Vertical Markets

Store detectives in front line

by Mark Rowe

Shoplifters in Manchester supermarkets are targeting coffee and cosmetics. As the weather improves, meats are stolen nationwide for Sunday barbecues. Opportunist thefts of low-value goods peaks between 3pm and 5pm in school term time. This is according to real-time reporting from retail premises to the national intelligence network operated by Lodge Service, says managing director Simon Chapman.

He says: “Any retailer today can profile thieves precisely – their methods, the goods they target and when they are most active – by store, post code or region. We can share security data from stores across a retail group through the intelligence network. It ensures a fast response to criminal gangs operating nationally – or to trending crime waves, such as purse dipping or handbag snatching.”

However, he says many retailers are still failing to identify risks effectively and take the necessary measures to prevent losses that can deliver a clear Return on Investment (ROI). The BRC Retail Crime Survey for 2013 featured in the March 2014 print issue of Professional Security found last year the highest level of crime for nine years: the average value of theft increased by 6 per cent to £177 for each incident. Stealing is becoming more sophisticated and better planned.

High level intelligence in-store is more critical than ever for an effective security strategy, from the retail contractor’s experience: then setting up procedures to keep shrinkage to a minimum; and finally ensuring that staff follow agreed practices, backed up by regular security audits, test purchasing and compliance checks.

Detectives

Store detectives are increasingly at the forefront of retail loss prevention (LP), says Simon Chapman. While guards and other visible security provisions are essential as a deterrent, it is the surveillance and real-time data collected by detectives that underpins an effective strategy and a tactical plan that can be updated daily to deal with new threats. Lodge Service’s detectives work with its Accrington centre, monitoring in-store CCTV, EAS, PoS (Point of Sale) till scanning and other systems to spot criminal activity, record evidence and further improve crime prevention and detection.

“Store detectives are essential to an intelligence-driven system that protects margins, offers a specific RoI from security and meets the needs of property and commercial managers. Detectives create a safer retail environment by stopping bag snatchers and others preying on shoppers. That makes a difference to footfall and the bottom line.” The retail security and loss prevention contractor’s detective teams provide an average of 40 per cent RoI on contract costs through goods recovered and civil recovery proceedings in court. The legal remedy enables retailers to recoup losses and the related costs of investigation and management time, as well as disruption to the business. Civil recovery is also highly effective as a deterrent, with few repeat offenders, according to data from the .

Detective Profiles

There is no standard profile for a store detective at Lodge Service. They are from a range of age groups and ethnic backgrounds. Some were formerly in the police service – more were members of the armed forces. The size of the team enables regular shift rotation of staff in-store, so that criminals do not learn to recognise individuals by sight. Team members are selected to mix inconspicuously with shoppers according to the locality, store and department. Security staff all have long experience of operating undercover, with an average of seven years working at the company. Specialist training is essential to learn how to spot when professional criminals are operating, because CCTV alone might fail to detect an incident. This is particularly the case with staff theft, a growing problem for retailers. It requires an understanding of shop practices to distinguish legitimate from criminal activity, such as when staff are handling credit cards and cash at the point of sale, or when products are moved.

Keen observation skills and a good memory are paramount, both to spot criminal activity and avoid false detentions, which can be costly – while all the while looking inconspicuous amongst shoppers. A shoplifter might for example try on a shirt and then put their own jacket on top and leave the store – so the detective must remember what the shopper was originally wearing. Similarly when customers are trying on fashion accessories, the detective has to identify display goods from a shopper’s own bracelet, scarf or belt for example.

Security staff have to spot where a shopper swops pricing labels on a targeted product for a lower cost item – another recurring crime. Also if goods are substituted illegally: where the criminal makes a legitimate purchase and then returns to the store with the receipt; selects an identical item and goes to the customer service area to request a cash refund. There is a growing fraud where people deliberately intend to look as though they are shoplifting – but without actually stealing. They then later seek legal redress for wrongful arrest and can win as much as £5000 in a civil action. These fraudsters often operate by taking a stock item in view of security staff or cameras and then putting it into a pocket with a hole at the bottom. The item falls to the ground and they kick it surreptitiously out of sight. They then appear entirely innocent of theft when stopped by security staff.

Training

To counter this and other fraud and theft, detectives are trained to monitor a suspect’s activity over prolonged periods leading up to, during and after an incident of suspected crime. Procedures are regularly updated in response to new patterns of crime, legal precedents, and changes in retail practices and in-store technology. Two training instructors at the LP firm continually tour the UK, to ensure that detectives are well versed in the methods of surveillance, detection and apprehension.

Some detectives specialise in dealing with particular types of crime that are a recurring problem in busy stores or shopping centres. ‘Purse dipping’ is one example, involving theft from a handbag that is left briefly unattended in a store when a shopper is trying on clothes or shoes. Foreign gangs often move from one UK city to another after a few days to evade detection. In 2013, the LP contractor identified fraudulent transactions in London that through its intelligence network led to several arrests shortly afterwards when similar crimes were attempted in Liverpool and Manchester.

Simon Chapman says: “The detective’s skills are also in demand in non-retail environments. They attend professional hearings and tribunals to identify when trouble is brewing, and violence might break out. The consequences otherwise can be distressing for staff caught up in an incident and costly for the organisation.“

Selecting

Store detectives are often considered to be expensive to employ. A contracted service, with clear KPIs (key performance indicators), can be highly cost-effective, both in terms of the direct return on the investment and also in creating a safer and more attractive shopping environment, according to the LP company.
When choosing a service provider, retail loss prevention managers should consider the following, Simon Chapman says:-

1) Total costs and ROI: identify the Return On Investment from the store detective service. This is usually comprised of the value of goods recovered and from civil recovery proceedings. the contractor targets an ROI of 30 per cent

2) In-store teamwork: detectives should work as a team with security guards for maximum effect. Two security staff are usually required to make a successful stop

3) Team rotation: a large team is required to select and rotate detectives who will blend in with customers and avoid recognition by criminals

4) Intelligence network: for effective surveillance, detective teams should work together with in-store monitoring and detection systems – including CCTV, EAS and till scanning

5) National coverage, local knowledge: an understanding of both local issues and national trends in criminality is invaluable, supported by thorough training.

Visit www.lodgeservice.com

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