Clothing Security- 3 WC Blog 212
Clothing Security Tags-3
Checkpoint Tags-5
Checkpoint Tags Eliminated Need To Chase Shoplifters
Chasing shoplifters has become taboo in the retail industry as companies have determined the risks to employees, as well as the shoplifters are too great. There was a time though, when there were few rules governing pursuit and I was fortunate to have worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store when it was still permitted. I will say, in hindsight and the benefit of years of wisdom, chasing is not smart, no merchandise is more valuable than someone’s well-being and safety. That said, those chases sometimes resulted in some funny stories. I had one incident when a young man decided to steal a ball cap or a couple of ball caps from our store. I don’t recall how many he was taking for sure. We had clothing security tags on some of our clothes but at that point, we had not started tagging baseball hats and he tried to take advantage of it.
To clarify for some readers who may be new to retail or merchandise protection, clothing security tags come in a variety of types and styles. There are some manufacturers that provide clothing security by incorporating electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags in their manufacturer hang tags. Frequently, Checkpoint Tags are used for this because of their reliability to activate EAS antennas when someone tries to sneak tagged items out of a store. Checkpoint Tags also come in hard tag designs that are easily seen and deter theft because shoplifters know that they will activate antennas. They also know how difficult clothing security hard tags are to defeat and remove from merchandise. Generally, tampering with these types of tags damages merchandise and renders them unserviceable. Checkpoint Tags of all types provide retailers with security against theft and therefore aid in increasing the profits of a store.
As I mentioned, the young man in this situation was looking at ball caps and I was watching him on closed circuit television because he was in an area of the store where shortage was high. When he decided on a hat(s) he did the usual shoplifter moves of looking around and up at the ceiling. I’ve never understood the looking at the ceiling because you can’t see the camera inside the dome, but that is a story for another time. When the shoplifter apparently felt it was safe, he pulled off the manufacturer tags not knowing if they had Checkpoint tags in them I suppose, and hid the hat(s) under his shirt. I left the office and followed him as he exited the store. I identified myself to him, told him I wanted to talk to him about the hat under his shirt and he decided to run. “Here we go again!” I thought as I took off after him. I chased my culprit across a street to a restaurant where he stopped and sat down on the sidewalk. He decided he was too tired and out of breath to continue…I could sympathize, I was pretty tired too. I put him in a control position so he couldn’t run anymore before the police arrived. While we waited I asked if he had anything on him that he wouldn’t want the police to find. He said he did and asked if he could hide it under the newspaper rack next to him. I told him that was fine with me. He pulled out a scale used for weighing marijuana and hid it under the rack. When the police arrived they handcuffed the suspect, and I told them about the scale the suspect had hidden. They pulled it out and added a charge of possessing drug paraphernalia to his shoplifting crime. The suspect looked at me in disbelief and said, “I thought you said I could hide it!” I reminded him I did allow him to hide it, I kept my word, I just never said I wouldn’t tell the police where it was. I was always careful about what I would tell a shoplifter and I would never promise what I couldn’t or wouldn’t deliver.
As our company expanded the use of clothing security on merchandise, eventually we did find a clothing security tag that we used on baseball hats. As we did use them, the theft in that department dropped dramatically. Try them out yourself and see the benefits of using clothing security tags and more specifically, Checkpoint tags to prevent shoplifting. They can also prevent the need to chase a thief!
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Chasing shoplifters has become taboo in the retail industry as companies have determined the risks to employees, as well as the shoplifters are too great. There was a time though, when there were few rules governing pursuit and I was fortunate to have worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store when it was still permitted. I will say, in hindsight and the benefit of years of wisdom, chasing is not smart, no merchandise is more valuable than someone’s well-being and safety. That said, those chases sometimes resulted in some funny stories. I had one incident when a young man decided to steal a ball cap or a couple of ball caps from our store I don’t recall how many he was taking for sure. We had clothing security tags on some of our clothes but at that point, we had not started tagging baseball hats and he tried to take advantage of it.
To clarify for some readers who may be new to retail or merchandise protection, clothing security tags come in a variety of types and styles. There are some manufacturers that provide clothing security by incorporating electronic article surveillance (EAS) tags in their manufacturer hang tags. Frequently, Checkpoint Tags are used for this because of their reliability to activate EAS antennas when someone tries to sneak tagged items out of a store. Checkpoint Tags also come in hard tag designs that are easily seen and deter theft because shoplifters know that they will activate antennas. They also know how difficult clothing security hard tags are to defeat and remove from merchandise. Generally, tampering with these types of tags damages merchandise and renders them unserviceable. Checkpoint Tags of all types provide retailers with security against theft and therefore aid in increasing the profits of a store.
As I mentioned, the young man in this situation was looking at ball caps and I was watching him on closed circuit television because he was in an area of the store where shortage was high. When he decided on a hat(s) he did the usual shoplifter moves of looking around and up at the ceiling. I’ve never understood the looking at the ceiling because you can’t see the camera inside the dome, but that is a story for another time. When the shoplifter apparently felt it was safe, he pulled off the manufacturer tags not knowing if they had Checkpoint tags in them I suppose, and hid the hat(s) under his shirt. I left the office and followed him as he exited the store. I identified myself to him, told him I wanted to talk to him about the hat under his shirt and he decided to run. “Here we go again!” I thought as I took off after him. I chased my culprit across a street to a restaurant where he stopped and sat down on the sidewalk. He decided he was too tired and out of breath to continue…I could sympathize, I was pretty tired too. I put him in a control position so he couldn’t run anymore before the police arrived. While we waited I asked if he had anything on him that he wouldn’t want the police to find. He said he did and asked if he could hide it under the newspaper rack next to him. I told him that was fine with me. He pulled out a scale used for weighing marijuana and hid it under the rack. When the police arrived they handcuffed the suspect, and I told them about the scale the suspect had hidden. They pulled it out and added a charge of possessing drug paraphernalia to his shoplifting crime. The suspect looked at me in disbelief and said, “I thought you said I could hide it!” I reminded him I did allow him to hide it, I kept my word, I just never said I wouldn’t tell the police where it was. I was always careful about what I would tell a shoplifter and I would never promise what I couldn’t or wouldn’t deliver.
As our company expanded the use of clothing security on merchandise, eventually we did find a clothing security tag that we used on baseball hats. As we did use them, the theft in that department dropped dramatically. Try them out yourself and see the benefits of using clothing security tags and more specifically, Checkpoint tags to prevent shoplifting. They can also prevent the need to chase a thief!
Need information on Checkpoint Tags? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Pre-employment Screening- 5 WC Blog 193
Background Check Company-5
Interviewing Skills Are Not Enough; Employee Background Checks Can
Prevent Poor Hiring Choices Part 2
In part 1 I discussed how employers think they can rely on their interview skills in order to try to find the best candidate for a job (and not do so well). I also talked about how an employer might need specific job skills or certifications for a position they wish to fill and how a Background Check Company can verify training, schooling and certifications. In part 2 of this article, I want to discuss the advantages that a Background Check Company may offer that can help you avoid asking the wrong interview questions and still get the information you need.
A Background Check Company is one that can investigate a potential new employee through a pre-employment screening and validate information they have provided in a job application or on a resume. Business owners may not have the expertise to ask the necessary questions that will lead to making a sound hiring decision. A Background Check Company can confirm employment dates an applicant has listed for a prior job. If your potential new hire will be working with financial transactions, a pre-employment screening can reveal if a candidate has liens or bankruptcies or judgements against him/her. Such revelations could determine if this might be a red flag issue for you. There are a significant number of areas a properly completed background check can validate or disprove an applicant’s claims.
If you are unfamiliar with procedures and guidelines for hiring employees and conducting interviews, you could easily ask interview questions that could lead to discrimination lawsuits even if your intent was harmless. For example, you might be curious as to whether the applicant was in the military because you served. You might be interested in where they have lived in the past because you enjoy travelling. Perhaps the applicant seems to be your age and you are curious to know about their age. All of these questions could be harmless in your mind, but at the same time illegal to ask.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “As a general rule, the information obtained and requested through the pre-employment process should be limited to those essential for determining if a person is qualified for the job; whereas information regarding race, sex, national origin, age and religion are irrelevant in such determinations.” The specifics on the website can be unclear and so organizations have made lists of questions they say should not be asked by employers during an interview.
According to Prairie View A&M, on pvamu.edu, below is a list of questions that they say may not be asked during an interview:
• Questions regarding foreign addresses which would intentionally or unintentionally indicate national origin
• Whether applicant owns or rents home or lives in an apartment
• Names and relationships of persons with whom applicant resides
• “How old are you?”
• Birth Date
• “Have you ever been arrested?”
• Whether other members of the applicant’s family are U.S. citizens
• “Of what country are you a citizen?”
• Require proof of citizenship prior to employment
• Questions regarding national, race or religious affiliation of schools attended
• Names and addresses of applicant’s relatives
Other areas that one must be careful when inquiring about include organizations an applicant may belong to, military disciplinary action they may have been involved in, and even an applicant’s gender.
By allowing a Background Check Company to conduct pre-employment screenings of candidates, they can focus on verifying the information on an application while the business owner can ask position related questions in an interview. A screening can uncover information a prospective employee may try to hide from a potential employer. It can also help an employer be confident that they truly have hired the best candidate. Hire a pre-employment screening company and get great employees!
Get more information on Background heck Companies, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
In part 1 I discussed how employers think they can rely on their interview skills in order to try to find the best candidate for a job (and not do so well). I also talked about how an employer might need specific job skills or certifications for a position they wish to fill and how a Background Check Company can verify training, schooling and certifications. In part 2 of this article, I want to discuss the advantages that a Background Check Company may offer that can help you avoid asking the wrong interview questions and still get the information you need.
A Background Check Company is one that can investigate a potential new employee through a pre-employment screening and validate information they have provided in a job application or on a resume. Business owners may not have the expertise to ask the necessary questions that will lead to making a sound hiring decision. A Background Check Company can confirm employment dates an applicant has listed for a prior job. If your potential new hire will be working with financial transactions, a pre-employment screening can reveal if a candidate has liens or bankruptcies or judgements against him/her. Such revelations could determine if this might be a red flag issue for you. There are a significant number of areas a properly completed background check can validate or disprove an applicant’s claims.
If you are unfamiliar with procedures and guidelines for hiring employees and conducting interviews, you could easily ask interview questions that could lead to discrimination lawsuits even if your intent was harmless. For example, you might be curious as to whether the applicant was in the military because you served. You might be interested in where they have lived in the past because you enjoy travelling. Perhaps the applicant seems to be your age and you are curious to know about their age. All of these questions could be harmless in your mind, but at the same time illegal to ask.
According to the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), “As a general rule, the information obtained and requested through the pre-employment process should be limited to those essential for determining if a person is qualified for the job; whereas information regarding race, sex, national origin, age and religion are irrelevant in such determinations.” The specifics on the website can be unclear and so organizations have made lists of questions they say should not be asked by employers during an interview.
According to Prairie View A&M, on pvamu.edu, below is a list of questions that they say may not be asked during an interview:
• Questions regarding foreign addresses which would intentionally or unintentionally indicate national origin
• Whether applicant owns or rents home or lives in an apartment
• Names and relationships of persons with whom applicant resides
• “How old are you?”
• Birth Date
• “Have you ever been arrested?”
• Whether other members of the applicant’s family are U.S. citizens
• “Of what country are you a citizen?”
• Require proof of citizenship prior to employment
• Questions regarding national, race or religious affiliation of schools attended
• Names and addresses of applicant’s relatives
Other areas that one must be careful when inquiring about include organizations an applicant may belong to, military disciplinary action they may have been involved in, and even an applicant’s gender.
By allowing a Background Check Company to conduct pre-employment screenings of candidates, they can focus on verifying the information on an application while the business owner can ask position related questions in an interview. A screening can uncover information a prospective employee may try to hide from a potential employer. It can also help an employer be confident that they truly have hired the best candidate. Hire a pre-employment screening company and get great employees!
Get more information on Background heck Companies, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
Retail Theft Prevention-3 WC blog 218
Stop Shoplifting-3
Checkpoint security system-4
Checkpoint tags-3
Security Enhancement; From Military Gates To Checkpoint Security System EAS Antennas
Once I was stationed on a temporary duty assignment to an Air Force base in Italy. I took to the new assignment eagerly. It was interesting for me to see how the operations varied from how things were done at my stateside base. Bases operated differently based on their mission assignments. For example, some bases have aircraft assigned to them that require stricter access to get to them. When I arrived to this base, things were a little heated in some parts of the world and we were supplementing the security forces already in place. In a way this was similar to my later experiences in retail loss prevention. When we had a spike in theft activity we would sometimes bring in Loss Prevention officers from our other stores to supplement our security in an attempt to stop shoplifting that was taking place. We would also make sure our Checkpoint security system was tested daily to be sure all the equipment was functioning, thereby maximizing our effectiveness at retail theft prevention. I know they aren’t on the same level, but there are similarities in how each improves security concerns.
In the Air Force, manned installation entry gates control access to the base. Security personnel monitor who is coming and going and can close gates as necessary. During times of increased security, military working dogs and their handlers may supplement the entry control point. In retail we use Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas for retail theft prevention. The antennas are a visible deterrent since would-be thieves know that the antennas detect Checkpoint tags on merchandise when someone tries to steal merchandise. When someone does try to exit through an EAS antenna with stolen product that is tagged, the alarm in the antenna sounds and staff respond to identify the issue and recover the merchandise. Stores with security staff may even prosecute a shoplifter. If theft increases, stores may use Checkpoint tags on additional merchandise to try to stop shoplifting. As I mentioned previously, we occasionally sent additional security to a store to stop a problem.
Getting back to my temporary duty assignment in Italy; things were a little heated and while most of the citizens I came into contact with were very nice, there were some who were not so happy with the U.S. presence there. One day we learned there were going to be protests against the base and the base compounds situated around the town. Not all base facilities were located in one place and so there were several locations that had to be staffed with Security Police. I was assigned to a walled compound with a full gate that could be pulled open or closed and locked. I went to my post and was told an Italian Air Force counterpart would arrive shortly to assist. A few hours later, no Italian counterpart arrived but I did see the protesters making their way down the road in my direction. There were communist flags mixed with home-made signs in the crowd. I will admit I was becoming a little uneasy as I could peer through the closed gates and see this collection of people getting closer to my post. I made a radio call to try to find out if my Italian back-up was on his way, but no one had any information on his whereabouts. The protesters started to walk by my location, shouting and yelling and waving their signs, flags and banners and looking in my direction but they did not make any move directly towards me (did I emphasize I was still alone?). About half the crowd had passed by me when all of the sudden they stopped, no more yelling, no shouting they just walked away in their own directions. I was perplexed, I was fairly certain there was nothing I had done to cause this dispersion. I was amused to learn later, it was lunch time and they were breaking for a couple hours to eat and sleep. I had to give them credit, they had their priorities straight! It was not until I worked Black Fridays in retail that I would see similar mobs again.
Retail theft prevention is not as important as installation security but for the store owner it is still a big deal. A Checkpoint security system may not stop a protesting mob but it can enhance store security and stop shoplifting and improve store profits. Invest in a Checkpoint security system and Checkpoint tags, the impact will be nearly as quick as a mob breaking for lunch.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
Once I was stationed on a temporary duty assignment to an Air Force base in Italy. I took to the new assignment eagerly. It was interesting for me to see how the operations varied from how things were done at my stateside base. Bases operated differently based on their mission assignments. For example, some bases have aircraft assigned to them that require stricter access to get to them. When I arrived to this base, things were a little heated in some parts of the world and we were supplementing the security forces already in place. In a way this was similar to my later experiences in retail loss prevention. When we had a spike in theft activity we would sometimes bring in Loss Prevention officers from our other stores to supplement our security in an attempt to stop shoplifting that was taking place. We would also make sure our Checkpoint security system was tested daily to be sure all the equipment was functioning, thereby maximizing our effectiveness at retail theft prevention. I know they aren’t on the same level, but there are similarities in how each improves security concerns.
In the Air Force, manned installation entry gates control access to the base. Security personnel monitor who is coming and going and can close gates as necessary. During times of increased security, military working dogs and their handlers may supplement the entry control point. In retail we use Checkpoint security system electronic article surveillance (EAS) antennas for retail theft prevention. The antennas are a visible deterrent since would-be thieves know that the antennas detect Checkpoint tags on merchandise when someone tries to steal merchandise. When someone does try to exit through an EAS antenna with stolen product that is tagged, the alarm in the antenna sounds and staff respond to identify the issue and recover the merchandise. Stores with security staff may even prosecute a shoplifter. If theft increases, stores may use Checkpoint tags on additional merchandise to try to stop shoplifting. As I mentioned previously, we occasionally sent additional security to a store to stop a problem.
Getting back to my temporary duty assignment in Italy; things were a little heated and while most of the citizens I came into contact with were very nice, there were some who were not so happy with the U.S. presence there. One day we learned there were going to be protests against the base and the base compounds situated around the town. Not all base facilities were located in one place and so there were several locations that had to be staffed with Security Police. I was assigned to a walled compound with a full gate that could be pulled open or closed and locked. I went to my post and was told an Italian Air Force counterpart would arrive shortly to assist. A few hours later, no Italian counterpart arrived but I did see the protesters making their way down the road in my direction. There were communist flags mixed with home-made signs in the crowd. I will admit I was becoming a little uneasy as I could peer through the closed gates and see this collection of people getting closer to my post. I made a radio call to try to find out if my Italian back-up was on his way, but no one had any information on his whereabouts. The protesters started to walk by my location, shouting and yelling and waving their signs, flags and banners and looking in my direction but they did not make any move directly towards me (did I emphasize I was still alone?). About half the crowd had passed by me when all of the sudden they stopped, no more yelling, no shouting they just walked away in their own directions. I was perplexed, I was fairly certain there was nothing I had done to cause this dispersion. I was amused to learn later, it was lunch time and they were breaking for a couple hours to eat and sleep. I had to give them credit, they had their priorities straight! It was not until I worked Black Fridays in retail that I would see similar mobs again.
Retail theft prevention is not as important as installation security but for the store owner it is still a big deal. A Checkpoint security system may not stop a protesting mob but it can enhance store security and stop shoplifting and improve store profits. Invest in a Checkpoint security system and Checkpoint tags, the impact will be nearly as quick as a mob breaking for lunch.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
When you have worked for any length of time in Retail Loss Prevention you begin to accumulate those incidents that stick out in your memory. Some of those retail theft prevention stories can be really funny. One instance when I was able to stop shoplifting and catch the crook still tickles me when I think back on it. It started when I began watching a young woman, in her upper teens, as she began to look around the ceiling for cameras. Then when satisfied she wasn’t being watched, began tearing clothing and Checkpoint tags off of clothes. I assumed she was tearing off all tags to be sure if there were security tags on the manufacturer tags, she would avoid the Checkpoint Security System antenna from activating.
For those readers who may be trying to learn more about what a Checkpoint Security System is, the terminology may be new so let me digress briefly. A Checkpoint Security System consists of all the components required to stop shoplifting in a store. This includes Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) antennas, Checkpoint tags, deactivation pads, detachment tools and support service. The antennas and tags work together using radio frequency waves emitted by the tags and received by the antennas to set off an alarm when someone tries to walk out of a building with merchandise that has not been paid for. Deactivation pads de-tune soft Checkpoint tags at the point of sale so the antennas won’t be set off when the customer leaves. The detachment devices are used to remove the Checkpoint hard tags from merchandise at the register and these tags are stored for re-use.
Checkpoint tags are available for all types of merchandise. Soft tags can be peeled from a roll and applied to almost any surface, including manufacturer hang tags (as the shoplifter in my story was looking for). There are even soft tags that are “Food Safe” and can be placed under the soaker pad in a package of meat. Hard tags are available for items such as clothing that need even tougher security protection. These tags are designed to make forced removal almost impossible without damaging the product. Shoplifters aren’t looking for damaged merchandise when they steal so they stop shoplifting and deter theft.
So, our shoplifter was removing manufacturer hang tags and in some cases Checkpoint tags from clothing and filling her purse. After watching for several minutes my boss continued to monitor her on closed circuit television. I went to the sales floor to be closer to her when she decided to leave the store. The young woman started making her way towards one of the exits, but she was taking her time, looking over her shoulder to be sure she wasn’t being followed by security. My boss radioed me and told me which exits she was walking towards so I decided it would be a good time to try something new. Our store had one exit that led to the mall, but the other exits that went to the parking lots had two sets of doors, an exterior and an interior which created a small closed in area. Our shoplifter was heading towards one of the side exits but I got there first and locked the exterior door then hid behind a clothing rack next to the exit. As she walked through the interior door, I came behind and locked it as well. Our shoplifter was trapped in a glass box! It was funny to watch as our thief was pounding on the glass yelling to be let out. An added bonus was when her boyfriend who had been waiting in a car for her, saw she was trapped. He got out of his car and started pounding on the door yelling and threatening me. I let him know the police were on the way and he could talk to them about the situation. The knight in shining armor chose to leave his damsel in distress trapped in her glass case. So much for chivalry! The police arrived and took custody of our crook.
While this was a funny shoplifting story, one thing that we did not have available at our store back in those days were the Checkpoint hard tags. This was a long time ago and we were just getting accustomed to using the soft tags. Today the story would have been different the items being stolen would have been protected with hard tags while the soft tags would have been used on other items, such as socks. The situation probably would not have happened and I would not have had a good time retelling this tale of the trapped rat.
Need information on Checkpoint Security Systems? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now.
JM Blog 01 Medical
Key words Tablet theft 4 Classic N10 3
Alpha Thunder Tag 3
21st Century Hospital, 21st Century Risk; Tablet theft, Use And Security In Modern Medicine
With the volume of medical care needed in today’s hospitals and the limited staff of nurses and doctors available to provide it there is precious little time to waste. Patients need treatment and medical professionals need access to that patient’s information, records and history fast. Modern technology has made this a reality with powerful WIFI and the introduction of iPad and tablets to replace the old handwritten patient charts and massive physical files. Modern technology though is a double edged sword. Data, iPad and, tablet theft have become issues that plague hospital administration, medical staff and security alike.
What can be done? In my life as a retail LP professional the solution to merchandise theft is merchandise protection devices. Items like Checkpoint Classic N10 paired with an Alpha Thunder Tag are used as part of an overall strategy to prevent losses. I’ll wager that it isn’t often that you hear of areas where retail and healthcare overlap but this is one.
I worked security in a large hospital for several years dealing with a host of issues, things I never would have imagined. Violent patients and disruptive visitors were a primary concern for our public safety department. The physical security and safety of a facility are vital to its operation but aren’t its only concerns. Sadly, theft was a fairly common occurrence. Visitors, patients and, staff stealing from the facility are realities. I learned people are opportunists and an environment with valuable goods and information paired with a supply of distracted victims unable to protect themselves is too tempting to pass up.
Tablet technology has improved the speed and accuracy of patient care with the added benefit of making HIPAA compliance easier. Security often deals with a “curious” visitors caught snooping at patient’s charts. Patient data is now stored securely, safe from prying eyes and protected from data thieves who would remotely hack these devices.
Physical tablet theft remains a major concern. On the surface it seems unlikely that a device which is carried by staff would be susceptible to being stolen but, it happens. Watching your iPad is not a priority when the alert is raised and a patient is coding. It is in those moments that the opportunists strike. A few seconds of shifted focus and that tablet ends up in a purse or backpack. Not only does that represent a financial loss to the facility but also a massive HIPAA issue as well. Beyond the hospitals exposure is the loss of the patient’s personal information.
Given the nature of the hospital setting it isn’t practical to anchor every device to a person or secure it to an apparatus. Here the medical field can take a lesson from retail and look for a more elegant and portable solution. Companies like Alpha have developed small security tags, like the Alpha Thunder tag, that attach to a tablet or iPad and do not interfere with its portability or use. These sensors work with EAS devices like Classic N10 to provide both a deterrent for would be thieves as well as a means to notify staff and security if someone tries to exit with a secured device.
Tablet theft will remain an issue so long as staff use them and thieves see hospitals and the technology in them as a viable revenue source. The benefits to patient care and service outweigh the risks so the task of protecting these devices falls to security professionals. With vigilance and the implementation of sound security strategies, like an Alpha Thunder Tag and Checkpoint Systems Classic N10 we can allow staff to focus on patient care and give security a chance to prevent these losses. In the end everyone can win, well except the bad guys of course.
Need information on Alpha Thunder Tags or Checkpoint Systems Classic N10? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
With the volume of medical care needed in today’s hospitals and the limited staff of nurses and doctors available to provide it there is precious little time to waste. Patients need treatment and medical professionals need access to that patient’s information, records and history fast. Modern technology has made this a reality with powerful WIFI and the introduction of iPad and tablets to replace the old handwritten patient charts and massive physical files. Modern technology though is a double edged sword. Data, iPad and, tablet theft have become issues that plague hospital administration, medical staff and security alike.
What can be done? In my life as a retail LP professional the solution to merchandise theft is merchandise protection devices. Items like Checkpoint Classic N10 paired with an Alpha Thunder Tag are used as part of an overall strategy to prevent losses. I’ll wager that it isn’t often that you hear of areas where retail and healthcare overlap but this is one.
I worked security in a large hospital for several years dealing with a host of issues, things I never would have imagined. Violent patients and disruptive visitors were a primary concern for our public safety department. The physical security and safety of a facility are vital to its operation but aren’t its only concerns. Sadly, theft was a fairly common occurrence. Visitors, patients and, staff stealing from the facility are realities. I learned people are opportunists and an environment with valuable goods and information paired with a supply of distracted victims unable to protect themselves is too tempting to pass up.
Tablet technology has improved the speed and accuracy of patient care with the added benefit of making HIPAA compliance easier. Security often deals with a “curious” visitors caught snooping at patient’s charts. Patient data is now stored securely, safe from prying eyes and protected from data thieves who would remotely hack these devices.
Physical tablet theft remains a major concern. On the surface it seems unlikely that a device which is carried by staff would be susceptible to being stolen but, it happens. Watching your iPad is not a priority when the alert is raised and a patient is coding. It is in those moments that the opportunists strike. A few seconds of shifted focus and that tablet ends up in a purse or backpack. Not only does that represent a financial loss to the facility but also a massive HIPAA issue as well. Beyond the hospitals exposure is the loss of the patient’s personal information.
Given the nature of the hospital setting it isn’t practical to anchor every device to a person or secure it to an apparatus. Here the medical field can take a lesson from retail and look for a more elegant and portable solution. Companies like Alpha have developed small security tags, like the Alpha Thunder tag, that attach to a tablet or iPad and do not interfere with its portability or use. These sensors work with EAS devices like Classic N10 to provide both a deterrent for would be thieves as well as a means to notify staff and security if someone tries to exit with a secured device.
T
ablet theft will remain an issue so long as staff use them and thieves see hospitals and the technology in them as a viable revenue source. The benefits to patient care and service outweigh the risks so the task of protecting these devices falls to security professionals. With vigilance and the implementation of sound security strategies, like an Alpha Thunder Tag and Checkpoint Systems Classic N10 we can allow staff to focus on patient care and give security a chance to prevent these losses. In the end everyone can win, well except the bad guys of course.
Need information on Checkpoint Systems Classic N10? Give us a call at 1.770.426.0547 now
