your staff as they can allowing their partners time to steal.

Greet EVERYONE who enters your store! Well, established studies have shown that a solid verbal greeting such as “Welcome to XXXX” WITH brief eye contact will deter most impulse shoplifters.

If you see or suspect a person has concealed your merchandise, customer service them “to death”. Try one of these:

“May I help you?”
“Can I show you a _____________ to go with (concealed item)”?
“Can I hold (concealed item) for you at the register?”
“Will this be a charge or cash sale?”
“May I ring this purchase for you?”

At checkout EVERY CUSTOMER should be asked, “Is there anything else”. There are 2 very good reasons for this question:
- Legitimate customers may remember an item they forgot. Can you say “add on” sale!?!
- Impulse and amateur shoplifters may feel anxious or guilty about what they have done. Or they may fear that you know or saw them and produce a concealed item.

I hope this helps you this season. Please let us know, if we can assist you. FYI Checkpoint Systems has just released the new N10 EAS system that fits on your door frame. We have it! It is an awesome system at an awesome price.

Happy Holidays!

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Workshop, mobile POS loss prevention, prevent shrinkage, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Using Technology To Prevent Shoplifting

December 1, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

The busiest shopping season has begun. Along the many customers you expect this holiday season, you can expect the shoplifters as well. Taking advantage of the many customers entering a store, the shoplifter sees this season as an opportunity to walk into a store and leaving with hundreds of dollars worth of merchandise without paying, and sometimes without getting stopped by security. It is difficult for a loss prevention officer to keep track of all the customers entering and leaving the store, that’s why the technology you use to protect your store from shoplifters is as important as hiring loss prevention officers in the first place. To read more about this and other topics follow the links below.

Using facial recognition to prevent shoplifting, workplace violence

Some retail stores in Kirkwood, Missouri are using facial recognition software supplied by Blue Line Technology to prevent shoplifting, according to a report by Fox2Now.

“If we recognize them as a suspicious character, we follow them around and we sort of hound them out of the store,” said Christopher Thau, the owner of a store called Christopher’s. “I hate to put it that way but that’s what we do.”

Since shoplifters often move from one store to the next, many store owners and managers help each other by distributing pictures of potential suspects.

Blue Line Technology provides facial recognition software to help police and businesses track potential threats of shoplifting.

The First Line Facial Recognition system alerts store managers regarding the presence of known shoplifters, providing advance warning for protection against shoplifting and fraud in checks and credit cards.

Blenheim businesses prepare for the shoplifting season

The festive season boom sees a surge shoplifters, shopkeepers and police say.

Shopkeepers and police are preparing for an expected surge in shoplifting during the busy festive season.

Farmers Blenheim store manager Karen Stevenson said the months of November and December were the worst time of the year for theft in department stores.

“Christmas is a bad time for it … It’s a huge problem in Blenheim.”

Police had received 23 reports of shoplifting in Marlborough since August 20.

Blenheim community constable Russ Smith said an increase in shoplifting was expected ahead of the holidays.

“Part of the reason is that stores are advertising flat out and have more stock. They’re a lot busier, the store staff are busier, and shoplifters take advantage of those factors.”

Police would patrol the Blenheim shopping district closer to Christmas in an attempt to deter shoplifters.

“That’s only part of what we do preventatively, and it’s as much to make sure people are behaving in the late nights,” Smith said.

Postie Plus Blenheim ex-employee Barbara Drummond said the size of department stores made it extremely difficult to keep an eye on customers, especially during busy times like the festive season.

Firm that teaches ‘life skills’ to suspected shoplifters extorts them, suit alleges

Debra Black insists she is “not a thief.”

She says she rolled her electric wheelchair out of the Goodwill Industries store in Tustin after inadvertently neglecting to pay for a few items. The pack of purple napkins, headband and small purse came to $6.97.

But once a security guard stopped her that day in March 2013, things got heated. Black, 64, said she was frightened into signing a confession and agreeing to complete a six-hour “life skills” course and pay a Utah company $500.

When Black did not pay, she received multiple calls and letters from Corrective Education Co., including this final warning: “Contact us immediately to prevent the filing of a criminal complaint.”

Black unsuccessfully sued the firm, which refers to itself as CEC, along with Monument Security Inc., contending they were debt collectors that had violated laws governing that industry.

On Monday, the San Francisco city attorney weighed in, filing a new lawsuit that alleges CEC’s practices violate the California business and professions code and amount to extortion and false imprisonment.

The suit seeks civil penalties as well as restitution for every Californian who has paid into the program. About 20,000 accused shoplifters are believed to have participated nationwide.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, surveillance

Employee Theft Can Create Managerial Burnout

November 16, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

It’s no secret that employee theft in retail stores continues to rise. The amount of lost revenue is in the billions. There are many articles, memos, reports and studies about its affect on the bottom line. But, equally important, and less talked about, is the cost of employee theft on their managers.

Many managers say that “being betrayed” by employees who steal is “the last straw”. This last straw is the one that puts them “over the edge”, which creates burnout. Some of the symptoms of burnout are apathy, anger and unhappiness. Unfortunately, if a supervisor doesn’t recognize and deal with these symptoms a cycle starts.

She starts to resent the employees and dislike her job. The resentment spreads to upper management, customers, vendors and peers. Everyone reacts to her resentment with their own anger. Inevitably, the resentment causes bad behavior or acting out, which leads to an unending process of more hurt feelings and acting out.

The store becomes one of those stores – we’ve all been in them – where everyone has a bad attitude. By the time they’re that toxic it becomes difficult, if not impossible, to sort out whose “fault” the problems are, because both management and employees are responsible.

This cycle usually starts with supervisors who expect and want their employees to have personal relationships with them. They see the workplace as a social situation and the employees as friends. They want everyone to be “one big happy family”. When, not if, an employee is caught stealing he’s seen as a disloyal, unfaithful friend.

The manager’s resulting feeling of betrayal is a personal response, rather than a professional one. Personal response – How could he do that to me, after all I did for him? I treated him like a friend/family member. Professional response – This is disappointing. But, it just goes to show that you can never tell.

Employee theft will continue to be a major problem in retail. A smart, emotionally balanced manager will not take it personally, nor let it create a cycle of burnout. Establishing and keeping a boundary between work and home is a part of good mental health.

Nicole Abbott is a writer, business consultant and psycho-therapist with over 20 years of experience in the fields of mental health, business and addiction. She’s an educator, coach, lecturer, trainer and facilitator – who has conducted over 200 workshops, trainings, presentations, college classes and seminars.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, loss prevention, Prevent Shoplifting, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices

Do you have a Business “Go Kit”?

November 11, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

Many folks have go kits set up so that in the event of a storm, natural disaster or civil disturbance, they can grab their family and the Go Kit and be covered. Personal Go Kits tend to have copies of documents such as drivers licenses, birth certificates, passports, deeds…. But Go Kits can also include items to survive such as water, food, medicines, flashlights, a weapon…. These concepts used to be confined to those among us that are expecting a doom’s day interruption or ending to our society.

However, with the complexity of our society come other issues. How would you easily prove that a house belongs to you, if the area was damaged beyond recognition? Say a hurricane, flood, wild fire or earthquake? What happens if the official records are also lost? Are you going to depend on others to put your life back together again?

The same applies to your business. How will you prove to your insurance company that your inventory is valued at $XXXX if your records all disappear in a fire? The same applies to payroll records and the like. You need to have a BUSINESS Go Kit!

Thankfully this is simpler than you may think. Consider keeping your data files in a cloud environment that has multiple backups on servers that are located in multiple locations around the US. If they are on one server located in New Orleans or Miami, I would re-think that strategy. We use Google’s cloud. It costs us $5/month per employee and the redundant backups are on five separate servers in five different geographical locations in the United States.

Scan in important documents such as business licenses, insurance documents, titles, vendor documents, etc. Put them in your cloud. That way you have access wherever you are. It might be a good idea to put photos of your business, inventory, equipment and more on there, every six months or annually. Have your backups of accounting data such as Quick Books reside their also. All of this plus payroll records, taxes and more could be rebuilt but why would you want to take the time to do this when it is simply a matter of changing your habits?

Oh but “it will never happen to me” or “I will get to that tomorrow” are favorite phrases we all like to use to put something off that we know should be done. It will happen to you and it will happen “tomorrow”. An earthquake may never threaten your business but then again a data loss, PC crash probably will.

Unless you are wealthy beyond belief, then like the rest of us that are not, we depend on our business to provide for our families and life style. We will need to restore that cash flow in the quickest manner possible and with the least amount of effort to get there. Your business Go Kit will help make that happen.

It is also a good idea to keep a few extra cases of water, blankets, candles and canned soup on hand. I may be miserable but being warm, having a full stomach and a little light to read by will make it a little less miserable.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, POS ROI, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, shoplifting, Shoplifting Prevention, shoplifting statistics, shoplifting violence, surveillance

Shoplifting, Technology And The Customer’s Privacy

November 11, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

For many retail stores the holiday season is a time when they see a huge jump in sales, and profits hopefully follow. For many of those same stores, the problem of shoplifting is something they have to deal more than ever during this time of year. Billions of dollars are lost due to this crime and stores spend a lot of time and money to combat shoplifting. So, what are some of these big retailers doing this holiday season to combat this crime? Follow the links below to read more about this topic.

Walmart’s Use of Sci-fi Tech To Spot Shoplifters Raises Privacy Questions

Retailers are scanning shoppers with high-tech tools to automatically pick out suspected thieves, absent rules to protect privacy.

In the old days, when a store caught someone stealing, a detective would march the thief to a backroom and take his picture with a Polaroid camera. The photo would be added to the retailer’s in-house rogues gallery to help store security keep an eye out for bad guys.

But earlier this year, Walmart WMT -0.70% showed how times have changed. It tested a system that scanned the face of everyone entering several of its stores, identified suspected shoplifters, and instantly alerted store security on their mobile devices.

The potential of such facial recognition technology has been discussed for years. But now some stores are actually using it.

Shoplifting – is it worth the price? | Your legal corner

The holiday season is quickly approaching as we begin to plan our Thanksgiving feast. Yes, families will gather around the Thanksgiving table and give thanks once again for the blessings received throughout the year. For many, Thanksgiving will also be the official start of the holiday shopping season.

Don’t ruin your holiday season by attempting to shoplift. A moment of weakness is not worth the ultimate price. Shoplifting cannot only put a damper on your holidays but the penalties imposed may follow you around for the rest of your life.

Types of Shoplifting

Shoplifting can take many forms. Most people believe shoplifting is limited to removing merchandise from a store. However, just concealing merchandise may be considered shoplifting. Or, what if you simply switch or alter a price tag? This also may be considered evidence of your intent to steal and is considered shoplifting.

Legendary jewel thief caught trying to swipe earrings — at age 85!

Cops nabbed an international jewel thief who was allegedly up to her very old tricks again at an Atlanta department store.

Security personnel at a Saks Fifth Avenue store spotted 85-year-old Doris Payne — who’s been stealing pricey jewels for over half a century — on video trying to swipe a $690 pair of earrings, Atlanta Police said.

The sticky-fingered 5-foot-1, 110-pound woman was found some time later at a shopping mall next door with the earrings in her pocket, authorities said.

She was taken into custody and charged with shoplifting.

Payne, who was still in the Fulton County jail on Tuesday, was the subject of a 2013 documentary titled “The Life and Crimes of Doris Payne.”

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Training, Loss Prevention Workshop, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security devices

You Can’t Afford to Ignore Employee Theft

October 14, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

People like to believe that the hard work, dedication and sacrifice that goes into starting and building a business will be rewarded, but that’s not always the case. It’s sad to see a business fail, especially when an owner has put a lot of time, energy and money into it.

It’s particularly troubling when the reason for the failure is employee theft or occupational fraud (stealing money, property and time). Occupational fraud accounts for about 30% of small business closures per year (U.S. Department of Commerce). It’s destructive to them because they’re unable to absorb the losses created by the fraud.

The 2014 Global Fraud Study “Report to the Nations on Occupational Fraud and Abuse” estimated the average small business loses about 5% of revenue each year to fraud (The Association of Certified Fraud Examiners). When they have small margins 5% can be the difference between profit or loss — the difference between remaining open or closing the doors.

Most owners don’t think their employees are stealing from them. They believe their workers are more honest and loyal than the average. If they do suspect theft they ignore it by rationalizing “it’s not much”. They assume the statistics are because of the other guy’s workers, who must be taking a lot from him.

Unfortunately, that’s not a valid assumption. There have been many studies, done over decades, about employee dishonesty and the results are interesting — as well as disheartening. Depending on the study, 75% — 85% of people admit that they have in the past, are currently or will in the future steal time, money or property from their work place.

One of the constants, in the studies, is the conclusion that how an employee is treated doesn’t have much to do with whether they commit fraud or not. They’ll take from a boss who they like as well as from one who they don’t. Some of those 30% of business who failed were run by nice guys. No small business owner can afford to ignore occupational fraud.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, Background checks, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Prevent Shoplifting, prevent shrinkage

After Dark Is Not Just For Vampires

October 8, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

For Retailers there are a number of scary things that happen when the sun goes down. As we get into fall it becomes darker, earlier. This can become problematic for us. We have issues that get magnified with darkness that concerns employee/customer safety and the safety and security of our businesses. There are the usual concerns of employees walking to their cars after closing and the like. I want to bring up some that you may have not considered.

Employees – Are you taking your deposit after closing? Night makes this a much more dangerous task. Consider changing this to mid-day. Take it at lunch time. Lock the deposit into the safe overnight. Then take it during the day when there is less risk. Safes are not very expensive. $400 will get you a decent safe. Bolt it to the floor so someone does not steal the safe. When you take the deposit to the bank conceal it in something other than the bank bag. Let’s not make it too obvious.

Robbery – Many of us never discuss this with our folks, we should. What is your plan? Do they understand that their safety and the safety of your customers trump everything else? If you are not sure what you should do or say, contact us. I can send you a draft policy and some materials you can use (free of charge and I am not going to try to sell you anything).

Customer and Employee Safety – Yes you could be liable for something that happens while on your property. This includes your parking lot. Even if you are leasing in a strip center. If there are lights out in the parking lot or if it is poorly lit then do or say something. An email to the management company or property owner will put them on notice that you have a concern. If you have control, get it fixed. If there are people hanging around that you are uncomfortable with, then contact the Police. Ask to meet with a Sgt. or Lt. over your area. They would rather prevent an issue than deal with the results. If the department has public business meetings, you should attend. This will give you information on crime trends in your area and ideas on how to combat them.

Speaking of the Police, have you taken the time to make acquaintances with the Police Officers working your area? Do they know that you always have a cup of coffee available and want their presence in your store? Do they know that you encourage and support their efforts? A uniform officer and a patrol car in the area of your business goes a long ways to preventing problems.

As a former Police Officer, I can tell you that these things mean a lot to them. The majority of contact they have with people is with criminals and victims. Normally they do not see the rest of us as we are not their normal “customers”. Especially in today’s times a kind word, show of support and asking for their opinion and guidance mean a lot to them. Do this enough and when you really do need them, They will be responding to the face of a person they know instead of an address.

Remember, those Officers, their spouses and friends are also your potential customers.

Shoplifters – Remember that shoplifters need one thing to ply their craft: concealment. Even if you have a Checkpoint System make sure that your store is brightly lit, that there are no hidden spots that make a shoplifter feel warm and fuzzy about concealing merchandise. Make sure that your folks fully understand your vision of customer service. Staff that display good customer service skills will shut off most impulse shoplifters. Consequently good customer service skills are not just a tool for sales but a weapon against shoplifting.

Customers that have Checkpoint Systems that LPSI installed can always schedule a free, live on-line shoplifting seminar. We are happy to help. October is a great time to schedule this before the holiday season gets in full swing. This will help raise your staff’s shoplifting awareness for the holidays.

Let us know, if we can help you get ready for your holiday selling season!

TAKING CARE OF THE PEOPLE WHO TAKE CARE OF YOU – HOW TO MOTIVATE YOUR LP TEAM

October 7, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I’ve had the pleasure of running the most productive team of LP agents in our company for quite some time. My team of 10, who cover markets across the Southeast, consistently make solid cases day in, and day out. Not too long ago, my peers put me on the spot at a regional meeting and asked what makes my team so successful. We have the same number of people in markets like Houston and Atlanta, who don’t have the number of cases that we do. So what’s the secret to success?

Hire the right person

From the time I have an opening, I look for the perfect candidate. I actively go out and recruit when time permits. I’ll reach out to my industry peers and find out who their top performers are… and not so shamelessly try to lure them away. I have never once settled for a “warm body” hire, as I see all too often in our stores. I not only need someone who can catch a thief and build cases, I need someone who can work alone, who has a strong work ethic and can build partnerships with stores teams, managers and local law enforcement.

Pay for performance

When you find that right person, don’t let a few dollars come in the way of a great hire. Money is a great motivator and in this field, you get what you pay for. Spending that extra payroll can pay off for you in the long run. This assures that you are getting someone who will be dedicated to their job in addition to being less likely to go rogue and cause you a potential lawsuit. Remember, you can get a job flipping burgers for $10/Hr. is that the quality person you want on your team?

Training

I don’t care how much experience someone has. When they come to my team, they all get the same amount of training. I often hear store managers say that “they don’t have time to train new store employees.” That makes me cringe. Without proper training, you are setting a new hire up to fail. I personally provide the first 2 weeks of training to all my new hires. Yep, I scrub down to a t-shirt and shorts and work the floor, just like the old glory days. After that 2 weeks, I have them shadow 2 of my top performers for another 2 weeks each. 6 weeks of training altogether before they are ever released on their own. There is always time to train.

Set expectations

Time and attendance. Cases. Personal code of conduct. Interaction with managers/law enforcement. All these areas need to have certain expectations set in stone. I expect my team to arrive to work on time each day. I expect them to make solid cases each week and I expect them to conduct themselves in a professional manner at all times when interacting with anyone on behalf of the company. This also includes shoplifting suspects. When someone on my team fails to meet those standards, you can bet your paycheck they will be called out on it. I don’t accept sub-par performance in any job category; neither should you.

Motivate, Motivate, Motivate

I can’t stress that enough. A productive team is a motivated one. Find ways to get your team motivated. For me, the simplest, yet most effective method I’ve found is free food. My top performer each month gets a $30 gift card to the restaurant of their choice. I also find the time to spend at least a few hours each month with my team and when possible, buy them lunch. Twice a year we’ll do a cookout as well. I’m telling you, free food is a motivator. Try it out.

Aside from free food☺, I find that calling out great performance motivates everyone. Just last week, one of my agents made a $1,500 shoplifting stop. I publicly recognized him for his work and 2 more of my agents made $1k stops that week. Would they have made those stops anyway? Maybe? What I can tell you is that there exists this atmosphere of friendly competition amongst my team. Seeing their peer get recognized undoubtedly made them more focused in order to gain that notoriety as well. Just as you call out the bad, always call out the good.

Communication

This is my “cliché” for a successful LP team, but it holds water. Each week we all get on a conference call and talk about the previous week. I’ll let each one of them talk about their apprehensions and what they could’ve done better during each case. This is also an opportunity for me to bring up any concerns I have, company initiatives coming out, or any other house cleaning that I need to speak to. This is also a great time to discuss new trends and big time boosters that we need to focus on. If you’re not speaking with your team regularly, then you’re leaving valuable information on the table.

Weekends/scheduling

We’re retail. We’re busier after 4 and on the weekends. Does that mean you have to work your team a closing shift every night and every single weekend? No. (I heard the collective gasp.) Remember I told you my team is the most productive in our company. Guess what? They only work 1 ½ weekends a month. That’s right. I schedule them to work one weekend and one additional weekend day. During the busier holiday times, we might increase that a little bit, but it’s important to keep those in there to prevent burn out. I give them a free extra weekends off, they give me plenty of shoplifters. I have no complaints. I also don’t schedule them the same mid/closing shifts every day. I vary from openings, mids and at least one close per week. Again, I try to prevent the burnout of working a close every Friday, or all day every Saturday.

You’ve more than likely heard plenty of these before, however applying them to your LP team can be highly beneficial. We have to remember that those we employ are put in incredibly stressful and often potentially violent situations each and every day. The idea that they get up and are happy to come to work each day is a true testament to their character. I had a boss a long time ago tell me that employees are people first and employees second. You take care of the people who take care of you. Those two lines are how I run my team and it’s never let me down.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha Nano Gate, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, internal Audit, Loss Prevention Seminar, Loss Prevention Workshop, Periodic inventory, prevent shrinkage

The Habitual Shoplifter

September 25, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

According to the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) there is no profile of a typical shoplifter.

And while three quarters of the shoplifters are adults, the rest are under age persons. Men and women shoplift equally, and more than three quarters of the shoplifting done in the United States is considered opportunistic. Habitual shoplifters, which according to the NASP steal an average of 1.6 times per week, employee theft and organized shoplifting rings are a major concern for the retail industry, and the cause of billions of dollars of loses.

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

Habitual Shoplifters are an International Concern

Shoplifting and other forms of retail theft cost retailers tens of billions of dollars each year. As a result retail leadership has learned to recognize the value of a well-trained management staff and a professional loss prevention department. We have learned to drive operational efficiency, and ensure that controls are in place and adhered to throughout the organization. We have learned the value of deterrence, limiting the desires and the opportunities for theft and other losses by integrating loss prevention concepts with retail practices. We have embraced a belief in training and awareness as being at the heart of a successful loss prevention program.

Despite our best efforts, there will always be those that will test our resolve. For those retail loss prevention professionals that must deal with shoplifters every day, we are trained to recognize that a shoplifter can look like anyone—shoplifters are not bound by gender, race, creed, or social standing. Professionals are trained to identify patterns of behavior and must follow strict protocols before shoplifting suspects can even be approached. There are well-defined principles that guide our decisions, and clear steps that must be followed before an apprehension is made.

But there are times when specific individuals will draw our immediate attention. Based on well-established patterns of previous behavior, the habitual thief—those that are known to have stolen from us on multiple occasions in the past—deserve our efforts and focus. While not a definitive indicator of future intentions, their presence in the store warrants priority consideration.

Teton Village Sports shoplifters arrested

TETON COUNTY, Wyoming –

Two suspects in a recent shoplifting were arrested after they returned to the same store wearing the clothing the store managers say they stole.

On Saturday at 10:24 AM the Teton County Sheriff’s Office received a call from an employee of Teton Village Sports reporting that the suspects from a shoplifting incident earlier that week were back in the store. They were reported to be even wearing the same clothes they had been wearing when captured on surveillance video earlier.

Teton County Sheriff’s Office deputies, who were patrolling the area, arrived within seconds and positively identified the suspects as those wanted for the original crime. The deputies say that the suspects were in the process of victimizing the store for the second time.

Filed Under: Shoplifting Prevention Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Alpha Spider Wrap, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, employee background checks, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, Loss Prevention Seminar, Retail Anti Theft Devices, Shoplifting Prevention

Retail Burglar Alarm System Considerations

September 8, 2015 by Staff Editor Leave a Comment

I thought I would provide you with information to assist you in making decisions regarding the purchase or maintenance of a security system for your property. The information provided will help cut though the “fog” of choices regarding alarm systems.

I have over 35 years of experience in both commercial and military property protection. My Bachelor’s Degree is in Industrial Security and my knowledge includes physical security, design of alarm solutions and installation. I am also a licensed alarm tech.

When selecting a security system for a commercial space, you do not have to spend a great deal of money. However, you need to be cautious of putting in a system that is so inexpensive that you are really only getting a false sense of security. If you purchase smart, you will have a good system that will last for years and provide excellent coverage at a very reasonable price.

Choosing a provider – There are so many choices that it is usually overwhelming. Ranging from large national chains to single man shops. What is the best? Well, there is no answer that fits everyone. But you should consider the following:

How reliable is the company? How long have they been in business?

With large national chains, you tend to be just a number despite their advertising claims.

With some small operations you have to be concerned, if they will be there next year.

Generally regional chains and smaller operations are going to be more attentive to your needs.

Be VERY cautious of alarm sales people. Most of the time they are focused on quota and really do not care, if you are properly protected or not. Most do not have practical knowledge of physical security, they are salesmen. Make sure you get what is best for you not for the sales person who is trying to make quota and/or selling you components that are add-ons you really do not need.

How long is the contract? 5 years is WAY too long of a term. A good contract length is 2-3 years. Remember, if they cannot hold you with good performance and service, they will tend to try to get a longer contract. Length of contract is negotiable even with large companies. Besides where will you be in 5 years? Will your company have outgrown your current space and you have to move? An assurance of “oh if you move we will move with you” may sound great but what if they have done a poor job? Do you want to continue that relationship?

Watch out for companies that have wording in their contract that automatically raise your monitoring charge usually on an annual basis. Many times it is explained away as a “cost of living” type charge. It is just an underhanded way to get more money out of you.

I will discuss equipment later in this document but keep this in mind: A trick that the large companies do, is sell you the alarm control. But it is proprietary and THEY are the only company that can program it. This keeps you locked into them forever. No one else can monitor or service it. Insist on a NON-Proprietary alarm control.

Are they insured? Get a copy of the insurance and insist on an updated copy every year. Better yet have them list you on their policy. Is their coverage adequate for a loss due to their negligence? Keep in mind that alarm companies are NOT insurers. They will not insure your life or property losses. That is what your insurance is for. But if they make a serious error or commit Errors and Omissions (E&O), you need them to cover their mistake. Have your insurance agent review the coverage document provided to you. Do this up front. Like my Attorney says to me “Let’s get the paperwork right at the beginning because I have never seen anyone wear their wedding dress to the divorce”.

Are they licensed? Check the Secretary of States web site. Are they properly licensed for low-voltage alarms, are there complaints….?

System Design – Unless you want a lot of bells and whistles you can keep It pretty simple. Here are the key items you should have:

Alarm Control (brains of the system). See above about proprietary vs non-proprietary.

Alarm Keypad near the front door. This is how you arm and disarm the system. In my experience a keypad with an “alpha” display is best. This usually costs a bit more but instead of it displaying a zone number such as “Zone 08” it will for example say “Back Door Left”. This is much easier to deal with when there is a problem. And there will be a problem usually late at night when you need clear information. If you also access your suite from several doors, then you want a keypad at each door for your convenience.

Door Contacts. Contact every exterior door both personnel and overhead doors whether you use them or not. They are a “hole” in your wall.

Glass Break Detectors should cover EVERY bit of your glass that is accessible. This is the most likely way a burglar will break in. Usually one glass break detector in every office with any windows will take care of it.

Motion Detectors. You should have at least one. This should be in a hallway or other area that would make it very difficult for someone to move very far without tripping it. You do not need to cover every square foot. That is overkill and not generally necessary. The exception would be, if you have very valuable supplies, equipment or other assets you need protecting. Then a motion detector covering that area is warranted.

Fire Protection is a nice thing to add. This may help reduce your insurance premiums. Keep in mind that you may be in a building that has a sprinkler system. What you should ask is that sprinkler system “monitored by a central station” or is it simply going to ring an outside bell if activated. From a fire perspective you want it monitored. However, what happens if there is a water flow in the middle of the night or on the weekend and no one discovers it until business hours? Monitoring will keep your losses in merchandise and structure more limited.

Burglary sirens are nice but do not go crazy. One siren on the inside is enough. Keep in mind that almost every keypad has a built in siren.

Automatic Testing – This is one of the most overlooked issues. If your alarm system is not checking in with the alarm companies central station on a routine basis then how would you ever know if it stops working? This happens a lot! Alarm systems are electronic and mechanical devices that do break. An electrical surge from a phone line connection or 110 Volt power happens very frequently. If your systems communications go down you may never know it. It will not show up on the keypad.

Look for a “Supervised, Weekly Timer/Test”. This is an automated signal that your alarm control is programed to send every week at the exact same time. The central station computer is watching for this signal and if it does receive it then the central station computer notifies an operator and they then notify you. This process is all automated and normally is programed to happen in the middle of the night. The central station will then notify you the next day during business hours. If you are really concerned, then you may wish to select a daily timer/test signal.

Timer/Test signals are very inexpensive to you and many companies provide a weekly one free of charge.

Notification of an Alarm – This is the call list that the central station uses to get a hold of you in the event of an emergency or a problem. They cannot help you, if they cannot reach you. Keep this list up to date. Some of the better alarm companies can send you an automated email several times a year with your current call list. This reminder helps you to keep the list current. The problem with a call list is that it is out of sight, out of mind. Without these reminders you usually do not know until there is a problem. You should also have the alarm company send you an automated e-mail whenever there is an event such as an alarm, timer/test fail, maintenance problem…. Those should also be included in your service at no charge.

Reports – Another often overlooked feature is an open/close report. Your alarm company can program your alarm control to instantly send a signal to the central station each time the system is armed or disarmed. Your system tells the central station which employee armed/disarmed and at what date/time. A summary report is sent to you once a week by e-mail. You should tell them you want an “all activity” report. This should not cost any more. That way you will also see alarms, troubles…. In addition to the opens/closes. This is much easier for you to read. Most of us only need a “log only” report. The log only version is less expensive because there is no intervention by a central station operator.

This report is a very important tool for business owners and managers. It will let you know who is coming in and when which is a good tool to assist you in tracking employee time when you are not there. It will also alert you to someone coming in after hours. Use this report as a proactive tool. If something falls outside the norm then question the employee about it. This lets them know you are aware and will help to prevent issues such as employee theft.

Alarm System Codes – Every employee should have their own code. Employees should not be allowed to share codes. Tell your employees that they are accountable for what happens with their code. If a theft or incident occurs because they gave their code to someone or someone saw the code, then they will be held accountable. Codes should never be simple such as-1234, 2468, a year, birth month/year combination, phone number…. Anything obvious. You might try using a person’s last four digits of their SSN. People tend to protect that number. Let them know that if their code is compromised for any reason, they must notify you and you will simply change it.

Transmission via cellular or internet – I personally love this feature. Most of the problems with alarm systems involve phone line issues. I think cellular is best. A cellular signal cannot be blocked due to a cut phone line or phone company trouble. Most alarm system cellular units hit at least two towers and many times three. Cellular connections are VERY fast. It is also more reliable than your voice cell service.

You can also send signals via the internet. This is nice because like cellular you eliminate a hard wired phone line and is more economical. But an internet connection is vulnerable to interruption and being cut just like a phone line.

There are a lot of other great services that your alarm company can provide you to fit your individual needs: supervised open/close reports, wireless sensors, video tied to the alarm system, remote connectivity to your alarm system via PC, tablet or smart phone and much more. This allows you to access your alarm or view video anywhere in the world. Many of these are not only convenient but critical in business and asset protection.

Filed Under: Featured Tagged With: Alpha 2 Alarm, Alpha 3 Alarm, Alpha High Theft Solutions, Alpha Jewel Lok, Alpha Nano Gate, Alpha Security, Anti-shoplifting training, anti-theft devices, anti-theft tags, anti-thefts devices, EAS Devices, Employee Theft, Georgia Alarms systems, Georgia shoplifting prevention, Georgia shoplifting systems, internal Audit, Loss Prevention Seminar, Retail Anti Theft Devices, retail security and monitoring, security, security devices, surveillance