Fall 2023

Asset Protection | Profit Enhancement | Retail Performance

Can Retail Survive in America’s Cities?

With Rapidly Rising Rates of Crime, the Threat of Retailers Fleeing Big Cities Looms

Insights Cannabis Loss Prevention Homelessness and Retail Pre-Employment Interviewing Tips Trauma-Informed Leadership Plus: Swimming with Sharks Fall 2023 | V22.6 losspreventionmedia.com

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Fall 2023

Contents

Features

Can Retail Survive in America’s Cities?

25

Humanely Mitigating the Impact of Homelessness on Retail Stores

Rapidly Rising Rates of Crime, the Threat of Retailers Fleeing Big Cities Looms

Humanely Mitigating the Impact of Homelessness on Retail Stores

By Lauren Fritsky

Hfor reasons ranging from a lack of affordable housing Followtheflow / shutterstock.com

omelessness in the US has risen by 6 percent since 2017

By Courtney Wolfe

to record inflation. Major cities like New York and Los Angeles—which, combined, account for about a quarter of the country’s homeless population—have declared record levels of homelessness. Large retailers in hard-hit cities like San Francisco are closing shops due to the sharp rise in homeless individuals hanging out around their stores.

The presence of homeless individuals in retail areas can contribute to several adverse outcomes, including driving away customers, loss of revenue, and, increasingly, crime.

By Lauren Fritsky

Brilliant Eye/ kkssr / shutterstock.com

How Supply Chain Loss Prevention Is Responding to Changing Needs

30

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

Can Retail Survive in America’s Cities?

Tcritical in every area of retail, but in he need to adapt and change is

today’s evolving times, perhaps this is most important for the retail supply chain.

In an environment where automation and technology have become such a vital part of day-to-day operations, finding the most effective and efficient ways to move retail merchandise from the point of manufacture to the point of delivery to the customer requires strong management, creative processes, and capable leaders. Speed and accuracy are necessary to survive in the realm of the supply chain, requiring a higher level of flexibility and innovation than most

By Courtney Wolfe

realize. With the competitive nature of the business and the mounting demands of the retail customer, the development and implementation of successful supply chain programs has become a mission imperative across the industry.

To learn more about how innovation and technology are influencing the retail supply chain today, we held a roundtable discussion with several board members from the International Supply Chain Protection Organization (ISCPO) to gain their insights and perspectives on how the latest innovations are impacting supply chain loss prevention.

Travel mania / shutterstock.com

12

How Supply Chain Loss Prevention Is Responding to Changing Needs

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

20

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

annabis has been used for both recreational and medical purposes for thousands of years. Medical cannabis applications have been commonly used for centuries to treat disease, improve symptoms, and manage pain. Today, cannabis provides therapeutic relief with clinically proven benefits like reducing pain in cancer patients, decreasing PTSD symptoms in veterans, and reducing seizure rates in epileptic children by up to 50 percent.

A versatile plant with uses dating back as far as 3500 BC, it has even been used to make rope and clothing by ancient civilizations.

However, by the mid-twentieth century, despite that versatility, the use of cannabis was banned by most countries.

In recent times, however, the perception and use of cannabis products have shifted. Controlled use and distribution is now seen as an area of opportunity, outweighing the real or perceived risks of potential misuse. Whether based on social norms, medical application, or economic opportunity, the topic of cannabis and all its applications has gained the attention of our society—and the interest of the retail community.

Although the use and possession of cannabis has not been legalized under federal legislation, medicinal and recreational cannabis use has become increasingly widespread across the country. Today, support for marijuana legalization has grown substantially, with thirty-eight states and Washington, DC having legalized cannabis for medical reasons, while twenty-three states and Washington, DC now have laws allowing for recreational use.

Individual opinions on the use of cannabis products may vary, however, the numbers support these changes:

Martin Gaal / shutterstock.com

C

Cannabis Loss Prevention: The Sweet Smell of Success in a Blossoming Industry

Pre-Employment Interviews

By Allie Falk

Sdecisions for any loss prevention program ome of the most important business

are made during pre-employment interviews.

An astounding 81 percent of recruiting teams reported that hiring is more challenging today than a year ago, according to the Employ Quarterly Insights Report. With top talent hard to find and top candidates even more difficult to secure, today, the interview process must go beyond simply finding the best possible candidate for a particular position. We must

evaluate talent and potential. We must determine the best fit for our company and LP program. But interviews also serve as an opportunity for hiring managers to showcase the company to candidates. The winning approach to the pre-employment interview process must be seen as more than simply a means of looking at potential job candidates. It is the foundation of building a successful LP program.

In the loss prevention industry, LP practitioners often deal with dishonest employee interviews.

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

Fall 2023

36

A Winning Approach to

Miha Creative / shutterstock.com

Cannabis Loss Prevention:

The Sweet Smell of Success in a Blossoming Industry

A Winning Approach to Pre-Employment Interviews

By Allie Falk

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LossPreventionMedia.com

10

44

By John W. Jones, PhD

Iglobal pandemic that left scars both visible and invisible—leadership styles

Irina Strelnikova / shutterstock.com

n today’s fast-paced business environment—particularly in the wake of a

need to adapt to new business challenges, such as remote work, increased crime, and unsafe work environments. Loss prevention management is responsible for reducing operational losses, including issues like workplace violence, employee theft, and collusion with organized retail crime. Therefore, loss prevention teams need to work closely with human resources and operations to ensure that the highest-risk stores and locations receive a new form of leadership that is optimal for the post-pandemic economy. One emerging leadership style that offers promise is trauma-informed leadership.

50

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

LP Psychologist: Trauma-Informed Leadership for Loss Prevention Management

Idollars every year. That’s billions—with a B. In fact, losses

nventory shrink costs retailers across the globe billions of

amount to nearly $100 billion annually in the United States alone. Retail shrink is a genuine concern. This is a serious problem that goes well beyond a missing sweater, a damaged package, or a youngster shoplifting bubble gum. It’s a real and growing threat to profit margins and company survival.

In simple terms, retail shrinkage or “shrink” refers to the difference between inventory levels that a retail company is supposed to have on hand based on their books as compared to the actual inventory on hand when verified by the retailer. This reduction or loss of inventory is primarily due to factors such as shoplifting, organized retail crime, employee theft, human or paperwork errors, vendor fraud, and other related losses. Shrink can lead to the downfall of a retail enterprise, directly eating into the lifeline of profit that keeps the company in business.

Profits Drive Success, Not Just Sales So, what does that mean to the average store manager? For most in retail management, sales are everything. Sales drive the business. When we look to measure the overall success of the business, we look to sales first. When we try to establish business trends and product success, we look to sales. When we look to measure the success of a store manager, we start by looking at sales. Sales create the revenue that pays for everything else. Sales pay our salary and keep the lights on.

Sales buy new merchandise and keep the retail cycle alive.

Most certainly, there are other factors that will come into play, but when measuring success and failure, the buck stops here.

By John W. Jones, PhD

Luis Molinero / shutterstock.com

LP Psychologist: Trauma-Informed Leadership for Loss Prevention Management

Common Characteristics of High-Shrink Stores

10 Common Characteristics of High-Shrink Stores

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

Departments

6 Editor’s Letter

Polycrisis? What’s New?

By Stefanie Hoover, CFI

48 Retail Trends

Solutions Showcase

How Industry 4.0 Impacts Retail 4.0

By Tom Meehan, CFI

8 Editorial Board 9 Vendor Advisory Board 10 Retail Sponsors 35 LPM Excellence

54 Ask the Expert

41 Career Center

55 People on the Move 64 LPM Digital

LPM Magpie Awards Featuring Ed Fritz, Boise Police Department, and Howard Mergler, Fairfax County Police Department

Unlocking Hidden Value from Opposing Viewpoints

By Michael Reddington, CFI

42 Interviewing

Mental Health: Investigators Taking Care of Each Other

By David Thompson, CFI

53 Something Good

Swimming with Sharks: Dive for Freedom Observations of a Loss Prevention Warhorse

By Kevin Lynch, LPC, CPP

Popular Articles on the LPM Digital Channels

By Courtney Wolfe

66 New Product Spotlight 69 Certification

Spotlighting Loss Prevention Certified Professionals

Loss Prevention Magazine

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Fall 2023

47 Everon 58 Checkpoint 60 CONTROLTEK 62 Sensormatic 73 Advertisers 73 Subscriptions 74 Wrapping Up

Knowing When to Slow Down

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

EDITOR'S LETTER

Powered by The Loss Prevention Foundation

Polycrisis?

What’s New? Y

ou may be way ahead of me and are already familiar with the term “polycrisis”. It was first coined in the 70’s by French theorist Edgar Morin and recently popped up during the World Economic Forum annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland. It’s exactly as it sounds—and just as scary. The term refers to the convergence of multiple crises at one time—at this moment in history, it consists of multiple wars, pandemics, inflation, energy costs, and climate crises. Polycrises have happened throughout history, and this one may or may not be worse than those in the past; I’ll leave that up to the scientists and historians to decide.

If you work in retail, let’s make it less macro and add the lack of prosecution for retail crimes, labor shortages, homelessness, organized retail crime, and increased active shooters, among others. If things feel overwhelming, you’re not alone, and your perception is a shared one. We are all feeling it. Living during a polycrisis is stressful, and being uber-connected to the daily news and social media only adds to that stress.

All is not gloom and doom. Loss prevention professionals have been the Steady Eddies, the lighthouse, and the calm in the storm through many other polycrises. Whether on a global scale or within your own company, LP folks tend to shoulder the burden in times of trouble and get asked to guide the boat through rough waters.

There were a lot of mixed metaphors in that paragraph. Since I’ve been out enjoying nature lately, I’ll focus on the rough waters to illustrate a point.

President Caroline Kochman

Caroline.Kochman@losspreventionfoundation.org Vice President, Editor-in-Chief Stefanie Hoover, CFI StefanieH@LPportal.com

Stefanie Hoover, CFI Editor-in-Chief

Picture yourself guiding your LP boat through class IV whitewater rapids. There’s a whole team of people in the boat depending on you to help them make it through. You need to have a steady hand, vision, and strength. You can’t crack under pressure or be distracted by a spray of water here and there. Some people on the boat may be fearful and decide they want to jump out; you must coach them through and convince them it’s in their best interests to stay in the boat. Watch out for the boulders! Whether it’s veering to starboard away from the sharp granite of wrongheaded policies and investments or to port, deftly implementing successful programs, you must captain that boat to safety.

When you make it through to the end of your whitewater thrill ride, you’ll be exhilarated and exhausted. By the way, there will be lots of other whitewater trips for you during your career. They won’t all be navigated so seamlessly, and you are bound to learn from each one what you are made of. Even though you were the boat’s captain, you’ll realize that without those passengers, the boat would have been mightily unstable.

Who wants to take a boat ride down rapids alone anyway? Not me.

Remember the most important lesson the river teaches us, and as several authors in this issue point out: we need to care for ourselves and each other in times of troubled waters. We are in them and will be called upon to guide our teams to safety.

Polycrisis? You’ve got this captain.

Fall 2023

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LossPreventionMedia.com

Editorial Director Jacque Brittain, LPC JacB@LPportal.com Managing Editor Digital Courtney Wolfe CourtneyW@LPportal.com Assistant Editor Allie Falk AllieF@LPportal.com Retail Technology Editor Tom Meehan, CFI TomM@LPportal.com Contributing Writers Read Hayes, PhD John W. Jones, PhD. Cory Lowe, PhD Walter Palmer, CFI, CFE Michael Reddington, CFI David Thompson, CFI Special Projects Justin Kemp, LPQ Kevin McMenimen, LPC Design & Production SPARK Publications info@SPARKpublications.com Creative Director Larry Preslar Advertising Strategist Ben Skidmore 972-587-9064 office, 214-597-8168 mobile BenS@LPportal.com Subscription Services New Or Change Of Address LPMsubscription.com or circulation@LPportal.com Postmaster Send change of address forms to Loss Prevention Magazine 128 Fast Lane, Suite 202 Mooresville, NC 28117 Cover art:: sdecoret / Shutterstock.com Loss Prevention aka LP Magazine aka LPM (USPS 000-710) is published bimonthly by Loss Prevention Magazine, 128 Fast Lane, Suite 202, Mooresville, NC 28117. Print subscriptions are available free to qualified loss prevention and retail professionals in the U.S. and Canada at LPMsubscription.com. The publisher reserves the right to determine qualification standards. For questions about subscriptions, contact circulation@LPportal.com or call 214-662-9548.. Periodicals postage paid at Mooresville, NC, and additional mailing offices.

© 2023 Loss Prevention Foundation Loss Prevention, LP Magazine, LP Magazine Europe, LPM, and LossPreventionMedia.com are service marks owned by the publishers and their use is restricted. All editorial content is copyrighted. No article may be reproduced by any means without expressed, written permission from the publisher. Reprints or PDF versions of articles are available by contacting the publisher. Statements of fact or opinion are the responsibility of the authors and do not necessarily represent the opinion of the publishers. Advertising in the publication does not imply endorsement by the publishers. The editor reserves the right to accept or reject any article or advertisement.

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EDITORIAL BOARD

Jennie Anderson Vice President, Loss Prevention, Safety, Security, and Environmental, AutoZone

Marty Andrews, CFI Vice President, Loss Prevention, VF Corporation

Rick Beardsley Senior Director of Loss Prevention and Safety, At Home Group

Ray Cloud Group Senior Vice President, Loss Prevention, Ross Stores

Carmen DuBose, LPC, CFI Senior Director of Asset Protection, Hibbett Sports

Scott Draher, LPC Vice President, Asset Protection, Safety, and Operations, Lowe’s

Scott Glenn, EDJ, LPC Vice President, Asset Protection, The Home Depot

Robert Holm Director, Global Safety & Security, McDonald’s

Seth Hughes Divisional Vice President, Asset Protection and Risk Management, REI Co-op

Christyn Keef, LPC Vice President of Asset Protection and Safety, Walmart

Mike Lamb, LPC Vice President, Asset Protection & Safety, Kroger

Michael Limauro, LPC Vice President, Global Asset Protection, Whole Foods Market

Bobby Louissant Global Security Program Manager, Meta

David Lund, LPC Vice President, Loss Prevention, DICK’S Sporting Goods

John Matas, CFE, CFCI Director, Global Fraud, Risk, and Compliance Operations, Etsy

Dan Moren Senior Manager, Starbucks

Richard Peck, LPC Senior Vice President, Loss Prevention, The TJX Companies

Tina Sellers, LPC Retail Executive Rite Aid

LPM's Editorial Board is composed of some of the loss prevention and asset protection industry's top executives from a wide range of retail sectors. These senior executives provide guidance to the LPM team on article topics and industry issues that are of current concern and interest to LP professionals. To learn more about the Editorial Board, contact Stefanie Hoover, CFI, at StefanieH@LPportal.com.

Hank Siemers, CFI Vice President, Global Protection Services, Tiffany & Co.

Mark Stinde, MBA, LPC Vice President of Asset Protection, Casey's

Fall 2023

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VENDOR ADVISORY BOARD

Rhett Asher Rex Gillette

James Stark

VP, Retail Sales

SVP, Community Relations & Partnerships

Stuart Rosenthal

Tom Meehan, CFI

Chris Reene

Dave Sandoval

Cita Doyle, LPQ, LPC

VP, Global Sales

Jordan I. Rivchun Director of Business Development

Alix Arguelles

Director of Product

Robb Northrup

Director, Marketing Communications

Segment Manager, Retail

Head of Commercial

President

President

Jack Ashton VP, Strategic Development

VP, Strategic Initiatives

Scott Thomas

National Director for Signature Brands

Matt Kelley, MBA

VP, Sales & Marketing

Head of Retail, Go To Market

Brad Campbell

Ned McCauley

Chief Executive Officer

Director, Sales

LPM's Vendor Advisory Board is composed of the magazine's strongest solution provider supporters. These executives provide their counsel on how the magazine can better advance and serve the loss prevention and asset protection industry. To learn more about the VAB, contact Ben Skidmore at BenS@LPportal.com.

Tony Sheppard, CFI, LPC Sr. Director, LP Solutions

Loss Prevention Magazine

Stephen B. Longo

| 9 |

Fall 2023

RETAIL SPONSORS

Join these great companies as an LPM corporate sponsor. Email Editor@LPportal.com for more information.

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a service provider to

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Fall 2023

Can Retail Survive in America’s Cities?

With Rapidly Rising Rates of Crime, the Threat of Retailers Fleeing Big Cities Looms

Brilliant Eye/ kkssr / shutterstock.com

By Courtney Wolfe

“Anyone who traveled the country pre-pandemic and post-pandemic can spot the difference—it truly is amazing that there are still some people and journalists who think the problem is fabricated.”

F

—Lisa LaBruno While all these cities (and most others) are in an uphill battle with retail crime, this article will focus specifically on Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York City, and Chicago.

LA and San Francisco With two of its largest cities boasting the highest retail crime numbers in the country, California has suffered the most from the recent rise in retail crime.

In California, shoplifting is defined by Proposition 47 as stealing merchandise worth less than $950 during business hours. In 2022, San Francisco County had 333 reported shoplifting incidents per 100,000 residents—a 24 percent increase since 2019. Los Angeles County actually saw a 6 percent decrease in shoplifting from 2019 to 2022.

This could be due to more retail crime being considered a commercial burglary incident, defined as stealing more than $950 worth of merchandise.

Los Angeles County saw a 29 percent increase in commercial burglary from 2019-2022, while San Francisco County saw a 26 percent increase with 429 incidents.

Where Los Angeles really stands out is in its number of commercial robberies, where force is threatened or

Lisa LaBruno

Rhett Asher

Amanda Hobert, CFI

Phil Pasquini / shutterstock.com

rom masking and COVID-19 testing to remote working and TikTok dances, the past four years have brought a plethora of changes. Few things have changed quite as much as America’s cities, though. As businesses shut down and social distancing was recommended, people left large cities en masse for what they perceived to be safer, greener pastures in the suburbs and more rural areas. And, in the midst of this crisis, another erupted that spurred protests, lootings, and devastating damage to storefronts and the communities they serve around the country.

As a result, people lost their jobs, the economy suffered, and inflation skyrocketed. In many cases, people became desperate, and more willing to commit crimes—especially against retail giants who, in their distorted estimation, surely wouldn’t feel the pinch.

“There is no doubt that retailers have experienced a surge in crime in many cities, particularly dating back to the pandemic and recovery,” said Lisa LaBruno, senior executive vice president of retail operations with the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA).

“Anyone who has traveled the country pre-pandemic and post‑pandemic can spot the difference—it truly is amazing that there are still some people and journalists who think the problem is fabricated.

Many have debated whether retailers are inflating retail crime numbers, but to those working in retail, and even many consumers, the change is clear.

“You can’t walk down a city street without realizing things are getting worse,” said Rhett Asher, senior vice president of partnership development at ALTO USA. “From what our clients are saying, there is an evident increase in crime in big cities, and not just shoplifting—retail crime also includes violence, ORC, even groups of teenagers who don’t respect authority doing store sweeps. And what do you do about all of that? Retailers are fighting multiple battles on multiple fronts, and everyone is under-resourced, which makes this even harder to deal with.”

Amanda Hobert, CFI, president of the Metro Organized Retail Crime Alliance (METRORCA), said that while there has been plenty of conversation around rising crime in New York City, it’s not the only area being affected.

“Retail crime has absolutely increased in big cities,” she said. “Hearing from other retailers this is not just an isolated issue in New York City, but throughout the country, there’s an elevation in retail crime, though particularly in big cities. I do not think it’s overhyped.”

According to the National Retail Federation’s 2022 Security Survey, the cities with the highest level of retail crime are: 1. Los Angeles 2. San Francisco/Oakland 3. New York City 4. Houston 5. Miami 6. Chicago 7. Sacramento 8. Seattle 9. Atlanta 10. Dallas

San Francisco

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Fall 2023

Rachel Michelin

used. These incidents increased by 13 percent, with 60 per 100,000 residents.

“In LA, we have a DA who isn’t prosecuting, whether it’s cargo theft, retail theft, or otherwise,” said Rachel Michelin, president and CEO of the California Retailers Association. “He was a big proponent of Prop 47, and when you have a DA not holding people accountable, that creates an environment where people are taking advantage of the law. What we see a lot is people dipping their toe into crime by stealing small amounts, and it starts to escalate. Lately, there’s been an escalation with all the smash-and-grabs. And now we have no bail. When you start adding these things together, it creates an environment where criminal activity thrives.”

Michelin added that San Francisco has its own host of problems.

“San Francisco was under the harshest lockdowns during COVID and took the longest to move out of that, and they were very focused on office workers, so when folks started working from home and left the city to move elsewhere, they didn’t come back,” Michelin said.

“When you don’t have that traffic, that has an impact. For a while, there was a DA who was not prosecuting a lot of crimes, but he was recalled, and I think the current DA

“In California we’re hitting that tipping point where people are getting frustrated; retail crime is affecting every community, not just big cities, and people want to see some accountability.”

—Rachel Michelin is trying to prosecute, but that genie was kind of already out of the bottle. Until San Francisco figures out what it’s going to be in its next resurgence and gets people to move back, crime will continue to be a challenge.”

For both California cities, a growing homeless population is also contributing to the increase in retail crime.

“People who don’t have enough resources will steal things they can’t afford,” Michelin said. “Couple that with the growing homelessness problem and mental health issues, that all adds to the larger issue of retail crime. But fundamentally you have this attitude where you won’t be held accountable. There needs to be consequences or diversion programs. What’s fueling a lot of this is addiction and mental health, and they utilize stealing to continue the destructive lifestyle without the intervention.”

However, even those who originally supported relaxed prosecution are growing tired of the overwhelming crime and closing businesses, and politicians are following suit.

Thanks in part to the lobbying of the California Retailers Association (CRA), the state passed AB 331, which toughens penalties for retail crime, and provides funding for a California Highway Patrol ORC Task Force.

As of August 2023, the task force has recovered over $30.7 million worth of stolen merchandise since 2019.

Fall 2023

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magraphy / shutterstock.com

FEATURE

Can Retail Survive in America’s Cities?

Los Angeles

Los Angeles launched its own ORC Task Force in August of this year with involvement from multiple Southern California law enforcement agencies, including the LAPD, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, the US Marshals Apprehension Task Force, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation Apprehension Task Force. The move came after more than thirty masked individuals stole over $300,000 worth of merchandise from a Nordstrom store on August 12.

“What we’ve seen over the past week in the City of Los Angeles and in surrounding regions is unacceptable, which is why today we are here announcing action,” LA Mayor Karen Bass said at the time. “These are not victimless crimes—especially in the case where Angelenos were attacked—through force or fear—as they did their jobs or ran errands. No Angeleno should feel like it’s unsafe to go shopping and no Angeleno should feel like it’s unsafe to open a business in Los Angeles or Los Angeles County. This task force will aggressively investigate these incidents and hold individuals that are responsible for these crimes fully accountable.”

Action is happening on the state level as well. In June 2023, California Attorney General Rob Bonta signed an agreement committing to specific actions aimed at helping to address growing retail crime. On September 12, California Governor Gavin Newsom announced that California would make a $267,118,293 investment to combat ORC, providing an opportunity to hire more police, make more arrests, and secure more felony charges against suspects.

“Enough with these brazen smash-and-grabs,” Newsom said. “When shameless criminals walk out of stores with stolen goods, they’ll walk straight into jail cells.”

After having a hand in all these successes, Michelin’s next goal is to fix the unintended consequences of Prop 47 that relate to retail theft.

“In California, we’re hitting that tipping point where people are getting frustrated; retail crime is affecting every community, not just big cities, and people want to see some accountability,” Michelin said.

LossPreventionMedia.com

“The most important thing for everybody is to get involved. Frontline employees should be writing to their senator and explaining how retail crime is affecting their livelihood.”

New York City

Nick Starichenko / shutterstock.com

New York City saw more than 63,925 shoplifting incidents in 2022—a 45 percent increase from 2021. Over the past five years, shoplifting complaints have nearly doubled. Unfortunately, only about 34 percent of these resulted in arrests last year, compared with 60 percent in 2017.

One interesting finding when looking at the retail crime stats in New York City is that nearly a third of all shoplifting arrests in 2022 involved just 327 people, who were arrested and rearrested more than 6,000 times. Out of all the stores in New York City, eighteen department stores and seven chain pharmacy locations accounted for 20 percent of all complaints. And the items being stolen are decreasing in value. By the end of 2022, the theft of items valued at less than $1,000 had increased 53 percent since 2019 at major commercial locations.

In May of this year, NYC Mayor Eric Adams announced a new plan to combat rampant retail theft.

“Shoplifters and organized crime rings prey on businesses that have already taken a hit due to COVID-19, but, with this comprehensive plan, we’re going to beat back on retail theft through a combination of law enforcement, prevention, and intervention,” Adams said at the time. “This plan will help us invest in diversion programs and in underlying factors leading to retail theft; works upstream to stop some of the factors leading to a crime before one takes place; trains retail workers in de‑escalation tactics and security best practices; and takes numerous actions to increase necessary enforcement against repeat shoplifters and deter organized retail crime rings perpetrating these thefts.

“Most importantly, this plan aims to reassure our store owners that we know they are essential to our city, and we have their backs.” “[Eric Adams’ new plan] is a step in the right direction,” Hobert said. “Seeing these crimes in the media and the issue being in the spotlight is helping. It’s unfortunate because I think the reason it’s coming to light is the sheer amount of what’s happening and the degree to

—Peter Chie which it’s happening—smash-and-grabs are $100,000 hits and present massive safety issues. This is a step in the right direction, but it will take time to put things in place and for perpetrators to realize changes are being made not in their favor.”

Adams’ plan includes two diversion programs, retail employee training, a neighborhood retail watch, and the establishment of a New York City Organized Retail Theft Task Force.

“New York City is one of the [cities dealing with retail theft best] because a lot of resources are allocated in New York,” said Peter Chie, CFI, operating vice president of asset protection and risk management at Bloomingdale’s. “Other cities struggle with both deterrence and prosecution.”

METRORCA also works to bring relief to retailers in New York City and has been pushing for more member collaboration to identify ORC groups so they can be prosecuted.

Chicago The Chicago Police Department does not separate retail thefts in its reporting, but there have been 14,470 total theft incidents so far in 2023, as of Sept. 10. In 2022 during the same time period there were 13,327 total incidents, meaning there has been a 9 percent increase in theft already. Looking at the past two years, there has been a 79 percent increase in theft, and a 98 percent increase in the past three years.

In the state of Illinois, the US Chamber of Commerce estimates that more than $2 billion worth of goods were stolen from retailers in 2021, and the cost to businesses was more than double that when taking other factors into account, such as lost sales.

While crime has increased, arrests have decreased.

Many point to Cook County State’s Attorney Kim Foxx’s move to raise the threshold for felony shoplifting charges to $1,000 from $500 as the reason. However, this does not stop the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office from prosecuting ORC groups and high-level offenders who are responsible for far more than $1,000 of theft.

Similar to New York City, many of the retail crimes committed in Chicago are carried out by the same people, in the same locations. One-third of shoplifting arrests in Chicago in 2022 involved the same 195 people who were arrested at least twice for retail theft. Of the 1,499 shoplifting arrests in the city in 2022, 12 percent resulted from thefts at the Macy’s store on State Street, downtown.

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has been a passionate advocate for reversing the tide and stopping

New York City

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Fall 2023

Peter Chie, CFI

retail crime in the state. He created an ORC Task Force in 2021 and helped to pass a bill that combats ORC in 2022.

Also working to combat retail crime is the Cook County Regional Organized Crime Task Force (CCROC), formed in 2010. Since then, the group has brought together more than 120 private companies and over 100 local, state, and federal law enforcement arms.

“They’re sharing information and that’s the biggest key, having a place for people to go with the issues they’re having, and to know they’re not alone,” said David Williams, chairman of CCROC and supervisor of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office Special Prosecutions Bureau. “Before, everyone was working in their private silo instead of realizing the same criminal enterprise was victimizing multiple companies and jurisdictions. We figure out how to bring all of the jurisdictions and victims together to build investigations and prosecute.”

CCROC has bimonthly meetings to share information, and from those, they’ve learned a lot. “We’re seeing a lot of trends in financial fraud by gangs,” Williams explained.

“They used to be all about narcotics, but now we see them doing financial fraud. And we see money going overseas to finance international crime groups and even terrorist groups. Millions and millions of dollars are being sourced out of Chicago.”

According to Williams, there are four victims of retail crime: the business being attacked, the consumer who then has to pay more for products, the cities and states that are losing tax dollars due to fewer legitimate sales, and the communities being deprived of resources.

“One thing that’s happening more in Chicago is store closures like in San Francisco,” added Williams. “We also have semi-legitimate businesses in high-crime areas, in places you’d consider food deserts, and instead of providing food, they provide places for fencing operations and fraud. Instead of providing jobs, they take resources from the community. And the impact at that level is so critical. Shutting down these criminal enterprises can have an impact in high-crime areas.”

David Williams

iwonder TV / shutterstock.com

FEATURE

Can Retail Survive in America’s Cities?

Why Are Cities Being Hit So Hard?

While some details and specifics vary from city to city, there are a few factors that are contributing to the general rise in big city retail crime.

“I don’t think there’s a simple explanation, and I am sure it is something that will be studied extensively, but from my vantage point, anxiety, anger, fear, and division have all been on the rise over the past several years,” Lisa LaBruno said. “The pandemic made much of this worse, and I don’t think we’ve really gotten past some of the scar tissue from that year-plus of chaos. Trust in law enforcement is down, which is a huge problem. Law enforcement officers themselves are exhausted and demoralized, and they are underfunded in many urban areas. It’s just a perfect storm, and unfortunately, criminals aren’t always as dumb as we think they are—criminals are exploiting the moment because it’s been easy and profitable to steal and sell stolen products.”

Hobert agrees that the pandemic had an impact on retail crime.

“With the ability to mask up, it was an avenue for these subjects,” she said. “The leniency in the laws in some cities doesn’t help either. These crimes are looked at as low-level shoplifting offenses when they’re part of a much larger organization and issue. Coupled with that is the increase in violence. A lot of retailers are forced to be hands-off for the safety of customers and employees, and that’s known by offenders.”

The rise in e-commerce was another way the pandemic indirectly affected retail crime.

“The fact that people had to stay home, and shops were closed, you had to shop online for everything, and that increased the prevalence of e-commerce,” Chie said. “So not only did retailers have to change the way they execute at the store level, but a lot of people sat on the couch and ordered online and that created an atmosphere in stores where they had to reduce payroll to accommodate this shift in fulfillment versus in-store shopping, and with fewer people on the store floor, it created more opportunity for theft. And then you add in the fact that masks are common to wear now, and all those things fit together like a puzzle.”

The biggest factor contributing to a rise in crime across all cities and states might be the lack of prosecution.

“The reason for all of this is because there is no accountability, no consequences,” Asher said. “When there’s no consequences, things become chaotic, and that’s what we’re seeing. Between under‑resourced communities and very loose laws, I think the consequences of committing crime today are much less severe than they’ve ever been. It’s the perfect storm.” “[The increase in big-city crime is] predicated by some of the legislation that’s decriminalized a lot of the activity and really kind of lessened the consequences to some of these bad actors,” Chie added. “And you’ve also got the challenges with law enforcement today, especially around staffing and recruiting—just the attrition rate with law enforcement in the big cities is a tough challenge.

Not only are they having more people retiring early, but they have fewer recruits coming in, and that’s creating

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LossPreventionMedia.com

a deficit in their ability to execute strategy, and the first thing that goes by the wayside is the property crimes.”

Then, of course, there’s also the ease of peddling stolen goods on online marketplaces.

“The ability to quickly and easily sell stolen product anywhere in the world from behind a screen name made organized theft low-risk and high reward, particularly—but not limited to—jurisdictions where felony thresholds went up over the last decade,” LaBruno said. “If criminals can evade prosecution and fence anonymously through an online marketplace anywhere in the world, you’ve created a business model for the theft and resale of stolen products—a lucrative one.”

Selling stolen goods only becomes more lucrative during tough economic times.

“What’s desired in the legitimate world is desired in the illegitimate world, and that’s because those groups take advantage of the fact that there is an economic crisis looming or general chaos, and they use that to profit because they know there are people looking to save a dime,” Asher said. “This is probably the most under-resourced communities have been in a long time, and it’s a breeding ground for bad actors.”

It’s Time to Lay Down the Law With the lack of accountability and prosecution being a major driving force behind the rise in retail crime in big cities, it’s clear that now is the time to get serious about laying down the law.

“ORC existed for years—these folks are doing this not just for profit but drugs, human trafficking, and so many other things are funded through these gangs, so we need to look at things from that perspective,” Chie said.

“Cutting down on ORC would cut down on other things as well. There’s no federal shoplifting law right now, so federal funding does not exist. Every state has to fund the issue individually, and that’s where we’re running into problems.”

Retail organizations like RILA have been hard at work trying to strengthen laws against retail crime, though it’s not an easy task.

“Getting the details right on criminal justice reform is hard, same with bail reform,” LaBruno said. “I don’t know many serious people who want to lock up young people who do something stupid, or who think incarcerating addicts or homeless individuals is a wise long-term solution to society’s problems. Reasonable people can have a serious conversation about bail reform for nonviolent and first-time offenders. But we cannot have a revolving door for people who are violent or habitual offenders. Prosecutors who don’t get tough on people who are violent or get serious about career and habitual criminals in the community are going to keep their cities from recovering. Businesses will not come back if they don’t feel secure; people will stop coming to live, work, and eat in downtowns they don’t feel safe in.”

This is why, LaBruno said, RILA fought so hard for the INFORM Act, which makes it more difficult to anonymously sell stolen products online. Now the FTC and fifty state attorneys general are policing that law.

“We’re way beyond the point where we’re competitors in LP. We all have the same challenges, so reach out to your partners in LP and see what they’re doing. We’re all in this together.”

—Amanda Hobert This is also why RILA supports state and federal ORC task forces and will continue to advocate for funding.

Recently, RILA forged a partnership with the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) to drive collaboration at the local level between prosecutors and retailers. The next step, LaBruno said, is their new Vibrant Communities Initiative, where RILA and the NDAA are launching pilots in two communities that bring together district attorneys, police departments, social service organizations, local policymakers, civic and business groups, and other stakeholders to identify effective approaches for dealing with high-impact habitual offenders.

But don't sit back and wait for retail organizations to do all the work—contact your local lawmaker and urge them to take action against retail crime in your community.

Even more vital is getting store-level employees to share their experiences.

“The most important thing for everybody is to get involved,” Chie stressed. “Frontline employees should be writing to their senator and explaining how retail crime is affecting their livelihood.”

Protecting Your Stores It can be easy to feel helpless against the rising tide of big-city retail crime. But there are several steps you can take to keep your stores safe and secure.

“The biggest thing is really making sure we differentiate between the types of external theft—opportunistic shoplifting and ORC,” Chie explained. “Making sure our colleagues are educated and aware of the type of activity they’re encountering predicates how they’re going to react. If it’s opportunistic, great customer service will deter them. However, ORC groups are not deterred at all by those types of things. If we identify ORC, it’s all about speed and urgency; you need to remove yourself from that situation, get as much information as you can, and work with law enforcement on the back end to help them close the case. We may not get the instant gratification of recovering merchandise right then and there, but we can down the road. And the most important thing is keeping people safe during the incident.”

One thing to consider is the type of restrictions there might be on frontline employees.

“Share info, make sure all stores have camera systems that are in tune with the police department, and that they’re sharing information and signing complaints,” Williams emphasized. “Some businesses won’t sign complaints or act in real-time. If you have an employee watching a theft and they must contact a manager first before contacting the police—I understand corporate

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FEATURE

Can Retail Survive in America’s Cities? rules, but you lose the opportunity to identify the criminals at that point. And give them the ability to follow-up on cases in court, because if you’re not there to advocate for your case, it becomes difficult to prosecute.”

Finding partners in your fight against crime is also key.

“We’re way beyond the point where we’re competitors in LP,” Hobert said. “We all have the same challenges, so reach out to your partners in LP and see what they’re doing. We’re all in this together.”

Your local ORCA or retail organization can be a huge support system. “We’re really trying to do what we can to give retailers, law enforcement, and district attorneys the tools they need to be successful when it comes to combating retail theft and ORC,” Michelin said. “We do retail theft roundtables all over the state with local officials, law enforcement, and retailers to talk on a smaller scale and information share—that’s really powerful. There are a number of district attorneys who will prosecute, but retailers need to help prepare cases.”

National associations are a great resource as well. “Make sure you’re plugged in with RILA’s asset protection peer communities,” LaBruno said. “They are made up of the best and brightest AP executives in

“Retailers are fighting multiple battles on multiple fronts, and everyone is under-resourced, which makes this even harder to deal with.”

—Rhett Asher the business, and if you aren’t in those meetings, you are missing out. Sign up to walk stores with your local prosecutors. Attend our webinars, workshops, and collaborative programs with the NDAA. Sign up to be a part of the Vibrant Communities Initiative.”

Collaborating with others can often lead you to solutions you would never have thought of on your own.

“Don’t give up,” Asher advised. “The great thing about retail and LP is that we’re tenacious. We are smart and we are relentless, and my bit of advice would be that security in retail has always been a collaborative, layered approach, and it’s always also been about innovation and trying different things. Keep trying new things, because at the end of the day, we will get our arms around this and hopefully mitigate some of what is going on.”

The Future of Retailing in Big Cities Many big box retailers, among others, are closing locations in high-crime areas, raising the question of whether there’s a viable future for retailing in big cities.

“What concerns me is that today, we have historically low long-term unemployment, which has traditionally been a boon for urban centers and downtowns,” LaBruno said. “Those areas are hurting today despite record employment and wage growth. We absolutely need to get a handle on violent and habitual crime in these communities now, because I would wager that

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the problem will get worse with a future recession or higher unemployment, whenever it arrives.”

Peter Chie suggests that a shift from urban locations to suburban locations might happen, or that city locations will decrease in size, making them more manageable.

“In a lot of these high-crime cities like Portland and San Francisco, we’re opening stores, but they’re not big box department stores like they were in the past, they’re off-mall concept stores that are more flexible,” Chie said. “We’re going into areas in big cities where the traffic is, but in the remote working world with fewer people in the city, it’s not as fiscally beneficial for a retailer to be in the city. Malls, too, aren’t destination retail spaces anymore, so retailers are moving out to standalone locations.”

However, Hobert believes that people will soon start moving back into the cities they once abandoned.

“With anything, the pendulum swings one way and has to swing back the other way,” she said. “As we talk about ORC being in the media and people being more aware, there’s nothing else to do except react in the way we need to. We’ve seen some legislation, more ORC task forces, etc., and once we see success with those, the hope is that we’ll really start to see an impact throughout the US. Brick-and-mortar will always have a place in cities. People like shopping online, and they like the pickup in-store experience.”

It’s important that retailers actively work to mitigate crime in cities now, though—before it’s too late.

“I am an optimist, but a realist,” LaBruno said. “There is no silver bullet and there is a lot of work ahead. RILA has a strategy and a playbook, and we’re not giving up. But if we don’t dedicate ourselves to the playbook, I fear you will see more stores closing. And cities without vibrant retail won’t survive, so we have to get this right. The domino effect of retailers closing will lead to restaurants closing, hotels closing, and workers and residents leaving. We have to get this right. Now is the time!”

The good news? Retail is resilient.

“I’ve been in this industry my whole life, and one thing I will tell you is that retailers are resilient,” Asher said.

“We have weathered ORC ups and downs for the past thirty years; we’ve weathered pandemics, hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, and more. Brick-and-mortar will never completely go away. Some larger format stores may close but smaller footprints take hold, or they move out to the suburbs. We’re an adaptive industry and these retailers are super smart. And while it might get media attention to say some stores are shutting down because of crime, I don’t think that’s the whole puzzle, just a piece. We’re going where the sales are.”

LossPreventionMedia.com

Courtney Wolfe is managing editor digital focusing on expanding the magazine’s digital content and reach. She most recently was managing editor for SDM Magazine, a trade publication for security systems integrators. She received her bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism from Columbia College Chicago. She can be reached at CourtneyW@LPportal.com.

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Cannabis Loss Prevention:

The Sweet Smell of Success in a Blossoming Industry

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

annabis has been used for both recreational and medical purposes for thousands of years. Medical cannabis applications have been commonly used for centuries to treat disease, improve symptoms, and manage pain. Today, cannabis provides therapeutic relief with clinically proven benefits like reducing pain in cancer patients, decreasing PTSD symptoms in veterans, and reducing seizure rates in epileptic children by up to 50 percent.

A versatile plant with uses dating back as far as 3500 BC, it has even been used to make rope and clothing by ancient civilizations.

However, by the mid-twentieth century, despite that versatility, the use of cannabis was banned by most countries.

In recent times, however, the perception and use of cannabis products have shifted. Controlled use and distribution is now seen as an area of opportunity, outweighing the real or perceived risks of potential misuse. Whether based on social norms, medical application, or economic opportunity, the topic of cannabis and all its applications has gained the attention of our society—and the interest of the retail community.

Although the use and possession of cannabis has not been legalized under federal legislation, medicinal and recreational cannabis use has become increasingly widespread across the country. Today, support for marijuana legalization has grown substantially, with thirty-eight states and Washington, DC having legalized cannabis for medical reasons, while twenty-three states and Washington, DC now have laws allowing for recreational use.

Individual opinions on the use of cannabis products may vary, however, the numbers support these changes:

Martin Gaal / shutterstock.com

C

■ Current research indicates that up to 88 percent of adults are in favor of legalizing cannabis for either recreational or medical use.

■ With the total US cannabis supply expected to top nearly 50 million pounds, cannabis cultivation efforts are ramping up across the country as states increase production to meet growing product demands.

■ Recent reports indicate that the legal cannabis industry supports almost 430,000 full-time equivalent jobs, with the industry creating an average of around 280 new jobs per day.

■ With increasing consumer demand and new legal markets opening every year, projections anticipate that the value of the industry will be closing in on $100 billion by 2030. Nearly $3 billion in retail cannabis taxes were collected last year alone.

Debates continue over the risks and benefits of legalizing marijuana, but there is no doubt that change isn’t just coming—it’s here. And as social norms continue to evolve and different products become available, the business model is still changing and developing as well. The introduction of cannabis into the retail market requires more than just a shift in attitudes—it requires a shift in perspectives as well.

Cannabis products containing .3 percent of tetrahydrocannabinol, or THC, are still considered Schedule I controlled substances that require strict controls and regulations. How the products are farmed, processed, tested, moved through the supply chain, displayed, and sold in the stores must be managed based on stringent standards and meticulous compliance guidelines to ensure the safety and security of the process.

To learn more about the entire process, LP Magazine sat down with Bo Keyes, vice president of growth at C1 Compliance Group. With more than ten years of experience as a business owner and compliance expert in the cannabis industry, Keyes also currently chairs the technical advisory committee for Cannabis Safety & Quality (CSQ), a cannabis certification program designed to ensure benchmarking requirements for the cannabis industry from seed to sale. With regulations and compliance considered the top challenges facing the cannabis industry, his insights provide a greater understanding of where the industry is, where we are headed, and the role that asset protection will play in the ongoing growth and development of the industry.

Karen Culp / shutterstock.com

Jacque Brittain: What can you tell us about the way that the cannabis industry is growing and evolving today?

Bo Keyes: There’s a great deal to consider from a quality management and standards perspective. The entire industry is constantly evolving, with states legalizing the sale of products and setting standards to ensure the safety and quality of the product. Loss prevention considerations include various audits, video monitoring, pharmaceutical compliance, the training and development requirements necessary to maintain a license, responsible vendor training, certifying employees, and other related tasks.

Compliance issues are among the biggest challenges the industry faces. When compliance is not top of mind, it can

be a huge problem at every level of the business. Following operating procedures, the handling of the product, traceability through the supply chain, and the safety of the operation are among the top priorities.

Labeling is another big issue for both the end consumer and the company. It’s critical to understand what’s in the product, dosage and testing, the effect it has, batching, the shelf life, and the safety of the product. These are all very important considerations.

Coming up with a consensus on each of these issues is still a work in progress. There are state requirements for every program, whether through voter initiative or legislation, and the state will issue very clear guidelines.

With the recent passage of legislation calling for a review of the federal rescheduling process, the cannabis industry is once again poised for growth as the next wave of state programs start to open. This growth presents both opportunities and challenges, especially to ensure consistent product quality, a prepared workforce, and newly drafted regulatory compliance. I have seen firsthand how critical it is to promptly establish rigorous quality and operating standards from cultivation to retail. Consumers rightfully expect safe, accurately labeled products that deliver a consistent experience and seek out those products in the marketplace.

Bo Keyes

Brittain: So, are we talking about the potency and the quality of the product? Are there different standards for an edible versus something you smoke?

Keyes: From a consumer standpoint, I think the primary issues involve understanding what’s in the product and ensuring it’s used safely. Is the labeling accurate? Does what it says on the label actually reflect what’s in the product? And if so, what does that mean? What effects will it have on you? Balancing all that information from a compliance standpoint and then appropriately educating the consumer is critically important.

From the business perspective, the primary compliance issues deal with the management of the supply chain, the ability to understand the best ways to accomplish industry goals and determining how to most effectively reach those objectives. Effective training programs that stress compliance and safety issues are a critical aspect of the process. These issues are really prevalent right now, ultimately driving the long-term mission to reach a complete consensus across all states.

Brittain: So, what exactly are the testing standards? How is that determined?

Keyes: What you want to know with cannabis is the content—what’s in it? Is this going to get me high and have the effects I am looking for? The best way to answer those questions is to test the potency and quality of the product.

Basically, the product is run through a machine that accurately measures the content and potency of the active ingredients found in the product. People want to know what’s in the product they are buying; and for safety reasons so does the state, so there are requirements for everything to be tested.

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With increasing consumer demand and new legal markets opening every year, projections anticipate that the value of the industry will be closing in on $100 billion by 2030. Nearly $3 billion in retail cannabis taxes were collected last year alone.

There are state requirements for every program. The consumer will be looking to buy a product with a higher level of THC. The product is sold in the stores based on the level of THC and needs to be tested to make sure it falls within the required range. Currently, the labs must follow industry standards that will vary somewhat from state to state, but we are still working to write universal quality management standards for cannabis.

Brittain: What are the most typical products purchased in the stores?

“With new products hitting the market like vapes, edibles, and beverages, the consumer continues to look for the most familiar and comfortable consumption methods. I foresee a surge in beverage products, as this is a very familiar form of social engagement.”

—Bo Keyes

Keyes: The classic flower remains the most popular. People smoke cannabis and that’s the classic way to consume the product. However, that’s quickly evolving. With new products hitting the market like vapes, edibles, and beverages, the consumer continues to look for the most familiar and comfortable consumption methods. I foresee a surge in beverage products, as this is a very familiar form of social engagement.

But there are other ways to consume the product as well.

You may wear a transdermal patch on your skin. You may choose a sublingual product that looks like a hard candy. You may have oils that can be consumed in different ways. There are even bath balms and body lotions you can purchase.

Keyes: Let’s first clarify that the entire environment is very controlled, similar to a bank environment or a retail pharmacy. Before you can even gain access to where the product is being displayed, you must present certain personal identification information and be scanned into their system. They verify who you are, look at purchase history to ensure you haven’t eclipsed your daily limit, and confirm that there aren’t any other issues in the system that would limit or prohibit you from purchasing products. The state will also have access to that information and can monitor the state compliance issues as well.

Once provided entry to the controlled area where the products are held, direct access to the products is also controlled by employees for safety and security reasons.

When purchases are made, that information is also entered into the system, providing an ongoing register of customer activity. Similar to other high-end retail best practices, there are camera systems and other controls that monitor the flow of operations with items behind glass cases and budtenders walking you through the process. It’s all very controlled with stringent guidelines that must be followed. This is one of the most regulated and observed industries, so the 400,000‑plus hands-on workers must know what they’re doing.

For retail business owners, the primary compliance issues surround employee execution and having a knowledgeable and educated workforce.

Brittain: Bath balms and body lotions?

Keyes: Yes, absolutely. You have receptors all throughout your body and on your skin. The transdermal patches and lotions allow people with pain issues to find relief, and they’ve had a lot of success with these targeted relief solutions for pain.

Brittain: I can imagine that with all these various products, things can go missing. If you look at the retail outlets, what are some of the more common concerns?

Keyes: Specific to retail, employee training is definitely a big concern, more specifically the mistakes that can happen in a fast-paced retail environment. This is not necessarily something that is nefariously done wrong, but rather completed or documented incorrectly in some way, shape, or form. This could be as simple as miscalculating the THC limit conversions or having improper documentation due to regulatory updates.

Those are typically the more common problems we see.

But there can also be issues on the licensing side and keeping the business compliant. For example, keeping up with certain requirements like training, paperwork, systems, and updates from the state—things of that nature. There can be a high turnover rate in these positions, which is why training is so critically important.

The employees need to fully understand that this is still a controlled substance, and it must be handled and managed in a certain way.

Brittain: Can you walk us through the process of purchasing the products in the stores? What types of controls are in place and how is that managed?

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Brittain: So how does the supply chain operate? How does the product get from the farmer, through processing facilities and distributors, and along the supply chain to the point that it arrives in the stores?

Keyes: The supply chain can vary a great deal from state to state. In some instances, you can control every aspect of the supply chain and never have to work outside your own entity. There is vertical integration in this industry that allows for growing the product from seed all the way to selling it to the adult consumer. However, a more common practice would involve those situations where the business and licensing requirements are more segregated, and you can only have a certain license or a certain number of licenses throughout the supply chain management process. Usually, you’re growing product as a farmer and have that license, and as a result, the “farmer’s market” mentality does not apply. You will sell to a distributor or directly to the retail outlet. Along the way, it has to be tested and approved to determine what it is, whether it’s proven safe, and if it meets all the necessary requirements.

The distribution piece is a huge aspect of crop management, and a lot can get lost in the process. The industry is less than ten years old and we’re still learning a lot more about managing that whole process. It’s continuously being refined, but you’re typically going to see a very controlled supply chain.

Brittain: So, what exactly is it that you do?

Keyes: There are two ways to look at my role in the process: I help manage pre-license and post-license responsibilities. The first step is to help businesses get a

LossPreventionMedia.com

Roxana Gonzalez / shutterstock.com

FEATURE

The Sweet Smell of Success in a Blossoming Industry

license—establishing how you set everything up and what needs to be done to get the business up and operational. That has been an important aspect of what I have done since I started and a big piece of how we support operations, because this is still considered a new and growing business field.

Once the business becomes operational, those responsibilities move to help establish standard operating procedures, audits, training programs, and other assessments to help the business move forward.

That’s where my role is more focused now. As the market continues to grow, the focus has moved more to the operational side.

Brittain: What would be considered part of a typical audit?

Keyes: If it is a quality control audit, we primarily review the manufacturing aspects and the requirements that must be met to keep the business safe and compliant.

If it’s a security assessment, that tends to focus more on incidents or issues that have occurred, along with potential vulnerabilities and the solutions necessary to support that part of the business. It really gets down to meeting the requirements in your state, best practices deemed important, and improving the system.

Brittain: Are these businesses operating more as chains, or are they more independent operations?

Keyes: Currently we’re seeing both. We have what we call MSOs, or multi-state operators, that have licenses in different states. That trend started a few years ago when big money came into the industry, injecting large amounts of capital that sparked growth. However, there are a lot of single license holders as well that are very successful. It’s difficult to be more specific than that because the different states and different markets are operating based on their current guidelines and statutes.

Jiri Hera / shutterstock.com

Brittain: From an asset protection perspective, when looking at hiring people, difficult customers, theft issues, security concerns, and the similar aspects that impact every business, what have you seen as the primary issues?

Keyes: This is and will continue to be an important piece going forward, especially as the chains begin to establish themselves. There are those issues to contend with and others as well. For example, there may be branding issues with counterfeit products, tracking issues, and other concerns. From a retail standpoint, there are not as many concerns with robberies and theft during business hours because of the access control measures in place that are part of the required standard operating practices.

Issues are more likely to occur with someone driving a car through the front of the building when the store is closed, or typical burglary issues with individuals breaking the windows at night and trying to steal as much as they can. Preemptive measures include staff training on threat

assessments and standard operating procedures around open and close. Those are some of the more common concerns we face.

Asset protection takes on more of a dual role, similar to the way it’s managed in many other retail businesses—handling the thefts, robberies, and other investigations while monitoring all the different compliance needs through audits, training, and similar critical functions. There are other issues that asset protection may get involved with as well simply based on the nature of the business, such as de-escalation training, protests, and other threats that require both direct attention and training for the associates. As this industry continues to develop, there’s going to be a greater need for those types of services. It’s pretty much the next step as the industry grows and matures. There are strong measures that have already been taken, but it can always get better. It’s something that has to be managed—and managed well for the business to remain successful.

Brittain: This would appear to be a tremendous growth industry. Where do you see that going?

Keyes: If you look at the entire industry from a global perspective, there are exponential growth opportunities.

We’ve talked primarily about the controlled aspect of the business, focused on products that exceed the .3 percent THC threshold and require licensing and other restrictions.

That market has tremendous prospects. But when applied to the potential across different types of retail industries, there are even more possibilities.

For example, from a hemp standpoint, there are different over-the-counter products being sold at convenience stores, gas stations, and other businesses that are below the .3 percent THC threshold and aren’t held to the same strict standards. Now you can go to a gas station and purchase chewing gum that has a cannabinoid product in it.

That just makes the potential market so much bigger.

Brittain: What direction do you see the industry taking as we move forward?

Keyes: I see tremendous growth opportunity, heading toward a market where pharmaceutical companies participate under the FDA approval process and Schedule III, where federal law and state law coexist beyond attorney generals and the Farm Bill.

Small operators find their markets and niches with future access to all states and possibly the world.

Corporate brands will boggle the mind in size and scope when stretching from recreational cannabis products with massive retail footprints and consumer data to FDA-approved cannabis-derived treatments, supported by massive farming and agricultural holdings for their consumer textiles and industrial construction materials divisions as well as their hemp foods portfolio including animal feeds and supplements.

The cannabis industry is growing and it’s going to have some bumps along the way. The number of markets that

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“Asset protection takes on more of a dual role, similar to the way it’s managed in many other retail businesses— handling the thefts, robberies, and other investigations while monitoring all the different compliance needs through audits, training, and similar critical functions.”

—Bo Keyes

FEATURE

The Sweet Smell of Success in a Blossoming Industry

will participate is about to explode as these proven but novel ideas become sustainable solutions on an “The cannabis scale, all backed by institutional capital—so you industry is growing industrial know it can’t fail. and it’s going We’re entering a new era in a blossoming industry, to have some and that requires patience and flexibility as well as bumps along the consistency and control. But there are solutions. Right way. The number now, we need to focus on bringing together the right experts who can help take us in the best possible of markets that direction. We need leaders that can help grow the will participate business. We need the kinds of minds that can help is about to develop the standards to keep the business safe and explode as these We need operations experts who push for proven but novel secure. consistency and control. And we need well-trained teams ideas become that bring it all together. That’s the best path forward and sustainable the one I believe we’re following. solutions on an Rolling It All Together industrial scale, The cannabis industry would appear to have all backed by far‑reaching retail opportunities but based on the institutional diverse guidelines and state-by-state interpretation and capital—so you know it can’t fail.” application of the laws and regulatory standards, the —Bo Keyes

entire industry is still a work in progress. Economically, the possibilities are far-reaching, only limited by consumer demand and agricultural sustainability.

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However, there are challenges that remain to be addressed to ensure the stability and sustainability of the industry. The science of the industry must be standardized so that it applies in every market. Until the time that universally accepted standards are established on a national level, interstate commerce will remain a significant challenge. Compliance and controls will drive the success of the entire operation, anchored by sound practices and strong leadership. Training and development of the entire team must also be emphasized to ensure the safety, security, and sustained growth of the entire industry.

This is an industry where asset protection principles will largely determine success and failure. Without that critical aspect of the business, the entire operation could go up in smoke.

Jacque Brittain, LPC, is editorial director for LP Magazine. Prior to joining the magazine, he was director of learning design and certification for Learn It Solutions, where he helped coordinate and write the online coursework for the Loss Prevention Foundation’s LPC and LPQ certifications. Earlier in his career, Brittain was vice president of operations for one of the largest executive recruiting firms in the LP industry. He can be reached at JacB@LPportal.com.

LossPreventionMedia.com

Humanely Mitigating the Impact of Homelessness on Retail Stores

By Lauren Fritsky

Hfor reasons ranging from a lack of affordable housing Followtheflow / shutterstock.com

omelessness in the US has risen by 6 percent since 2017

to record inflation. Major cities like New York and Los Angeles—which, combined, account for about a quarter of the country’s homeless population—have declared record levels of homelessness. Large retailers in hard-hit cities like San Francisco are closing shops due to the sharp rise in homeless individuals hanging out around their stores.

The presence of homeless individuals in retail areas can contribute to several adverse outcomes, including driving away customers, loss of revenue, and, increasingly, crime.

FEATURE

Humanely Mitigating Homelessness

Matt Kelley

Organized retail crime groups are also beginning to recruit homeless individuals as boosters to commit theft, according to the National Retail Federation’s Organized Retail Crime Report. While by no means is ORC just related to homelessness, the report said that an uncertain economy aids these criminal groups in attracting more vulnerable individuals, helping them scale their operations.

“A significant proportion of boosters are typically addicted to opioids or other hard drugs, are homeless, or are experiencing both conditions, and they use money earned from retail theft to meet their basic needs or support a drug habit, according to law enforcement sources, retail loss prevention professionals, and retail trade associations,” the report said.

There’s evidence that newer ORC groups are more inclined to use violent tactics in addition to enlisting the homeless as part of their activities. In their analysis of 132 ORC groups that had booster operations between 2014 and 2022, 16 percent employed at least one violent tactic, including using firearms or other weapons, smash-and-grab, battery, flash mobbing, and violent threats against store employees or customers. Of the twenty-one violent ORC groups analyzed for the study, fifteen launched operations in 2021. This indicates that this increase in violent tactics is more recent.

Addressing this intersection of homelessness and more violent ORC requires a nuanced approach. According to several individuals we spoke with for this story, the solutions include a mix of security technology, employee training, and empathetic communication.

Curbing Red Guest Behavior

Ryan Dowd

In the Loss Prevention Foundation-hosted webinar Fear & Safety: Evaluating Parking Lot Interventions for Aggressive Street Behaviors, Orion Santangelo, a research scientist at the LPRC, described the difference between “green” guests and “red” guests at retail stores.

Green guests are “people that should be there” while red guests display aggressive, unwanted street behaviors possibly tied to homelessness, Santangelo said. The LPRC gathered intel about nationwide red guest behavior through focus groups and retailer responses; half said they encountered unwanted individuals in their vehicles, 43 percent at the store entrance or exit, and 7 percent inside the store.

“As we go into the holidays, some of these individuals are now working their way into the stores based on some of the weather patterns,” Santangelo noted in the webinar.

“So there’s going to be an interesting aspect of where some behaviors are and how we can prevent that and get

“Street homelessness is on the rise pretty dramatically—that’s not hype—and mental health challenges have increased.”

—Ryan Dowd

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that recognizability, that noticeability of their safety and security if they’re coming into our parking lot to do those bad behaviors.”

The LPRC categorized unwanted behavior into five areas: 1. Aggressive Street Behaviors: Accosting, stalking, yelling, indecent exposure 2. Sleeping: In cars, tents, sidewalks, benches, tables and chairs, and parking spaces 3. Panhandling: Asking for money in and around the store 4. D rug and Alcohol Abuse: Open intoxication or substance use in and around the store 5. Theft: Stealing from cars, car parts, shopping carts, cones, outdoor merchandise, etc.

The webinar noted that fear of crime can adversely affect several aspects of retail, such as the shopping experience, customer traffic, and employee performance.

“If you have customers who don’t feel safe, they’re not going to have a good experience,” said Matt Kelley, head of retail at LVT. “[Associates] are not going to have their time available to give good customer service, which is going to impact the voice of the customer, what their perception of your brand is. Ultimately, it could lead to turnover if you have a really unsafe environment.”

To understand how to combat these behaviors in a retail setting, the LPRC partnered with LVT to examine Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED), which includes surveillance, access control, territorial reinforcement, and maintenance. They put LVT mobile surveillance units in the parking lots of twenty-one stores across the US through five waves that spanned ninety days.

The units, equipped with cameras, speakers, and flashing lights, were active between 8 p..m and 4 a.m.

“This is all around creating that impression of control, making the green shoppers feel safer and deterring activity from the red shoppers,” said Kelley. “It’s creating that welcoming environment for your customers, but also, for the bad actors you don’t want on-site, letting them know you’re making an investment—whether it’s the natural surveillance, the access control, the reinforcement, setting a boundary around and protecting your location.”

The research found that the number of incidents involving violence and fear of crime decreased post-deployment of the mobile surveillance units based on customer reports and observations from store employees. Not only does this benefit the retailer, said Kelley, but it also helps law enforcement.

“It’s been, ‘Hey, these units free up my officers’ time to do policing work,’” he said. “They want to know that retailers, property management companies, or whomever else might be engaging with local law enforcement are making an effort to mitigate some of that activity rather than just looking to law enforcement to be their frontline defense.”

The deployment of the units is part of LVT’s efforts to better partner with retailers, the community, law enforcement, and local government, as detailed in our Spring cover story on the ACCESS Taskforce. LVT and the LPRC are both a part of the taskforce.

“Something that we are really focusing on with the LPRC is understanding that partnership, the collaboration, intelligence-driven decision-making,” Santangelo said.

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“Because everything we are trying to focus on as an industry is looking at how all these things interact and how we prevent future events.”

Over the years, retailers have deployed a variety of techniques and technology to help address the issue of the homeless who may be violating the law in and around their property. From robots to rock hardscaping to blasting music—retailers have tried it all. The LVT technology may be a game changer, but could it be even more effective when paired with a human touch?

Pairing Technology with Human Touch Ryan Dowd is a self-described chief empathy officer who spent two decades volunteering and then working for a homeless shelter in Illinois. In the last few years, he’s used this experience to begin training various businesses on how to better engage with the homeless in a more empathetic, low-conflict way.

He began with libraries, in which a significant portion of users today are homeless, according to the American Library Association (ALA). The training “absolutely took off,” said Dowd, resulting in him getting a book deal from the ALA (The Librarian’s Guide to Homelessness: An Empathy-Driven Approach to Solving Problems, Preventing Conflict, and Serving Everyone) and a 30-city tour with Emilio Estevez, who made a movie about libraries and homelessness called The Public. Dowd began building out his training on homelessness for businesses globally via HomelessTraining.com. He has since trained half a million people in six countries through in-person, online, and on-demand courses.

Recently, McDonald’s became a client of Dowd’s after the company’s leaders saw him speak at the Restaurant Loss Prevention and Security Association (RLPSA) conference last Spring. The global fast-food chain, which serves twenty-seven million customers daily in the US, also just signed on to pilot LVT’s mobile surveillance units at certain stores as part of its multi-faceted approach to keep employees and customers safe and satisfied.

“Homelessness has exploded so much in the last couple of years that there’s just way more interest in training on homelessness than there used to be,” Dowd said. “Street homelessness is on the rise pretty dramatically—that’s not hype—and mental health challenges have increased. Oftentimes, mental health challenges will lay dormant until stress causes them to pop: with COVID-19, a recession, and job loss, all of a sudden, you’ve got all these mental health issues popping.”

McDonald’s is experiencing much of what Dowd describes firsthand. Rob Holm, director of US security for McDonald’s, says loitering, panhandling in the drive-thru and parking lot, using washrooms to bathe or do other inappropriate activities, and using store Wi-Fi, and power are the chain’s most significant issues. The company’s past strategies for dealing with these problems were no longer working, Holm said.

“What we’re trying to do is provide our employees and managers with the information necessary to effectively deal when those situations do surface,” said

“Dealing with a typical volatile customer or somebody who just got upset because their fries were cold, we can deal with that. But when you have somebody that is homeless and has dealt with trauma and has other issues, we have to address that a little differently.”

—Rob Holm Holm. “We provide them de-escalating aggressive behavior training, workplace violence prevention training—but this is nuanced. We need to augment and complement that training and build off of that to deal with these challenges. Dealing with a typical volatile customer or somebody who just got upset because their fries were cold, we can deal with that. But when you have somebody that is homeless and has dealt with trauma and has other issues, we have to address that a little differently.”

Because McDonald’s just signed the agreement with Dowd last month, Holm said they haven’t yet identified the topics for their training. The business will pursue areas based on its culture and the vocabulary with which its employees are familiar. Dowd’s primary training is four parts, but all the courses are modular, so businesses can build upon them as they go, depending on their focus areas. For example, if a company wants to know specifics about mental health, or how to call the police effectively, break up a fight, ask someone to leave safely, and even address body odor, Dowd has about forty additional specialized modules. His training is designed for frontline workers and does not cover security or physical infrastructure—that’s where LVT comes in for McDonald’s.

“We go at it with a multi-faceted approach,” said Holm. “We have a plethora of tools in our medicine bag of prescriptions to apply to those restaurants that have certain ailments.”

There’s No Cavalry Coming In Retailers are increasingly being tasked with handling incidents involving the homeless on their own. Both Dowd’s training and the LVT technology are designed to help frontline workers be more self-sufficient when a potential issue arises. Dowd echoed a sentiment shared by both Kelley of LVT and Holm of McDonald’s that, increasingly, police are either unable or unwilling to respond to many incidents with problematic individuals at retail stores.

“What I’m hearing more and more of is these organizations saying, ‘The police just won’t help us, or can’t help us, and so we have to be able to handle this ourselves,’” said Dowd. “Whereas ten years ago, the policy was, ‘If X happens, call 911 and let them deal with

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Rob Holm

Ground Picture / shutterstock.com

FEATURE

Humanely Mitigating Homelessness

is get the conversation with a homeless person right in the first five seconds. If an employee can keep that person calm and prevent the fight-or-flight response typical in homeless individuals suffering from trauma, there’s a higher likelihood of a better outcome, he said.

“The degree to which you understand even a little bit of what the other person’s experiencing in ways you are not experiencing those things, you’re going to have an easier time working with them and ultimately helping them to manage their behavior in your space,” he said. “You don’t need to have a PhD in psychology to have enough understanding of the other person’s life to be able to work with them. Education alone very rarely changes how someone views someone else. If you change how someone interacts with someone, it changes how they view them—the good interaction needs to come first.”

Not only is there the safety factor when trying to ward off potential conflict with people experiencing homelessness, but in our age of social media, if a staff member mishandles a situation, the internet will find out about it—perhaps through a video filmed on someone’s cell phone. These public relations crises can cripple a business.

Even if companies aren’t considering a new approach to engaging with people experiencing homelessness out of the goodness of their hearts, Dowd said the more compassionate approach is the more effective one. This doesn’t mean he advocates for an overly permissive approach—he knows people need to follow rules. But he wants to help businesses go about it in a more humane way.

“Coming down, yelling at people, threatening, cracking skulls, it doesn’t work with someone with PTSD,” he said. “I get to help businesses with a problem they have, and the solution is to treat homeless people better. Everybody wins.”

“You don’t need to have a PhD in psychology to have enough understanding of the other person’s life to be able to work with them.”

—Ryan Dowd

The Path Forward it,’ now we have to train our staff on how to manage it because there’s no cavalry coming in.”

Dowd points out that only about 10 percent of people experiencing homelessness live unhoused chronically. These individuals often have mental health and substance abuse challenges. Those are the people businesses often encounter, not the other 90 percent, who may only be homeless for days, weeks, or months due to an economic or legal issue.

Dowd said that while the goals for businesses in different industries wanting to combat homelessness might differ, the techniques are essentially the same and are rooted in empathy. His approach is to provide background information on what a homeless individual might be experiencing, and the tools to help his clients get that person to comply without conflict.

The number one thing any business can do, he said,

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Addressing the root causes of homelessness is something out of the hands of retailers. But they can help address its impact on their stores and, by extension, the surrounding communities. And they don’t have to do it alone. By considering technologies to help guard the physical store property and empathy-based training to help employees better handle situations without major disruption to customers, retailers can deter adverse behaviors in a way that preserves dignity for all involved.

Lauren Fritsky is a seasoned journalist and content marketer whose work has appeared on CNN, AOL, USA TODAY, Huffington Post, Travel+Leisure, Entrepreneur, Adweek, and many other websites. She’s spent the last eleven years writing about IT, adtech, martech, retail, and e-commerce for global companies. Lauren earned a bachelor’s degree in English from La Salle University in Philadelphia. Contact her at Lauren.fritsky@gmail.com.

LossPreventionMedia.com

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How Supply Chain Loss Prevention Is Responding to Changing Needs

Tcritical in every area of retail, but in he need to adapt and change is

today’s evolving times, perhaps this is most important for the retail supply chain.

In an environment where automation and technology have become such a vital part of day-to-day operations, finding the most effective and efficient ways to move retail merchandise from the point of manufacture to the point of delivery to the customer requires strong management, creative processes, and capable leaders. Speed and accuracy are necessary to survive in the realm of the supply chain, requiring a higher level of flexibility and innovation than most

realize. With the competitive nature of the business and the mounting demands of the retail customer, the development and implementation of successful supply chain programs has become a mission imperative across the industry.

To learn more about how innovation and technology are influencing the retail supply chain today, we held a roundtable discussion with several board members from the International Supply Chain Protection Organization (ISCPO) to gain their insights and perspectives on how the latest innovations are impacting supply chain loss prevention.

Travel mania / shutterstock.com

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

Glenn Master is the co-founder of the ISCPO and currently serves as president and chairman. He is the director of asset protection and security at McLane.

Paul Ganz currently serves as a member-at-large with ISCPO. He is the senior director of supply chain asset protection for The Home Depot.

LPM: What do you consider to be some of the most significant innovations to impact supply chain operations over the past several years?

Glenn Master: First and foremost, physical security innovations have evolved significantly. Distribution center security uses a layered approach. You look at your specific risks in a particular center and modify your program based on those needs. For example, a distribution center in a rural area is going to have different needs and risks than one in a concentrated urban area. The way you design physical security in a million-square-foot facility and a 10,000-square-foot facility may be basically the same, but it’s how much you’re going to dial it back or increase the number of layers necessary to protect the people, your product, the transportation piece, and the facility based on the types of issues and the types of crime that are key.

Today, the IT team has a tremendous stake in managing security vendors. There’s really been a huge shift over the past several years. For example, as we keep making technological advances in information security, steps have to be taken with the vendors to protect the network. You have to follow the same guidelines with your physical security tools as you do with your information security systems because it’s so intertwined. We manage the program design, but when it comes to the relationship with the vendors, IT owns and manages that relationship and then brings loss prevention in as the industry expert.

It’s a huge paradigm shift that really makes sense. It’s a good marriage between IT and loss prevention, making it more efficient and managing costs.

But it’s not just the technical innovation that’s changing—it’s the intellectual innovation and the managerial innovation that’s leading the way. By looking at things more holistically, we are now using the systems to support multiple functions. By working together and thinking outside the box, we have the ability to tie these same systems with HR-related projects, operations, transportation, safety, security, access control, and so forth in ways to create a full-service enterprise. When integrated,

Tom Meehan, CFI, currently serves as a member-at-large with ISCPO. He is also the president of CONTROLTEK.

Marco Alongi currently serves as a member-at-large, Europe with ISCPO. He is the global head of profit protection at Dyson.

there’s a much greater return on our investment, improving efficiency, productivity, and safety within our facilities.

Paul Ganz: We’ve also made great strides with automation. If you think about all the ways that supply chains are looking to bring in robotics and other technology to simplify tasks, reduce the amount of risk associated with product issues, and, most importantly, protect our employees—we’ve made some extremely important improvements. When you put people in a process-intensive environment, safety must be paramount. While improving efficiency is certainly an important aspect of this, the improved safety aspects lead the way.

Considering the repetitive motions we ask associates to carry out as part of the supply chain function, it requires a significant amount of people power, which can lead to risk. Historically, we are always looking for ways to minimize the risk for our associates and improve productivity, and this is a giant step forward. This same automation also improves the accuracy and productivity of our systems and processes.

Today, what was once seen as lightyears away is now commonplace. For example, many picking processes are now handled in part by robotics. This labor-intensive process has been in many ways simplified and expedited to make everything more efficient, with incredible results.

There’s so much more out there, and so much more coming every day.

Marco Alongi: Having greater visibility from the point of manufacture and all the way through the supply chain is another critical innovation. GPS has been around for many years, but it’s useless unless you have a system that allows you to pull that information together in a centralized view effectively. This allows us to manage the information and react appropriately based on the data gathered.

There’s now software that provides granular visibility to identify where a load is along the supply chain. This gives

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“Leveraging peers across the industry adds a whole new level by addressing common problems.

That is one of the prime advantages of being part of an organization like ISCPO.” —Paul Ganz

FEATURE

How Supply Chain Loss Prevention Is Responding to Changing Needs

“The ability to take nontraditional ideas and approaches to leverage more progressive solutions allows for a quicker response to issues and a more proactive approach across the entire supply chain enterprise.”

—Tom Meehan

us greater ability to react quickly if something goes wrong.

We have had the technology and used it in productive ways, but the only way to remain successful is to continue to build on that technology and the different things it can do to continue to make us better. By taking the data from that technology and applying it to the total supply chain model, you can bring all types of data together under one roof in a transport management solution to provide end‑to-end visibility of our products as they move along the supply chain.

Tom Meehan: I strongly agree that technologies such as RFID, blockchain, AI, IoT, computer vision, and machine vision are highly impactful within today’s supply chain.

Among these, I feel that RFID, IoT, and AI might stand out as the most crucial. What makes this analysis more effective and efficient is the fact that these technologies often operate in conjunction with one another.

Sensor fusion combines data from different sensors to improve the accuracy and reliability of the information.

It takes the strengths of each sensor’s readings and merges them into a more comprehensive and accurate understanding of an environment or situation. Think of it as putting together pieces of a puzzle to get a clearer picture.

The ability to see and use that information as part of a larger vision helps create an image that can benefit the entire supply chain network.

LPM: What do you consider to be some of the most significant innovations to impact supply chain loss prevention over the past several years?

Meehan: Many of the same technologies that support supply chain operations have also had a direct influence on supply chain loss prevention. For example, internet protocol (IP) cameras installed in and around warehouses or on vehicles can monitor cargo and provide visual evidence if theft occurs. IoT sensors can detect changes in conditions like temperature, vibration, or light inside a cargo container. While this may help identify damage or spoilage, unauthorized opening or tampering might also trigger these sensors.

Using Blockchain technology, the entire supply chain can be securely and transparently monitored. Any unauthorized changes to the cargo or its route can be detected. There are innovations in biometric security such as fingerprints or facial recognition programs that can be used to ensure that only authorized personnel have access to cargo areas, reducing the chance of internal theft. Technologies such as machine learning and artificial intelligence programs use advanced algorithms to analyze patterns and predict potential theft by recognizing anomalies in routes, delivery times, or other factors. These technologies can be used individually or combined to create a multi-layered defense against theft and help keep the facilities safe.

Alongi: The evolving use of GPS devices that can be placed on vehicles or individual cargo items to monitor their location in real-time has made a significant difference. From an LP perspective, it gives you the ability to trace items

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and track problems back to their roots. Understanding the flow of raw materials and where they end up is always a big piece of the puzzle. Understanding the liability—when you take ownership—is really a significant part of that as well. While a lot of that is based on individual contracts, having that information can significantly impact a business in many different ways. Tiering a response to risk based on liability and reputational risk helps businesses develop solid security operating frameworks. Knowing when to deploy the right solution is critical for immediate response and action, should something go wrong.

Ganz: It’s not necessarily a new innovation, but I agree that RFID technology is really being refined and finding a home, whether tracking trailers or products. GPS tracking of equipment has taken a leap forward where we have visibility at all times. We’ve been able to track products through the UPCs’ barcodes. Additional innovations would now include technology that keeps certain products from being usable until they’re actually sold, which removes a whole market of theft opportunities.

The license plate technology that we’re using today is another innovation that’s really making a difference.

Considering all the last-mile deliveries and the delivery of products to the customer’s home, the use of technology to monitor both associates and the delivery process itself has taken a giant leap forward. There’s so much more out there to monitor and manage. The mobilization of a lot of the things we used to rely on heavily between four walls now can be managed anytime and anywhere for any reason.

LPM: How have recent trends in technology impacted the way that loss prevention teams function across the supply chain?

Ganz: You must make sure you’re evolving with technology and the times. Things are moving forward quickly, and you must ensure you’re moving forward with it just as quickly. With the criminal minds out there always looking for ways to get ahead of the game, it’s important as a leader to stay in the know. You must know what works and what doesn’t for your organization—always be curious and ask questions, learn the value of innovation, and then embrace it.

We have a seat at the table much more so than we ever have in the past, and keeping that in perspective is critical to success. When you think about the dynamics of growth, you must understand the importance of working together as partners. That part of our innovation as a profession is just as important as anything else. As technology and innovation move forward, we must adjust and grow as professionals. It’s more than just telling the teams what they can’t do—it’s just as important to help them figure out what they can. We have to be willing and able to ask, “How can we help, what are the things we can do to help meet business needs, and what are the things we can do to help mitigate the exposures?”

In today’s day and age, shrink in general is a primary part of the conversation around most organizations and

LossPreventionMedia.com

it’s important we remain a part of that discussion. We have to explore ways that we can contribute as partners and influence the business in creative ways that push the limits and make us better, truly listening and addressing those concerns relative to the needs of the business.

Master: Supply chain is one of the fastest-growing spaces on the planet. Traditionally, supply chain has been very slow to make significant changes, but the changes taking place today are leading to tremendous gains. We’re leveraging technology to create a yard management application. We’ve gone paperless, using technology to manage trucks checking in and out to streamline the system. We can then leverage the information with data that supports both the security function and transportation operations, making both more efficient and cost-effective.

This also allows us to focus on other things, pushing our teams to do more productive tasks to increase the safety, security, and overall productivity of the team.

Meehan: All these innovations allow for a wide array of opportunities that were not necessarily available in the past. The ability to take nontraditional ideas and approaches to leverage more progressive solutions allows for a quicker response to issues and a more proactive approach across the entire supply chain enterprise.

LPM: How have these innovations helped in the fight against cargo theft and similar criminal activity?

Ganz: I would add that it’s highly innovative the way we’ve improved our communication with each other. Today we are much more willing to work together to solve these problems. There are multiple organizations today working together to speak about trends and exposures to help solve the issues. Leveraging peers across the industry adds a whole new level by addressing common problems.

That is one of the prime advantages of being part of an organization like ISCPO. We’ve broken down barriers that allow meaningful conversations around how we can get better at protecting products in transit. We can talk about the technology, the processes, and other aspects of innovation so that when something goes wrong, we can talk about it in a meaningful way and work toward real solutions.

The door is now open to those conversations and it goes a long way.

LPM: How have these innovations helped fight other general loss issues across the supply chain?

Meehan: More data and visibility benefit everyone.

Customers can gain a clearer understanding of where items are in the supply chain. Staffing and scheduling become more precise, allowing finance to bill more appropriately.

Gold Picture / shutterstock.com

Alongi: When it comes to cargo theft, some of the more important questions that need to be answered focus on the time it takes to be notified and the time that it takes to react.

Solutions need to have an immediate notification to a 24/7 control point, and that control point needs to react very quickly. Without those functioning effectively, all we will end up doing is filing a lot of police reports and not working toward solutions and recovering goods.

Once stolen goods are out in the market, the products become more and more difficult to locate and recover. The

further away in time we get from the theft, the less likely it becomes to resolve the theft. You need cooperation from the top down; it can become very tricky. Who is going to own the loss? How will the loss be managed? It’s not just the security solutions to keep in mind. There’s the whole operational aspect of it as well—the application of it, the monetary aspects, the maintenance of the loss—all those aspects cannot be run by loss prevention alone. Building a compliance platform that accurately details how and where the product is moving is very important. It’s not just the technology or the innovation, it’s the management of the technology and the innovation and the way you approach it that truly drives results. There has to be strong communication and cooperation. Without that, the tools don’t really matter.

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“It’s not just the technology or the innovation, it’s the management of the technology and the innovation and the way you approach it that truly drives results.”

—Marco Alonghi

This increased insight also aids in life safety within the supply chain and helps manufacturers understand the demand for raw materials.

From the manufacturing standpoint, we can manage our supply chain from upstream raw materials to finished goods and all the way to the end user. By utilizing various data points and technologies like RFID, we can enhance control over the process.

Master: This is especially true with processes such as direct-to-customer inventory control and using technology to scan a package to tell where the package is along the supply chain. They’re leveraging the data from a carrier network standpoint, for customer service reasons, and from an investigative standpoint. The different buckets of data along the supply chain network are now being integrated for the benefit of everyone.

“Adjusting to change has become an inevitable part of the supply chain business and we must come to a point where we are comfortable with that. You need to bring people on board who are not afraid to ride this rocket.”

—Glenn Master

Alongi: Being able to consolidate information between shipments helps establish better compliance and detail that creates effective patterns, helping exceptions stand out more prominently. These metrics help improve speed and accuracy, along with the ability to manage that information when it comes in. Transport management solutions are also part of this. That’s the direction the business should be heading. Transport management solutions are going to be the next big thing for businesses using supply chain management, integrating a model that links technology, people, and processes for end‑to‑end visibility of the entire supply chain, while providing operational and cost efficiency.

LPM: How important is it that loss prevention professionals are receptive and appropriately respond to these changes?

Ganz: When looking for a leader to work in loss prevention, you must be able to articulate that you’re not just looking at thieves, reviewing reports, and trying to catch internals. Your influence is much grander in the world of supply chain whether it’s safety or security or any of the other functions relative to what we do when we can demonstrate that ability.

We want to bring in people who are more multi-faceted and broad-based—someone who can be a self-thinker.

You can’t have a singular focus; you must be curious, build relationships, and earn a seat at the table. If not, you’ll become obsolete. You’ve got to be willing to learn all the aspects that affect your business. Our view is often about looking for shrinkage in processes—things that are not working in the way that they were designed—not just theft. You want a well-rounded leader. That’s what wins.

Meehan: As technology evolves, so do the threats from malicious actors. You have to be flexible and creative to survive. It’s a perpetual game of cat-and-mouse that requires constant vigilance and adaptation.

Alongi: It’s not only critical from a business perspective but from an industry perspective. Businesses have

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PeopleImages.com / shutterstock.com

FEATURE

How Supply Chain Loss Prevention Is Responding to Changing Needs

higher expectations and are asking more from their loss prevention departments. Having a full understanding of what’s going on throughout the supply chain is going to be critical moving forward as well. People in the industry need to change and adapt their approach beyond the incident level and look at it more as total risk.

Master: The people coming into the industry today must have the basics we all look for, but must also have a comfort level with technology. The applications and how we use them are changing so fast that they can evolve in real-time. Adjusting to change has become an inevitable part of the supply chain business and we must come to a point where we are comfortable with that. You need to bring people on board who are not afraid to ride this rocket.

The average teenager has more information at their fingertips today than the president of the United States had during World War II—instantaneous, immediate information they can use to make decisions. That of course has bled over into business. If you’re afraid of technology, you can’t survive in this business. You need to be comfortable with understanding the technology and with change. You must be operationally savvy to apply the information and accept the role. You have to speak the language, share information, advocate for your team, and put your business hat on first.

The role is much more complicated than most people realize. Not all loss along the supply chain is the result of theft—look at it from multiple lenses. You have to do operational investigations, transportation investigations, and process investigations before you even look at theft.

An investigation is still a search for the truth regardless of whether you’re in a store or managing the flow of merchandise along the supply chain.

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LPM EXCELLENCE

LPM Magpie Awards Celebrate

Industry Professionals Excellence in Partnerships

Ed Fritz Crime Prevention Supervisor with the City of Boise Police Department and Chair of the Organized Retail Crime Association of Idaho (ORCAID)

Excellence in Partnerships

Howard “Merg” Mergler Detective/Master Police Officer with the Fairfax County Police Department and Vice President of the Mid‑Atlantic Organized Retail Crime Alliance (MAORCA).

The LP Magazine “Magpie” Awards offer a means to celebrate industry accomplishments on an ongoing basis, recognizing the loss prevention professionals, teams, solution providers, law enforcement partners, and others who demonstrate a stellar contribution to the profession.

The ability to influence change is a product of drive, creativity, and determination, but it also requires a unique ability to create a shared vision that others will understand, respect, support, and pursue. Each of the following recipients reflects that standard of excellence, representing the quality and spirit of leadership that makes a difference in our lives, our people, and our programs. Please join us in celebrating the accomplishments of our latest honorees.

“I have been in both the retail and law enforcement worlds at different points in my career, which has given me a unique perspective on the importance of these relationships and what it takes to make them work,” says Fritz. “I understand loss prevention and the rules and policies that can frustrate law enforcement at times, as well as the frustration loss prevention can have with law enforcement. But I also understand the hard work and dedication that goes into both roles. We are all just doing our best to make a difference, in the stores and in the community.”

Fritz was first introduced to loss prevention at Shopko while working his way through college. He feels this role gave him a new sense of ownership and responsibility, and he remained on the retail side for around seventeen years. Working with the various officers from across the community, he developed strong relationships and eventually applied with the Boise Police.

“Ten years later, I still enjoy being the crime prevention supervisor,” he says. “Every day I get to work with an amazing group of men and women who choose to serve their communities while finding new ways to create and foster partnerships.

Together, these experiences have provided an amazing blueprint for what that partnership could become and what we were capable of accomplishing together.” He also serves as chair of the Organized Retail Crime Association of Idaho.

From a career standpoint, Fritz believes that you should never be defined by your setbacks.

“Take them as an opportunity to grow and pursue even greater success. Each day we have the opportunity to have an effect on another person’s life—for good or bad. That is an amazing place to be in, but also a huge responsibility. Choose to make that a positive experience in each interaction you have.”

“Each of us is only as good as the people that surround us,” says Mergler. “While I can do everything necessary to build great relationships with my law enforcement and retail partners, it’s not a one-way street. Both sides must contribute and invest in the relationship. I wouldn’t be where I am today if it wasn’t for the partners around me that contribute and assist me in being successful.”

Mergler is a 23-year veteran of the Fairfax County Police Department. Deeply involved in the fight against organized retail crime, he is the developer and lead instructor for the retail theft class designed and implemented for officers in his department. He is also vice president of the MAORCA, a board member of the Metro Organized Retail Crime Alliance (METRORCA), and a board member of the Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail (CLEAR).

“One of the most important qualities when building partnerships is not shying away from introducing yourself to someone you don’t know,” he says. “If you can step outside your comfort zone, you may meet someone who could be the gateway to a number of other great relationships that will enhance your ability to do your job and be successful. But you need to be proactive. You might not have all the answers, but sometimes knowing someone who does is just as important.

As you work to create those relationships, you can then use that as an opportunity to create additional relationships. And when others need a connection, don’t be shy about stepping up and providing information or a contact. When others see you doing what you can to assist them with their work, you will get the help you need to solve a case, find a new connection, or build an amazing partnership.”

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A Winning Approach to

Pre-Employment Interviews Sdecisions for any loss prevention program ome of the most important business

are made during pre-employment interviews.

An astounding 81 percent of recruiting teams reported that hiring is more challenging today than a year ago, according to the Employ Quarterly Insights Report. With top talent hard to find and top candidates even more difficult to secure, today, the interview process must go beyond simply finding the best possible candidate for a particular position. We must

evaluate talent and potential. We must determine the best fit for our company and LP program. But interviews also serve as an opportunity for hiring managers to showcase the company to candidates. The winning approach to the pre-employment interview process must be seen as more than simply a means of looking at potential job candidates. It is the foundation of building a successful LP program.

In the loss prevention industry, LP practitioners often deal with dishonest employee interviews.

Miha Creative / shutterstock.com

By Allie Falk

But this is a much different type of conversation. What happens when an LP professional enters a management role and has never handled a basic pre-employment interview? What are the qualities that we should be looking for? How do we look beyond experience and see potential? How do we adjust our interview approach to ensure a conversation that best reveals the qualities and characteristics of the candidate? And beyond that, what steps should be followed to recruit and secure the most ideal candidates? How do we facilitate a productive interview that leads to the most successful outcomes?

There are countless ways to navigate pre-employment interviews and hire the most ideal candidate. Opinions on how to do so can vary greatly and narrowing down the most effective methods isn’t necessarily easy. To help gain a clearer understanding and help our readers better navigate the process, we spoke to three industry experts.

First Things First: Have a Plan The first step to becoming an effective interviewer is having a firm grasp on what you are looking for in a candidate. Many feel that the best candidates are those that can “hit the ground running,” or those that have significant experience in similar roles and can join the team seamlessly. However, depending on your definition of “significant” experience, this may also indicate that the candidate has reached a plateau in their career development. Others prefer candidates that may not have the same level of experience but show the potential to accomplish higher expectations.

By the same respect, this candidate may require more development and attention. Often, we hope to find a balance somewhere in the middle.

Each of these candidate types can add significant value to the team, and having a balance of these different performers is often what departments hope to accomplish. To help determine how they may fit within the team, the approach to the interview can vary somewhat based on where along the experience spectrum the candidate falls. However, there are some constants that should apply to every applicant.

Having a clear concept of the ideal characteristics for candidates in any given role paves a clearer path to the right hire.

Former LP Foundation President Gene Smith, LPC, is a subject matter expert on LP talent assessment and acquisition, having previously served as president of the largest search firm in North America specializing in the loss prevention industry. As a career consultant, he has an extensive background helping loss prevention departments across the country identify, recruit, and secure top industry talent.

“Regardless of the role, there are four main characteristics that suit any job and that hiring managers should always be looking for,” he says.

“Those features include heart, passion, character, and attitude. These traits are foundational to a well‑rounded individual in any work force.”

“When preparing for the interview, it’s important to ask yourself some critical questions,” says Chris Norris, director of international training and pre-employment interviewing instructor at Wicklander-Zulawski. “What are we looking for in a candidate? What may or may not have happened previously in the job that created this opening? Who will they be interacting with? What personality traits might be considered important?’

Also, take the time to strategize questions based off the candidate’s résumé or previous experience. Look for ways to get a better feel for what the candidate brings to the table and make sure you go into the conversation with specific goals.”

Another critical step early on is to establish clear expectations to help attract the right candidates.

For candidates to feel inclined to apply for an open position there must also be a firm understanding of what exactly the role is, along with a description of the responsibilities and expectations of the position.

“Writing out a role description that provides a clear picture of these expectations is a critical part of the process,” adds Norris. “Taking the time to provide an appropriate representation of precisely what your company is looking for is key to the recruiting process and attracting the best and most qualified candidates.

“Regardless of the role, there are

four main characteristics that suit any job and that hiring managers should always be looking for: heart, passion, character, and attitude. These traits are foundational to a well‑rounded individual in any work force.”

—Gene Smith, LPC Writing a more thorough, specific description can help narrow down the applicant pool and channel those with the specific qualities you’re looking for.”

Résumé Review Once you’ve had a chance to review the applicants and their skill sets, taking a good, hard look at their résumé is imperative. The problem that many managers have is not properly planning, or “winging” pre-employment interviews—which doesn’t set the stage for success.

Digesting the applicant’s résumé and having questions prepared beforehand will help the conversation flow more naturally. Candidates typically do thorough research on your company, and it will only benefit you to do the same for them.

When reviewing a résumé, one thing to consider is the length of time the individual was employed at their previous jobs. If a candidate seems to jump from job to job every year or two, it could suggest that they may not be a great investment, depending on the reasons

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FEATURE

A Winning Approach to Pre-Employment Interviews that those employment decisions were made. This is an area that should be explored further.

Establishing why the candidate left their last job can also be valuable. At times, determining the “whys” simply based on the candidate’s résumé may be a difficult task, that’s why a well-planned and prepared interview is necessary. People are not words on paper and their stories usually take some unwinding during this process.

Practice Makes Perfect Another step is practicing your delivery and taking the steps necessary to improve your interviewing skills. This may involve exercises such as shadowing someone else while they conduct an interview, performing practice interviews with a colleague,

“Make it clear that you have an open

mind and you’re here to understand and learn about them. Being curious brings a great energy to the interview process that also makes people less nervous.”

—Anna Papalia

and creating a more comfortable interviewing environment. Practice makes perfect—no matter how many interviews you’ve carried out in the past or how successful they’ve been.

“You should prepare just as thoroughly as you did when first starting out, regardless of your level of experience. Leaders that are truly good at what they do don’t wing it, they go over the fundamentals each and every time” said Smith. “But they are also willing to learn from others and take the steps necessary to improve. If I wanted to become a better interviewer, I would sit in on an interview with someone who had a strong reputation for interviewing. This was an important part of my preparation. By observing my colleagues and keeping an open mind, I was always able to learn something that helped make me better at the overall process and more effective at developing the conversation. That’s an important part of the formula for a successful interview.”

Interview Style Everyone has a personalized interview style based on several different factors that make it their own. These can include elements such as their personality, their own professional background, the role they’re looking to fill, and other contributing factors.

Anna Papalia, author of the upcoming book Interviewology: The New Science of Interviewing, was previously a director of talent acquisition in the corporate world. She then moved on to start an

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HR consulting firm to teach job seekers and hiring managers how to interview. Papalia also taught at Temple University, where she developed a personality assessment to help determine how people interview.

Based on her research and experience, she concluded that there are four unique interview styles: ■ The Charmer, who wants to be liked, ■ The Challenger, who thinks ‘I want to be me,’ ■ The Examiner, who wants to get things right, and ■ The Harmonizer, who wants to adapt.

While everyone has their own approach, Papalia’s goal is to have people view these interview styles as a baseline of how to conduct the interview.

“Once we acknowledge that not everyone interviews the same way, we can approach the conversation differently,” she says. “For example, Charmers prioritize making a connection and being liked in interviews. They tell a lot of stories—they’re very warm and accepting, and their interview answers change depending on who they’re interviewing with. But if they’re interviewing with their opposite, like an Examiner who’s looking for answers based on their qualifications, there could be a breakdown. The Charmer doesn’t feel like they’re making a connection because the Examiner simply wants to be seen as someone that can do the job with less small talk.”

This is how wires can easily get crossed. Perhaps the Charmer feels they didn’t click, and the Examiner feels the Charmer placed too much value on personality versus technical skill. As a result, this can set people up for different experiences. Understanding your own style going into a conversation and being able to recognize that the ideal candidate might not be the one you “clicked with” most is imperative. You don’t necessarily have to be personally compatible with the candidate that would best suit the role you’re looking to fill.

Avoiding Personal Bias Personal bias is a significant concern during the hiring process, and arguably the most consequential.

Theresa McHenry once said, “The point isn’t to get people to accept that they have biases, but to get them to see [for themselves] that those biases have negative consequences for others.”

There are multiple steps that can be taken to prevent bias throughout the interview process; and that often begins by recognizing our own preconceived opinions and how they can influence our decision-making.

For example. Papalia suggests not focusing too much attention on certain aspects of the candidate’s background, such as where they went to college, their race and gender, the candidates’ names, or even where they worked. More importantly, focus on what they did.

What did they accomplish? How did they go about accomplishing their goals? How creative were they?

How did they go about influencing others?

Smith agrees. “When evaluating whether or not a candidate fits into a particular position, there are many different factors that will come into play,” he says. “Putting all of those pieces together is a learned

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Making Candidates Comfortable Try to imagine the interview from the candidate’s point of view. There are numerous factors they may be thinking about that can influence their ability to perform well such as “Is the person I am talking to approachable?” “Am I comfortable in my surroundings?” “Am I distracted due to something that happened earlier in the day?” These are just a few of the things that can influence the candidate’s interview performance.

Taking steps to make the candidate feel more comfortable during the interview is vital. The candidate should be comfortable enough to show their true self and the potential value they can bring to the team and program, allowing them to relax into the conversation.

Starting the interview with some small talk can be a great way to help the candidate feel more comfortable, and for you to get to know them on a more personal level. This can focus on any number of topics, from their commute to the interview, the weather, or something you have in common, such as hometown sports teams.

By creating a more relaxed atmosphere, you set the tone for the candidate to more easily articulate the points they want to get across.

A positive and friendly tone can also make the interviewee more comfortable.

“Your tone and your energy as a hiring manager is so important,” Papalia explained. “Make it clear that you have an open mind and you’re here to understand and learn about them. Being curious brings a great energy to the interview process that also makes people less nervous.”

Smith and Norris also feel that it’s of major importance to make things more conversational and include small talk.

“This is where building rapport is important, helping to establish a better sense of where their passions lie and what their goals truly are,” Norris said. “Frame

Dragon Images / shutterstock.com

skill and something that must be practiced as you develop within the profession. Of course, technical competencies are very important. But once those skills are validated, there are other factors that need to be evaluated as well.”

“For example, in loss prevention, where a candidate came from can in fact be very important,” He continued.

“Who they’ve worked for, the program that they worked in, and the culture of the department will directly influence the way that they approach the position and the responses they provide during the interview.

But what we then must look for and measure is their ability and potential beyond that. Are they flexible and open-minded? Can they think outside the box? Are they receptive to the idea that different programs require different approaches and even different mindsets? All of these and more will help determine the success of an individual in a particular role. Learning to identify these qualities is the icing on the cake and will take your abilities and your program to an entirely different level.”

“Leaders that are truly good at what

they do don’t wing it, they go over the fundamentals each and every time.”

—Gene Smith, LPC

questions in an open-ended manner, where you’re persuading them to articulate their thoughts.”

“To make the interview feel more like a discussion and less like an interrogation, don’t just check the boxes,” Smith emphasized. “Learn more about the person. Ask them genuine, human questions as well to help them relax and get to the heart of who they are.”

Red Flags Are a Two-Way Street As the hiring manager, it’s necessary to look for red flags during the interview process to help identify concerns about the candidate that might influence their ultimate success in the role. However, it’s just as vital to understand that the things you say and even the way that you say them can also send red flags up to the candidate that can influence their perception of the position or the company.

A common red flag for hiring managers to look for is a candidate that is simply unprepared for the interview.

If you find that the candidate appears to be making up answers on the spot, for example, this can be a sign they aren’t taking things as seriously as they should. This is especially true for simple questions such as “What do you know about our company?” or “What would make you a good fit?”

It’s critical to pay attention and be attentive to the signs of potential and performance while still being alert for flags that might indicate areas of concern, such as inconsistent information on a résumé, an obvious lack of passion during the conversation, unprofessionalism, or no clear intention regarding the opportunity before them.

Take the time to explore both the strengths and potential downfalls, to help form an objective conclusion that supports informed hiring decisions.

By the same respect, it’s just as necessary to be alert to the signals you may be sending as the interviewer. For example, it’s not uncommon for those in management roles to have an inaccurate view of the dynamic between themselves and the interviewees—seeing themselves

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FEATURE

A Winning Approach to Pre-Employment Interviews as having the “upper hand” in the conversation. But it’s vital for hiring managers to recognize that the best candidates have options. The best candidates often have a role they are currently comfortable in and are simply looking for the next step in their career. In today’s job market, there are often more open positions than there are talented candidates.

Hiring managers need to put their best foot forward.

It’s just as important for them to concisely promote the position and be prepared for questions the interviewee might ask.

The interviewer might also take away from the candidate’s opportunity to share more about their capabilities and potential by dominating the conversation. “Some hiring managers talk way too much in interviews,” Papalia said. “And if they’re talking 80 percent of the time, they can miss critical information that can influence hiring decisions.”

process. That must also be reflected in the goals you have going into the interview. Balancing intuition and looking at all your objectives throughout the decision process is key to hiring the best possible candidates.”

It’s essential that your objectives remain clear, and the integrity of the hiring process is maintained at all times. Ambition may not appear on a résumé, but is something one can recognize and identify through a candidate’s words and actions.

Potential may not be listed under an individual’s qualifications, but the candidate’s passion, attitude, flexibility, and enthusiasm may reveal their potential and more.

“Instinct and intuition can also be disguised as bias in this process,” Papalia cautioned. “You must be very careful as hiring managers to know the difference between intuition and bias.”

Intuition and Objectivity

Every organization can benefit from improved pre-employment interview processes, focused on both the hiring manager’s approach to the candidate and the interview process itself. Taking a closer look at your approach and exploring a few simple practices to enhance your interview style, can help lead to more successful hiring outcomes.

■ Know what you are looking for in a candidate.

■ Proper preparation prior to the interview.

■ Taking steps to build rapport with the candidate.

■ Creating a comfortable interview environment for the candidate.

■ Being conscious of any biases you may have.

■ Looking for, exploring, and resolving potential red flags.

■ Having a balanced approach to the interview considering both intuition and objectives.

Objectivity is essential during the hiring process. It’s always fundamental to evaluate skills, experience, past performance, and other related talents and abilities.

“Intuition—the ability to bring out more in the candidate than what’s measured by the résumé—plays a significant role in the interview process.

Balancing intuition and looking at all your objectives throughout the decision process is key to hiring the best possible candidates.”

—Chris Norris, CFI But hiring decisions are ultimately about finding a match—for the company as well as the candidate.

This involves looking at skills and abilities that are more difficult to measure—those that require a more perceptive view of the candidate. Some may call these factors “the intangibles,” but they are qualities that we all see and look for when making hiring decisions.

“You also have to rely on your intuition,” said Smith.

“You can train skill sets and most technical skills, but you typically cannot teach personality traits such as passion and ambition. The ability to see potential beyond what someone has accomplished in the past is a critical measure of future success. Being able to detect what skills and traits are most crucial for the open role is fundamental.”

Norris agrees. “That intuition—the ability to bring out more in the candidate than what’s measured by the résumé—plays a significant role in the interview

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Bringing It All Together

As a hiring manager, recognizing potential and talent in a candidate always matters. By taking these steps to improve your approach to the interview, you put the candidate in the best possible position to highlight their strengths and weaknesses and communicate their suitability for the position and their fit within your LP program.

Hiring the best employees is the foundation of every business, and developing the skills to make the interview process most effective should be a foundational objective of every leader to pave the way for a solid team, an improved LP program, and a healthier company culture.

Allie Falk is assistant editor for LP Magazine where she focuses on social media, daily e-newsletters, interviewing LP experts for magazine articles, and crafting email blasts. Prior to LPM, she was a digital content marketing intern for Tyler Technologies, the leading CAD software provider in the US, where she was awarded ‘Spotlight Intern’. Allie received her bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Detroit Mercy in 2022, where she was awarded Communications Student of 2022. She can be reached at AllieF@LPportal.com

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CAREER CENTER

Lightspring / Shutterstock.com

Michael Reddington, CFI Reddington is the President of InQuasive, Inc. where he teaches executives how to maximize their leadership conversations and negotiations by applying strategic and ethical observation and persuasion techniques. His book, The Disciplined Listening Method, was published in 2022.

He can be reached at 704-256-7116 and mreddington@inquasive.com.

Unlocking Hidden Value from Opposing Perspectives Ienterprise are all interested in achieving the same goals. t should be safe to assume that leaders inside a retail

It is likely safer to assume that leaders exist who don’t believe this to be true. However, the stress associated with handling the day-to-day operations of the organization can make it easy for leaders to convince themselves that marketing leaders only care about marketing, operational leaders only care about the numbers, sales leaders only care about sales, and loss prevention leaders only care about catching thieves and securing merchandise.

These dangerous perceptions create in-group vs. out‑group mentalities that make it far more difficult to accept new ideas, unlock hidden values, and collaborate with people who we deem “aren’t like us.”

Astute leaders develop approaches that help them override these potentially destructive beliefs to collaborate with their out-group counterparts and solidify commitments to achieving shared goals. Below are five techniques leaders can apply to unlock hidden value from conflicting perspectives: Give yourself a reason to care. The unfortunate truth is that we won’t listen to anyone without believing we have a good reason to do so. You don’t have to like the person, their idea, or their approach—you just have to believe that listening to them, and collaborating with them, will lead you to a better outcome than ignoring or arguing with them. Hopefully, your reason to care focuses on achieving strategic company goals. If the situation doesn’t align with these greater goals, your preferred outcomes may include meeting a deadline, positioning yourself for a promotion, setting yourself up for a future compromise, improving your reputation, or even reducing your stress levels. Rest assured, if you can’t give yourself a reason to care, you won’t be open to uncovering new alternatives to find success with your counterparts.

Align your actions with your preferred outcomes. Our actions are often driven by our need to remain consistent with our self-images. If you tell yourself “She doesn’t understand what my team does and I’m too busy to educate her,” you position her as an ignorant outsider, and yourself as the righteous and busy insider. Likewise, if you tell yourself “That’s a marketing problem, not mine,” you separate yourself from the marketing department and any actions that may support them. Whereas if you tell

yourself “I’m responsible for applying my expertise and perspective to solve problems for this organization” you label yourself as a collaborative leader and any steps you take to educate, assist, compromise, or collaborate with marketing will fall in line with your self-image.

Accept the role your counterpart is playing.

Remember, people often behave in accordance with their self-images. If someone is being rude, defiant, inflexible, or demanding, that is likely a reflection of how they believe they need to act in order to achieve their goals. As misguided as these beliefs and actions may be, don’t get mad. Accept that this is the role they believe they need to play and adapt your approach based on this new perspective. Your ability to adapt will reduce the resistance you encounter and create new avenues for achieving your goals.

Encourage your counterparts to protect their self-image.

The wider the gap between what we ask someone to think, say, or do and how they see themselves thinking, speaking, or acting, the harder it will be for them to accept our ideas.

Your conversations shouldn’t be about winning—they should focus on securing the best outcomes for the organization. If your counterparts feel that their department’s needs should be prioritized, there is no need to try and convince them otherwise—such arguments are both typically unwinnable and distract from the outcome you’re seeking to achieve.

Remain calm and turn their opinion into the reason they need to commit to achieving your goals.

Frame your answers around accepted outcomes.

When you are working to persuade leaders from different business functions, don’t start with your idea, start with the outcome. It is often difficult to argue against an outcome that is clearly beneficial to the organization. Once they align themselves with the outcome, present your idea as a method that satisfies their needs while achieving the critical end result. Motivation is arguably the biggest key to listening and collaborating with people we disagree with.

Neither party is likely to engage with the other without the necessary motivation.

Leaders who take the time to adjust their own perspectives while also avoiding attacking their counterparts’ perspectives are much more successful in solving problems and establishing relationships across business functions.

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Motivation is arguably the biggest key to listening and collaborating with people we disagree with.

David Thompson, CFI

PeopleImages.com - Yuri A / shutterstock.com

INTERVIEWING Thompson is the president and partner at Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, providing investigative interview and interrogation training to a global audience. He has served as a subject-matter expert in developing curriculum and providing consultation to investigators, attorneys, and the academic community. He can be reached at dthompson@w-z.com. © 2023 Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc.

Mental Health: Investigators Taking Care of Each Other Ithe assets of their organization, including the

nvestigators are consistently tasked with protecting

Leaders in the interview space should pay attention to the caseload and other projects assigned to the team. We are often guilty of assigning more projects to our most effective team members, which may result in burnout and inefficiency.

physical property, the merchandise, the money, and our most important asset: our people. As LP professionals’ roles continue to expand, they are involved in increasingly sensitive cases including employee relations issues, workplace violence, and other critical incident response. Through these investigations and interviews, they are focused on the safety and well‑being of their staff, including referrals to employee-assistance programs and partnerships with human resources. However, what’s often missing in this calculation is the impact on the mental health of the investigator themselves.

Interviewing witnesses, victims, and suspects can take an emotional toll on the investigator. In addition to the stress that comes with any career, interviewers are often placed in situations where the emotions, frustration, and exposure to traumatic events can trickle into their personal life. Workplace violence incidents, even if indirectly involved, may require an interviewer to empathize with witnesses and victims—often internalizing the emotions being expressed to them. Reviewing video footage from a critical incident may trigger past experiences or put the interviewer in a position where they experience secondary or vicarious trauma.

Outside of these examples, interviewers are often under high pressure to solve cases, have uncomfortable conversations, and be constantly exposed to sensitive issues that impact their staff’s livelihood. As we head into the craze of the holiday season, there may be an increased susceptibility to interviewers’ mental health. This is a great opportunity to create an intentional

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plan for yourself and your team in ensuring that we destigmatize these struggles and create a supportive environment for our investigators.

Can I See It? In the discussion of mental health, it’s important for us to be self-aware while also recognizing symptoms in others that may be struggling. Increased fatigue, illness, and a lack of sleep (or too much) may be some of the physical effects of mental health struggles.

Additionally, there is often a feeling of being overwhelmed and paralysis in decision-making or concentration, which may result in reduced productivity or distancing from assignments.

From an interpersonal standpoint, people may be more irritable, angry, or emotional in situations that would not typically trigger such behavior.

Feelings of helplessness, burnout, and anxiety may also be apparent through interactions with our team. Not every person will respond to these struggles the same, and there could be a variety of reasons outside of the workplace that cause such behaviors.

Similar to conducting investigations, it is difficult to know if somebody is acting outside of their “normal” behavior if we don’t have exposure to their everyday interactions. The touch bases we have with our staff should allow for leaders to recognize when somebody is outside of their typical engagement levels or overwhelmed in the workplace. Loss prevention professionals should not assume the role of a psychologist but can at least be generally aware of what to look for and what resources to provide our teams.

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Creating an environment where mental health is routinely discussed—and even encouraged—can be an important step in protecting our teams and ourselves. If our staff does not feel comfortable sharing their struggles or issues with being overwhelmed, they will only further internalize these feelings and add to their anxiety. Routine check-ins with the team that aren’t focused solely on task completion and metrics while also creating an open dialogue to their levels of stress can be helpful. Even if an investigator does not want to share personal struggles, it can be comforting to know that their leadership has an open door for discussion.

Discussing the importance of self-care and mental health with our teams on status calls can also help to destigmatize the issue and create an environment of support and openness. When appropriate, leaders may also show vulnerability in their own stressors or struggles to create a more open environment through this empathetic approach. Discussing our own mental health can be rewarding and fulfilling, while also creating the opportunity for others to do the same.

Teamwork Furthering the need to destigmatize the issues surrounding mental health is creating a team atmosphere and culture throughout the loss prevention division. Recommendations for law enforcement professionals include the importance of having partners or teammates that we can share our struggles and wins with. Loss prevention professionals can benefit from the same concept, ensuring that nobody is “alone” in an investigation or project management. In this era of hybrid and remote work, it can often leave investigators feeling isolated, making intentional teamwork and touch bases even more important. Many organizations have also implemented surveys to allow individuals to anonymously discuss their stress levels, obstacles, and other areas impacting their engagement.

Leaders should work to create opportunities for investigators to work with teams or partners, especially throughout the holiday season. In situations where you may be a lone investigator remotely covering a large territory, make intentional contacts on a routine basis with partners across your organization. The concept of teamwork can break the boundaries of our respective organizations and stretch across the industry.

Interviewers across the industry are all tasked with similar projects and exposed to the same trauma and stressors. Take this as a challenge and opportunity to reach out beyond your organization and connect with interviewers around the globe.

Work-Life Balance Ensuring we have work-life balance is often easier said than done, especially as we enter the next few

bbernard / shutterstock.com

Destigmatizing Mental Health

In the discussion of mental health, it’s important for us to be self-aware while also recognizing symptoms in others that may be struggling. months of long hours and increased workloads. This balance is something that needs to be achieved with intention and support from leadership. It can be easy for investigators to get overwhelmed with cases, spending long hours reviewing video and data followed by strategic preparation for an interview all while working extended hours. Leaders in the interview space should pay attention to the caseload and other projects assigned to the team.

We are often guilty of assigning more projects to our most effective team members, which may result in burnout and inefficiency.

Creating a culture where time off from work is encouraged and out-of-office autoreplies are turned on can be helpful for those feeling overwhelmed or anxious. Work-life balance is not simply an issue of how much time is spent in either category, but what purpose we are giving to that time. Interviewers who are tasked with sensitive investigations and handling critical incidents can benefit from meditation, yoga, or exercise. Reading a book instead of an exception report and being present with friends or family instead of checking emails are all simple choices with lasting impacts.

As we get into the hectic season of investigations, late-night alarm calls, overnight surveillance, and traumatic incidents, let’s not forget to take care of our most important asset: our people.

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Scan the QR code and answer questions about this article to earn CEUs towards your CFI designation or to learn more about the advantages of becoming a Certified Forensic Interviewer.

LP Psychologist: Trauma-Informed Leadership for Loss Prevention Management

By John W. Jones, PhD

Iglobal pandemic that left scars both visible and invisible—leadership styles

need to adapt to new business challenges, such as remote work, increased crime, and unsafe work environments. Loss prevention management is responsible for reducing operational losses, including issues like workplace violence, employee theft, and collusion with organized retail crime. Therefore, loss prevention teams need to work closely with human resources and operations to ensure that the highest‑risk stores and locations receive a new form of leadership that is optimal for the post‑pandemic economy. One emerging leadership style that offers promise is trauma-informed leadership.

Irina Strelnikova / shutterstock.com

n today’s fast-paced business environment—particularly in the wake of a

What Is Trauma-Informed Leadership?

Trauma-informed leadership recognizes the widespread impact of trauma on employees, consumers, and communities. This approach aims to create a safe and empathetic organizational culture by adopting a nuanced understanding of the vulnerabilities and triggers of job candidates, employees, vendors, and customers who have experienced trauma. Trauma-informed leaders prioritize emotional intelligence, active listening, and a commitment to equitable treatment.

Recent Psychological Research on Trauma-Informed Leadership My research team recently made a presentation on trauma-informed leadership at the 2023 Conference of the Society for Police and Criminal Psychology. My coauthors were Gary Behrens, Dr. Michael Cunningham, and Brian Dreschler. This research examined the statistical relationship between a trauma-informed leadership mindset and job performance with 306 managers across the United States. In our study, high trauma-informed leaders were more likely to report supporting others with an awareness of and sensitivity to personal reactions to traumatic workplace experiences or stressful job events.

These trauma-informed leaders tended to convey sincere and compassionate acceptance, offer support, and fulfill commitments to emotional welfare in a transparent, consistent, and fair manner.

Using a research measure of the trauma-informed leadership mindset, our empirical study documented that a stronger trauma-Informed leadership orientation was associated with higher rated leadership performance in general. Moreover, compared to leaders with lower trauma-informed leadership orientations, the stronger group of managers was more likely to create a supportive and safe workplace, remain hardy and resilient in the face of stress, engage in conscientious and trustworthy leadership activities, and suppress workplace violence.

The Need for Trauma-Informed Leadership in Loss Prevention Management The purpose of this column is to expand on how the strategic placement of trauma-informed leaders could support loss prevention management. The post‑pandemic economy has changed the landscape of loss prevention in several ways. With the rise of remote work, digital transformation, and socially distanced environments, new forms of loss have emerged.

Coupled with the emotional and psychological scars left by the pandemic, social tensions, and a challenging economy, employees and consumers alike are more vulnerable to making decisions that could result in loss for organizations. Although a few of the following bullets require more applied research, they at least serve as viable hypotheses as to why trauma-informed leadership is essential for loss prevention: ■ Rising Mental Health Concerns: The pandemic has aggravated mental health issues, with increased stress and anxiety becoming commonplace. Ignoring these challenges can result in higher instances of workplace

violence and theft as people act out due to emotional or psychological distress.

■ Growing Digital Vulnerabilities: The shift to remote work and e-commerce has amplified opportunities for loss, from digital fraud to employee data theft. A traumatized employee who is not supported properly may resort to unethical behavior as a coping mechanism.

■ Deteriorating Community Relations: With communities hit hard by the pandemic’s social and economic consequences, collusion with organized retail crime has become more tempting for some.

Trauma-informed leadership builds relationships that reduce this risk.

■ Human-Centric Approach: A traditional loss prevention model can often be perceived as punitive, relying solely on disciplinary action to deter theft or violence. A trauma-informed approach seeks to understand the underlying factors that contribute to these behaviors, creating preventive measures that are conceivably more effective and humane in the long run.

■ Enhanced Organizational Resilience: Fostering an environment where employees feel supported leads to higher productivity, lower turnover, and ultimately, a more robust framework to prevent loss through both human and operational channels.

■ Store-Specific Crime Forecasts: Both retail and non‑retail organizations are increasingly using site‑specific crime risk forecasting with their stores to help them develop tailored risk management strategies for stores in the highest-risk locations. Ensuring that trauma-informed leaders are assigned to these high-risk stores appears to be a prudent loss prevention strategy.

Trauma-informed leadership recognizes the widespread impact of trauma on employees, consumers, and communities.

Five Examples of Trauma-Informed Leadership in Loss Prevention The following five program concepts serve to highlight how trauma-informed leaders can take a slightly different approach to controlling loss. These post-pandemic leaders still have proven leadership skills and competencies at their disposal, but they can also tap into their trauma-informed leadership toolkit.

1. Employee Training and Sensitization Programs Trauma-informed leaders might invest in training programs that focus not only on the technical aspects of loss prevention but also on emotional intelligence, conflict resolution, and recognizing signs of trauma among peers.

This comprehensive approach prepares employees to handle potentially violent or risky situations with empathy, thus reducing the likelihood of escalation.

2. Open and Safe Communication Channels Creating an atmosphere where employees can speak openly about their challenges removes the taboo associated with discussing mental health. This leads to early identification of issues that could manifest as theft or violence, allowing for proactive action. Of course, human

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FEATURE

Trauma-Informed Leadership Six Trauma-Informed Leadership Competencies

Description

Impact on Loss Prevention Risk Exposures

Ability to Create a Safe Workplace

Ensures physical and emotional safety in the organization, including open channels for reporting and discussing issues, and a focus on well-being.

A safe workplace reduces incidents of workplace violence and misconduct, leading to fewer losses related to legal settlements, medical expenses, and damaged reputations.

Employees who feel safe are less likely to engage in risky behavior that may lead to losses.

2

ngaging in Effective E Self-Care and Work-Life Balance

Demonstrates the importance of self-care and sets an example for employees to maintain a healthy work-life balance and prevent burnout and mental fatigue.

A well-rested and mentally sound leader is better equipped to make rational decisions concerning loss prevention. Additionally, they set a positive example for employees, reducing instances where burnout or fatigue leads to poor judgment, theft, or fraud.

3

Being Supportive of All Employees

Provides consistent emotional and professional support to employees, encourages dialogue, and is approachable for all staff regardless of their role in the organization.

Supportive leaders help employees feel valued, reducing the likelihood of internal theft and fraudulent activities. This also helps in identifying and addressing issues before they escalate into major incidents, thereby preventing loss.

4

eing Empathic with B Employees’ Needs and Concerns

Actively listens to and understands the unique situations and stresses that employees face, thereby tailoring organizational policies and procedures to be compassionate and realistic.

Empathy allows leaders to foresee potential problems and create preventive measures that are humane and effective.

Employees who feel heard are less likely to engage in destructive behaviors like theft, violence, or collusion with external criminals.

5

Valuing Fair and Inclusive Behavior

Promotes an inclusive environment where every employee, regardless of background, feels equally valued and heard. Ensures that policies are fair and equitably applied.

Fair and inclusive workplaces tend to have higher employee morale and lower turnover, reducing the risk of disgruntled employees engaging in activities that could lead to loss or damage to assets.

6

Being Trustworthy and Ethical at All Times

Maintains a high standard of ethics and integrity, inspiring trust among employees, customers, and stakeholders.

Trustworthy and ethical behavior from the top down creates an organizational culture less susceptible to all forms of misconduct, from employee theft to fraudulent activities to collusion with organized crime.

1

resources must be consulted at all times to ensure privacy protection.

3. Enhanced Support Mechanisms Offering mental health support through employee assistance programs, professional counseling, and support groups can serve as a safety net for traumatized employees, making them less likely to engage in activities that result in loss for the organization. It is hypothesized that trauma-informed leaders are more likely to promote and utilize these programs to ensure the safest workplace.

4. Community Outreach Programs Being active members of the community can act as a deterrent to organized retail crime.

Trauma‑informed leaders understand that by supporting community programs focused on education, rehabilitation, and poverty alleviation, for example, they are indirectly reducing the pool of potential criminals in the future.

5. Fair and Humane Disciplinary Actions In cases where loss occurs, a trauma-informed approach to disciplinary action can help in rehabilitating the employee instead of simply ostracizing them. This is beneficial for both the individual and the organization in the long run.

Trauma-informed leaders tended to convey sincere and compassionate acceptance, offer support, and fulfill commitments to emotional welfare in a transparent, consistent, and fair manner.

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Trauma-Informed Leadership Will Only Continue to Gain Momentum In a post-pandemic world that is grappling with collective trauma, a trauma-informed leadership style offers a way to be both humane and effective in loss prevention management. Whether it’s through reducing the likelihood of workplace violence, curtailing internal theft, or preempting fraudulent activities, the six facets of trauma-informed leadership listed in the table play an integral role in creating a more secure, ethical, and productive environment.

Incorporating understanding, empathy, and active support into the very structure of an organization helps trauma-informed leaders build resilient teams, departments, stores, and districts that are not only less likely to contribute to loss but are also more engaged, more productive, and more loyal. While research is still needed to confirm some of the loss prevention possibilities shared in this column on trauma-informed leadership, this style of leading is surely going to gain momentum as a much-needed form of community responsibility that is simply good business.

John W. Jones, PhD, ABPP is the executive vice president of research and development at FifthTheory.

He is a licensed psychologist in Illinois who serves as FifthTheory’s principal thought leader in the research, development, and delivery of personnel risk and talent management assessment solutions. Dr. Jones was the founding editor of the Journal of Business and Psychology and is the Chief Instructional Officer for FifthTheory’s Loss Prevention Psychology Institute.

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The consequences of the rise in theft in recent years are far-reaching for retailers, consumers, and communities at large. In many areas of the country, some retailers are choosing to close shop altogether rather than continue falling victim to incidents of theft and ORC. The loss of even one retail location, particularly in densely populated city centers, means inconvenience to the consumer, loss of jobs for the employees, reduced sales tax base for the city, and a blight on the community’s reputation.

Equally as impactful is the cost of theft on the retailer. The consultancy firm Strategic Resource Group surveyed a number of retailers across America who say shoplifting is now 2 percent to 3 percent of their total sales. That’s up from 0.7 to 1 percent prior to the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.

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When it comes down to it, thieves target stores that offer the least resistance and chance of getting caught, focusing on where they have the greatest possibility of a successful heist.

Unsecured or unprotected entrances and exits send a clear message to would-be criminals and shoplifters that the location may be a prime market for theft. There are several solutions that can help retailers secure the front of their stores and help deter shoplifting and aggressive theft.

EAS systems have a long history of helping retailers curtail theft while maintaining an open-sell environment. This technology has evolved to include network capabilities, remote tuning, diagnostics, and expanded sensor portfolios—including detection devices, hard tags, specialty tags, and disposable labels—to cover a wide range of products. EAS systems can be integrated with video cameras so that when an incident occurs, EAS system alarms trigger the cameras to start recording the event for visual documentation. Additionally, just the

Security gate systems’ designs are customizable to adapt to any style of retail location, helping reduce theft by encouraging customer movement in predefined directions, preventing unwanted traffic paths from store to return counters, and reducing the risk of shopping cart walkouts with unpaid or stolen merchandise. All security gates are ADA‑compliant devices that are both manual and automated and are connected to fire alarm panels for automated control to avoid egress obstructions in case of emergencies.

Security gates can also be integrated into video surveillance systems and with electronic article surveillance (EAS) solutions.

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presence of EAS tags and pedestals can act as a deterrent for opportunistic theft.

Video Surveillance Video surveillance systems have been a staple for retail loss prevention professionals for decades. The technology has since advanced dramatically, now offering high‑resolution, digital solutions based on IP networks. The digital solutions available offer many benefits over the analog systems of prior decades. Intelligent, cloud-based video surveillance is simple to deploy and manage, and typically requires little to no specialized IT support, which is particularly helpful in retail environments without IT experts on-premises. Analytics software built into many newer cameras and other devices can detect and document areas of loss, helping retailers to understand better and pinpoint each source of loss to be addressed.

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RETAIL TRENDS Tom Meehan, CFI Stokkete / Shutterstock.com

Meehan is retail technology editor for LP Magazine as well as president of CONTROLTEK. Previously, Meehan was director of technology and investigations with Bloomingdale’s, where he was responsible for physical security, internal investigations, and systems and data analytics. He currently serves as the chair of the Loss Prevention Research Council’s (LPRC) innovations working group. Meehan recently published his first book titled Evolution of Retail Asset Protection: Protecting Your Profit in a Digital Age. He can be reached at TomM@LPportal.com.

How Industry 4.0 Impacts Retail 4.0 Mchanges in commerce, and society generally, from uch has been written and said about the dramatic

Industry 4.0. These developments are undeniable, and their impact is especially pronounced in the retail sector.

The technological innovations of the last several years have been described as another Industrial Revolution—similar in impact to the previous Industrial Revolution. If that seems overstated, it’s worth remembering that the first Industrial Revolution was the result of new efficiencies in production, resulting in cheaper, more widely available products. A similar process is now underway in the current revolution—but the results are even more profound.

The use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine vision, digital twins, and other technologies is making work more efficient at all levels and across many industries. The ability to gather, organize, and analyze data in huge quantities has vastly improved productivity, inventory control, quality control, and customer management.

How Industry 4.0 Works

The use of artificial intelligence (AI), machine vision, digital twins, and other technologies is making work more efficient at all levels and across many industries.

In today’s world, computers can connect and communicate with each other, and in some cases, make decisions without the necessity of human involvement. The Internet of Things (IoT) enables those computers to communicate with all manner of other devices, including sensors, machines, cameras, and RFID tags. The result is an unprecedented level of transparency into all phases of a given process.

Like the first Industrial Revolution, Industry 4.0 has freed people from many unproductive, repetitive tasks so they can engage in more productive activities. And they now have much more real-time data to inform their decision-making. More information leads to better decisions.

Industry 4.0 in Manufacturing Machine vision uses camera images from the workplace to convey information that computer

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software then analyzes. This technology can identify objects, read text, detect abnormalities, and perform dimensional measurements. Machine vision systems can inspect products at incredibly high speeds with consistency and objectivity, eliminating the risk of human error. Manufacturers can use it to detect product defects early in the process.

This technology is now helping manufacturers with product identification, measurement, process monitoring, quality inspection, and guidance for robotic systems. The result is higher throughput, more flexible production processes, faster identification of problem areas, and reduced need for human labor.

Another innovation that is proving effective in manufacturing is digital twin technology. This involves creating a virtual replica of a physical object, system, or process which can mimic, replicate, and predict the behavior of its real-world counterpart.

Manufacturers can use digital twins to monitor, analyze, and optimize the performance of their assets throughout their life cycle. They can identify problems quickly and formulate solutions in the digital realm that can be applied to the physical realm, reducing overall costs.

Industry 4.0 Hits the Retail Sector These same tools are changing the face of retail, making it more efficient and productive.

For instance: ■ Asset protection teams can use digital twin technology to identify and predict problematic customer behavior.

■ Digital twins can improve inventory management by accurately predicting demand, identifying trends, and optimizing stock levels.

■ Retailers can use real-time data from IoT sensors and other sources to monitor product movements across the supply chain.

■ Digital twin technology can help retailers identify inefficiencies in the supply chain.

LossPreventionMedia.com

The first Industrial Revolution brought mass‑produced items to the public, resulting in broad uniformity in the products available to customers. Whether buying a shirt, a handgun, or an automobile, consumers could be assured that their product would be much like those purchased by others.

Industry 4.0 seeks the opposite goal: a buying experience completely tailored to the needs and wishes of the individual consumer. Using AI and personal consumer data, retailers can anticipate customer preference, offering products in line with the consumer’s demonstrated tastes. This makes for a more satisfying experience for the customer, and enhanced sales for the retailer.

In one vivid example, retailers can use augmented reality to enable online customers to “try on” clothes virtually before ever setting foot in a physical store.

Retailers can also use digital twin technology to monitor and optimize the performance of their equipment and facilities, spotting potential problem areas early, and reducing maintenance costs and downtime.

All these examples represent a fraction of the impact Industry 4.0 is having on the retail sector. As these advances evolve and improve, their presence will continue to make retail commerce more efficient, more profitable, and more satisfying to consumers.

■ Retailers can use their camera systems to analyze

customer behavior. The insights they gain can help them improve product placement and store layout.

■ The same technology can be used to analyze foot traffic patterns in a store and identify sources of trouble. The enhanced data can help retailers improve security and optimize their use of staff.

■ Digital twins can offer unique insights into customer behavior, preferences, and buying patterns. By analyzing this data, retailers can create personalized marketing campaigns, product recommendations, and promotions tailored to individual needs.

Lessons from the Fashion Industry The retail fashion industry is already adapting to the possibilities inherent in Industry 4.0; this is largely a result of necessity, as research shows that younger shoppers—the key target demographic—are increasingly buying online. The challenge is to make the online experience as engaging and satisfying as an in-store visit. In this, AI and other technological solutions are more than capable of obliging.

Smart fashion retailers focus on creating an online experience that is personalized, customized, and hassle-free—that means providing conveniences such as one-click payment options, fast delivery times, and reliable quality assurance.

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10

Common Characteristics of High-Shrink Stores

By Jacque Brittain, LPC

Idollars every year. That’s billions—with a B. In fact, losses

nventory shrink costs retailers across the globe billions of

amount to nearly $100 billion annually in the United States alone. Retail shrink is a genuine concern. This is a serious problem that goes well beyond a missing sweater, a damaged package, or a youngster shoplifting bubble gum. It’s a real and growing threat to profit margins and company survival.

In simple terms, retail shrinkage or “shrink” refers to the difference between inventory levels that a retail company is supposed to have on hand based on their books as compared to the actual inventory on hand when verified by the retailer. This reduction or loss of inventory is primarily due to factors such as shoplifting, organized retail crime, employee theft, human or paperwork errors, vendor fraud, and other related losses. Shrink can lead to the downfall of a retail enterprise, directly eating into the lifeline of profit that keeps the company in business.

So, what does that mean to the average store manager? For most in retail management, sales are everything. Sales drive the business. When we look to measure the overall success of the business, we look to sales first. When we try to establish business trends and product success, we look to sales. When we look to measure the success of a store manager, we start by looking at sales. Sales create the revenue that pays for everything else. Sales pay our salary and keep the lights on.

Sales buy new merchandise and keep the retail cycle alive.

Most certainly, there are other factors that will come into play, but when measuring success and failure, the buck stops here.

Luis Molinero / shutterstock.com

Profits Drive Success, Not Just Sales

However, the ultimate goal of any retail business is to show a profit. While sales may provide the barometer for profits, it is ultimately profit that will determine the success or failure of the business. Profit margins are precisely where we have the greatest opportunity to impact the success of the business.

In a business driven by the power of sales, often too little attention is given to the kryptonite that is retail shrink. Retail shrink is, in fact, lost profits. Successful retail planning is measured by the ability to maximize profits, limit losses, and improve efficiencies.

Shrink Is an Outcome Of course, theft, fraud, and other crimes contribute to retail shrink. Few would argue the devastating impact that criminal activity can have on a retail store. While we may not be able to control criminal intent, we are also not helpless victims falling prey to a nemesis beyond our control. There are some very simple and very manageable steps that can be taken to limit theft and other retail crimes and put a dent in the ultimate outcome—lost profits.

Safety is also a primary concern. We don’t have to put ourselves, our teams, or our customers at risk. We just have to be smart, organized, open-minded, and diligent. What should come as no surprise is that all of these same steps will also have a direct and immediate impact on the sales performance of the store.

What are some of the factors that lead to shrink problems in retail stores? Rather than looking at issues beyond our control, let’s focus on fundamental influences that are well within our power to manage.

10 High-Shrink Indicators Below are ten common characteristics of high-shrink retail stores. While not every one of these characteristics needs to be present to indicate a potential shrink problem, the presence of multiple concerns are reliable high-shrink indicators in the retail environment.

1

Unsatisfactory Customer Service. This one should come as no surprise—good customer service practices are a core value for any retail business. In fact, good customer service doesn’t go out of style no matter what you’re selling. Approaching and greeting customers, making eye contact, offering assistance, and other positive practices that help to effectively enhance the customer experience will also deter dishonest activities. Dishonest customers wish to conceal their activities and mask their intentions, and an alert and conscientious sales associate is a thief’s worst enemy.

By the same respect, if your business becomes known for poor customer service, you can expect several things to happen—and none of them are good for your business. Loyal customers leave, new customers stay away, the reputation of the business suffers, sales decline, and thieves thrive.

2

Poor Operational Controls. Following company procedures and adhering to operational guidelines keeps stores running smoothly and efficiently. This includes physical security guidelines, but also refers to other operational standards like properly completing required paperwork and documentation. By following these operational controls, we also demonstrate command and order, eliminating many mistakes—and opportunities that result in retail losses. A store atmosphere that illustrates such control will limit errors, provide checks and balances that may correct missteps before they become an issue, and can also be intimidating to those that might otherwise engage in dishonest activity, internally and externally.

3

A General Lack of Store Cleanliness. A largely unappreciated aspect of maintaining a retail business, good housekeeping practices send a clear message to customers regarding service levels and commitment to excellence. A clean, neat, well-maintained store eliminates many opportunities for merchandise to be damaged, lost, or stolen; avoids many potential safety hazards; and establishes an attitude of caring, respect, and control that can be intimidating to the potentially dishonest individual. In contrast, research shows that customers firmly believe that dirty floors, spills or stains, unpleasant odors, dirty shopping carts, unclean restrooms, and other cleanliness issues have a direct and negative influence on their shopping decisions. These factors speak volumes about store leadership and overall employee performance, practically inviting many of the other characteristics on this list.

4

Substandard Merchandising Practices. One of the most effective and proactive tools on retail selling floors is strong merchandising. A strong presentation coupled with proper and effective use of store fixtures and displays will increase merchandise sales and draw in more customers thus eliminating many opportunities for dishonest customers to conceal their activities, increase associate exposure to the area, and offer improved visual indicators when product is missing.

Conversely, areas that are poorly merchandised and appear in disarray provide additional opportunities for theft, damage, and other losses.

5

Ineffective Hiring Practices. Hiring the right people is a key component in the success of any organization.

When management teams practice their due diligence during the hiring process, they can eliminate many potential issues and reinforce the positive aspects of their workforce.

However, when they don’t follow through or skip important steps; don’t properly recognize or interpret information provided on an application or resume; and don’t ask the right questions during the interview process, it can lead to bad hires that have lasting effects on the performance of the store and morale of the entire team.

Shrink can lead to the downfall of a retail enterprise, directly eating into the lifeline of profit that keeps the company in business.

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FEATURE

10 Common Characteristics of High-Shrink Stores

The fact is, no one of us is as smart as all of us—and it takes open minds and collective efforts to put it all together.

6

Cluttered Stockrooms. There are many different hazards associated with cluttered and unkempt stockrooms. Improper storage can lead to safety concerns such as unsafe or top-heavy stacking, tripping hazards, chemical hazards, damaged merchandise, broken equipment, obstructed aisles and fire exits, inadequate lighting, inadequate storage space, and other dangerous or improper conditions. From a loss prevention perspective, this can also result in poor merchandise accountability, product availability concerns, and increased opportunities for theft and other safety issues.

7

Unattended and Untidy Fitting Rooms. The fitting room is a very important part of the clothing purchase process and should never be an afterthought in a retail store. In fact, statistics show that most final decisions on apparel purchases are made as customers try on various clothing options in the fitting room. Fitting rooms should be comfortable for customers and have plenty of mirrors that are properly secured and sealed around the frame. Fitting rooms that are poorly lit, cluttered, and generally lacking employee attention will discourage honest customers while opening doors for theft and other issues.

What are some of the factors that lead to shrink problems in retail stores?

Rather than looking at issues beyond our control, let’s focus on fundamental influences that are well within our power to manage.

8

Poor Attention to Details. In retail, seeing the big picture is clearly important—but attention to detail is what ultimately keeps us successful.

Attention to detail is the level of care, accuracy, and thoroughness applied to a particular task. It will include traits such as focus, preparation, planning, practice, communication, listening, and diligence.

When we skip steps and overlook important details, bad things will eventually result. Overlooking details, failing to complete tasks on time, providing document approvals without seeing the appropriate steps (pencil-whipping), and similar issues will quickly lead to poor performance.

9

Unmotivated or Uninspired Employees.

Rewarding employees for stellar performance and providing progressive counseling for those that aren’t performing to expectations can help us maintain a strong, efficient, and satisfied business team.

We want all employees to have a sense of pride in their jobs, their company, and their performance. By the same respect, behavioral issues, poor performance, and lack of motivation will not only disrupt the work setting—it lowers the bar for other employees. Bad habits can spread like a virus through the workforce, leading to multiple workplace concerns including shrink issues.

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10

Closed Minds. Closed minds close doors.

Effective loss prevention efforts require an interactive perspective that searches for the most effective ways to maximize profits while keeping our stores safe and secure. Changing our perspective and approach, understanding how these concepts complement the business model, and effectively communicating will help build partnerships; creating an atmosphere of cooperation that helps improve sales, lower shrink, and enhance profits. The fact is, no one of us is as smart as all of us—and it takes open minds and collective efforts to put it all together.

Of course, this is by no means a complete list, and sharp minds can probably list another dozen or so similar influences that will directly impact high-shrink retail stores. But taking a closer look at these and other challenges, opportunities, practices, and concerns in the stores can have a direct and immediate impact on shrink performance. There will always be issues that are beyond our control. However, the wisest approach is to appropriately manage those that are within our power to oversee.

Take a Closer Look When it comes to identifying the primary causes of shrink in every retail store, it’s easy to point a finger at shoplifting, fraud, and other retail crimes that contribute to retail losses. These are real threats that demand our focus and attention. However, this only tells part of a more complicated story, and every retail leader has an obligation to their business to take a closer look.

Rather than looking beyond our four walls to find answers, it can be just as important to turn around and take a closer look inside those same walls. A simple overview of our ten characteristics points to a clear trend that has a direct impact on both retail shrink and overall retail success—poor management practices.

True leaders are willing to tell the whole story, look at how they can make improvements to the plot, and come up with a better ending. How many of these characteristics exist in your stores? Maybe it’s time to take a closer look.

Jacque Brittain, LPC, is editorial director for LP Magazine. Prior to joining the magazine, he was director of learning design and certification for Learn It Solutions, where he helped coordinate and write the online coursework for the Loss Prevention Foundation’s LPC and LPQ certifications. Earlier in his career, Brittain was vice president of operations for one of the largest executive recruiting firms in the LP industry. He can be reached at JacB@LPportal.com.

LossPreventionMedia.com

SOMETHING GOOD LP Magazine is recognizing the unsung heroes of the loss prevention and asset protection industry. In an ongoing column, we will highlight those among us who are going above and beyond to help their community and world around them to be a better place. Whether it be an individual or a team, donating time, money, or bringing joy to others—we want to say, “thank you” and let our readers get to know you better.

To nominate an individual or an entire LP team, fill out the form at losspreventionmagazine.com/something-good.

Swimming with Sharks: Dive for Freedom Ltake place in countries far from home, it can be easy to

iving in a land where the battles of freedom most often

get lost in our day-to-day lives and lose sight of the cost of that freedom.

For those who have bravely served, many return wearing the physical and emotional scars that often go along with that service. Forced to live with the trauma and memories that can haunt their every day, there are many that have a difficult time adjusting when they return home. For those individuals, the physical and invisible injuries including anxiety, survivor’s guilt, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are very real. And while we can never do enough to show gratitude to our nation’s heroes, we can always do a little more.

Every year several of our nation’s “wounded warriors” and other combat veterans are provided a once in a lifetime experience to swim with the sharks as part of the 4th of July Shark Dive in Juniper, Florida.

Working with “Shark Addicts,” a local charter experience that specializes in taking groups out for fully immersive shark diving expeditions, boat captains from across the Florida coast come together to raise funds for the local Wounded Warriors program and share a truly unique experience with our nation’s veterans. Each trip is specifically designed to bring those participating safely face-to-face with the region’s most prolific shark species.

Every year Peter Morello Sr., president of CIS Security Solutions, captains a team for the “Dive for Freedom” event, partnering with combat veteran and Congressman Brian Mast for an event that brightens spirits and raises money for many local veterans’ organizations. Starting on the morning of the 4th, the objective of the venture is to bring these remarkable individuals together to hang out, trade stories, and share a special adventure.

“The 4th of July for many veterans can be very difficult,” says Pete Morello Jr., national sales representative at CIS. “Many suffer from PTSD, and dealing with what the day represents, or even the explosions and bright lights of the celebration can sometimes trigger thoughts that can spark emotional difficulty bringing back painful memories that can be hard to deal with.”

Peter Morello Sr. with a Wounded Warrior

“On a personal level, we had a close friend who was a combat veteran and wounded warrior who took his own life on the 4th of July as he was trying to deal with the overwhelming emotions that were only amplified by the meaning the day held for him,” he added. “So, this event holds special meaning for us. We see it as a way to give back and honor those who have served by giving them an amazing, joyous experience that makes them feel special and appreciated on this important day. It’s a way of allowing them to relax and enjoy themselves, knowing that their service and sacrifice are so greatly appreciated. There is no better way we can show our appreciation for those that have sacrificed the most than to give them a special day they won’t forget.”

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Scan the QR code to learn more about the “Dive for Freedom” event.

ASK THE EXPERT metamorworks / Shutterstock.com

Kevin E. Lynch, LPC, CPP After graduating from the United States Naval Academy in 1978, Kevin Lynch served as a surface warfare officer before entering the world of retail as a director of store operations for a women’s specialty chain. He joined Sensormatic Electronics in 1984 and has supported the retail industry ever since.

Observations of a Loss Prevention Warhorse

Today’s Unprecedented LP Threats Require Modern Solutions

Yand enjoying life surrounded by grandkids. So, what’s

ou should know something: I was out. I was on the beach

C LO S E

D

It’s the CEOs who must decide how to proceed. Retailers have closed locations in many cities, but that tactic may not sit well with shareholders in the long run.

Consequently, CEOs are turning to LP leadership and asking, “How do we take back our stores?”

important enough in Retail America to bring me out of retirement? The answer is simple. Given the unprecedented, deadly retail violence and loss, I want to help today’s skeptics understand why the latest controversial technologies are vital for life safety and loss prevention.

Why listen to me? I have already helped spearhead several controversial technologies during my long loss prevention career. You may recall how many skeptics fought retailers’ use of CCTV. They invoked “Big Brother.” By the time I retired, CCTV was ubiquitous, its use was expected, even demanded by the public.

Loss prevention innovation requires a team effort. During my 34-year career, I had the distinct pleasure of working alongside LP visionaries. I sold CCTV to Mike Lamb and Mark Stinde. I sold EAS to Jim Lee and Claude Verville. I sold burglar alarms to Bob Oberosler and Bill Turner. I helped these gentlemen start the Loss Prevention Foundation, and together we grew Loss Prevention Magazine into an industry-leading publication. I was the first vendor to earn the Certified Protection Professional designation. I hope you’ll consider my resume and the fine company I’ve kept as I share my thoughts about solutions to today’s enormous problems.

Also, consider the various groups that must align to understand and solve today’s problems. My loss prevention colleagues arrive at every management meeting with increasingly horrible videos showing wanton violence, theft, and lawlessness. Senior members of the legal team sit stunned as they watch product fly out the door, stolen by individuals with no apparent fear of the legal system. The attorneys must weigh the relative risks of actual deadly violence inflicted on employees and customers, of actual losses soaring into the billions, with the potential risks posed by proactive technologies.

Ultimately, it’s the CEOs who must decide how to proceed.

Retailers have closed locations in many cities, but that tactic may not sit well with shareholders in the long run.

Consequently, CEOs are turning to LP leadership and asking, “How do we take back our stores?”

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A combination of modern technologies—face matching, self-checkout mis-scan solutions, and cart locking among them—delivers some undeniable answers to that question. It was face matching, the AI-driven cornerstone technology that provides active threat management and investigative tools, that drew me back into the mix as a FaceFirst consultant. But it wasn’t until I understood how this sometimes‑controversial technology integrates with other solutions that I understood its full power and their combined benefit. Mike Lamb has shaped and promoted an LP solution ecosystem concept for several years at Kroger, and it’s being embraced and adapted throughout retail today.

Whether we’re considering the tragic mass shooting at King Soopers in Boulder, Colorado, or the thirty looters who recently ruined a Nordstrom store in Los Angeles, it has become critically important to know who is in your stores. Face matching helps retailers identify the relatively few individuals who cause loss or other harm and focus limited resources on them. Face matching benefits start at the store entrance and integrate with loss prevention solutions that prevent self-checkout theft and cart pushouts. These are just a few of the solutions in the broader retail LP ecosystem.

Retailers are in the business of selling product and assuring their employees and customers that their sales floor is safe and secure. The legal department’s job is to illuminate the risk factors associated with employing new technologies. It is my considered opinion that the pendulum has swung too far in the favor of the criminal, and it needs to be pulled back to the center.

CEOs want safe stores and sales. Lawyers want to minimize risk. I want to make the world a safer place for my grandchildren—the latest just arrived!—and spend more time with them. My suggestion to accomplish all three goals? I urge retailers to learn from industry veterans and their peers who are building the retail LP ecosystem and have already deployed modern technologies that are helping America’s retailers take back their stores.

LossPreventionMedia.com

Aleksandra Bataeva / Shutterstock.com

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE To stay up-to-date on the latest career moves as they happen, visit the Professional Development page on the LPM website LossPreventionMedia.com.

To inform us of a promotion or new hire, email us at peopleonthemove@LPportal.com.

Professionals Advancing Their Careers Epi Suarez is now director of AP at 99 Cents Only Stores.

Eric Gerhart, CFE is now manager of fraud investigations at Asurion.

Shawn Jenkins is now a district AP manager at Abercrombie & Fitch.

Victoria Storrs was promoted to divisional LP manager at Autozone.

Federico Saini was promoted to internal controls and risk prevention, supply chain at adidas (Italy).

Jeff Lesser, LPC is now a regional AP manager at Bath & Body Works.

Helen Dalton is now a district AP manager at Albertsons.

Brian Block was promoted to VP at Allied Universal.

Amazon announced these promotions: Crissy Sharpe to principal product manager - theft, fraud, abuse and waste; Hakan Ozalp, CPP, CFE to external fulfillment network senior security and LP program manager (Turkey); Murray Gillan to business intelligence manager (Australia); Freddy Ontiveros to senior on road risk manager; and Tiffany Hernandez to investigations manager.

Ralph Frangioni and Matthew Lucariello are now territory AP specialists at American Freight, Furniture, Mattress, and Appliance.

Javier Suarez was promoted to global retail security and Lee Li is now retail security and external affairs manager (China) at Apple.

Jamal Evans is now director of AP at beeline Group.

Dustin Kelty is now AP manager of investigations and Michelle Peterson is now a regional AP manager at Belk.

Jack Gehrke, CFE, LPC, CFI Legacy is now corporate security and LP senior manager at Ben Bridge Jeweler.

John Soto was promoted to market AP and safety senior manager at Best Buy. Alaa Alsaid is now senior loss prevention executive at BFL Group (Saudi Arabia).

Col. Hemendra Bhandari, VSM, CFE is now head of security, safety, LP, and audit and Rohini Kumar Reddy Y is now an area LP officer at Bigbasket.com (India).

Michael Archer was promoted to LP supervisor at Ascena.

Joe Tellone was promoted to director of field AP and safety and Jeff McAvoy was promoted to AP analytics manager at BJ’s Wholesale Club.

Christopher LaMonte is now director of inventory management at Aritzia.

Anna Fontanella is now a security specialist at Bottega Veneta (Italy).

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Dr. Grant Drawve is now VP of research and innovation at Cap Index.

Connie Droge is now executive VP of stores and AP at Burlington Stores.

Craig Bland is now a shortage control project manager; Carolyn Manick and Robert Grant are now regional AP managers; Roger Hill, LPC, Heriberto Rosa Jr., and Olajuwon Clark are now district AP managers; and David Friese, MBA is now a field investigator at Burlington Stores.

Carolyn Homes is now a territory LP manager at Canadian Tire (Canada).

Adriano Silva is now loss coordinator – everyday formats at Grupo Carrefour (Brazil).

Michael Jensen is now a territory manager, field safe and secure at Carvana.

Casey’s announced these promotions: Karri Wilson, CFI is now a division AP manager; Aubrey Hastings and Aaron Pitts, CFI are now corporate AP investigators; and Holly Frye, Patrick McPherson, Shanna Erickson, and Brian Hankins are now AP specialists.

Shady Elsabie is now global security operations manager at CEVA Logistics.

Scott Sanford is now VP of AP, safety, and risk at Channel Control Merchants.

Fall 2023

PEOPLE ON THE MOVE Dante Barnes, MBA is now a regional LP manager at Citi Trends.

Milan Nedeljkovic is now state loss manager, and Mark Dalton and Therese Galbraith are now fraud and security investigators at Coles Group (Australia).

Hayley Cusick is now an LP analyst II at Columbia Sportswear.

Arya Etessam, M.Sc, CBCP is now director of global security, risk, governance & PMO at Coupang (South Korea).

Brad Guillot and Nancy Tabeek, CFI, LPC are now market investigators at Family Dollar Stores.

Anne Knopp is now an LP/ security expert at Galaxus Deutschland (Germany).

Cody Tandy is now an ORC investigator at Gap. Phelicia Showers, MED, LLM is now a regional LP manager at GardaWorld.

Michael O’Brien, LPC was promoted to senior manager of LP at Gobrands.

Joseph Evans, CFI, LPC was promoted to senior manager, AP emerging leader at CVS Health.

Mark Ruehle is now a district AP manager at Goodwill of Central and Northern Arizona.

Jim Mires is now VP of field operations at Destination Pet.

Daniel Correa was promoted to security/LP regional manager at GXO Logistics.

Joel Haynes was promoted to regional AP manager at Dollar General.

Ahmed Shalan is now central Europe security manager at Gucci (Germany).

Gianna Davis is now VP of investigations at Dollar Tree Stores.

Tara Nutley is now director of workplace violence prevention; Jamie Van Dusen is now director of AP programs; Admir Mehmedovic was promoted to zone AP director; and Cliff Rodriguez‎ is now a regional AP manager at Dollar Tree Stores.

Altair Oberto is now executive LP manager at Grupo DPSP (Brazil).

Rob Cathey, LPC is now director of LP at Draeger’s Markets.

CJ Denton CFI was promoted to senior profit protection manager at Dyson.

Daniel Mariniuc is now chief product officer and head of engineering at Everseen.

Tally Bonlender was promoted to senior director of global LP at EXCORP.

Jake Sawyer, CFI, LPC and Ben Mathis Jr. were promoted to senior regional AP managers; Sam Amini is now a regional AP manager; and

Fall 2023

Suneet Pareek is now regional security and compliance manager at H&M - Northeast Asia (Hong Kong).

Levente Papp is now a security and quality manager at HGL Group (Hungary).

Devin Morris is now an area LP manager at Harbor Freight Tools.

Ryan A. Smith was promoted to area LP manager at H-E-B. Alyssa Kelly is now a district LP manager at Homegoods.

Wallace Dobrosk was promoted to junior LP analyst at Hortifruti (Brazil).

Tiane Flores was promoted to LP specialist at Grupo Imec (Brazil).

Justin Stankevicius was promoted to head of LP at Jaycar Electronics Group (Australia).

Douglas Lawson was promoted to AP corporate senior specialist and Craig Porche was promoted to ORC investigator at JCPenney.

Leo Masihi was promoted to area profit and AP manager at JD Sports Fashion (Netherlands).

Beatrice Shorto is now a profit protection investigations specialist at John Lewis Partnership (United Kingdom).

Richard Moore is now vice president of field AP at KnitWell Group.

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Christopher Zahina was promoted to multi-district LP manager at Kohl’s.

Erhan Hasançebi was promoted to LP supervisor at Koton (Turkey).

Justin Kemp was promoted to VP of operations at Learn it Media.

David Toubalem is now head of security at Leroy Merlin (France).

Ben Eisenberg was promoted to divisional LP manager at LIDS Sports Group.

Travis Noble, CFI is now a senior regional AP manager at Louis Vitton.

Brian Menkel and Sarah Bullington were promoted to online fraud and retail crime managers at Lowe’s.

Jonathan Singer is now a regional LP and safety manager at Lucchese Boot Company.

Steven Cockrell was promoted to senior AP specialist at Lululemon (United Kingdom).

Cori Picanso was promoted to senior manager of investigations and Malachi Williams and Amanda Baca are now multi-store AP managers at Macy’s.

Elias Abraham Hirmas is now security and LP coordinator at Makro (Argentina).

Rosalind Newstead – Nunn was promoted to accuracy and loss manager at Marks and Spencer (United Kingdom).

Kyle Sayyae was promoted to market AP manager at Meijer.

Thang Nguyen Dinh (Thomas) is now an area security manager at Mekong (Vietnam).

Alberto de la Peza Herbert is now a LP coordinator at Mercado Libre (Mexico).

Marcos Luiz Zendron and Geovane Oliveira are now LP senior analysts at Mercado Livre (Brazil).

Ginger Bair is now an ORC investigator at Metro One LPSG. Lance Bayliss is now a regional LP manager at Mobilelink.

Joao Carlos Rocha da Silva is now LP, audit, and internal controls manager at Mundo do Enxoval (Brazil).

Mike McFalling was promoted to area AP manager at Nordstrom.

Manish Sharma is now an area LP manager at Nysaa Retail (India).

Kamron Horn is now a regional LP manager at Ollie’s Bargain Outlet.

Alex Williams was promoted to VP of LP at O’Reilly Auto Parts.

Daniel Edward Cruz, CFI is now VP of LP at Prada Group.

Dominique De Santis is now senior director of LP at Psycho Bunny (Canada).

Avisheck Prasad and Mohammad Anis are now area LP managers at Reliance Retail (India).

Rebecca Alexander, CSP has been named associate director at the Restaurant Loss Prevention & Security Association (RLPSA).

Alan Swayne and John Mead are now managers of investigations and security at RXO. Amanda DeCapua was promoted to manager of inventory control at Saks Fifth Avenue.

Bob Zalud is now divisional senior manager II, AP & EHS at Sam’s Club.

David Danilo Patricio is now a LP coordinator at Semar Supermarkets (Brazil).

Tony D’Onofrio is now president at Sensormatic Solutions.

Jade Cook was promoted to regional LP manager and Saiyed Hussain is now an area LP investigator at Sephora (Canada).

Christina Nolin, CFI, LPC is now a district LP manager at Sierra.

LaTanya Donald is now a regional LP manager at Snipes.

Sanjay Prajapati was promoted to senior manager, national stock controller and LP at Spencer’s Retail (India).

Jesus Ortega is now a regional LP specialist at Sprout’s Farmer’s Market.

Patricia Casey, CFI is now field AP fulfillment at Staples.

Michael Franco is now a corporate security investigator at Stater Brothers Markets.

Adelson Vieira Pereira was promoted to loss coordinator at Total Express (Brazil).

Meer Khan was promoted to director of LP at Toys R Us (Canada).

Ganjar Imansantosa, CISM, CISA, CDPSE was promoted to VP, CISO and technology operations at Tropical Smoothie.

Jamie Ost is now a regional LP manager at Tractor Supply Company.

Katie Foster, M.S. is now a market director of field AP and security at Sysco.

Rory Stallard is now director of LP, ORC at Ulta Beauty.

Christopher Dyess, LPC was promoted to director of LP at Tailored Brands.

Paul Morrison is now director of LP and risk at Talize (Canada).

Target announced the following promotions: Ashley Leonard, Joseph Hassan, and Joseph Mattera to AP directors; John Schumacher to senior manager of safe and secure operations, AP; and Danny Kim, Charity Long, Jesse Palmer, CFI, Molly Hall, Branden Adams, and Kathleen Moreno to AP business partners.

Claudia Veloso is now quality and process management coordinator at Grupo Tesoura de Ouro (Brazil).

Gary Novello Jr., LPC, CFI is now director of security – landmark at Tiffany & Company.

Tammie Jones was promoted to regional intelligence and development associate (United Kingdom); Brady Marshall was promoted to investigations analyst - LP systems and reporting; Leah Newkirk and Tony Gagnon were promoted to regional LP managers; Clare Orpe was promoted to logistics LP advisor (United Kingdom); Carlo Greco is now a supply chain investigator (Canada); Susan Erhart, Louis Shi, LPQ, Chad Hixon, LPC, CFI Legacy, Jeremy Bailey, LPC, CFI, Nick Johnson, LPC, Mario Barrientos, and Richard Andre are now district LP managers; and Kodi Austin and Brandon Eickhoff, CFI are now national task force ORC investigators at The TJX Companies.

Sean Wilson, Kersonder Williams, and Anthony White were promoted to directors of AP at Victoria’s Secret.

Jayanta Sen is now a regional LP manager and Maha Beer Kumar is now a regional LP officer at Vishal Mega Mart (India).

Alexander Martinez is now a regional LP manager at The Vitamin Shoppe.

Kimberly Shelley, MESH, LPC is now a regional LP specialist, supply chain at VSP Vision.

Larry Lundeen was promoted to senior VP and CSO; Olga Ledyan, MBA was promoted to risk expert, global tech audit engagement; and Chad Moore was promoted to senior manager I, threat management at Walmart.

Heather Hearn, LPC was promoted to supervisor of e-commerce fraud and physical security at Wawa.

Bradley Zaretsky is now a regional AP/ safety manager at Whole Foods Market.

Klae Ruse was promoted to senior audit manager - stores at Woolworths Group (Australia).

Gilberto Quintanilha Júnior is now manager of audit and LP at TNG Comércio de Roupas (Brazil).

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SPONSORED CONTENT

SOLUTIONS SHOWCASE

SOLUTIONS SHOWCASE

Checkpoint

Checkpoint’s Product Protection Portfolio: Total Solutions P

roduct protection is a predominant issue for retailers wanting to protect their merchandise without locking it in a glass case. For full product protection with an “open display” philosophy, retailers can rely on an ample array of solutions from Checkpoint, such as:

Label Solutions When combating theft, label solutions can help deter theft on the shelf. With our industry-recognized Black Lock logo, visible tagging is an easy way to secure your product in-store, in the distribution center, or at the point of manufacture. Some of our RF EAS labels, such as our Shield Tag, can damage the packaging due to the aggressiveness of the adhesive. This reduces the products’ street value, making it less desirable to resell. As ORC becomes one of the largest issues regarding in‑store “shrink” this is a huge value add for retailers.

Our label portfolio includes labels that come in all shapes and sizes, practical for every type of packaging, even those with difficult shapes and materials. Tagging your merchandise with RF EAS labels helps alert store employees of when a theft occurs, as the antennae at the entrance will alarm. This allows them to react in accordance with store policy.

so that antennae can identify theft.

These solutions can be added to traditional checkouts as well as self-checkout systems.

■ Point of Exit: EAS antennae at the point of exit will alarm when a non‑deactivated label passes through. Checkpoint’s antenna families come with many different benefits. Our EVOLVE range of antennae has enhanced detection of up to 6ft and integrated people counting for monitoring store traffic. The E10 from our EVOLVE line can combine RF and RFID technologies, designed to be flexible around the dynamic needs of the retail industry. With almost infinite design options thanks to the easily

Hardware Solutions ■ Point of Sale: When customers are ready to checkout, solutions like our deactivation pads help efficiently deactivate labels before they leave the store. This decreases false alarms

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LossPreventionMedia.com

accessible ad panels, the E10 allows retailers to create an antenna that blends with store aesthetics and branding, accommodating both printed paper formats or high‑impact fabric covers with any design or message, ensuring that store entrances are inviting and engaging for potential customers. Our NEO range of antennae offers easier installation through wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi or Bluetooth and remote monitoring and maintenance. Both families come in many different designs and sizes so that retailers can find the best fit for their store layout. The NS40/42 is designed to offer retailers greater installation flexibility without compromising security

at the checkout or anywhere in-store.

This pedestal offers an ultra-slim design that reduces the space required for EAS and allows customers more area to pack and better coverage in wider, wheelchair-accessible lanes.

Connected Solutions Store Operations is a cloud-based platform consolidating Checkpoint’s hardware and software solutions into a single portal, enabling device control, data collection, reporting, and service offerings. All this enables our devices to be more effective in loss prevention and trend analysis while maintaining devices at optimum performance levels to avoid technical or performance issues.

Alpha High Theft Solutions Alpha has pioneered the “Open Display” security philosophy and provided retailers with the most innovative and technologically advanced products engineered to protect high-theft merchandise. These solutions deliver uncompromising security, ease-of-use for store associates, and aesthetics that complement the merchandise they protect. Our US manufacturing facility in Canton, Ohio, gives Alpha superior inventory and quality control, which translates to high volume, low labor, and speed of delivery.

■ Keeper® Security Devices: With 75+ sizes to choose from, Keepers are one of the most versatile and secure solutions for high-theft merchandise.

Made in the USA with the strongest clear recyclable polycarbonate and magnetic spring lock that only opens with Alpha’s S3 Keys. All Keeper® lids are made with 100 percent recycled materials and allow customers to create attractive visual displays with the confidence that the merchandise is protected well.

■ Rx Cap: The strongest prescription to cure any shrink problems. The Rx Cap provides the highest level of protection for both controlled and over-the-counter pharmaceuticals and supplements. The prominent cap offers a strong visual deterrent, and the innovative design provides robust security. Small and large options cover more than 90 percent of bottles found in the market.

■ Universal Disposable Hang Tag: This cost-effective solution provides a positive ROI that is fast to apply and does not require removal. The Universal Disposable Hang Tags are easily applied across a wide variety of products, with a consistent design fitting wide, lower hanging holes to fit most of the single or double peg hooks. Spikes provide benefit denial for resell and extra support to stabilize hang tags.

■ ShrinkShelf: From product protection to planogram perfection, ShrinkShelf is a revolutionary shelf management system and display solution that enhances your product presentation while reducing theft with anti-sweep technology. Its design is based on the concept of “sell more lose less”™, enabling retailers to deliver a superior customer experience and defend their bottom line. The open display design allows consumers to continue to purchase shelf-based items with ease.

Restocking products is fast and simple, and the pull-out drawer promotes restocking from the back. This reduces labor costs and allows employees to spend more time with customers. This easy-to-use, easy-to-install solution is customizable with variable-size hoods, education bar, and LED lights to fit your needs.

■ Alpha Zone: This new product locationing system offers zonal protection of display or high-value

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products without securing the products to store fixtures. This allows consumers to shop in an open display environment by allowing them to touch and use the product while minimizing the store’s theft risk. Alpha Zone protects products in real-time, 24/7; it is simple to use and highly effective. The system consists of UHF RF tags that are applied directly to the product and Alpha Zone hubs. The system works through communication between the hub and the tags. The hub emits a signal to the tags. Each tag contains a moetion sensor, and when the product is moved, it searches for the signal emitted by the hub. If the product goes out of the hub’s range, the alarm contained in the tag will trigger. Once the product is returned to its zone, the alarm will stop. The tag will also alarm if the tag is tampered with.

Retailers can find more opportunities when using RFID as EAS, allowing them to have visibility on what product is exiting the store without purchase, as RFID technology provides item‑level data to the store. Fast, accurate detection of items within your store and throughout your supply chain makes understanding your stock levels and locations immediately simpler.

A layered security approach gives retailers peace of mind when managing loss prevention efforts. A combination of these solutions will help businesses protect their merchandise better.

Innovation is at the core of Checkpoint’s business; working with retailers to determine what solutions will work for their issues is our main objective.

For more information regarding all our products and solutions, please contact us at checkpointsystems.com/contact/

SPONSORED CONTENT

SOLUTIONS SHOWCASE

SOLUTIONS SHOWCASE

CONTROLTEK

Optimize Your Retail Operations with the Power of RFID I

n today’s fast-paced retail landscape, staying ahead of the competition demands efficient operations, real‑time visibility into inventory, and a seamless shopping experience for customers. As a retailer you have heard about the power of RFID to achieve these goals, and you see the value in the technology. However, you may have concerns about how it will integrate into your current business processes effectively, the costs to your bottom line, and the uncertainty of seeing the ROI to justify the implementation.

We have heard these same reservations from our clients, so we want to provide an overview of why partnering with CONTROLTEK for your RFID implementation will provide you with confidence and results, so that you can begin to reap the multitude of benefits of RFID.

Comprehensive RFID Solutions by CONTROLTEK At CONTROLTEK, our Professional Services team is with our retail partners every step of the way. From consultation to implementation and ongoing support, we provide a comprehensive solution for all your RFID needs. Our experienced team conducts an in-depth site survey to identify the best solution for your specific requirements and goals. We then create a customized RFID solution, drawing from our wide range of software,

readers, tags, and labels. Our experts handle the installation process, and we’re dedicated to providing ongoing support to ensure you achieve your expected return on investment.

Data-Driven Optimization with CONTROLSPAN Software Developed through working closely with our clients, our CONTROLSPAN software was built to be scalable for multiple uses of RFID. Combining cloud, mobile, machine learning, and IoT technology it provides full visibility of your operations and business assets. With an easy-touse dashboard, CONTROLSPAN digitizes your physical space and brings business data and insights right to your finger tips.

Designed to seamlessly integrate with your existing systems, it harnesses the power of machine learning models to enable precise business forecasting, streamlining

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your operations and empowering you with actionable insights that drive smarter decision-making. You gain a comprehensive view of your entire operation allowing you to optimize item availability and maximize inventory visibility like never before.

Powerful RFID Hardware Solutions Choosing the right hardware is an essential part of building an RFID system that meets the unique challenges of your business. CONTROLTEK’s versatile range of RFID tags, labels, and readers includes many options for different applications.

From powerful long range fixed RFID readers to the smallest mobile RFID in the world, to the slimmest and most powerful RFID as EAS system, InFlight RFID, CONTROLTEK’s RFID hardware lineup ensures you have the right hardware for your application.

LossPreventionMedia.com

dwell times in read zones, and determining height and width measurements for reader and antenna selection.

With a wide range of RFID tags and label applications to support your retail requirements, CONTROLTEK’s high quality RFID tags and labels are an essential piece of a successful RFID system and provide high detection range and accuracy so you can feel confident you are getting the most out of your RFID system.

Survey Output

Professional Services for Successful RFID Implementation We adopt a holistic approach to delivering our RFID solutions from planning, deploying, and providing ongoing support.

Our experienced professionals are there to guide you through every step of the evaluation, installation and deployment process providing you exactly what you need to achieve your goals. Here is what you can expect from partnering with CONTROLTEK on your RFID project.

The output results from the CONTROLTEK survey combine all the data collection categories into documents and information points. The formal survey serves as a critical component to begin each project with a detailed analysis of the overall project, allowing for open communication, and clear objectives.

industry by providing real-time inventory visibility, enhanced security, and improved customer experiences. CONTROLTEK’s RFID solutions offer a comprehensive approach to implementing and utilizing RFID technology, making it easier for retailers to optimize their operations and stay competitive in today’s dynamic market.

With RFID, retailers can make data-driven decisions, streamline processes, and ultimately drive business growth. If you’re looking to take your retail operations to the next level, it’s time to explore the

Feasibility Study When it comes to utilizing RFID technology in your environment, not every project is practical or feasible.

We are experts in identifying the right technologies, understanding their capabilities and limitations, as well as the best applications.

Strategy and Design Overview We outline your business objectives and system requirements to develop a customized solution and tailored plan to meet the needs of your business and set you up for long-term success.

Site Survey We assess hardware placement and perform data analysis, then compile a comprehensive scope of work for your review. This includes identifying RFID Coverage Points, ascertaining network requirements to be recognized with RFID data, recognizing potential interference threats, discovering asset movement and

Turnkey Deployment We create a comprehensive plan for the implementation of your RFID solution to ensure maximum results. We provide tactful education and advice, collaborate with your resources for a successful outcome, and confirm that all components are up to standard for optimal performance. We don’t stop there, we provide ongoing support to ensure that you reach the ROI you expect.

In conclusion, the power of RFID technology is transforming the retail

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possibilities of RFID with CONTROLTEK. Interested in an RFID deployment?

Start the process today by contacting your CONTROLTEK representative at sales@controltekusa.com to schedule an RFID survey and discover how we can help you improve your business.

SPONSORED CONTENT

SOLUTIONSSHOWCASE

Sensormatic

by Johnson Controls

Key Steps to Securing Self-Checkout Self-checkouts are everywhere—and they’re a growing source of shrink. To help address that, retailers may want to turn to these loss prevention solutions.

S

elf-checkout has grown from a modern customer convenience to a critical must-have for retailers in a relatively short span of time.

Ongoing retail staffing shortages and ever-present competition from pure-play e-commerce have created conditions so conducive to self-checkout they’re practically impossible to ignore. With fewer available workers and the need for better store experiences growing by the day, automating checkout should be a no-brainer.

There’s just one catch, however. Retail crime is on the rise. And self-checkout stations are contributing to increasing shrink even in the best of times. Faced with these competing needs, what can retailers do to implement self-checkout seamlessly while still incorporating “friction” for would‑be retail criminals in order to protect their products? These solutions may just hold the answers.

Automated Monitoring and Actionable Insight With staffing tight, retailers will need to find alternative ways to monitor the self‑checkout process. One way to achieve this is by installing public-view monitors at each self-checkout station. Reminding shoppers that they’re being watched can stave off theft from opportunists and can be an easy win to get the ball rolling on improving loss prevention at self-checkout. To truly make a dent in strengthening security, however, you’ll want to go further with your camera footage.

What does this look like in practice?

Computer Vision Analytics from Sensormatic Solutions offers an idea.

Computer Vision Analytics is software that taps into your security camera network, leveraging AI-powered analytics to monitor and assess behavior beginning at the store parking lot, through the shopper journey, through self-checkout stations, and ultimately the store exit. Think of it as your loyal lookout from open to close, who never takes breaks—or even blinks, for that matter. Computer Vision knows what “normal” means for your store and can quickly detect suspicious activity and provide associates with mobile alerts

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in real-time so they can intervene with customer service to deter theft activity.

While combating shrink may be its most urgent use case for many retailers, Computer Vision can assist in streamlining the self‑checkout process in other ways as well.

“In addition to stopping red shoppers (shoppers with criminal intent), Computer Vision can also be a useful tool in improving the checkout experience for green shoppers, too,” said Craig Szklany, VP and general manager, loss prevention and liability, at Sensormatic Solutions. “Through behavior analytics, the software is able to identify points of friction leading up to and during the self-checkout process that retailers

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can address, or spot new opportunities to help those struggling to navigate the self‑checkout process faster and more efficiently.”

Once integrated, Computer Vision’s behavior-analytic capabilities can yield insights into self-checkout improvement strategies like these from both a security and shopper perspective. Between identifying security weaknesses to spotting pain points at checkout, Computer Vision can help you strengthen security and improve the customer experience at the same time.

Security Without Sacrifice Better monitoring and sharper analytics can go a long way in reducing shrink at self-checkout, but a glaring security concern remains. Adding self-checkout to your stores means addressing removal of traditional hard tags from your products. That would introduce a major point of friction for green shoppers, and this is a pervasive problem that only an innovative technological approach can solve for the modern self-checkout era.

Tagging products for added security without creating friction for well-intentioned customers would be the best of both worlds.

And today, single-piece EAS tags like Sensormatic Solutions’ InFuzionTM tags are making that dream a reality.

InFuzion tags are one-piece hard tags that can add shrink protection while minimizing much of the customer frustration created by traditional two-piece hard tags. Empowered with Internet of Things (IoT) capabilities and Acousto-Magnetic, RF, and radio frequency identification (RFID) technology options, Sensormatic Solutions’ InFuzion tags can be removed from products electronically with a matching detacher by an associate, making a breeze of detachment during regular checkout. But now, that same technology is being put into the hands of customers, carrying major implications for the future of self-checkout.

Democratizing Detachment with Mobile Technology Through its partnership with Danish software company Zliide, Sensormatic Solutions is working to bring even more frictionless shrink-deterrence tools to self‑checkout this fall, with hopes of putting an end to one of the great conundrums of self-checkout security.

It all starts with the innovative mobile purchasing software offered by Zliide. The company has since added tag-detachment functionality to go along with its already established mobile shopping platform. Now, customers will be able to purchase products in store and detach security tags themselves, all with just their phones using the Zliide mobile shopping experience. Plus, the tags are safe and easy to use, eliminating friction even further.

“Because the pin is integrated into the InFuzion and Zliide tags, customers don’t have to worry about handling a pin, making them very simple and safe to use,” said Szklany. “This makes for a smooth, safe process where detachment is both fast and convenient for shoppers and more secure for retailers.”

As an ironclad icing on the cake, enabling product tags with RFID can make this self‑detachment process even more secure.

That’s because when you tag a product with RFID, you gain item-level insight into each product being purchased. When customers detach tags at checkout, for example, you’ll be able to know with certainty that the products being purchased are the same as the ones customers are untagging and carrying out the door.

Key Takeaways Improving security at self-checkout starts with embracing new tools.

By implementing public-view monitors, incorporating behavior analytics, and activating mobile detachment, you’ll be able to deliver the convenient self-checkout experience customers crave, without having to sacrifice the security of your products.

To learn more about these and other solutions that can help you address loss prevention at self-checkout and throughout your entire store, go to Sensormatic.com and connect with a solutions expert today.

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LPM DIGITAL Courtney Wolfe Wolfe is LP Magazine’s managing editor digital focusing on the magazine’s digital content and reach. Prior to LPM, she was managing editor for SDM Magazine, a trade publication for security systems integrators. She received her bachelor’s degree in multimedia journalism from Columbia College Chicago. She can be reached at CourtneyW@LPportal.com.

Popular Articles on the LPM Digital Channels The LP Magazine website and digital channels offer loss prevention and retail professionals a myriad of thought leadership articles from a wide range of industry experts, original articles from LPM writers, webinars with industry experts, podcasts, whitepapers, and much more. There is new content updated to the website daily that is featured in our e-newsletter. To ensure that you don’t miss this important loss prevention information, subscribe to our digital channel at LossPreventionMedia.com/email or scan the QR code on the left.

DICK’s Sporting Goods Lays Off 250 Employees after Blaming 23% Drop in Profits on Theft

Don’t miss any important loss prevention information.

Subscribe to LP Magazine’s digital channel by scanning the QR code above.

What Does a Shoplifter Look Like?

In August, DICK’S Sporting Goods announced a new “business optimization plan” that includes laying off corporate employees as a result of net income falling 23 percent to $244 million and operating income decreasing 32 percent to around $312 million. The company said these declines are due to its “decisive action” on excess inventory and theft.

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What does a shoplifter look like? This frequently asked question is one that can lead to a mountain of concerns in the retail environment, but it is essential to address with both store employees and loss prevention teams. Learning the signs is important, but making the right decisions is vital. Having the right answers can help keep our stores safe and secure, while getting it wrong can cost us in a variety of ways and put us in some precarious situations for many reasons.

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Retail Theft: A Hidden Crisis

AP Professionals Gather for First LPM Regional Town Hall in Chicago

Home invasions, burglaries, and carjackings affect us emotionally because we can picture ourselves in the victim’s place. Retail theft, on the other hand, is often viewed as an abstract, institutional problem. We tend to think of the victims as faceless corporations that can easily absorb their losses. Retailers even have a mild euphemism for these crimes that impinge on their profits: shrink. The resulting impression makes the problem of retail theft seem manageable, even minor, and certainly not a personal threat to individuals. But the statistics tell a different story.

LPM held its first Regional Town Hall in Chicago on Tuesday, Sept. 26, at the Axis Experience Center. This was a free opportunity for loss prevention professionals to learn and network with peers in the Midwest. RILA’s Khristopher Hamlin, Whole Foods’ Ted Fancher III, Walgreens’ Tricia Brienen, Ulta’s Brian Wedoff, and WZ’s Wayne Hoover all presented.

Retail Crime Accounted for Over $112B in Industry Losses in 2022 As incidents of retail crime continue to escalate throughout the country, retailers have seen a dramatic jump in financial losses associated with theft. When taken as a percentage of total retail sales in 2022, shrink accounted for $112.1 billion in losses, up from $93.9 billion in 2021, according to the 2023 National Retail Security Survey released in September by the National Retail Federation.

Addressing the Proliferation of Flash Mob Robberies

The proliferation of flash mob robberies has increased in recent years, and as evidence and recent reports show, the problem is heightening at an alarming rate. The National Retail Federation estimates that organized retail crime incidents cost companies roughly $700,000 for every $1 billion in sales on average. We are now seeing flash mob robberies in the news almost daily, and it seems appropriate that we revisit this specific type of ORC.

Top 10 Global Brands in Retail, Apparel, and Luxury

For the world’s 100 most valuable brands, their value declined a surprising 20 percent in 2023 in the face of strong macroeconomic headwinds. The total value of the world’s top 100 global brands now stands at $6.9 trillion. This article summarizes the top ten most valuable global brands in the key categories of retail, apparel, and luxury.

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There is new content updated to the LPM website daily that is featured in our e-newsletter.

New Product Spotlight NEW SOLUTIONS FROM LEADING LP SUPPLIERS

This New Product Spotlight section provides readers with information on new products and services from leading retail asset protection solution providers. If your company is looking for new technology or solutions, please check with these vendors as well as the other advertisers throughout the magazine.

Visit the magazine website for more information about these new offerings.

Total Situational Awareness The AXIS M5000-G PTZ is ideal for a wide variety of indoor applications.

This 15MP indoor camera features three 5MP sensors and one PTZ camera with 10X optical zoom for total situational awareness and wireless I/O connectivity with Z-Wave Plus® devices.

bit.ly/Axis-M5000

Combatting Organized Retail Crime As the rise of ORC plagues the retail industry, Checkpoint recognized a need to create a solution to build cases against ORC offenders. By combining RFID solutions and CCTV, an alert is triggered in-store and sent to headquarters with data regarding the ORC event.

bit.ly/chkpt-ORC-RFID

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LossPreventionMedia.com

Face Matching Technology More Important than Ever for Store Safety and LP FaceFirst is a leader in highly accurate retail face matching systems. Our software turns passive security cameras into proactive tools that prevent violence and loss. FaceFirst provides retailers with immediate notifications when known threats enter—a vital situational awareness advantage when seconds matter. Take action now to protect your valued customers and associates.

facefirst.com

Protect Your Merchandise, Employees, and Customers with Flock Safety Build a license plate reader perimeter around your parking lot with Flock Safety Falcon cameras to proactively address organized retail crime threats and reduce shrink—all while preserving the quality of the shopping experience.

bit.ly/flock-falcon

The Stingray Tag: Box Wrap Cable Lock Combo Designed to cut costs and save labor, The Stingray Tag combines the classic box wrap with the security and flexibility of a cable lock. This innovative solution prevents grab-andrun theft while allowing the item to be displayed on a normal fixture. Custom cable lengths allow items to be secured in a variety of ways.

bit.ly/contact-ISS

Track Keys and Reduce Spending SecurityRecords.com® is cloud-based key tracking software offering visibility and control over all aspects of mechanical key system management in a way that paper files, spreadsheets, and PC-based software can’t. Tracking keys to key holders improves operational compliance and allows organizations to reduce spending on materials through visibility into training opportunities. bit.ly/key-tracking

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A Proven Crime Deterrent LVT helps retailers reduce crime and increase safety. Our hardware and software are proven to reduce theft by 40 percent, trespassing by 43 percent, and burglaries by 54 percent. See the research and find out how you can try it at your business risk-free.

bit.ly/LVT-Access

Save Money with Better Key Control Get more than just locks and keys! InstaKey’s KeyControl Program is designed to harden security and save time and money. We do this with user-rekeyable locks (no locksmith needed), keys that cannot be copied, and cloud-based key-tracking software that provides the data and insights needed to manage it all.

bit.ly/what-is-key-control

NVT Phybridge CHARIoT Series of Long Reach PoE Switches and Extender Solutions Easily and quickly enable the latest IP cameras, access control, and other loss prevention devices using NVT Phybridge award-winning long-reach Power over Ethernet innovations! Deliver power and data over any new or existing UTP, coax, or 2-wire infrastructure with up to 18 times the reach of traditional switches.

bit.ly/NVT-Phybridge-POE

Next Generation Retail Body Camera from Reveal Retail associates and lone workers face heightened risks every day. Aggressive incidents can arise from merely enforcing the law or confronting shoplifters and, without immediate support, these situations can escalate quickly. Reveal’s KS4 body camera comes equipped with GPS for live location tracking and live streaming for real-time event monitoring to ensure immediate support is provided to staff in distress.

bit.ly/Reveal-KS4-BW

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CERTIFICATION The Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) is a leader in educating and certifying retail loss prevention and asset protection professionals by providing relevant, convenient, and challenging educational resources. The LPF is dedicated to elevating the industry through its accredited LPQualified and LPCertified courses. For more information, visit losspreventionfoundation.org.

Spotlighting Loss Prevention Certified Professionals

Anna Schuster, LPC American Eagle

Jennifer Hardowa, LPQ Otter Co-op

Chauntez Tyus, LPC Lowe’s

The challenge and thoroughness of the course really made achieving LPC worth it all! I’m grateful to American Eagle Outfitters for giving me the opportunity to invest in myself. I feel the coursework and knowledge I’ve obtained enabled me to be a high-impact contributor in both my current and future roles. Additionally, I value that I’m now part of a larger community of professionals who share the same passion for the industry.

The LPQ course was amazing and contained useful information to apply in my daily routine. The Loss Prevention Foundation and their team were extremely helpful. The journey to achieving this certification has set me up for success in my career. It is an honor to join the elite professionals who are certified within our industry. I would like to thank Otter Co-op for this opportunity by providing a scholarship for the course and exam.

I would first like to thank Lowe’s and the LPF for the opportunity to earn my LPC certification. The course was challenging, but it was a rewarding experience. The LPC course not only makes you a better asset protection leader but also makes us better business partners in our field.

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Through the course, I gained a wider perspective and knowledge of different business areas outside of my usual work. The information I learned can easily be applied in real-world situations.

-George Torres, LPC

Michael Kurzman, LPQ Bloomngdale’s

George Torres, LPC JCPenney

Laurent Shumbusha, LPQ Amazon

The LPQ strengthened my foundations and knowledge within the field of loss prevention. It provides you with all the tools you need to perform at your best. This course takes LP professionals to the next level. Thank you LPF for the opportunity to invest in myself and my future with this course.

Bloomingdale’s Asset Protection has provided me with this opportunity, and I am forever grateful for them believing in me and my career.

I pursued the LPC as part of my personal growth journey. Through the course, I gained a wider perspective and knowledge of different business areas outside of my usual work. The information I learned can easily be applied in real-world situations. The course was thorough and expanded my understanding of the business side of our industry. This newfound knowledge will undoubtedly benefit me in the future.

I thoroughly enjoyed taking the LPQ certification with the Loss Prevention Foundation. The experience was both enriching and insightful, providing me with valuable tools for my career. LPF’s quality training has inspired me, and I’m eagerly looking forward to taking the LPC in the future. Being part of this professional journey has been fulfilling, and I’m excited about what lies ahead. Thank you to the LPF team for this opportunity.

Kevin Alvarez, LPQ TJX

Tiffany Engleman, LPQ DICK’S Sporting Goods

First of all, I want to thank God and TJX for giving me the opportunity to keep developing myself with this LPQ certification program. I have been in LP for approximately eight years now and with this LPQ program I was able to grow as a professional and upskill my knowledge. If anyone has the opportunity to be part of this certification program they should do it.

This would help and guide you through the different areas of this market. This program exceeded my expectations.

The LPQ was an essential course to further develop and refine my skills within our industry. Not only did I learn crucial information about LP, but I also learned many strategies to be a more effective business leader. As a Bob MacLea scholarship recipient, I am extremely grateful for the opportunity that I received to build a strong foundation in LP. I would recommend this course to anyone looking to advance their skill set further!

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Newly Certified The following are individuals who recently earned their certifications.

Recent LPC Recipients Tina Alfonso, LPC, LPQ - AP Solutions Partner - Walgreens Thiago Araujo, LPC - E-commerce Fraud Prevention Supervisor - TJX Kelsey Barron, LPC - LP Manager - DICK’S Sporting Goods Christine Boles, LPC - LP Manager, Distribution Center - Gabe’s Mary Braddock, LPC - AP - Lowe’s Ryan Brown, LPC - Refund Specialist - Lowe’s Selena Byers, LPC - LPSM - Lowe’s Jennifer Byford, LPC - Area LP Manager - Lowe’s Michara Callison, LPC - Senior AP Manager - Lowe’s Camilia Cedeno, LPC - AP/ Safety Manager - Navy Exchange Service Command Delano Cruz, LPC - AP - Lowe’s Jason daCosta, LPC - District LP Manager - DICK’S Sporting Goods Jill Ellison, LPC - Market Organized Retail Crime Manager - Lowe’s Errol Erkan, LPC - Senior Manager Commercial AP - American Eagle Outfitters Dixie Fiene, LPC – AP and Safety Manager - Lowe’s Keri Finnerty, LPC - Sr. AP, Operations and Safety Manager - Lowe’s Daniel Fortin, LPC - AP and Safety Manager - Lowe’s Russell Guthormsen, LPC, LPQ - APSM - Lowe’s Josef Hall, LPC - District AP, Operations and Safety Manager - Lowe’s Spencer Harris, LPC - Market ORC Manager - Lowe’s Hannah Harville, LPC, LPQ - AP Field Specialist - lululemon Eric Henderson, LPC - Sr. AP, Operations and Safety Manager - Lowe’s Kira Henson, LPC - Sr. AP, Operations and Safety Manager - Lowe’s Heather Hernandez, LPC - District AP Manager - Burlington Stores Laurie Hicks, LPC - Senior AP Manager - Lowe’s Rebecca Higbee, LPC - Sr. Organized Retail Crime Investigator - Macy’s Eric Hudolin, LPC - District AP Manager - Lowe’s Jasmine Kanaley, LPC - AP Analyst - Retail Business Services

Kelsey Keith, LPC - Director of Risk Management - Metropolis Technologies

George Torres, LPC - Sr. Group Manager AP Field Investigations - JCPenney

Kevin Kelso, LPC - Senior AP Manager - Lowe’s

Sarah Van Alstine, LPC - Sr. AP, Operations and Safety Manager - Lowe’s

Jeffrey Kendall, LPC - Remote Monitoring Supervisor - Lowe’s

Michelle Watson, LPC - Mgr. of Safety, Environmental, and AP - Lowe’s

Ashley Lacaillade, LPC, LPQ - AP Manager - American Eagle Outfitters

Robert Williamson, LPC - DAPM - Lowe’s

Becky LaPierre, LPC - AP Analyst - Retail Business Services Sylvia Martinez, LPC - Sr. APM - Lowe’s

Mark Wright, LPC - DAPM - Albertsons Richard Young, LPC - Market ORC Manager - Lowe’s

David McBride, LPC - LP Manager - Albertsons

Recent LPQ Recipients

Aubrey McElroy, LPC - AP - Lowe’s

Alejandro Alvarez, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO

Tripp McMillan, LPC - Regional AP Manager - Gabes

Kevin Alvarez, LPQ - LP Detective - TJX

Heather Middleton, LPC - Online Fraud Investigator - Lowe’s

Matthew Anderson, LPQ - AP Specialist ‑ Festival Foods

April Millner, LPC - District AP Manager - Lowe’s

Daisy Ante, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Shannon Monahan, LPC - AP - Lowe’s

Matilda Asroney, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Matthew Morin, LPC, LPQ - Project Manager - Bed, Bath & Beyond

Deborah Aure-Vachon, LPQ - Asset Protection - Meijer

Dillion Morningstar, LPC, LPQ - LP Specialist - TJX

Vladimir Baez, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO

Erin Morrison, LPC - Senior Manager - American Eagle Outfitters

Corae Baker, LPQ - AP Specialist - Home Depot

Gerald Mull Jr, LPC - AP - Lowe’s

Ryan Baker, LPQ - Investigations Analyst - TJX

Cheri Mulvey, LPC - Sr. AP, Operations and Safety Manager - Lowe’s

Tara Baker, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Marissa Olivero, LPC - Sr. AP, Operations and Safety Manager - Lowe’s

Charles Barnes, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Carlos Padron, LPC - Regional Leader AP - Rite Aid

Brandon Barsuk, LPQ - Asset Protection Specialist - Home Depot

Lucas Powell, LPC - Sr. AP Manager - Lowe’s

Brian Bassett, LPQ - Coordinator - Meijer

Cade Reed, LPC - District AP Manager - Lowe’s Phillip Rice, LPC - District AP, Operations and Safety Manager - Lowe’s Melissa Ross, LPC - Manager of AP - Walgreens

David Berman, LPQ - Field Service Engineer - Gatekeeper Systems Alexander Beyersdorf, LPQ - LP Detective - TJX Emma Bidwell, LPQ - AP Team Leader - Meijer Tamara Bon, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Alexa Sarkissian, LPC - Security Analytics Manager - H&M

Christina Bowman, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Erik Schroeder, LPC - Area AP Manager - Gap

Joseph Boyle, LPQ - Financial and Cyber Crime Investigations Specialist - Meijer

Michael Semanko, LPC - AP Specialist - Diversified Management Group

Austen Brennan, LPQ - AP - Home Depot

Jennifer Sherwood, LPC - AP Manager - Lowe’s Joy Sirois, LPC - Sr. AP, Operations and Safety Manager - Lowe’s Kelly Smith, LPC - Multi-Unit Asset and Profit Protection Manager - Transform Corporation Edward Tan, LPC - LP - London Drugs Summer Taylor, LPC - District LP Manager - DICK’S Sporting Goods Daniel Thornton, LPC - LP Manager III - Amazon

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Tamekey Brewster, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Aimee Burris, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Janie Cain, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Maria Campos Gonzalez, LPQ - LP Detective - TJX Edgar Canales, LPQ - Operations Manager - ALTO Ian Caplan, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Kayla Carey, LPQ - AP Specialist - Festival Foods

Fall 2023

Charlie Henson, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Cyleste Oveson, LPQ - Area AP Manager - Evergreen Goodwill

Gabriel Hernandez, LPQ - LP Specialist - TJX

Suzanne Palmer, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Jose Clavell, LPQ - LP - TJX

QingMian Hong, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Deja Patmon, LPQ - LP - TJX

Abigail Cleroux, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Chavela Hoss, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Kiala Carter, LPQ - LP Detective - TJX Lisa Casas, LPQ - Prep Associate - Amazon Bailee Clark, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

David Conner, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Chelsea Coraggio, LPQ - AP/ Safety Investigator - Navy Exchange Service Command James Cossack, LPQ - Field Service Engineer - Gatekeeper Systems Richard Courtney, LPQ - Sr. Pet Safety Investigator - PetSmart Charles Crawford, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Ben Hurst, LPQ - AP Team Leader - Meijer

Alejandro Perez Leon, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO

Daksh Jhim, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Emma Rask, LPQ - LP Detective - TJX

Andre Johnson, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO

Alexandria Reif, LPQ - AP Manager - American Eagle Outfitters

DeJa Johnson, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Jessica Rodriguez, LPQ - AP - Meijer

Nicholas Kale, LPQ - AP Supervisor Home Depot

Alex Roldan, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO

Jaspreet Kaur, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Bethany Rollen, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Rajender Kaur, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Debra Crokie, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

James Kennings, LPQ - Packer - Amazon

Lisa Rose, LPQ - AP Pharmacy Investigator - Rite Aid

Maja Cuevas, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Keyshon King, LPQ - ORC Investigator - TJX

Wayne Rose, LPQ - AP - Bloomingdale’s

Amanda Davis, LPQ - AP Pharmacy Investigator - Rite Aid Damir Demirovic, LPQ - Investigation Analyst - Nike Nitin Dewan, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Djiba Diakite, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Humberto Diaz, LPQ - Senior Regional Field Service Manager - Gatekeeper Systems Ryan Domingue, LPQ - Area LP Manager - Stines Austyn Dowell, LPQ - LP and Safety Analytics Manager - PetSmart

Anna Kovaleski, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Garvin Ruiz, LPQ - Field Service Technician - Gatekeeper Systems

Misty Krause, LPQ - APA - Rite Aid

Karina Ruiz, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Michael Kurzman, LPQ - AP Supervisor – Bloomingdale’s

Taylor Ryan, LPQ - LP Detective - TJX

Pam Leatherman, LPQ - Environmental Health and Safety Specialist - Meijer Alfred Lenhard, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Joshua Loucao, LPQ - Process Assistant - Amazon Gregory Louizor, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO Nicholas Mack, LPQ - Customer Success Manager - Solink

Tiffany Engleman, LPQ - District LP Manager - DICK’s Sporting Goods Ryan Figueroa, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO Andrew Forsland, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO

Dennis Maldonado, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Cameo Manley, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Derek Martin, LPQ - AP - Meijer Amilkar Martinez, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO

Hannah Fritchen, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Hector Garcia, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO Dustin Garrett, LPQ - AP Coordinator - Meijer Mark Gaun, LPQ - AP Supervisor - Bloomingdale’s

Learn more about obtaining your LPC or LPQ certification today at losspreventionfoundation.org or scan the QR code.

Joel Perez, LPQ - AP - Home Depot

Jonathan Martinez, LPQ - Operations Manager - ALTO Ezell McKinnon, LPQ - LP Specialist - Amazon Jason Merrill, LPQ - WHS Safety Specialist - Amazon Jace Meyer, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Lyndsey Gerlach, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Sabrina Salas, LPQ - LP - TJX Elizabeth Saravia, LPQ - LP - TJX Amir Shafei Cortez, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Laurent Shumbusha, LPQ - LP Specialist - Amazon Kadesha Shumer, LPQ - AP - Meijer Tishan Singh, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Antoine Smith, LPQ - AP Team Leader - Meijer Cameron Stevens, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Lacey Tenberge, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Patricia Tomaskovic, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Troy Vailencour, LPQ - LP Detective - Marshalls James Vance, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Andrew Vero, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Kristal Wilborn, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Leslie Mingle, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

James Williams, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Catherine Greenman, LPQ - LP - TJX

Nicki Mitchell, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Victor Yanez, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Billy Guifarro, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO

Levi Monico, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Patrick Zehel, LPQ - AP Manager - JCPenney

David Hallberg, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Amber Monterusso, LPQ - Lead Investigator - AT&T

Ellissa Hart, LPQ - Customer Success Specialist - ALTO

Nancy Morneau, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Brian Hedemark, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Jerome Munnerlyn, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Francies Henry, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

Eric Ogunsede, LPQ - Associate - Amazon Amari O’Shea, LPQ - Associate - Amazon

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Provide a list or handout magazines to your office or store associates. Bulk quantities of the magazine can be requested by emailing circulation@lpportal.com. We will contact you to work out the best method to fit your organization.

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Axis......................................................................... 3 Axis.com

Statement of Ownership Publication title: Loss Prevention. Filing date: 10/1/23. Issue frequency: bi-monthly. No. of issues annually: 6. Mailing address of office of publication: 128 Fast Lane, Suite 203, Mooresville, NC 28117. Mailing address of headquarters: same. Name and address of publisher, editor, and managing editor: Caroline Kochman, Publisher; Stefanie Hoover, Editor; Stefanie Hoover, Managing Editor, same address as above. Owner: Loss Prevention Foundation, same address as above. Publication title: Loss Prevention aka LP Magazine, Issue date of circulation data below: Summer 2023.

Avg. No. Copies Each Issue During Preceding 12 Months Total no. of copies 11.553 Outside county paid/requested subscriptions 10,799 In-county paid/requested subscriptions 0 Other paid/requested distribution outside USPS 150 Requested copies distributed by other mail classes through USPS 0 Total paid and/or requested circulation 10.949 Outside county nonrequested copies 5 In-county nonrequested copies 0 Nonrequested copies distributed by other mail classes through USPS 0 Nonrequested copies distributed outside the mail 0 Total nonrequested distribution 0 Total distribution 10.949 Copies not distributed 604 Total 11,553 Percent paid and/or requested circulation 100% Electronic copies requested 0 Total print and electronic requested 11,533 Total distribution print and electronic 10,929 Percent paid and/or requested both print and electronic 100% Name and title of publisher: Caroline Kochman, President Date: 10/1/2023 Loss Prevention Magazine

No. Copies of Single Issue Published Nearest to Filing Date 11,378 11,023 0 155 0 11,178 0 0 0 0 0 11,178 200 11,378 100% 0 11,378 11,178 100%

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Fall 2023

Checkpoint........................................................ 19 checkpointsystems.com CONTROLTEK.............................................. 1, 76 controltekusa.com Everon.................................................................47 adt.com InstaKey................................................................ 7 instakey.com ISS.........................................................................24 Iss.com LVT.......................................................................... 2 Lvt.com siffron..................................................................29 siffron.com ThinkLP...............................................................49 thinklp.com W-Z.......................................................................75 w-z.com

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WRAPPING UP

Jacque Brittain, LPC Editorial Director

Knowing When to Slow Down W

Slowing down isn’t just about how we approach our professional lives; it also applies directly to how we look at our work and life balance.

e live in a world that always seems to be moving forward at an incredible pace; one where technology, lifestyles, and even everyday tasks can make us feel like we are constantly running on a treadmill trying to catch up with a moving train. Often working under conditions with greater expectations and fewer resources, multi-tasking has become a way of life. And while this can lead to new and creative ways to increase productivity and reach objectives, it can also lead to missing important information, skipping steps, losing focus, and making mistakes.

Ever wonder why things so often seem to go wrong when we’re in a hurry? Even performing simple, everyday tasks like tying our shoes or climbing a flight of stairs can seem just a little off. When our minds are speeding, performance is proven to slow down. Highly valued characteristics such as patience, judgment, concentration, critical thinking, and decision-making often suffer as a result.

Slowing down doesn’t necessarily mean walking rather than running or typing fifty words a minute rather than sixty-five. What we must do is take the steps to think and act intentionally—and with purpose—as often as possible.

Smarter Rather Than Faster We have all heard the term that it’s better to work smarter rather than work harder, and that same concept applies here. Speed doesn’t necessarily translate into better results or increased efficiency. Most often it’s simply having patience and allowing our thoughts to catch up with our hands and our mouths.

How often do we try to force too many different tasks into a single day? Is it better to do five things quickly, or three things well? How often are we involved in a conversation where we are so focused on how we want to respond or what we want to say next that we actually lose track of what the other person is saying, or miss important details that we should have been focusing on? Thinking through what we want to accomplish and determining the best way to go about it should be a consistent internal message, guiding our approach to everything we do.

Fall 2023

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Of course, we want to move and think with momentum. The point isn’t to be stiff or mechanical, but rather simply to be mindful and measured. Having a detailed plan isn’t necessarily the goal every time, but rather approaching projects, ideas, and even conversations by first thinking about our objectives and the best way to move forward. A more thoughtful mindset should be a consideration before we open our mouths or begin a task.

Better Said than Done?

Is it practical to think we can think through things before we act every time? Pro bably not—and none of us get it right every time. Changing habits and social norms have embedded a culture of velocity that encourages us to move, think, and act with speed. We live in a world where everything moves quickly, and change comes at us like a constant gust of wind. We work in a business where speed remains at a premium and every minute we lose can impact profits or our competitive edge.

But the ability to think on our feet is still a virtue, especially in a profession like loss prevention. Attention to detail must drive our investigations. Information and common sense must guide our decisions. We all want to be as productive as humanly possible, but how we get there can have a tremendous impact on our results.

A Final Thought Slowing down isn’t just about how we approach our professional lives; it also applies directly to how we look at our work and life balance. Taking the time to switch gears and focus on the things that matter most should always be a priority. Setting boundaries and taking intentional pauses may help us to act with greater clarity and impact in our personal lives as well.

We can’t just flip a switch and slow down. It takes time to adjust our mindsets and how we live our lives.

But you don’t have to rush the process. Take it at your own pace and enjoy the ride.

LossPreventionMedia.com

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