Retail Anti-Theft Devices- 3 WC Blog 413
Checkpoint Security Tags- 4
Double Trouble For Employees Trying To Bypass Retail Theft Prevention Devices Part 2
In Part 1 of this two-part series I reviewed my disdain for dishonest employees. They have no consideration for their employer. They have no respect for the person or business willing to hire them for a job and provide them an opportunity to earn a living. I’ve heard so many different excuses for theft that I became numb to them over the years. Since I feel so strongly about dishonest employees and especially those who go to the added trouble of trying to find ways to circumvent retail anti-theft devices like Checkpoint Security tags that I had a desire to be able to catch them a second time. I would also have been happy to help another Loss Prevention Manager catch them at another store after I was done with them. Of course, I also considered that it could have been fun to catch someone stealing at two different stores but that would require working for two different stores. Well, I did nearly run into this situation. I worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store and we caught an employee for stealing who was taking a purse into the presentation office. This employee would look for tags on clothes and try to remove them. More on this story in a moment but it is important that I clarify what Checkpoint Security Tags are before I continue since there may be readers who are unfamiliar with them.
Checkpoint Security Tags are retail anti-theft tools used to prevent the theft of merchandise. They may come in a soft label that is adhered to merchandise, merchandise tags or labels. The security tags also come in hard versions that can be pinned to clothing, softlines merchandise, bedding and I have even seen them pinned through blister packages. Whether a soft tag or hard tag, all are designed to cause electronic article surveillance alarm towers to activate if someone tries to walk out without paying for merchandise. It makes no difference if the thief is an employee or a shoplifter, tags that have not been removed with a detachment key or detuned on a deactivation pad will set off the tower. Tower alarms summon a response from an employee who carefully follows procedures for determining the cause of the alarm. Regardless of who it is that has caused the alarm the same procedures apply. Therefore retail anti-theft devices can identify an internal thief.
In part 1 I told of an employee I prosecuted for stealing and several months later noticed him working in another store and the subsequent actions when he saw me. In the incident I was referring to above I had recently been hired as the Loss Prevention Manager of a store. It was a promotional opportunity from the store I had been working for as a Loss Prevention Associate. We went through several mass orientations for our new store opening. One of the associates seemed awfully familiar to me but I couldn’t put my finger on where I knew her from. I noticed she seemed to be watching me a lot. After several weeks, I saw her taking her purse into the signing room. THEN it dawned on me, I had assisted my boss in apprehending her for employee theft at my former store. Our Regional Loss Prevention Manager would not give the go-ahead for prosecution at that time so she only ended up being fired without going to court. At the department store she had been taking her purse into the signing and presentation office and looking for retail theft prevention devices and Checkpoint Security Tags on clothing. She would remove them if found, put the clothes in her purse and walk out. There was no reason for not pursuing a prosecution of the case except the Regional Loss Prevention Manager didn’t understand the laws of our state at the time concerning employee theft and would not defer to my boss. When it dawned on me that I finally realized where I recognized her from, she was following her old pattern, I guess I changed in my demeanor towards her changed. She abandoned her job in the new store. Not quite caught, but a great feeling of satisfaction for me that I believe I stopped her before she could start cleaning us out!
It isn’t often we get a shot at catching an employee twice for theft but I had two close calls. Regardless, I can honestly say that the use of Checkpoint Security Tags does deter theft, making it hard for employees to steal and they lower stock shortage.
Get more information on Checkpoint Security Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
In Part 1 of this two-part series I reviewed my disdain for dishonest employees. They have no consideration for their employer. They have no respect for the person or business willing to hire them for a job and provide them an opportunity to earn a living. I’ve heard so many different excuses for theft that I became numb to them over the years. Since I feel so strongly about dishonest employees and especially those who go to the added trouble of trying to find ways to circumvent retail anti-theft devices like Checkpoint Security tags that I had a desire to be able to catch them a second time. I would also have been happy to help another Loss Prevention Manager catch them at another store after I was done with them. Of course, I also considered that it could have been fun to catch someone stealing at two different stores but that would require working for two different stores. Well, I did nearly run into this situation. I worked as a Loss Prevention Officer for a department store and we caught an employee for stealing who was taking a purse into the presentation office. This employee would look for tags on clothes and try to remove them. More on this story in a moment but it is important that I clarify what Checkpoint Security Tags are before I continue since there may be readers who are unfamiliar with them.
Checkpoint Security Tags are retail anti-theft tools used to prevent the theft of merchandise. They may come in a soft label that is adhered to merchandise, merchandise tags or labels. The security tags also come in hard versions that can be pinned to clothing, softlines merchandise, bedding and I have even seen them pinned through blister packages. Whether a soft tag or hard tag, all are designed to cause electronic article surveillance alarm towers to activate if someone tries to walk out without paying for merchandise. It makes no difference if the thief is an employee or a shoplifter, tags that have not been removed with a detachment key or detuned on a deactivation pad will set off the tower. Tower alarms summon a response from an employee who carefully follows procedures for determining the cause of the alarm. Regardless of who it is that has caused the alarm the same procedures apply. Therefore retail anti-theft devices can identify an internal thief.
In part 1 I told of an employee I prosecuted for stealing and several months later noticed him working in another store and the subsequent actions when he saw me. In the incident I was referring to above I had recently been hired as the Loss Prevention Manager of a store. It was a promotional opportunity from the store I had been working for as a Loss Prevention Associate. We went through several mass orientations for our new store opening. One of the associates seemed awfully familiar to me but I couldn’t put my finger on where I knew her from. I noticed she seemed to be watching me a lot. After several weeks, I saw her taking her purse into the signing room. THEN it dawned on me, I had assisted my boss in apprehending her for employee theft at my former store. Our Regional Loss Prevention Manager would not give the go-ahead for prosecution at that time so she only ended up being fired without going to court. At the department store she had been taking her purse into the signing and presentation office and looking for retail theft prevention devices and Checkpoint Security Tags on clothing. She would remove them if found, put the clothes in her purse and walk out. There was no reason for not pursuing a prosecution of the case except the Regional Loss Prevention Manager didn’t understand the laws of our state at the time concerning employee theft and would not defer to my boss. When it dawned on me that I finally realized where I recognized her from, she was following her old pattern, I guess I changed in my demeanor towards her changed. She abandoned her job in the new store. Not quite caught, but a great feeling of satisfaction for me that I believe I stopped her before she could start cleaning us out!
It isn’t often we get a shot at catching an employee twice for theft but I had two close calls. Regardless, I can honestly say that the use of Checkpoint Security Tags does deter theft, making it hard for employees to steal and they lower stock shortage.
Get more information on Checkpoint Security Tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today
