Some 200 delegates attended the 20th anniversary conference of the loss prevention body Retailers Against Crime (RAC) in Glasgow in September 2017.
The day’s topics were information sharing and the emphasis on educating staff on what to look, said Maxine Fraser from RAC. She was among the speakers at ST17 in Glasgow a fortnight earlier. She told Professional Security: “Tagging, EAS systems and security, are all key to deterring crime. However without educating staff on what to lookout for the thieves will still succeed. No matter what tagging system you have, the professional criminals will eventually find a way to overcome it. Customer service is obviously a key deterrent, however professional and organised groups or teams will not be put off by staff asking to assist, they will simply engage with the staff member whilst others are selecting and concealing stock in the background. Businesses that invest in crime reduction measures and education to deter crime will help create an environment where staff feel supported and their businesses will thrive.”
Police Scotland Assistant Chief Constable Wayne Mawson, a return speaker, hailed the joint working: “At a local level over 300 police officers based in our community can access the secure members site on the RAC website and also receive regular bulletins on the most up to date intelligence.” Pete Cheema of trade body the Scottish Grocers Federation said afterwards: “We look forward to developing our partnership with RAC and engaging with their wider stakeholders as we attempt to bring legislation forward to protect shop workers and create safer retail.”
Pictured; a demonstration of a fogging product, Fog Bandit.
