Clothing security tags-4 WC Blog 798
Sensormatic tags – 4
Ad”dressing” The Problem Of Clothing Theft With Sensormatic Tags
I don’t want to appear to be dressing you down but if you aren’t using clothing security tags on your merchandise I feel compelled to ask why not? Is it the idea that an anti-theft system would cost too much? Do you believe it is going to cost you the shirt on your back? You might change your mind when you learn about a story I just read from fox43.com, March 23, 2019, “Police recover $100K in stolen merchandise, $40k hidden behind baby crib” by CNN Wire. What was so special about this story? For one thing according to the report, “…over 400 pair of sunglasses stored in display and individual cases valued at approximately $37,000” were recovered. This was on top of clothing police found amounting to, “…over $100,000 worth of stolen merchandise from Lulumon, Victoria Secret, Zumiez, Abercrombie and Fitch, Ralph Lauren – Polo, Hollister, The Disney Store, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ugg, Nike, Adidas, Champion and Sun Glass Hut.” Those numbers are distressing to someone like me who has been involved in Retail Loss Prevention. I am concerned for the victims of this particular activity but I am even more concerned for the small and medium store owners. The national chains have resources they can rely on to address theft and some use Sensormatic tags on clothing and clothing accessories such as sunglasses.
It may have crossed your mind that many of these national chain stores are already using clothing security tags of one type or another. This can prompt the question, “What is the point of using tags at all?” There are a couple of answers to the question. First, in many of these chains not everything in the store is protected with clothing security tags. These businesses focus tagging programs on high theft or their highest price point merchandise. That means shoplifters can still steal the other untagged merchandise and get away with it. I would also suggest that the quality of training received by store associates in responding to alarms caused by Sensormatic tags is probably minimal if any training has taken place. I would go so far as to say there is a good chance that anti-theft equipment is not tested on a daily or even a weekly basis. Faulty equipment can lead to increased theft and professional shoplifters know how to watch to see if alarms are being set off. National chain stores do not necessarily have in-house Loss Prevention Officers so there is no one regularly auditing tagging programs. A District Loss Prevention Manager may conduct periodic audits but again without regular oversight a tagging program often falls to the bottom of store priority lists.
For small or independent store owners the use of Sensormatic tags and equipment can have a big impact on theft reduction. YOU make the decision on what will be tagged, how it will be audited and you ensure your employees are properly trained on alarm response. You may even train them on how they can deter and prevent shoplifting. If you believe you and your management team need training before you train your staff that is available from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI). If you don’t have an anti-theft system they can help you with the purchase of a system and can even demonstrate how affordable it can be with their free ROI Calculator.
The report told about clothes AND sunglasses being found by police. Sensormatic clothing security tags come in a variety of styles and designs to fit the needs of your particular store. These may include tags with dye packs, small SuperClamp tags or even the powerful Ultra-Gator tag. They also offer the Eyelet hard tag that can protect designer glasses or sunglasses when attached with a cable tie or lanyard.
There are no guarantees in life and the same can be said about retail theft. There is a good chance it is going to happen to your store at some point. You may not be able to stop all of it but you also don’t need to be the victim of an organized crime group stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise. Sensormatic tags and systems are an affordable way to protect your business and not be the subject in one of my articles.
For more information about Sensormatic tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
I don’t want to appear to be dressing you down but if you aren’t using clothing security tags on your merchandise I feel compelled to ask why not? Is it the idea that an anti-theft system would cost too much? Do you believe it is going to cost you the shirt on your back? You might change your mind when you learn about a story I just read from fox43.com, March 23, 2019, “Police recover $100K in stolen merchandise, $40k hidden behind baby crib” by CNN Wire. What was so special about this story? For one thing according to the report, “…over 400 pair of sunglasses stored in display and individual cases valued at approximately $37,000” were recovered. This was on top of clothing police found amounting to, “…over $100,000 worth of stolen merchandise from Lulumon, Victoria Secret, Zumiez, Abercrombie and Fitch, Ralph Lauren – Polo, Hollister, The Disney Store, Tommy Hilfiger, Calvin Klein, Ugg, Nike, Adidas, Champion and Sun Glass Hut.” Those numbers are distressing to someone like me who has been involved in Retail Loss Prevention. I am concerned for the victims of this particular activity but I am even more concerned for the small and medium store owners. The national chains have resources they can rely on to address theft and some use Sensormatic tags on clothing and clothing accessories such as sunglasses.
It may have crossed your mind that many of these national chain stores are already using clothing security tags of one type or another. This can prompt the question, “What is the point of using tags at all?” There are a couple of answers to the question. First, in many of these chains not everything in the store is protected with clothing security tags. These businesses focus tagging programs on high theft or their highest price point merchandise. That means shoplifters can still steal the other untagged merchandise and get away with it. I would also suggest that the quality of training received by store associates in responding to alarms caused by Sensormatic tags is probably minimal if any training has taken place. I would go so far as to say there is a good chance that anti-theft equipment is not tested on a daily or even a weekly basis. Faulty equipment can lead to increased theft and professional shoplifters know how to watch to see if alarms are being set off. National chain stores do not necessarily have in-house Loss Prevention Officers so there is no one regularly auditing tagging programs. A District Loss Prevention Manager may conduct periodic audits but again without regular oversight a tagging program often falls to the bottom of store priority lists.
For small or independent store owners the use of Sensormatic tags and equipment can have a big impact on theft reduction. YOU make the decision on what will be tagged, how it will be audited and you ensure your employees are properly trained on alarm response. You may even train them on how they can deter and prevent shoplifting. If you believe you and your management team need training before you train your staff that is available from Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. (LPSI). If you don’t have an anti-theft system they can help you with the purchase of a system and can even demonstrate how affordable it can be with their free ROI Calculator.
The report told about clothes AND sunglasses being found by police. Sensormatic clothing security tags come in a variety of styles and designs to fit the needs of your particular store. These may include tags with dye packs, small SuperClamp tags or even the powerful Ultra-Gator tag. They also offer the Eyelet hard tag that can protect designer glasses or sunglasses when attached with a cable tie or lanyard.
There are no guarantees in life and the same can be said about retail theft. There is a good chance it is going to happen to your store at some point. You may not be able to stop all of it but you also don’t need to be the victim of an organized crime group stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise. Sensormatic tags and systems are an affordable way to protect your business and not be the subject in one of my articles.
For more information about Sensormatic tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Sensormatic Tags – 4 WC Blog 751
Clothing Security Tags – 3
Use Sensormatic Tags The Right Way And Improve Theft Prevention
Clothing security tags work in every store they are used in. In fact they are so effective that according to the Sensormatic Global Retail Shrink Index, Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is the most popular Loss Prevention investment among retailers in the United States. According to their researchers, 92.16% of retailers surveyed indicated they are investing in electronic article surveillance (pg. 45). Certainly the use of clothing security is important but I will tell you that based on my experience, which tags are used and where they are placed are almost as important to a merchandise protection program.
Effective standardized tagging guidelines for retailers improve the processing of merchandise for cashiers. It makes auditing of tagging easier for managers and it results in fewer customer service complaints. Here are of my suggestions to use as a basis when starting a tagging program:
• Tag visibility is important. Hidden tags sound like they would be a deterrent to criminals and in some situations that does work. But most of your shoplifters will be opportunists and if they see the Sensormatic tags they are less likely to try to steal an item. Deterrence is preferred to having to confront a potential shoplifter which can become dangerous.
• Hiding clothing security tags can also result in a cashier overlooking them during the checkout process. Since these tags are not designed to deactivate they are going to sound the EAS tower at the doors and create a distraction. The customer may be embarrassed or angry and an employee has to respond and try to determine what caused the alarm.
• Placing tags where they are hard to cover up is also important. For example, a hard tag on the waist of a skirt can be covered by a blouse or sweater if a shoplifter tries to wear it out of the store.
• Finally, there are Sensormatic tags and labels. I know that sometimes it is easier to slap a label on a manufacturer hang tag rather than pinning a tag onto a piece of clothing but I always recommend a hard tag on clothing. For a t-shirt or a pair of socks a label may be sufficient but pants, shirts, purses, etc. should always be hard tagged.
Now that I covered what not to do here are my suggestions to help you with a consistent tagging strategy:
• Tag pants in a seam near the knee. Also do it on the same leg of every pair of slacks, jeans pants etc. Cashiers will always know to look for the Sensormatic tags in the same place. If you find this is more effort than you want to put into it you can tag near the cuff, but do it several inches above the end of the leg.
• Shoes can be a bit more difficult since people want to try them on. Additionally not all shoes are designed the same. If possible tag through an eyelet, buckle or strap. IF there is no choice, a Sensormatic label may serve as a substitute on the bottom of each shoe.
• Attach clothing security tags to the neckline. This ensures the tag is visible and it is very hard to hide this. If you make the choice to tag on a sleeve, as with pants, do it several inches above the end of the sleeve. A small cut in the garment can be easy to repair and the tag slipped off. Cut in a piece of clothing anywhere else renders it unserviceable and useless.
• Purses generally have loops and straps that are accommodating for tags making them easy for protecting. Wallets on the other hand may be more challenging. This is one of the situations where I believe it is warranted to use a Sensormatic label hidden in the merchandise. The key is to emphasize that cashiers be sure to run all wallets over deactivation pads to avoid those false alarms.
These are strategies that I used for many years as a Retail Loss Prevention Manager and I can attest to the effectiveness of following these suggestions. We were consistently bringing in shortage numbers well under 1% during my tenure.
Sensormatic is a trusted company in the Loss Prevention industry and their equipment is so effective in preventing shoplifting that Bill Bregar, owner of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. recommends their products to his clients. Why is that important? It is important because Bill has been in the business of retail shortage prevention and consultation since 1983. He was also a Loss Prevention Director for major retail stores. When Bill and I are in agreement it means you can’t go wrong if you listen to us. Use Sensormatic tags and see how much you can improve your bottom line.
For more information about clothing security tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
Clothing security tags work in every store they are used in. In fact they are so effective that according to the Sensormatic Global Retail Shrink Index, Electronic article surveillance (EAS) is the most popular Loss Prevention investment among retailers in the United States. According to their researchers, 92.16% of retailers surveyed indicated they are investing in electronic article surveillance (pg. 45). Certainly the use of clothing security is important but I will tell you that based on my experience, which tags are used and where they are placed are almost as important to a merchandise protection program.
Effective standardized tagging guidelines for retailers improve the processing of merchandise for cashiers. It makes auditing of tagging easier for managers and it results in fewer customer service complaints. Here are of my suggestions to use as a basis when starting a tagging program:
• Tag visibility is important. Hidden tags sound like they would be a deterrent to criminals and in some situations that does work. But most of your shoplifters will be opportunists and if they see the Sensormatic tags they are less likely to try to steal an item. Deterrence is preferred to having to confront a potential shoplifter which can become dangerous.
• Hiding clothing security tags can also result in a cashier overlooking them during the checkout process. Since these tags are not designed to deactivate they are going to sound the EAS tower at the doors and create a distraction. The customer may be embarrassed or angry and an employee has to respond and try to determine what caused the alarm.
• Placing tags where they are hard to cover up is also important. For example, a hard tag on the waist of a skirt can be covered by a blouse or sweater if a shoplifter tries to wear it out of the store.
• Finally, there are Sensormatic tags and labels. I know that sometimes it is easier to slap a label on a manufacturer hang tag rather than pinning a tag onto a piece of clothing but I always recommend a hard tag on clothing. For a t-shirt or a pair of socks a label may be sufficient but pants, shirts, purses, etc. should always be hard tagged.
Now that I covered what not to do here are my suggestions to help you with a consistent tagging strategy:
• Tag pants in a seam near the knee. Also do it on the same leg of every pair of slacks, jeans pants etc. Cashiers will always know to look for the Sensormatic tags in the same place. If you find this is more effort than you want to put into it you can tag near the cuff, but do it several inches above the end of the leg.
• Shoes can be a bit more difficult since people want to try them on. Additionally not all shoes are designed the same. If possible tag through an eyelet, buckle or strap. IF there is no choice, a Sensormatic label may serve as a substitute on the bottom of each shoe.
• Attach clothing security tags to the neckline. This ensures the tag is visible and it is very hard to hide this. If you make the choice to tag on a sleeve, as with pants, do it several inches above the end of the sleeve. A small cut in the garment can be easy to repair and the tag slipped off. Cut in a piece of clothing anywhere else renders it unserviceable and useless.
• Purses generally have loops and straps that are accommodating for tags making them easy for protecting. Wallets on the other hand may be more challenging. This is one of the situations where I believe it is warranted to use a Sensormatic label hidden in the merchandise. The key is to emphasize that cashiers be sure to run all wallets over deactivation pads to avoid those false alarms.
These are strategies that I used for many years as a Retail Loss Prevention Manager and I can attest to the effectiveness of following these suggestions. We were consistently bringing in shortage numbers well under 1% during my tenure.
Sensormatic is a trusted company in the Loss Prevention industry and their equipment is so effective in preventing shoplifting that Bill Bregar, owner of Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. recommends their products to his clients. Why is that important? It is important because Bill has been in the business of retail shortage prevention and consultation since 1983. He was also a Loss Prevention Director for major retail stores. When Bill and I are in agreement it means you can’t go wrong if you listen to us. Use Sensormatic tags and see how much you can improve your bottom line.
For more information about clothing security tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547
WC Blog 770
Clothing Security -3
Sensormatic Tags – 3
Are You Contributing To Dangerous Crimes When You Don’t Use Sensormatic Tags? Part 2
This two-part series on clothing security and the use of anti-theft tags stemmed from an article I viewed about a shoplifter fleeing from police and crashing her car. In the suspect’s vehicle were two televisions she had stolen from Walmart and a pair of stolen jeans. I mentioned that I did not know if the televisions had security devices on them but if the jeans came from the same store I was fairly certain no Sensormatic tags were used on them. My lead up was to the dangers shoplifters create to others when they lead police on high speed chases to get away for a theft crime. I am not pointing a finger at the police for the pursuit. I am suggesting that if store owners and management would tag ALL of their merchandise the number of these dangerous situations would decline…DRAMATICALLY. But being a person who is sometimes accused of making a point and then driving it into the ground, in this article I am going to discuss other dangers those retailers may be helping contribute to the problem.
In a February 9, 2019 news story from abc7ny.com “Alleged Victoria’s Secret shoplifter pepper sprays Long Island police”, a 29 year old woman is accused of trying to steal $1,000 worth of merchandise from Victoria’s Secret. During the investigation and arrest the suspect, “…began kicking, punching, biting and spitting at them.” The suspect also, “sprayed pepper spray at both officers.” The suspect was also charged with being in possession of burglary tools. In nbcphiladelphia.com, November23, 2018, the following story appeared, “Shoplifter Pepper-Sprays Worker Trying to Stop Her Police Say”. According to this story a suspected shoplifter was approached by an employee about merchandise she had concealed in a bag at a Macy’s store. When the employee confronted her she pepper sprayed him. Last, I came across this doozy of a story on ktla.com, Dec. 18. 2018, by Marissa Wenzke, “Target Employee Stabbed by Accused Shoplifter in Pasadena: Police”. In this instance, “A Target employee who confronted someone about allegedly shoplifting at a Pasadena store was stabbed in the leg by the accused thief…” All three of the stores in these news reports carry clothing. Whether that is what the shoplifters were trying to steal is unknown. I would feel confident guessing that was the case in at least the Victoria’s Secret Store and more likely than not in the Macy’s store. What I don’t know is if the merchandise that was being taken was protected with clothing security tags or any form of anti-theft device.
Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. recognizes the inherent dangers all shoplifters pose to employees and customers. That is why when they are consulting with clients on matters of shortage reduction and theft prevention one of the most important recommendations they make is that the client use Sensormatic tags and install Sensormatic towers. Shoplifters prefer not to go to stores where aggressive merchandise tagging takes place. They risk picking up merchandise that will cause an alarm and alert store employees. Anti-theft equipment is a deterrent and sends most criminals scurrying to stores where they won’t contend with alarms (or good customer service). Deter these crooks from entering your store and you keep everyone who works for you or shops in your business safer than they would be otherwise.
I would further argue, as I did in Part 1, that when stores do NOT use clothing security tags or other devices they are actually contributing to the increased danger their customers and employees face. I am not saying this is intentional as many small retailers are under the false assumption that they cannot afford a Sensormatic system. This is a false assumption and if you happen to be one of those retailers please visit LPSI’s ROI Calculator tab on their website to find out how affordable a system can be. Despite the reasons a retail loss prevention system may not be installed if it isn’t there the shoplifters know and I assure you that they are making you a target for their activity. That means you are helping to create a dangerous workplace.
Many shoplifters are violent as you have seen in just a few sample articles. There are many, many more such stories out there and I will share them in future articles. What I hope you realize is most dangerous shoplifting incidents can be avoided through the use of Sensormatic tags and systems and professional training (also provided by LPSI). People want to shop where they feel safe, are you doing all you can to help create that environment in your store?
For more information about Sensormatic tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
This two-part series on clothing security and the use of anti-theft tags stemmed from an article I viewed about a shoplifter fleeing from police and crashing her car. In the suspect’s vehicle were two televisions she had stolen from Walmart and a pair of stolen jeans. I mentioned that I did not know if the televisions had security devices on them but if the jeans came from the same store I was fairly certain no Sensormatic tags were used on them. My lead up was to the dangers shoplifters create to others when they lead police on high speed chases to get away for a theft crime. I am not pointing a finger at the police for the pursuit. I am suggesting that if store owners and management would tag ALL of their merchandise the number of these dangerous situations would decline…DRAMATICALLY. But being a person who is sometimes accused of making a point and then driving it into the ground, in this article I am going to discuss other dangers those retailers may be helping contribute to the problem.
In a February 9, 2019 news story from abc7ny.com “Alleged Victoria’s Secret shoplifter pepper sprays Long Island police”, a 29 year old woman is accused of trying to steal $1,000 worth of merchandise from Victoria’s Secret. During the investigation and arrest the suspect, “…began kicking, punching, biting and spitting at them.” The suspect also, “sprayed pepper spray at both officers.” The suspect was also charged with being in possession of burglary tools. In nbcphiladelphia.com, November23, 2018, the following story appeared, “Shoplifter Pepper-Sprays Worker Trying to Stop Her Police Say”. According to this story a suspected shoplifter was approached by an employee about merchandise she had concealed in a bag at a Macy’s store. When the employee confronted her she pepper sprayed him. Last, I came across this doozy of a story on ktla.com, Dec. 18. 2018, by Marissa Wenzke, “Target Employee Stabbed by Accused Shoplifter in Pasadena: Police”. In this instance, “A Target employee who confronted someone about allegedly shoplifting at a Pasadena store was stabbed in the leg by the accused thief…” All three of the stores in these news reports carry clothing. Whether that is what the shoplifters were trying to steal is unknown. I would feel confident guessing that was the case in at least the Victoria’s Secret Store and more likely than not in the Macy’s store. What I don’t know is if the merchandise that was being taken was protected with clothing security tags or any form of anti-theft device.
Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. recognizes the inherent dangers all shoplifters pose to employees and customers. That is why when they are consulting with clients on matters of shortage reduction and theft prevention one of the most important recommendations they make is that the client use Sensormatic tags and install Sensormatic towers. Shoplifters prefer not to go to stores where aggressive merchandise tagging takes place. They risk picking up merchandise that will cause an alarm and alert store employees. Anti-theft equipment is a deterrent and sends most criminals scurrying to stores where they won’t contend with alarms (or good customer service). Deter these crooks from entering your store and you keep everyone who works for you or shops in your business safer than they would be otherwise.
I would further argue, as I did in Part 1, that when stores do NOT use clothing security tags or other devices they are actually contributing to the increased danger their customers and employees face. I am not saying this is intentional as many small retailers are under the false assumption that they cannot afford a Sensormatic system. This is a false assumption and if you happen to be one of those retailers please visit LPSI’s ROI Calculator tab on their website to find out how affordable a system can be. Despite the reasons a retail loss prevention system may not be installed if it isn’t there the shoplifters know and I assure you that they are making you a target for their activity. That means you are helping to create a dangerous workplace.
Many shoplifters are violent as you have seen in just a few sample articles. There are many, many more such stories out there and I will share them in future articles. What I hope you realize is most dangerous shoplifting incidents can be avoided through the use of Sensormatic tags and systems and professional training (also provided by LPSI). People want to shop where they feel safe, are you doing all you can to help create that environment in your store?
For more information about Sensormatic tags contact us or call 1.770.426.0547.
Sensormatic tags – 3 WC Blog 769
Clothing Security – 3
Are You Contributing To Dangerous Crimes When You Don’t Use Sensormatic Tags? Part 1
This may not seem fair to some of you but I am going on one of my rants about the need for retailers to use Sensormatic tags on clothes. The target of this tirade is aimed at least in part to the retail shop owners who refuse to use anti-theft devices on all of their clothing. I’m angry because I read another story about another moronic shoplifter who decided to steal and attempted to get away from police leading them on a high speed chase. The chases are bad enough but when these criminals then cause accidents, injuries to others or damage the property of others I get really angry. And if anyone out there wants to argue that police shouldn’t be engaging in pursuits your argument in falling on deaf ears. The idea that Law Enforcement should just disengage if a criminal decides to try to get away is ridiculous. Would you feel the same way if someone broke into your home, stole valuables and police officers saw the suspect’s vehicle but chose not to chase them because when they turned on their lights the crook sped up? You would be livid. I digress. In a report on wlbt.com, February 8, 2019 by Morgan Howard and David Kenney, “Richland police arrest woman suspected of shoplifting after high speed chase into Jackson” the story says a woman had been spotted stealing two televisions from Walmart. Police attempted to stop her and she led them on a high speed chase and she ended up going off the road, driving through a yard and “crashing just inches from a house.” “So what does this have to do with clothing security?” you ask, “these were televisions”. Well it turned out televisions were not the only thing this criminal had in her vehicle the police also recovered a pair of jeans.
Would the use of Sensormatic tags have stopped this criminal suspect from stealing jeans and would that have had any bearing on the theft of televisions? I am going to say there is a strong likelihood that the incident would not have happened if Sensormatic tags had been used on all merchandise. I am specifically directing my remarks to the jeans because if they came from Walmart as did the televisions I know from my own shopping experience they do not tag their jeans. They DO use anti-theft devices on some televisions but I have personally prevented a shoplifting in one of their stores when a thief was going to try to roll out a television that did not have any protective device. From my years in Retail Loss Prevention I will say that in the vast majority of cases when my team or I caught shoplifters the merchandise had no clothing security tags or other type of security label. If someone did try to walk out with tagged product the electronic article surveillance alarm sounded and a supervisor or trained cashier responded and recovered the merchandise through a receipt check. When stores use tags and labels on all of their merchandise shoplifters shift their attention to stores that don’t use electronic article surveillance equipment.
“Okay, so you showed me one case of a shoplifter fleeing and wrecking their car but no one was injured, what’s the big deal?” Glad I could ask for you. It isn’t an isolated case, I have had shoplifters run from me, jump into their car and slam it into reverse and back all the way out of the parking lot to avoid me seeing their license plate. I have seen shoplifters nearly run into other cars. But if my personal experiences are not evidence enough, let me give you one more news report from keyt.com, “Sheriff Deputy injured as shoplifter flees scene”, May 15, 2018 by Ryder Christ. The story relates that a shoplifter who was trying to flee from police jumped out of his moving car and the vehicle hit “a Sheriff’s deputy on a motorcycle.” The officer was injured due to the recklessness of the thief but fortunately was able to be treated at the scene of the incident. Shoplifters can be extremely dangerous. Whether it is intentional or through stupidity they often put others at risk.
Store owners and managers, if you are not using clothing security and other anti-theft tools to stop this activity from taking place you are contributing to the problem. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can get you started in the right direction to put an end to this dangerous activity and make your store more profitable in the process. In Part 2 we will look at more dangerous shoplifting incidents and discuss what Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can do to help you stop them from taking place in your buildings.
Get more information on Sensormatic Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
This may not seem fair to some of you but I am going on one of my rants about the need for retailers to use Sensormatic tags on clothes. The target of this tirade is aimed at least in part to the retail shop owners who refuse to use anti-theft devices on all of their clothing. I’m angry because I read another story about another moronic shoplifter who decided to steal and attempted to get away from police leading them on a high speed chase. The chases are bad enough but when these criminals then cause accidents, injuries to others or damage the property of others I get really angry. And if anyone out there wants to argue that police shouldn’t be engaging in pursuits your argument in falling on deaf ears. The idea that Law Enforcement should just disengage if a criminal decides to try to get away is ridiculous. Would you feel the same way if someone broke into your home, stole valuables and police officers saw the suspect’s vehicle but chose not to chase them because when they turned on their lights the crook sped up? You would be livid. I digress. In a report on wlbt.com, February 8, 2019 by Morgan Howard and David Kenney, “Richland police arrest woman suspected of shoplifting after high speed chase into Jackson” the story says a woman had been spotted stealing two televisions from Walmart. Police attempted to stop her and she led them on a high speed chase and she ended up going off the road, driving through a yard and “crashing just inches from a house.” “So what does this have to do with clothing security?” you ask, “these were televisions”. Well it turned out televisions were not the only thing this criminal had in her vehicle the police also recovered a pair of jeans.
Would the use of Sensormatic tags have stopped this criminal suspect from stealing jeans and would that have had any bearing on the theft of televisions? I am going to say there is a strong likelihood that the incident would not have happened if Sensormatic tags had been used on all merchandise. I am specifically directing my remarks to the jeans because if they came from Walmart as did the televisions I know from my own shopping experience they do not tag their jeans. They DO use anti-theft devices on some televisions but I have personally prevented a shoplifting in one of their stores when a thief was going to try to roll out a television that did not have any protective device. From my years in Retail Loss Prevention I will say that in the vast majority of cases when my team or I caught shoplifters the merchandise had no clothing security tags or other type of security label. If someone did try to walk out with tagged product the electronic article surveillance alarm sounded and a supervisor or trained cashier responded and recovered the merchandise through a receipt check. When stores use tags and labels on all of their merchandise shoplifters shift their attention to stores that don’t use electronic article surveillance equipment.
“Okay, so you showed me one case of a shoplifter fleeing and wrecking their car but no one was injured, what’s the big deal?” Glad I could ask for you. It isn’t an isolated case, I have had shoplifters run from me, jump into their car and slam it into reverse and back all the way out of the parking lot to avoid me seeing their license plate. I have seen shoplifters nearly run into other cars. But if my personal experiences are not evidence enough, let me give you one more news report from keyt.com, “Sheriff Deputy injured as shoplifter flees scene”, May 15, 2018 by Ryder Christ. The story relates that a shoplifter who was trying to flee from police jumped out of his moving car and the vehicle hit “a Sheriff’s deputy on a motorcycle.” The officer was injured due to the recklessness of the thief but fortunately was able to be treated at the scene of the incident. Shoplifters can be extremely dangerous. Whether it is intentional or through stupidity they often put others at risk.
Store owners and managers, if you are not using clothing security and other anti-theft tools to stop this activity from taking place you are contributing to the problem. Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can get you started in the right direction to put an end to this dangerous activity and make your store more profitable in the process. In Part 2 we will look at more dangerous shoplifting incidents and discuss what Loss Prevention Systems, Inc. can do to help you stop them from taking place in your buildings.
Get more information on Sensormatic Tags, contact us or call 1.770.426.0547 today.
How do we balance clothing security and keeping our associates and ourselves safe from harm. We know that if we do nothing to combat shoplifting that we will soon be out of business. Shoplifters are like anyone else, they talk. And talk they do, to other shoplifters. They compare stories, techniques and where the best places to steal are. We have to combat shoplifters or your store will end up on the shoplifters’ short list. Clothing security and the security of any other type of merchandise is really quite simple. That is the easy part! If you want help with that reach out to us. We can fix it.
But when is enough, enough? There are shoplifters out there that are ready to take it to the next level and hurt someone in order to get away. The reasons are many, i.e. drugs, desperation, greed, debt or just that they “want it”. When I conduct my live Stop Shoplifting seminars either in person or via webinar I always tell a story. Many years ago a shoplifter stole an item from a store in a mall. That was not in dispute. The item was not just petty it was around $500+, a felony. He was seen by store management and ran. This was a store in a mall on the second level. As he was running to escape, he collided with a woman holding an infant. The infant flew out of her arms and went over the railing and was killed on impact on the planter below.
The shoplifter was caught and prosecuted for not only felony theft but for the infant’s death. That was on the criminal court side. He stole the merchandise, ran, and caused the death of the infant. We do not even need to go into the civil suits that were filed. You can imagine who was sued, everyone including the retailer and employees.
But now put yourself into the place of the manager who chased him. How would you feel? You might say to yourself that you were simply pursuing a thief that caused the death. It’s not my fault. Or, is it? If you did not chase the shoplifter to begin with, it would have never happened. These are the things that you will have to wrestle with, for the rest of your life. I have been a Law Enforcement Officer in both the civilian and military worlds. I have faced more life and death situations, both my life and others, than I care to remember. There have been many thousands of times that I have asked myself if I could have done something different.
So, all of this happened due of $500. It was simply NOT WORTH IT! In fact I want you to look at your shoplifting problem from a completely different angle. If you have an incident where you have to chase a shoplifter occurs and your training to stop shoplifting and procedures broke down or failed. In that case you need to go back and refine your program to stop shoplifting, not be chasing shoplifters through the parking lot. When reading this in the comfortable environment you are in right now it may sound like good justice that the shoplifter himself runs out into traffic and gets hit by a car. But the potential for innocent casualties from that could be too horrible to consider.
When a loss occurs reverse engineer it. Where were the break downs? Was your staff paying attention? Were they even trained in what to look for? Do you have adequate Sensormatic Security Systems in place? Are those Sensormatic Security Systems working correctly? Do you have the correct Sensormatic clothing security tags? Are those clothing security tags placed correctly? Are the clothing security tags using the correct pin? Does your staff (and you) know how to PROPERLY react to a Sensormatic Security System alarm? Is your store’s merchandise arranged and displayed correctly or is it customer AND shoplifter friendly? Are small, high dollar, popular items on an end cap in the back of the store? Are you relying on a CCTV system to discourage shoplifters? Shoplifters do not care if you have cameras or not.
Look at it this way. After thirty-five years in Loss Prevention I have found that there are only two ways to prevent shoplifting and they both must be done together. Staff training to PREVENT or stop shoplifting and a Sensormatic Security System. Other brands are fine also but retail theft prevention with Sensormatic systems tend to protect the widest range of products. Retail theft prevention needs to be a constant, consistent effort on your part. And retail theft prevention must involve your trained staff. Without them you can have the best Sensormatic systems installed and you will still have shoplifting problems. Loss Prevention Systems will train you and your staff on how to avoid confrontations and discourage shoplifters while delighting your good customers.
So if you are ready to stop shoplifting once and for all, contact us or call us toll free at 1-770-426-0547 and let us attack your shoplifting problems together.
