The Bunker Blog

Fayetteville, NC has seen a significant increase in shoplifting incidents over last year, according to local police and the Fayetteville Observer.

According to data provided by police, there was a 46 percent increase in shoplifting at the city’s three Wal-Mart stores and a 74 percent increase at Cross Creek Mall. The data represent the number of shoplifting incidents reported Jan. 1 to Aug. 20 compared with the same period in 2007.

That is a huge jump. What is not clear from this story is the number of shoplifting incidents reported. For example, does that 46% represent 146 cases versus 100 last year? or does it represent something more like 4 more cases than last year? It must be pretty significant, though, because police case clearance rates on shoplifting incidents has slipped from 96% in 2007 to 85% this year. This is still not bad at all, but it does seem to indicate that the workload has increased significantly.

At any rate, Fayetteville is not alone, it would seem. Everyday I read more stories about increasing shoplifting incidents reported.  This so-called “victimless” crime is clogging up the courts, and costing retailers, and their customers, literally billions. And it’s getting worse…

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Three young ladies in Natick, MA, are facing serious charges after a bit of back-to-school shoplifting on August 31st. According to reports, Elena Shields (17), Sarah Shields (21), and Amanda Winkler (18) were arrested after being observed taking multiple items into a fitting room and then coming out with fewer items than they took in. The items were not left in the fitting room, and store loss prevention observed the girls put the merchandise into their car.
When Police arrived, they found items from several other stores in the car. All three girls were charged with larceny of property worth more than $250, receiving stolen property worth more than $250, and conspiracy to commit a crime.
It is a misconception by some shoplifters that, if they go into a fitting room to steal, they won’t be caught. Loss prevention departments are trained to observe fitting room activity and to gather the necessary information that allows them to make apprehensions, even when the shoplifter enters a fitting room to conceal the merchandise.
These girls found out the hard way that retailers are serious about protecting their merchandise from theft. They also made another critical mistake: They went to the well too many times. Like most thieves, they were greedy, and they victimized not one, but three businesses before they were caught.

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Below you will find links to two recent news stories about parents who take their kids shoplifting. I keep writing about this for two reasons: First, because it makes me angry that any parent would ever involve their kids in criminal activity of any kind; and secondly, because, according to my stats, you like to read about this. I’m not sure why that is, but I assume it makes you angry, too.

In one incident, according to police and Kohl’s Loss Prevention personnel, two women actually used their kids to conceal merchandise so they could take it outside without being noticed. I know, it’s an old scheme, and those of us in loss prevention have seen it over and over again. Still, it boils my blood to think that it’s not enough that these parenting geniuses would steal in the first place, but they involve their kids.

I have written about these incidents since I started this blog. One of the all time lows, in my book, for any parent is the case where mom and dad are so busy “getting away”, that they leave their ten year old daughter behind. Can you imagine how scared that kid must have been?

It seems like, at least once a week, there’s a new story about some so-called parent who brought their kids along an a shoplifting excursion. Some even use the kids as a distraction so they can ply their trade. The sad part is that the kids are being taught that shoplifting is okay, and even fun! It’s a game.

I’m not a big proponent of creating new laws, especially since we seem to have a hard time enforcing the ones we have, but it seems to me that we need to have special laws, with special penalties, for people who involve their kids in crime. The kids don’t have a choice, in most cases, but the parents, who are adults, do.

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Back a few years ago, I was involved in a case where one of my fellow loss prevention agents was involved in theft from our store. I must tell you, that was a rough case for me. Not only did I consider this person a friend, but I trusted him with my safety when we made apprehensions together. To find out that he was involved in stealing from our employer was a milestone for me in my career.

The issue is one of trust. Loss prevention agents and managers must conduct themselves in a way that is always above suspicion. I learned early on that all eyes are on LP, and many people look for signs that the LP team may not be as honest as they appear. Any lapses in judgment are noticed, and can bring severe consequences.

LP generally has a lot of access to many systems and areas of a retail establishment. They are the folks who make sure the merchandise is protected, and the doors are locked at closing time. When an LP agent goes bad and begins stealing, it can be a devastating blow to a store or company.

In the case I referenced above, I actually had to install a separate video system for the LP room in my store, and to run some extra cameras that were connected to this “remote” system so we could see what this rogue was doing when no one else was around. This had to be done because he was very aware of where our normal video system could and could not view, and he was very good at making subtle changes to the cameras, without disabling them, that would allow him free access to locked cages, etc, where some of the higher end electronics were secured. Since he worked a lot of closing shifts, he was the person who secured the dock doors, and who walked out with the closing manager at night. Everyone trusted him, even me.

When items began to disappear, he was the first one to begin reviewing video evidence. He complained that it was very sad that someone had found a way to access the locked rooms to gain access to the missing merchandise. He also commented on how convenient it was that the merchandise taken was just out of camera view. But, he made some mistakes, which I won’t detail here in this account. After a few days, we began to suspect him, even though I did not want to believe it.

At the direction of my manager, I placed hidden surveillance cameras in strategic areas in the store so that we could observe this LP agent’s behaviors when he worked alone, which was often. After only a few days, we got the evidence I hoped we wouldn’t get. We saw the LP agent remove the merchandise from the locked room and place it outside, using a dock door. Then, after closing, he would go to the back of the store and retrieve it.

Needless to say, he was prosecuted for felony theft. As it turned out, he pled out in court, and I never had to testify against him, although I would have. He betrayed our trust, and that was the worst part of it all.

After that, the LP department in our store was much more restricted in our access, and there were some checks and balances put in place to help deter this type of activity in the future. But, the damage was done, and we had lost some of the trust and confidence of our store team. Even though we had identified this issue and resolved it pretty quickly, the damage to our department’s image was done.

Here is another story about a loss prevention agent who was caught stealing from his employer. This guy was taking merchandise and then selling it on eBay. When LP goes bad, it is extremely difficult to rebuild trust.

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Interestingly enough, I did a search on this topic, and came up with very little in the way of results. I found links to job searches, links to specific retailers’ job postings, but very little in the way of general qualifications. That’s a shame, because in my experience, loss prevention is possibly the most underestimated profession in the retail industry. LP professionals wear so many hats, it’s amazing we can even keep up with all the things we do in a day.

So, since I have hired and trained my share of loss prevention professionals in my career, and certainly will continue to do so; here is my list of qualifications for a good loss prevention professional:

Professionalism: The first thing that any good loss prevention professional must learn is professional demeanor. I’ve seen the full spectrum, from the worst to the best, and believe me, a professional demeanor goes a long way. I’ve seen LP officers who cursed at suspects, and who made an already tense situation worse by barking at or treating suspects like they weren’t even human. On the other hand, I’ve seen LP officers diffuse potentially violent situations simply by treating the suspect respectfully and professionally throughout the incident, from the approach to time when police arrive to take over the investigation.

Presence: I am not sure this can be taught, but any good loss prevention professional must have a leadership presence. Since the LP officer must take charge of situations that very easily can become violent at any given time, the LP officer must be recognized by everyone who witnesses or assists during the incident as the person in charge. It’s a natural ability to assess a situation, and then take the necessary steps to control it safely.

Partnership: Every good loss prevention professional must also be a salesperson. No, they are not selling merchandise. Instead, they are selling ideas that reduce loss and increase awareness. They are also selling themselves as the subject matter expert on all things loss prevention in their store, market, etc. To do this, LP professionals have to build partnerships. They must gain the trust and confidence of their team members and be known by all as a good partner, who works with the team to drive the business while reducing losses.

Decision Making: The lack of good decision making skills gets a lot of otherwise good LP people into trouble. Early in my career, some 11 years ago, I was told something that stuck with me through today. It never left me, and I still use it all the time. I was told, by a mentor, to always make good business decisions. Sounds simple enough, but when you apply it to loss prevention, it takes on some new meanings. For example, sometimes the better business decision is to let the shoplifter walk away without approaching them, even though it hurts one’s pride to do so. LP officers must have the ability to recognize which decision is best for the business (store, company, etc.), and make that decision, even though our emotions may be telling us something else.

Writing Skills: This is one of my pet peaves. Reports written by LP professionals are a direct reflection of the officer, their company, and the profession in general. These reports become part of the company’s records, and in most cases, also are entered into evidence in court. That means that they are read by people, including attorneys, judges, etc. Proper grammar and spelling are essential.  Not only that, but the report needs to answer some basic questions like, “Who?, What?, When? Where? How? and Why?”. I have read way too many reports written by loss prevention officers that instead appeared to be written by second graders.

Strong Math Skills: Anybody who has spent any time in loss prevention at all will tell you that LP professionals spend a lot of time pouring over financial reports, looking for evidence of fraud and theft. A loss prevention professional must have the ability to review these reports and identify discrepencies. Strong mathematical skills are necessary, and a keen eye for variances doesn’t hurt at all.

Attention To Detail: LP is a detail profession. From audits to exception reports, the LP professional must have the ability to pay close attention to detail, and to “get it right” each and every time. When it comes to what we do, there is usually little or no room for error. The LP professional must have the “eye” for details.

Multi-Tasking: Loss prevention professionals do much more than apprehend shoplifters. They are the “jack of all trades” in retail. LP professionals are often tasked with multiple projects at one time, and are expected to accomplish them all, on time, and correctly. The LP professional must not only be able to multi-task, but must be comfortable doing so. This is a high pressure job, regardless of what the outside impression may be. If the LP professional is not comfortable taking on at least three projects at a time, then LP is probably not the right profession for them.

Patience: Loss prevention professionals who have little or no patience are doomed to fail. It takes a great deal of patience to fully develop a case from its beginning to the point when the LP professional is ready to apprehend a suspect or interview an employee for theft. Impatience causes mistakes, and mistakes lead to liability for both the LP professional and their company. Patiently going through reports and watching video to determine the facts involved in a case makes the case stronger, and alleviates the margin of error. It also builds the confidence of the LP professional in the merits of the case, thereby making it easier to obtain an admission. I have witnessed the “hurry up” methods in action, and without fail, I have seen very preventable mistakes made.

People Skills: When it comes to apprehending shoplifters, a loss prevention professional doesn’t have a prayer without very good people skills. The ability to read people and convincingly speak to them is eseential. Also, every loss prevention professional will, at some point, become an interviewer. Whether it be gathering information from a shoplifting suspect, or interviewing an employee for suspected theft or dishonesty, the LP professional must have good people skills as a basis for building interviewing skills. Communication is key, and the LP interviewer must know when to talk, what to say, and when to listen and what to observe. Of course, interviewing is an advanced skill, but without basic people skills, it is impossible to be a good interviewer.

You will notice that I didn’t include any physical traits in here at all. I know that there are those who think that LP agents must be six feet tall and very imposing figures because they are stopping shoplifters, etc. However, some of the most effective LP people I have ever known didn’t fit that bill at all. It’s a myth.

Those are the basic things I look for in a loss prevention professional. The list is by no means all-inclusive, but it does cover the basics, I think. If you think I missed something, or if you would like to add to this list, by all means, leave me a comment.

There is a book available that explains the responsibilities of the retail loss prevention agent. You can get it here.

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