Work in retail long enough, and you’re bound to see a shoplifter. While good customer service will prevent many incidents, some people are so determined to nab the goods they are willing to jeopardize their safety and the safety of others to do it.
The decision to confront a shoplifter is never taken lightly, which is why retailers’ policies vary substantially. Store associates and LP staff should carefully follow their company policy and always exercise good common sense before approaching people who may be stealing.
While the role of a loss prevention officer has never been risk-free, retailers have reported seeing an increase in the aggressive behavior exhibited while confronting suspected shoplifters. When these incidents become violent, it places the safety of our employees and customers at risk. Many states allow for robbery charges to be filed when force or fear is used to commit crimes in retail stores.
Earlier this week in Pittsburgh, when a Loss Prevention associate confronted a women for stuffing dozens of DVDs in her purse and walking out the door, she pulled out a can of Mace and sprayed him. She got away, but local newspapers and television stations have been broadcasting the story so frequently, it’s my hope the woman is quickly apprehended.
And a few weeks ago, in Louisiana, a police officer was sent to the hospital after receiving injuries from a shoplifter he was trying to place in handcuffs. Dozens of stories like this happen every week in retail.
Preliminary results of the National Retail Security Survey found that merchandise theft by shoplifters accounted for $12.7 billion, or 35 percent of theft, at stores in 2008. These losses result in higher prices at the register for consumers and lack of product availability (usually the best-selling items, sizes and colors).
But why the rise in violence? Amateur shoplifters have a fear of detection and may become startled when approached by store personnel, but these people are most often cooperative and embarrassed over being caught.
The real problem comes from professional shoplifters–also called “boosters”. Not only is the number of professional shoplifters increasing, but these criminals are more dangerous and becoming more brazen. (The Pennsylvania shoplifter may very likely be a booster: she quickly grabbed 33 DVDs without paying much attention to titles, and if I had to guess, she was more likely going to resell the merchandise than put those videos in her home movie collection.) Professional shoplifters can earn a hefty paycheck by stealing and re-selling merchandise. They know that, if apprehended, they face arrest, prosecution, bail and even jail. Oftentimes, members of organized retail crime rings will stop at nothing to steal merchandise and keep from getting caught.
While retail is often a rewarding, gratifying career choice, loss prevention officers also know it comes with its own set of risks. With shoplifters becoming more aggressive, the retail community should continue to recognize the dedication and danger of those who work in the loss prevention field.
2 Comments
Joe – you are right on. I believe that the potential for violent encounters with shoplifters is greater now than ever before. Your suggested rational for why this is the case is also accurate. Economic conditions, increased violent crimes in general, relatively low-cost penalties for the crime of shoplifting, and the evolution of ORC as a “cottage industry” in some markets all contribute to the rise in shoplifting and congruent rise in violent encounters during apprehensions. All things considered, LP departments are responding but need to keep in mind the bigger picture of risk-reward. As we all know, you can’t ignore the problem of shoplifting and turn a blind eye. Conversely, it does not make good business sense to focus on shoplifters as a numbers game and invest the resources and risks in catching people stealing anything and everything. You really need to take a carefully measured approach to balancing deterrence programs with apprehensions. In general, the professional shoplifter uses deterrence measures such as public view monitors and EAS systems to plan their own strategy to steal. It does not keep them from stealing, it just causes them to steal with different techniques. Confronting a shoplifter is a risky venture and LP professionals that do so absolutely must be trained to make the safety of themselves and others a priority. Disengagement training can go a long way in this regard. In the end many retailers are not working toward eliminating shoplifting, they are just employing the same philosophy as you do when hiking in bear country with a friend. You don’t have to outrun the bear, just your friend. If your store is more difficult to steal from than the one down the street, chances are that other store will have more shoplifting than you do. A self-serving perspective, but relatively true. The solution for the industry is dependent on all the elements underway in the ORC initiatives. Information sharing, Public / Private sector partnerships and tougher penalties for professional shoplifters. Until we get there, it is a good message for all LP professionals to remember that nothing sold in the store is as valuable as a human life. Be careful and listen to your instincts.
You are right, its the professional shoplifters that we should be careful about. They sometimes have already planned how they would escape when caught, just like the girl with the mace. I have acquired a few loss prevention devices to help prevent shoplifting, but we are still vigilant, we know that they would be thinking of ways to go around the devices and unfortunately if caught, most of them would put up a fight.
I never fail to remind my loss prevention officers that no item in the shop is worth more than their personal safety.