Asset Protection | Profit Enhancement | Retail Performance
Insights What Battles Must Loss Prevention Win in 2022? With the Supply Chain in Focus, Can Preventing Cargo Theft Gain Traction? 5D Retail Theft Prevention across the Five Zones FMI, The Food Industry Association
Attracting and Developing Diverse Talent
Target’s AP Leader Oscar Arango Winter 2022 | V21.1 losspreventionmedia.com
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Winter 2022
Contents
Features
12
Attracting and Developing Diverse Talent Target’s AP Leader Oscar Arango By Jim Lee, LPC and Jack Trlica
26
Visions of Success hat Battles Must W Loss Prevention Win in 2022? By Garett Seivold
38
Moving Targets With the Supply Chain in Focus, Can Preventing Cargo Theft Gain Traction? By Garett Seivold
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60
48
FMI, The Food Industry Association
An Ounce of Prevention 5D Retail Theft Prevention across the Five Zones
Advancing a Safer, Healthier, and More Efficient Consumer Food Supply Chain
By Cory Lowe, PhD
By Jack Trlica
Departments 6 Editor’s Letter
LP Magazine Reimagined By Jack Trlica
8 Editorial Board 9 Vendor Advisory Board 10 Retail Sponsors 22 Interviewing
One Size Doesn’t Fit All By David Thompson, CFI, and Shane G. Sturman, CFI, CPP
24 LPM Excellence
LPM Magpie Awards Featuring Denise Wynn, LPC, CFI, The TJX Companies, and Tyson Robertson, CPP, LPC, Amazon
34 Certification
70 Podcasts
46 Retail Community
72 LPM Digital
Spotlighting Loss Prevention Certified Professionals Loss Prevention and The Big Quit By Stefanie Hoover, CFI
56 Supply Chain
The Global Supply Chain Crisis By Tom Meehan, CFI
59 Ask the Expert
Controlling Shrink in the Grocery Industry Interview with Jason DeVinney, Checkpoint
66 Cybersecurity
Five Cyber Musts for Retail in 2022 By Garett Seivold
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Top Ten Podcasts of 2021 By Courtney Wolfe Things You May Have Missed on the LPM Digital Channels By Courtney Wolfe
75 Solutions Showcase Detective Analytics
76 People on the Move 80 Advertisers 80 Subscriptions 82 Parting Words
A New Year with New Beginnings By Jacque Brittain, LPC
Vladitto / ShutterStock.com
EDITOR'S LETTER
Jack Trlica, Editor-in-Chief
LP Magazine Reimagined T
he past couple of years words like “evolved” and “pivoted” have been used to describe how the retail and loss prevention industry has changed to meet not only the new challenges of the pandemic but also the rapidly changing demands of consumers. This magazine and the publishing industry have had our own challenges to meet the changing reading habits of our subscribers, which brings us to another word—“reimagined.” For the past twenty years, we have published six issues per year on a bimonthly cadence. Coming into 2022, we reimagined how we could change to better serve our readers. To that end, we decided to move to four quarterly general interest editions plus two special singlefocused special editions. Still six magazines a year but reimagined.
General Interest Editions This magazine and the publishing industry have had our own challenges to meet the changing reading habits of our subscribers, which brings us to another word—“reimagined.”
This Winter edition is the first of our quarterly issues with a wide variety of topics, including interviews with a big box asset protection executive and a grocery association industry relations executive. Plus, we have feature articles on cargo theft, loss prevention research, and LP challenges in 2022. We’ve maintained our columns on interviewing, certification, the supply chain, cybersecurity, and one of our most read
Winter 2022
sections showing people on the move. We’ve added two new departments related to our digital channels, featuring our growing podcast platform and samples of some of the original articles published on our website. Another addition you will notice throughout the magazine is the use of QR codes—one of the beneficiaries of the past two years of the pandemic. First popular a decade ago, QR codes are much more powerful today due to the proliferation of smartphones as well as their adoption by businesses to download menus or find online information on in-store merchandise. In our case, QR codes allow our print and our digital magazine readers to go directly to our website to listen to podcasts, read full articles, or register for webinars. Part of our move to the quarterly editions was continuing the design upgrades to the magazine begun in 2021. We’ve increased the page size slightly as well as chosen a higher grade paper, both to improve the look and feel of the publication. As we move forward throughout the year, we will expand our quarterly editions as we respond to readers’ comments and our editorial and vendor advisory boards’ suggestions for enhancing the magazines.
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Special Editions We are really excited about our new special issues that will focus on specific topics. Our first one will be devoted to organized retail crime (ORC), one of today’s biggest concerns impacting retailers. This spring we will publish an edition with multiple articles all addressing various aspects of ORC, from how to interview ORC suspects to the industry’s push for federal and state legislation; from interviews with law enforcement and retail investigators to ORC’s funding of terrorism and human trafficking. Another special edition is planned for the second half of the year. The topic is yet to be determined—what topic would you be interested in our doing a deep dive into? Contact us at editor@lpportal.com with your suggestions. Put “Special Editions” in the subject line. Much more is in the works for 2022 to improve the magazine brand and offer our readers and our advertisers the highest quality communication vehicle to educate and inform the loss prevention and asset protection industry. Thanks to all our ongoing supporters who read our print and digital channels. Your faith in us and support make the magazine what it has been for twenty years and what it will be in the next twenty.
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EDITORIAL BOARD
Ray Cloud Senior Vice President, Loss Prevention, Ross Stores
Scott Draher, LPC Vice President, Loss Prevention, Safety, and Operations, Lowe’s
Scott Glenn, EDJ, LPC Vice President, Asset Protection, The Home Depot
Barry Grant Chief Operating Officer, Photos Unlimited
Robert Holm Director, Global Safety & Security McDonald’s
Seth Hughes Director, Asset Protection, Risk & Safety, Internal Audit REI Co-op
Frank Johns, LPC Chairman, The Loss Prevention Foundation
Mike Lamb, LPC Consultant
Michael Limauro, LPC Executive Leader, Asset Protection, Whole Foods Market
David Lund, LPC Vice President, Loss Prevention, DICK’S Sporting Goods
John Matas, CFE, CFCI Director, Global Fraud, Risk, and Compliance Operations Etsy
Randy Meadows Senior Vice President, Loss Prevention, Kohl’s
Melissa Mitchell, CFI, LPC Director, Loss Prevention, MAPCO Express
Dan Moren Senior Manager, Starbucks
Richard Peck, LPC Senior Vice President, Loss Prevention The TJX Companies
Joe Schrauder Vice President, Asset Protection, Walmart Stores
Tina Sellers, LPC Vice President, Asset Protection, Rite Aid
Hank Siemers, CFI Vice President, Global Retail Security, Tiffany & Co.
Pamela Velose Vice President, Asset Protection, Belk
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VENDOR ADVISORY BOARD
Rex Gillette
128 Fast Lane, Suite 202 Mooresville, NC 28117 | 704-365-5226 office
Vice President of Sales
Angie Druley
Vice President, Retail
Editor-in-Chief Jack Trlica JackT@LPportal.com Executive Editors James Lee, LPC JimL@LPportal.com
Michael Conley, LPQ
Marketing Specialist, Retail
Merek Bigelow MerekB@LPportal.com Managing Editor Digital Courtney Wolfe CourtneyW@LPportal.com Editorial Director Jacque Brittain, LPC JacB@LPportal.com
Stephen B. Longo
Vice President, Strategic Initiatives
Retail Technology Editor Tom Meehan, CFI TomM@LPportal.com
Stuart Rosenthal
Senior Writer Garett Seivold GarettS@LPportal.com
Vice President Sales
Contributing Writers Read Hayes, PhD, CPP Walter Palmer, CFI, CFE Ben Skidmore Shane G. Sturman, CFI, CPP David Thompson, CFI
Jim Paul
Director of Sales
Chief Operating Officer Kevin McMenimen, LPC KevinM@LPportal.com Director Of Digital Operations John Selevitch JohnS@LPportal.com
Tom Meehan
Chief Strategy Officer
Special Projects Managers Justin Kemp, LPQ Karen Rondeau Design & Production SPARK Publications info@SPARKpublications.com
Jeff Franson
Creative Director Larry Preslar
Chief Executive Officer
Advertising Strategist Ben Skidmore 972-587-9064 office, 214-597-8168 mobile BenS@LPportal.com
Kris Vece, LPQ
Vice President of Client Relations
Scott Beerer
VP Business Development
Mark Berger President
Ned McCauley Director of Sales
Robb Northrup
Director of Marketing Communications
Ken Kuehler
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
Tony D'Onofrio
CEO, Global Retail Business Unit
General Manager
Rhett Asher
Vice President, Strategy
Cita Doyle, LPQ
Vice President, Sales & Marketing
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 704-365-6577. Periodicals postage paid at Mooresville, NC, and additional mailing offices.
Scott Pethuyne, LPC Sr. Analytics Solution Consultant
Terry Sullivan, LPC
© 2022 Loss Prevention Magazine
President
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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Attracting and Developing Diverse Talent Target’s AP Leader Oscar Arango By Jim Lee, LPC, and Jack Trlica EDITOR’S NOTE: Oscar Arango is vice president of assets protection at Target. His thirty years of experience includes loss prevention management roles with Timberland and Urban Outfitters prior to Target. JIM: What does asset protection mean at Target in terms of what areas of responsibility you have? OSCAR: The role of our assets protection team is to keep people safe, first and foremost. We have three teams within assets protection—one for our stores, one for our supply chain facilities, and a team at headquarters that drives the strategy and supports investigations. We also, of course, protect our products and make sure they’re available on the sales floor for guests to buy. And we support our teams through any type of crisis, whether it’s manmade or a natural disaster. Our teams are trained to respond and get our stores back in business as quickly and safely as possible after a disruption.
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FEATURE Attracting and Developing Diverse Talent
We have a visible security presence at every one of our stores, to make sure our guests know they are welcome at Target and that we’re going to provide a safe, equitable experience for everyone who walks in the door.
Oscar Arango with Ivan Hernandez Arriola (left) and Khadra Sharif (right), who are both security guards in Target’s Twin Cities market.
That really starts with the people we hire in the stores and the folks that we bring into the assets protection team, making sure they’re leading with that welcoming friendly experience. Winter 2022
JIM: Target’s team has earned a reputation as a leader in several aspects of the asset protection industry. Let’s start with refund programs. Target was one of the first to implement a computerized refund program, correct? OSCAR: Yes, we always want to make sure that we’re meeting the guests where they are and making that process as seamless and as easy as possible.
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JIM: Do you find that over the years refund fraud has declined, stayed about the same, or increased? OSCAR: There are always bad actors out there who try to find loopholes within refund processes, to try to take advantage—and that’s true at any retailer. What I am very proud of at Target is the partnership that assets protection has with teams across the enterprise to ensure that we are identifying
those gaps quickly and closing whatever loopholes exist. JIM: Another area that Target has been a leader in over the years is organized retail crime (ORC). Talk about where you are today with ORC. OSCAR: As you know, organized retail crime is a growing problem and a multi-billion-dollar issue across the retail industry. We’ve invested in resources dedicated to combating ORC. We have teams of investigators that are positioned in key markets throughout the country to help identify, resolve, and work with law enforcement to build cases to prosecute these organized crime rings. Our efforts in this area focus on building technology, tools, resources, and training to resolve large-scale cases. I’m really proud of our investigations team. They come with a wide variety of experiences and backgrounds in this space, and the team works hard every day to identify and close cases. JIM: You have ORC teams both in the field as well as the corporate office? OSCAR: Yes, we have field-based leaders as well as a team of investigators at our headquarters that focuses on ORC. JACK: Several years ago, I had the opportunity to tour your ORC field center in Las Vegas. Are you still operating the lab? Please share anything about these that you’re allowed to discuss. OSCAR: Target has a top-rated forensic services laboratory that provides forensic examinations for internal cases. Our lab is among fewer than 400 crime labs accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB), which underscores Target’s commitment
to quality forensic work. Team members work on organized retail crimes committed at Target stores through video and image analysis, latent fingerprint, and computer forensics. JIM: Throughout the industry, ORC is continuing to evolve as a significant challenge, so Target’s efforts are honorable. OSCAR: Absolutely. During my time in the loss prevention industry, it has become easier for bad actors to sell stolen merchandise. Before online platforms, bad actors were selling stolen merchandise at flea markets and bodegas, but today they can sell goods online. Our goal is to continue to help identify those criminals and build cases that can be referred and prosecuted. JIM: For a long time, Target has been known as a company that promotes from within more than from the outside. How do you go about achieving that? OSCAR: That’s one of the things that Target prides itself on. When I came to Target almost seventeen years ago, I came with a wide array of experience within the industry. I had worked in big box retail and specialty retail, and when I first came to Target, I was offered a job in a store leading the assets protection team. One of the things that they spoke to me about in the interview was this developmental culture that exists at Target, and the time Target invests in individual development. I quickly learned that it wasn’t just talk. Our company culture puts an emphasis on growing our teams from within. It starts with setting clear expectations—being very intentional about the types of leaders that we want within the organization—and then having
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an actionable development plan along the way. We also identify opportunities for growth and support our team members as they build their skills over the long term. Because of that culture, I was able to grow from leading in a store to now leading the entire assets protection organization. It’s not lost on me how fortunate and blessed I am to have been the beneficiary of strong talent development, and I try to pay that forward with my team. The assets protection organization puts a strong focus on attracting talent, developing that talent, making sure that we put people in situations that are going to make them successful, and getting them to their finish line. It’s something that we’ve been able to do over the years, and it’s something that we’ll continue to do. JIM: Would you address any special programs you have for diversity and inclusion in your hiring and promoting practices? OSCAR: Inclusivity is a core value at Target and something that has been a priority for us for a long time. Just last year in the summer of 2020, we established the Racial Equity Action and Change Committee to accelerate our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy, but with a unique focus on advancing racial equity for our black team members and guests. We have ongoing conversations about ensuring we are providing opportunities for our diverse teams and making sure our teams are reflective of the communities we serve. I think that’s a very important aspect for our team members from across the country—to be able to look at their leaders and see that there is an opportunity for them. It’s something that we’ve really
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FEATURE Attracting and Developing Diverse Talent focused on and will continue to focus on. JACK: Please talk about diversity, equity, and inclusion at Target in general. Who leads that work and what kind of impact has it had on your organization?
Inclusivity is a core value at Target and something that has been a priority for us for a long time.
OSCAR: Kiera Fernandez is Target’s current chief diversity and inclusion officer. She’s responsible for driving the company’s diversity, equity, and inclusion work with a team and strategy that’s been in place for
in our supply chain buildings, and making sure we’re taking a proactive approach to keep our team and guests safe. JIM: Historically, there are some cities that have always been high in crime. Have any new cities shown increases in crime? OSCAR: There are always challenges across the country, but we focus on a proactive approach. We have a visible security presence at every one of our stores, to make sure our
Just last year in the summer of 2020, we established the Racial Equity Action and Change Committee to accelerate our ongoing diversity, equity, and inclusion strategy. We have ongoing conversations about ensuring we are providing opportunities for our diverse teams and making sure our teams are reflective of the communities we serve. more than fifteen years. Kiera’s done great work to ensure that diversity, equity, and inclusion are embedded in the work we do across Target, so that everyone who engages with us feels valued and respected. JIM: Shifting gears a bit, talk about the pandemic and the effects it has had on retail operations and crime. OSCAR: As the pandemic started, there was a lot of uncertainty, and we were learning as we went. At Target, every decision that we’ve made since the pandemic started was grounded in the safety of our team and guests. For us in the assets protection organization, we’ve invested heavily in making sure we have resources available to handle whatever situation comes up, whether it’s in our stores or
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guests know they are welcome at Target and that we’re going to provide a safe, equitable experience for everyone who walks in the door. That really starts with the people we hire in the stores and the folks that we bring into the assets protection team, making sure they’re leading with that welcoming, friendly experience. JACK: You mentioned earlier your team’s responsibility for the supply chain. Describe the role that AP plays in the supply chain at Target? OSCAR: Like our responsibility in stores, keeping people safe is core to our work throughout the supply chain. We are tasked with the physical security of our distribution center buildings and making sure that we control all access points, to ensure that
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whether it’s visitors or our team, we are keeping them safe. We are training our AP teams at our supply chain buildings to de‑escalate and handle whatever situations may come up. Also, we are tasked with ensuring we’re identifying any shortage or shrink risks that exist within our buildings. We use technology, reporting, and tools aimed at identifying those shortage opportunities, so we can address them in a timely manner. JIM: Target has been a longtime supporter of the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA). Tell us about the value that you and many other asset protection leaders have gleaned from RILA, especially through the past two years of the pandemic. OSCAR: RILA has been an important partner these past two years. I can’t express enough how valuable it’s been to sit down with leaders from across the industry on a weekly basis as we navigated the uncertainty of 2020 and everything that was going on throughout the country. It really provided a platform for us to be able to share and learn from each other, as so many things were changing quickly. It was an invaluable experience and something that continues to this day; sharing challenges that are being faced across the country and across different retailers and what strategies folks are implementing. It created connection points with people that maybe didn’t exist in the past, and we’ll continue learning from each other. We’re all in this together. JIM: Another association that you’ve recently become involved with is the Loss Prevention Foundation, as you’ve been elected to the board of directors. What do you see as the benefits of the foundation?
I am a big teddy bear at heart.
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When I hear stories of how our teams are showing up in our stores and our supply chain buildings and taking care of our guests and team members in a very different way than we ever have before, it tugs at my heartstrings. I read some of these stories and get teary eyed. I couldn’t be prouder of the work we do.
FEATURE Attracting and Developing Diverse Talent
Like our responsibility in stores, keeping people safe is core to our work throughout the supply chain.
We are tasked with the physical security of our distribution center buildings and making sure that we control all access points, to ensure that whether it’s visitors or our team, we are keeping them safe. We are training our AP teams at our supply chain buildings to de-escalate and handle whatever situations may come up. OSCAR: The Loss Prevention Foundation allows individuals in the industry to continue to learn and grow in their profession. One of the things that stands out to me about the foundation is the way they are evolving. The foundation has just recently changed the certification training program, updating it to ensure the coursework is current
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and addressing the unique challenges the industry is facing today versus ten years ago. It’s something I believe is helpful as we bring people into the industry and upskill them to handle the challenges our industry faces daily. JACK: Target was one of the founding members of the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC). I think King Rogers
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(Target’s vice president of AP at the time) helped start the organization a couple of years before you arrived at Target. What’s the current status of Target’s involvement with the LPRC? OSCAR: The LPRC has done some great work to advance the industry and to continue to stay ahead of emerging risks. It’s something that we are proud to support, and we look forward to the continued partnership. JACK: Can you talk about some of the LPRC research projects that Target supported and how you made use of the results in your program? I’m thinking about product protection, burglary prevention, and any other programs that were influenced by the research.
OSCAR: Top of mind is the research and findings relating to industry trends around stores that are experiencing high shortage and loss. We worked with the LPRC to survey the industry to get insight into how other retailers have been affected and what steps they have taken, which we then use to inform our approach. Another great example is a collaborative study we did on gift card scams, specifically elderly and IRS fraud-type scams. Our team worked closely with the LPRC to study the issue and release industry findings. Overall, they have been helpful in connecting our team to resources and thought partners across the industry and in academia as it relates to loss prevention and diversity, equity, and inclusion.
JIM: When and why did you start a career in loss prevention? OSCAR: I started my career in loss prevention right out of high school. My first job was working for a big box retailer as a plain clothes loss prevention associate catching shoplifters. Like many people in our industry, I had intentions of becoming a police officer. In that first job, I was very fortunate to be able to work for a fantastic leader named Wendy—someone who was passionate about what she did, but always took a human approach to the business. She held us accountable in a way that helped us grow and learn from our mistakes, but she also made it fun to come to work every day. It was my first exposure to real leadership.
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As I grew with that organization and became a leader, I started to evaluate what I really wanted to do with my career. When I was eventually offered a job with a police department, I turned it down because I was enjoying what I was doing, and I’d come to love the retail industry. That grew into being able to work for different organizations and specialty retailers. I found my way to Target seventeen years ago, and Target and I are a perfect marriage because this organization stands for everything that I value and care about. That starts with the people, and the way that we take care of our team. We’ve made significant investments over the past couple of years in our team—everything from bonuses to education assistance, to the ways we showed up for our team
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FEATURE Attracting and Developing Diverse Talent
Target has a top-rated forensic services laboratory that provides forensic examinations for internal cases.
members and guests throughout the pandemic. Something that continues to live true is how much we invest and care about people—that’s something that I want to pay forward with our assets protection teams. We have countless stories of folks who have started in a store in an hourly position and are now leading at a higher level. And that’s across Target, not
just assets protection. I believe someone who’s in a store or distribution center right now can be sitting in my chair in a few years. My job is to make sure that we do everything possible to help people realize their full potential. JIM: Oscar, thank you for your leadership in asset protection across the industry. Last, tell us
Our lab is among fewer than 400 crime labs accredited by the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors/Laboratory Accreditation Board (ASCLD/LAB), which underscores Target’s commitment to quality forensic work. Team members work on organized retail crimes committed at Target stores through video and image analysis, latent fingerprint, and computer forensics.
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something that most people do not know about you. OSCAR: You typically think of people that work in this industry as being tough and strong. Yet, I am a big teddy bear at heart. When I hear stories of how our teams are showing up in our stores and our supply chain buildings and taking care of our guests and team members in a very different way than we ever have before, it tugs at my heartstrings. I read some of these stories and get teary eyed. I couldn’t be prouder of the work we do. It gives me hope that whatever challenges we may face, whether it’s the pandemic, or other issues throughout the country, we have the right people within our organization who are going to help us get through it.
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INTERVIEWING
David Thompson, CFI
Shane G. Sturman, CFI, CPP
Shawn Hempel / shutterstock.com
Thompson is the president and partner of 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. Sturman is the CEO and senior partner of Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates and has led this international training organization for over a decade. Sturman has provided training for WZ for a variety of clients over the last twenty years. He is also a member of ASIS International’s Retail Loss Prevention Council. He can be reached at 800-222-7789 or at ssturman@w-z.com. © 2022 Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates, Inc.
One Size Doesn’t Fit All S
In addition to evaluating the level of evidence, investigators must also realize that each person they interview has unique characteristics that may also impact the strategy being used.
weatpants, maybe, but interview methodologies are a bit different when it comes to a one-size-fits-all approach. With an evolving job description, loss prevention and asset protection professionals are consistently faced with unique investigations. One employee is suspected of stealing money, another committed sexual harassment, and two more engaged in a potential workplace violence incident. These investigations contain witnesses, victims, and suspected wrongdoers. Within these subject types are people with vulnerabilities, some with interview experience, and others that may be dealing with post‑traumatic issues. Additionally, each case presents a different level of circumstantial or direct evidence. The modern investigator must be prepared to encounter a variety of case types, and they must be professional enough to know when a different strategy or considerations may apply. Although the approach to the conversation may be different, the foundation of proper planning and strategizing is essential in conducting an effective interview. It is within this process that these variables should be considered and modify the approach used. Interviewers should also be adaptable and recognize that their pre-disposed theories may be wrong, thereby creating the
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need to have a fluid and flexible approach to the conversation.
What Do We Know? In the process of preparing for the interview, the ongoing investigation should provide insight into the available evidence surrounding the situation. This level of evidence, and its reliability, should be heavily scrutinized by the investigator prior to conducting an interview. In some cases, the investigator may not have much evidence, creating the need for the interview in the first place. A sexual harassment investigation, for example, may have been initiated through a complaint from a witness of one employee
All interviews have some foundational commonalities, including the importance of rapport, proper question structure, and planning. The importance of strategy and preparation for an interview cannot be overstated, and investigators need to take many variables into account during this process. | 22 |
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making inappropriate comments to another. In this case, there is little evidence, and an initial interview will most likely take a fact gathering or cognitive approach when talking to other witnesses or the reported victim. As the level of evidence increases, the approach may also change along with it. If this sexual harassment investigation produced copies of inappropriate emails that were sent from the employee’s computer, there may be a strategic advantage to using the participatory method. In this approach, the interviewer would construct a series of questions to determine who has access to the employee’s email account, attempting to identify any explanations for the available evidence. This interview may yield information that warrants further investigation, such as the employee stating that they share their computer with other team members. Conversely, this strategy may eliminate all explanations and thereby strengthen the power of the evidence that exists. Withholding the known information from the subject provides them the opportunity to be honest and forthcoming without the need to become defensive or resistant to any confrontational approach.
Who Is Being Interviewed? In addition to evaluating the level of evidence, investigators must also realize that each
person they interview has unique characteristics that may also impact the strategy being used. The obvious question to ask is whether the person being interviewed is a cooperative or uncooperative subject. This qualification applies to all subject types, whether they be a complainant, witness, or the suspected wrongdoer. If a subject is deemed to be cooperative and shares information easily, interviewers should also assess the reliability of any statements provided. The willingness of a subject to disclose information does not always equate to accuracy of their statements. Interviewers should conduct effective investigative interviews, attempting to substantiate any admissions or disclosures. Conversely, uncooperative subjects may take additional preparation to identify why they are resistant and how to better develop a rapport-based relationship during the interview. Investigators should also evaluate other subject characteristics, including any vulnerabilities that may make them susceptible to improper interviewing techniques. In the current craze of violent organized retail crime activity, there may be an occurrence where an investigator must interview store personnel after an aggressive shoplifting incident. Interviewers should be aware that the employees may have experienced trauma during this event, making it difficult for them to relive and to easily retrieve details. The exposure to trauma can significantly impact a person’s memory, while also potentially displaying emotions that do not seem to correlate with what happened. This combination often results in interviewers disbelieving the interviewee, creating hostility during the conversation, and reducing the likelihood of an effective interview. In the evaluation of a subject, investigators should also review things like age, intellectual capacity, and their current disposition. If
interviewing a minor, special considerations should be made to the conversation, including the approach used and the potential need for parents or other representation to be present. The current disposition or state of mind of the subject should also be considered. If an interviewee is under the influence, overly stressed, or simply exhausted, it may cause complications during the conversation and create a risk of obtaining false information.
What Is Our Goal? This question may seem simple but is often overlooked by investigators when determining the appropriate strategy for an interview. Any interview where the goal of the conversation is a confession has already started in the wrong direction, creating confirmation bias and a presumption of guilt. Most interviews should have the common goal of obtaining reliable and actionable information, leading the investigation to the truth. However, the goal of each interview may be detailed further than this and could impact the strategy used in the conversation. In a workplace violence investigation where an employee has purportedly made a threat to harm other team members, the goal of the conversation may be to ensure safety. With a sense of urgency, interviewers will want to obtain more information with the goal of identifying the level of concern of these threats and how to take appropriate action. Gaining actionable intelligence, including the time and location of the potential incident, could prove to be a lifesaving conversation. Other interviews may have less focus on identifying an immediate threat, but more emphasis on the knowledge or intent of a subject. A travel-and-expense fraud investigation may provide certain levels of evidence that allow the investigator to strategize the conversation. Although an interviewer would hope to obtain an admission during the conversation,
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Although a specific method or approach may have yielded successful results for the investigator in the past, it is imperative that we recognize not every case is the same. Each subject has their own story, every piece of evidence has fallibility, and professional interviewers must adapt and prepare, as one interview method does not “fit all.” there is a possibility that the evidence is misleading. Instead, they should be aimed at obtaining information that either further implicates the subject or provides a reasonable explanation for the evidence. The goal of this conversation may be to identify any potential excuses, training issues, or legitimate reasoning for the anomalies reported. By achieving this goal, the investigator would have either cleared the subject from any wrongdoing or obtained information that implicates the person with their own statements. All interviews have some foundational commonalities, including the importance of rapport, proper question structure, and planning. The importance of strategy and preparation for an interview cannot be overstated, and investigators need to take many variables into account during this process. Although a specific method or approach may have yielded successful results for the investigator in the past, it is imperative that we recognize not every case is the same. Each subject has their own story, every piece of evidence has fallibility, and professional interviewers must adapt and prepare, as one interview method does not “fit all.”
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In a workplace violence investigation where an employee has purportedly made a threat to harm other team members, the goal of the conversation may be to ensure safety.
LPM EXCELLENCE
LPM Magpie Awards
Applauding Excellence Excellence in Leadership
Denise Wynn, LPC, CFI
Assistant Vice President Director of National Investigations, The TJX Companies
Excellence in Leadership
Tyson Robertson, CPP, LPC Senior Manager of Logistics LP, Global Specialty Fulfillment, Amazon
The LPM “Magpie” Awards offer a means to celebrate industry accomplishments recognizing the loss prevention professionals, teams, solution providers, and law enforcement partners that demonstrate a stellar contribution to the profession. Please join LPM in celebrating the accomplishments of our latest honorees.
“My father, the retired chief of police for Denver, Colorado, once addressed an emerging leader workshop I was facilitating and was asked, ‘What does leadership look like to you, Chief?’ He answered, ‘There are lots of examples of what leadership looks like, but more importantly, you sure know when you don’t see it.’ His insight provided a clear picture that day and will always guide my actions and decisions,” explained Wynn. Although she planned on following in her father’s footsteps, Wynn’s introduction to loss prevention began while working as a retail cashier in high school. One day, the LP
manager asked for assistance as he was exiting to apprehend a shoplifter, and she was hooked. She continued to learn and grow, taking on positions with additional leadership responsibility. In 2022, she will be celebrating thirty-five years with TJX. Wynn believes her passion to identify, train, develop, and nurture others has led to some of her greatest accomplishments. “Leadership requires self-care, developing quality relationships, and having a strong commitment to continuous personal and professional development,” she said. “But it’s also important
to have fun with what you do. Attitude and awareness are key. Be authentic and humble. Serve others and focus on making a difference. “Leadership is something that evolves. It’s important to remain curious, maintaining a growth mindset by approaching challenges as an opportunity to learn and develop your skills. Be brave, step into the unknown, and be open to what’s new and different. Keep your goals in front of you and take action daily to move closer to achieving what’s most important to you. Remember, your most important step is your next step.”
“I have always admired humble and emotionally intelligent leaders that know how to genuinely flex their style—and yet always remain aware and true to themselves,” said Robertson. “Meeting people where they are in their career development, earning their trust, and helping them reach their goals and capabilities is not only self-rewarding, but also a great way to pay it forward. It has to be about the people first, and then we succeed together. For me, that’s leadership.” Robertson started his loss prevention career as a store detective while attending college, affording him the flexibility to pursue both his academic and professional goals.
Finding LP to be a great match for his personality, he continued climbing the career ladder while obtaining his undergraduate degree and MBA, taking on positions with increasing responsibility in the process. He continues to invest in personal self-development, obtaining his LPC certification. But he also pays it forward as an adjunct professor with Northwood University and serving as chair for the Loss Prevention Foundation’s advisory council. Robertson feels his greatest accomplishments thus far have come through the opportunities he has had to bring on and mentor talented people. “There are a number of hires and internal
promotions that are especially rewarding,” he explained. “I take great pride in watching every one of these individuals grow personally and professionally while their careers continue to flourish. Leadership is more than something we do—it’s something we share. “For those working their way up the career ladder, it’s important to work hard, enjoy the ride, never stop learning, and be curious along the way. Focus on the now. When we immerse ourselves in the present, it provides great insight and readiness into the future. The experiences we have along our journey—the successes and failures—often becomes the most valued.”
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Loss Prevention and Assault Reduction Axon Technology For Safer and More Efficient Stores
800-978-2737 axon.com/loss-prevention
Jokuna / Mix and Match Studio / shutterstock.com
Visions of Success
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What Battles Must Loss Prevention Win in 2022? By Garett Seivold, LPM Senior Writer
A
s the retail rollercoaster rolls on—and with little evidence that the whiplash will subside in 2022—it’s incumbent upon loss prevention teams to do more than hang on and go along for the ride. Leaders must somehow find ways to get ahead of problems, even as they rush toward them at dizzying speed. Multitasking on a rollercoaster paints a good picture of the evolving role of today’s LP professionals, but even that is incomplete. A rollercoaster is constrained to a single fixed track, while LP’s wild ride careens in multiple directions simultaneously. So, when you think about what it will take for LP to “succeed” in
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the year ahead, the list is long. Agility? Yes. Cooperation? Of course. Leadership? Without question. Competence, creativity, and persistence? Yes, yes, and yes. Store theft is a good proxy for the LP challenge. Success here, as in numerous other fights LP engages in, requires an attack on multiple fronts with a variety of tactics. It demands industrywide coordination and store-level solutions, high-tech investment, and basic protection. It demands triaging crises of the day while addressing conditions that breed future problems. It’s said that small manipulations of a chaotic system can control chaos. As
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FEATURE Visions of Success retail roils, organizations will need to lean heavily on their leaders to be that force of stabilization.
One Problem, Many Solutions
Brian Neimeyer
Carlos Caslelán
Carmel by the Sea is an adorable high-end community on a particularly spectacular stretch of the California coast—the kind of place where the weekly police blotter, printed in the local Carmel Pine Cone newspaper, can elicit a chuckle for items that rise to police attention (squirrels might be involved). Ocean Avenue, the main commercial street, is ridiculously cute. Yet, on December 7, 2021, in the late afternoon, three masked men jumped out of a car, ran inside a jewelry store, and smashed display cases with hammers to grab merchandise. By whatever clever moniker is used to describe it—“flash rob,” “swarm-and-loot”—brazen criminal attacks on retailers were a routine occurrence during the holiday shopping season in San Francisco, Chicago, New York, Oakland, and Los Angeles. However, when a sleepy tourist town is targeted, that reflects an escalation in the war on retailers. There is nowhere you can hide, the attack seemed to say. “Flash-mob robberies are not new, but recent robberies have shown a scale, boldness, and aggressiveness that was not generally evident in the pre‑COVID era,” said Brian Neimeyer, head of retail at Allied Universal. He told LP Magazine that it’s a disturbing trend and noted that while pandemic restrictions reduced overall traffic at shopping malls in 2021, criminal incidents nonetheless surpassed recent years. Neimeyer cited multiple contributing factors: ■ Social media facilitating coordination among thieves, Lack of enforcement surrounding these types of crimes, ■ Masks and hoods complicating suspect identification, Fewer
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consequences for offenders who are caught, and ■ An accessible online marketplace to sell stolen goods. “Organized crime rings are often behind these smash-and‑grab operations and pay low-level criminals to steal for them,” he added. Corie Barry, CEO of Best Buy, said in a quarterly conference call that criminal attacks hurt the corporation’s profits. “You can see [the] pressure in our financials—and more importantly, frankly, you can see
So, when you think about what it will take for LP to “succeed” in the year ahead, the list is long. Agility? Yes. Cooperation? Of course. Leadership? Without question. Competence, creativity, and persistence? Yes, yes, and yes.
that pressure on our associates,” he was quoted as saying. “This is traumatizing for our associates, and it is unacceptable. We are doing everything we can to try to create as safe as possible environments.” Already facing labor shortages, Neimeyer said thefts can compound the problem and cause employee turnover to increase sharply. “It can be frightening
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when you’re working at a retail location that is assaulted by a smash-and-grab mob.” Even if monetary losses or insurance increases don’t move the needle on retailers’ protection calculus—and remain a tiny percentage of overall sales—attacks and negative publicity can dampen enthusiasm for the in-store retail experience. With brick‑and-mortar retail already losing a sizable chunk of sales to online merchants, it’s not a perception that retailers can allow to grow. A promising path forward is a strengthening in partnerships between retail and law enforcement to more effectively fight the gangs that drive much of the crime. Dismantling sophisticated crime groups must be a law enforcement priority, according to industry stakeholders, and Neimeyer says there are optimistic signs in this direction. “Some metropolitan areas are creating or reactivating organized retail task forces to address the problem.” He said arrests are being made because of retail security working in concert with law enforcement to review video footage, identify suspects, and obtain license plate numbers of fleeing criminals using high-resolution video from cameras in stores, mall common areas, and parking areas. Passing the INFORM Act, which requires online marketplaces to gather basic information about sellers, would be a simple but critical move in the right direction. And while flexing legislative muscle on an industry level is part of a solution, so are extremely localized measures, such as store risk assessments that keep pace with changes in risk, associate training, and building hardening. Technology approaches are part of it, including social media monitoring and predictive analytics, but so are building security measures like exterior protective glass solutions, upgraded display cases with shatter-resistant glass and
good locking hardware, as well as design considerations, like compartmentalized store interiors and door interlocks. Carlos Castelán, managing director of the Navio Group, a retail management consulting firm, said some retailers have been forced to lock away more product in stores and increase the security presence and are reassessing shopping cart usage in areas with high theft. More broadly, events have shifted what it means for a store to be secure, according to Rob Reiter, cofounder of the Storefront Safety Council. “Organized looting has showed some of the shortcomings of unprotected stores but also some of the shortcomings of what normally would be regarded as well-protected stores,” he warned in an ISC webinar on physical retail trends. But even as retailers work to meet today’s threat environment by hardening stores, conducting major investigations, partnering with law enforcement, and lobbying legislators, it’s necessary to address the conditions that create it, according to Barbara Staib at the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP). “How is it that young people get a message on social media to participate in a flash-mob theft and think this is a good idea? How did we come to this?” Staib reiterates the usual causes—reduced felony thresholds, less police interdiction—but said the problem stems from nothing being put in their place to dissuade people from perceiving store theft as anything but a good opportunity. “We took away traditional guardrails without putting up new guardrails or educating people,” she said. Retailers should address lowlevel store theft through the lens of corporate social responsibility and strive to change perceptions through education to stem the future flow of empowered offenders, Staib suggested. “We’re
letting people grow into organized retail crime (ORC) and flash-mob offenders,” she said, suggesting that leaving the past behind is the best way forward. “We’re all at this point together. We need to stop finger pointing and band together and work in concert against a common enemy.”
With technology assuming a greater role across the retail enterprise, consuming a greater share of budget and offering unprecedented functionality, LP teams need to identify tools that are the best fit for their operations and configure and utilize them to full effect. The issue—as well as LP leaders—may be in the spotlight as 2022 gets underway. “With theft at an all-time high, loss prevention is a large topic of conversation for retailers,” Castelán said. He expects retailers to work more closely together by sharing information and coordinating with local and national law enforcement agencies to address it. “All in all, this will remain a large issue for retailers going into 2022,
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which we expect them to tackle and may accelerate initiatives that are customer‑friendly and reduce theft such as expanded buy‑online, pickup-in-store (BOPIS) or store showroom models where product is housed in the back,” he said.
Visions of Success in 2022 We interviewed stakeholders to get their perspectives on the challenges that are poised to be critical in determining LP success in the year ahead, as store theft is just one of many issues that today’s LP teams will need to confront in 2022. As the LP role has morphed, so has the scope of what “LP success” entails. Effectively Leverage the Power of Advanced Technology. With technology assuming a greater role across the retail enterprise, consuming a greater share of budget and offering unprecedented functionality, LP teams need to identify tools that are the best fit for their operations and configure and utilize them to full effect. The centrality of technology to LP success was identified by multiple stakeholders, including Scott Pethuyne, senior analytics solution consultant at Zebra Technologies. “Moving into 2022, the name of the game for loss prevention teams will be technology. Specifically, loss prevention leaders need versatile, AI-powered analytics tools that guide their teams to data-driven decision-making,” he told LP Magazine. “Teams are small, resources are stretched thin, and properly leveraging technology is a force multiplier that unlocks agility, smarter decision-making, and scalability.” Physical and network security will continue to converge, added analysts at Interface Security Systems. “Security cameras, alarm systems, and access control systems that traditionally secured physical locations in a silo are now expected to serve
Winter 2022
Barbara Staib
Scott Pethuyne
FEATURE Visions of Success
Tom Morgan
Rohan Sanil
as intelligent, integrated systems that heavily rely on the underlying network infrastructure. While we expect loss prevention teams to double down on connected security devices, the approach to designing and implementing physical security solutions is now closely tied to network capacity, traffic management capabilities, network security, and the availability of failover systems.” See Inventory More Clearly. Nearly 70 percent of retailers experience more than 1 percent of inventory shrinkage, according to some estimates, but improvements in RFID chips are making it easier and cheaper for platforms to deliver real-time data about loss events—through tagging, reading, and seeing merchandise—to inform strategies to reduce shrink. Artificial intelligence (AI) could play a significant role in reducing supply chain and distribution center theft, primarily as a by-product of investment in intelligent distribution centers to track objects in storage facilities, optimize processes, and drive greater accuracy in order fulfillment. More efficient and accurate processes, driven by technology, have the added benefit of reducing theft and loss. “Many companies are turning to automated inventory management to run distribution centers, thus requiring less human oversight and potentially less theft,” according to Tom Morgan, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University with a PhD in Logistics Systems. Fewer mistakes would be another benefit. “How do we ensure that all the customized pallets we load are 100 percent accurate? That is a big challenge,” said James Yuan, a data scientist at PepsiCo in a November webinar on AI‑enabled retail distribution centers. “Even one‑tenth of a mistake is huge when you consider the volume we are shipping.”
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Handle Unplanned Events Better. Several leaders said they’re focused on improving their ability to quickly identify events that impact people and assets before they happen, and data suggests they have company. Improving the ability to make better and quicker strategic decisions when critical
Several leaders said they’re focused on improving their ability to quickly identify events that impact people and assets before they happen. Improving the ability to make better and quicker strategic decisions when critical events erupt is both critical and wanting.
events erupt is both critical and wanting, according to a new study by Forrester Consulting commissioned by OnSolve. Retailers are more confident in their ability to handle unplanned events than those in education and healthcare, but it remains a typically siloed process with only 48 percent rating their incident response capabilities as “effective” or
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“optimized” across eight risk vectors, including data privacy, company travel, information security, and geopolitical risk. Between greater reliance on cloud architectures, social unrest, volatile weather, and the pandemic’s stubbornness, it is critical to assess strengths and weaknesses in critical event management to understand how to better prepare for the next unknown but inevitable incident. Help the Business Meet Rapidly Evolving Customer Expectations. Success for LP teams requires positively influencing the ability of retail organizations to fulfill their omni-channel pursuits. As such, it’s worth focusing on how retailers plan to meet consumers’ any-product, any‑place, at‑any‑time mandate. Daniel Binder, managing partner at Columbus Consulting, advances a LIST approach to guide retailers: ■ Logistics and supply chain—Getting the right merchandise to the right locations with speed and transparency. ■ Inventory—Having the right products made available wherever and whenever the customer is shopping. ■ Structure—Building an agile organizational framework. ■ Technology—Integrating new sciences like artificial intelligence and machine learning to be more predictive, more accurate, and to free up human bandwidth. Continuously Align Fraud and Theft Prevention with Sales Strategies. Be it new self‑checkout systems or payment methods, loss prevention will be challenged in the year ahead to minimize loss as retailers bend to customers’ desire for faster, easier, and more engaging shopping experiences. “Computer vision and edge AI technologies will define loss prevention success in the
new year,” said Rohan Sanil, CEO, cofounder, and head of products at Deep North. “The need of the hour is to make selfcheckout more efficient, reduce shrinkage by tracking checkout accuracy, and sending realtime alerts to floor associates to enable them to assist shoppers in a swift manner.” Uri Arad, cofounder of Identiq said, “Loss prevention success will be defined by expanding beyond the transaction. Promo abuse, refunds, and friendly fraud will be key to success in 2022. With supply chains still struggling and uncertainty persistent, customers are even more focused on deals—and they’re increasingly willing to cheat to get them.” He added, “Businesses need clear policies about what constitutes abuse, need to give their fraud teams
license to prevent this form of fraud—and let’s call it what it is, fraud—and need to collaborate with one another to help keep this fast-developing trend under control.” Those that don’t protect themselves from promo abuse will experience serious, meaningful loss, Arad warned. BOPIS is another area requiring attention—a customer‑friendly option that both local thieves and traveling crime rings utilize to quickly capitalize on stolen credit cards before they are reported stolen, explained Jason Cheung, product manager of fraud at Digital River. Using the same visibility into store inventory that benefits legitimate customers, thieves use smartphones to quickly shop on a merchant’s site after car break-ins and burglaries and
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use BOPIS to pick up the goods. He recommends the following practices to address it: ■ “Minimize any gray areas, so staff can easily follow and enforce the policies,” Cheung advised. “If the policies are consistently challenged and overruled by management within the store, then they should be refined to balance both customer satisfaction and minimize abuse.” ■ Online fraud tools should have insight into who’s picked up orders and made returns and exchanges, with data shared between the two commerce channels. Cheung said, “If not, gaps between the online purchases and in-store pickup can be taken advantage of.” Policies on whether to require IDs during pickup and record it should
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Uri Arad
Jason Cheung
FEATURE Visions of Success be defined and followed. “I’ve seen large merchants enforce this validation method consistently, while others are hit and miss, or don’t require ID at all,” he told LP Magazine. ■ Enforcing a process where returns must be refunded to the original payment method is the preferred method, Cheung advised. Fraudsters crave cash most, then store cards, as accumulating stolen goods and reselling them is a slower and more cumbersome option.
Liron Damri
Eva Velasquez
Effectively Address Varied Personnel Challenges. Human resources will play a significant role in 2022, according to several industry leaders. Workers are showing a willingness to quit at unprecedented levels, so attracting and retaining talent will be critical, and LP leaders’ ability to inspire and motivate their teams will be tested. Diversity and inclusion will continue to be key to developing robust AP teams that align with corporate efforts. With restaurants and retail chains finding it difficult to hire and retain frontline employees, the employee experience becomes a competitive advantage—and ensuring workers feel safe and secure at work is a critical component, according to experts at Interface Security Systems. Better security at the workplace through sophisticated remote video monitoring, video verified alarm services, and connected alarm/access control solutions can offer employees the peace of mind and reassurance they need, they suggested. The impact of retail’s labor shortage on loss may require mitigation. Risk arises any time there is a tilt in the balance between the need to fill job openings and the
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desire to find proven, reliable, and honest job candidates. With roughly one million open jobs in retail stores and warehouses, retailers are increasingly desperate to fill positions—and it can have an impact. One loss prevention director told LP Magazine that
HR will play a significant role in 2022, according to several industry leaders. Workers are showing a willingness to quit at unprecedented levels, so attracting and retaining talent will be critical, and LP leaders’ ability to inspire and motivate their teams will be tested. his increase in employee theft is likely the result of a tight labor market that has forced them to hire less desirable job applicants. Another believed this challenge is being complicated by worsening attitudes. “There is a different morality today. People come in with absolutely no company loyalty, thinking that if it’s not nailed down then it’s mine for the taking.”
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Evolve with Cybercriminals. Retailers will need to keep pace with cybercriminals as they shift tactics and targets, experts said. “Cryptocurrencies will further accelerate e-commerce fraud,” according to Liron Damri, president at Forter. “Crypto makes bad actors more comfortable buying and selling information—it has created a rapidly expanding marketplace for consumer credentials. And wannabe fraudsters can also buy sophisticated tools to help them cheat and steal.” The number of older, less savvy shoppers online has increased, so good fraud targets are multiplying. “Businesses must more actively protect their customers at every critical interaction along the e-commerce funnel, from sign-up to login to checkout and more.” Links in the supply chain are increasingly digitized and connected, raising the specter that ransomware attacks could create significant disruption in the year ahead, warned several supply chain leaders. The number of identity thefts of individuals is falling as identity criminals now focus more on attacking businesses using consumer information, especially credentials, according to Eva Velasquez, president and CEO of the Identity Theft Resource Center. “Also, look for cybercriminals to take advantage of the shift to alternative digital payment methods such as payment apps, digital wallets, and peer‑to-peer services.”
Garett Seivold is senior writer for LPMagazine. A trained journalist, he has spent the majority of his career writing about security, risk management, supply chain, and loss prevention topics. He can be reached at GarettS@LPportal.com.
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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
My experience within this program taught me a lot regarding different LP procedures and allowed me to see how extensive the field of loss prevention is. — Kyrah Matthews, LPQ
Edmundo Velazquez, LPC Aritzia
Omar Couceiro, LPC Target
Kyrah Matthews, LPQ University of Cincinatti
“The Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) course materials and subsequent LPC certification are vital for any loss prevention executive who is seeking a robust program that tests their skill sets and challenges your critical thinking. I highly recommend it for those who are looking to lead and facilitate LP programs and initiatives. This program and certification are what you need to be a step above the rest.”
“For years I have contemplated getting my loss prevention certification from the LPF. I am happy that I finally took the time to invest in my development and strengthen my knowledge of LP. I know that with the knowledge I gained, I am one step closer to achieving my LP career goals. I recommend to anyone looking to grow in their LP roles and careers to take this course. The knowledge gained from this coursework will challenge you to think at a higher scope. The LPCertified course goes beyond just teaching you about internals, externals, and shortage. It demonstrates to you how to be a better peer, LP business owner, and leader.”
“My experience within this program taught me a lot regarding different LP procedures and allowed me to see how extensive the field of loss prevention is. I had prior experience working in the fraud department at Fifth Third Bank, but what I learned while gaining my certification is unmatched. I was able to learn about the different LP jobs and their duties as well as how the loss prevention and asset protection department as a whole has evolved. I wouldn’t hesitate to share with others the opportunities taking this program provides.”
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Whitney Plemons, LPC, CFI Insight to S.A.F.E. “After twenty-five years in restaurant loss prevention, I am amazed at all the valuable information I gained from taking this course. Seeking to expand my knowledge, and with a desire to have a deeper understanding of loss prevention within different industries, the LPC course exceeded all expectations. Not only were the topics intriguing and comprehensive, but learning leadership and business principles added a holistic approach to loss prevention. I am looking forward to sharing my insights with my clients.”
Jake Burch, LPQ Academy Sports + Outdoors
David Meade, LPC Walmart
“I wish I had taken the LPQualifed course within my first few months of gaining the loss prevention position I am currently in. The material you learn from this course is information you will be expected to be knowledgeable in and will allow you to be productive in an upper LP role for any company. This training course definitely filled in some holes I had in my portfolio.”
Will Simon, LPQ The GIANT Company
Chris Knobbe, LPC Amazon
“The LPQualified coursework was really user friendly and easy to understand and the practice tests helped prep me on what to expect. The communication from when I completed the course to when I scheduled my exam was very easy, and I was able to schedule my test for the same day. I have noticed that I am getting more respect in the field since I have taken this course.”
“The LPCertified course was a wellthought-out collaboration of content that supports a loss prevention professional’s growth and future in the industry. It helps bridge information or standard work one may not support in their current role. The six courses allow the LP professional to learn about the different terminology along with how to utilize it in their job.”
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“The LPCertified courses are pertinent to the world today and give very useful information that can be used immediately. I believe that every loss prevention professional should always be learning, and this is an excellent course to learn valuable information from other LP professionals. I recommend adding the knowledge learned from these courses to your toolbox—it will set you apart from others in the business.”
The material you learn from this course is information you will be expected to be knowledgeable in and will allow you to be productive in an upper LP role for any company. — Jake Burch, LPQ
continued on page 36
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Continued from page 35
Carlos Perez, LPC, Regional Asset Protection Leader, Rite Aid
Brian Grigg, LPQ, Asset Protection, Rite Aid
Newly Certified
Joseph Postiglione, LPC, Asset Protection and Safety Manager, Lowe’s
Hannah Harville, LPQ, Store Manager, lululemon
Following are individuals who recently earned their certifications.
Recent LPC Recipients Kim Anderson, LPC, Divisional Asset Protection Director, Dollar General
Joseph Rovner, LPC, LPQ, Asset Protection Associate, The GIANT Company
Karla Bailey, LPC, District Loss Prevention Manager, DICK’s Sporting Goods
Cristina Rivera, LPC, Regional Manager, Asset Protection, Ralph Lauren
David Berkland, LPC, District Loss Prevention Manager, DICK’s Sporting Goods
Joseph Saucier, LPC, Risk and Fraud Associate, BetMGM
Brandon Cummings, LPC, Director, Corporate Asset Protection, Dollar General Priya Donohue, LPC, Regional Manager, Asset Protection, Ralph Lauren Riley Fallon, LPC, Asset Protection Professional Michael Greenwell, LPC, Regional Loss Prevention Manager, Amazon Stewart Hachey CPP, LPC, Loss Prevention Operations Manager, London Drugs Limited Richard Halverson, LPC, ORC Investigations Manager, Kroger Serena Kelaart, LPC, LPQ, Partner and Asset Protection Advisor, Starbucks Andre LaFond, LPC, - Asset Protection Consultant, VET Logistics Chris Knobbe, LPC, Regional Loss Prevention Manager, Amazon Steve Morand, LPC, Senior Regional Asset Protection and Safety Manager, Whole Foods Market Jake LaMotte, LPC, LPQ, Security Coordinator, Meijer Jonathan McGraw, LPC, Asset Protection Manager, Walgreens
Learn more about obtaining your LPC or LPQ certification today at losspreventionfoundation.org
Cristina Rivera, LPC, Regional Manager, Asset Protection, Ralph Lauren
David Meade, LPC, Academy Coach, Walmart John Miller, LPC, Multi-Site Lead, Amazon Michael Monaghan, LPC, LPQ, Corporate Loss Prevention Manager, Steve Madden Stephan Morales, LPC, District Asset Protection Manager, Albertsons
Travis Trudell, LPC, Asset Protection Manager, Rite Aid Michael Wollemberg, LPC, Internal Investigator, Bloomingdale’s Jeremy Yeomans, LPC, CFI, Regional Loss Prevention Manager, Bed Bath and Beyond
Recent LPQ Recipents Zaireen Acosta, LPQ, Global Corporate Security Administration, Ralph Lauren Thomas Ahn, LPQ, Customer Success Specialist, ALTO Izabel Marsh Armbruster, LPQ, Loss Prevention, TJX Victoria Behrmann, LPQ, Asset Protection, The GIANT Company Kyle Beiriger, LPQ, Loss Prevention, TJX Christopher Black, LPQ, Loss Prevention Detective, TJX Matthew Blotevogel, LPQ, National Account Manager, Wren Solutions Justin Boyte, LPQ, Organized Retail Crime Investigator, TJX Chad Bublitz, LPQ, Loss Prevention, TJX Irmarily Carlson, LPQ, Loss Prevention, TJX Rebecca Cota-Guzman, LPQ, Loss Prevention, TJX Ray Cross, LPQ, Lead Officer, Tiffany & Co. Michael Curtis, LPQ, Loss Prevention Training Specialist, TJX Milagros Davila, LPQ, Loss Prevention Investigator, TJX
Blake Owens, LPC, Loss Prevention Specialist, Fanatics
Nicholas Diefenbach, LPQ, Security Specialist, Richemont
Shelley Pace, LPC, Regional Manager, Asset Protection, Ralph Lauren
Brian Gorelick, LPQ, Asset Protection Supervisor, BJ’s Wholesale Club
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Adam Hilken, LPQ, Asset Protection Associate, The GIANT Company Shannon Jones, LPQ, Investigations Specialist, Lowe’s Garvin Jowers, LPQ, Asset Protection, Giant Martins Marta Juez, LPQ, Customer Support Manager, Everseen Katie Killebrew, LPQ, Loss Prevention, TJX Thomas Macho, LPQ, Strategic Response Team, TJX Jasiel Martinez, LPQ, Loss Prevention Detective, TJX Kyra Matthews, LPQ, Student, University of Cincinnati Erik Mikkelson, LPQ, Loss Prevention Detective, TJX Andrew Morrow, LPQ, Loss Prevention Store Detective, Giant Food Stores David Nelson, LPQ, Loss Prevention Detective, TJX Erin ONeill Roach, LPQ, Manager Asset and Profit Protection, TransformCo (formerly Sears Holdings) Kyle Parris, LPQ, Loss Prevention, TJX Bob Pennucci, LPQ, National Account Manager, Checkpoint Matthew Reed, LPQ, Loss Prevention, TJX Colin Rintoul, LPQ, Consultant, Stack’d Consulting Erik Ruscher, LPQ, Loss Prevention, TJX Courtnie Sanchez, LPQ, Market Asset Protection Manager, Meijer Joshua Sauers, LPQ, District Loss Prevention Manager, TJX Bryce Shields, LPQ, Asset Protection and Safety Manager, Lowe’s Efrem Smith, LPQ, Asset Protection Team Leader, Meijer David Tapanes, LPQ, Loss Prevention Detective, TJX Bryan Villacres, LPQ, Investigative Analyst, Ralph Lauren Daniel Willis, LPQ, Asset Protection Manager, Ralph Lauren Alfred Wittrien, LPQ, Profit Protection Specialist, Zebra Prescriptive Analytics
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Moving Targets
With the Supply Chain in Focus, Can Preventing Cargo Theft Gain Traction? By Garett Seivold, LPM Senior Writer
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n the too-rare occasions when store theft receives attention commensurate with the problem, it’s often because of a dramatic spike in crime accompanied by must-see visuals. This past holiday season was a case in point, with surveillance footage of flash mobs smashing their way through stores sparking both public outrage and mainstream discussions about what society should do about it. It even gave a push to the INFORM Act, proposed legislation to combat rampant organized retail crime (ORC), which became part of some accompanying conversations once disturbing images had enticed eyeballs. Cargo crime is a ghost by comparison.Video footage is rare, and thefts occur out of view—think railyards, truck stops, and distribution centers—so it’s harder to take it as an affront. It’s often not entirely clear who is being victimized, which surely limits sympathy and interest in cargo theft—and it’s hard to overstate the importance of sentiment in shaping policing and prosecutorial priorities. Lack of awareness and attention frustrates some who work daily to protect goods in transit, like one veteran supply chain investigator for a national retailer. He reported that he’s “seen a major spike in theft within our industry impacting multiple retailers,” and decried the lack of appreciation for “the massive amounts of theft that occur every day out of the public eye.” Sgt. Jose Covarrubia of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) notes the same misalignment. “Smash-and-grabs have gotten people’s attention, but I can tell you the cargo theft activity is way, way worse,” he told LP Magazine. Attention can cut both ways, of course. The wrong kind can entice copycats. But retailers could surely benefit from greater stakeholder scrutiny—to raise the issue’s profile, spark conversations with transportation partners, direct lawmakers’ attention, and command resources. It’s a necessary precursor for prevention because preventing cargo theft—like ORC—requires good team defense.
FEATURE Moving Targets
Scott Cornell
The value of law enforcement support is evidenced in the most recent data on cargo theft. As reported by CargoNet, a cargo theft data‑sharing network, the Northeast saw a sharp drop in cargo theft of 74 percent year‑over-year, which its analysts credited to an enforcement action against an interstate trailer burglary group that frequented truck stops on the I-81 corridor in Pennsylvania. That a single enforcement action moved the needle on quarterly statistics suggests that the power exists to curb cargo theft—when the will, resources, and communication channels align.
warehouses, and port logjams, more light may shine on the related problem of supply chain theft and, potentially, catalyze greater accountability for those who commit it. “There has been greater awareness about the supply chain, which can bring awareness to supply chain theft,” said Scott Cornell, transportation lead and crime and theft specialist at Travelers. “And anytime you raise awareness it can bring more resources.”
A Rare Spotlight It started with the pandemic and has grown since—the supply chain has become the industry’s focus and part of the national conversation. There is hope among some who fight cargo theft that with talk about issues like driver shortages, packed
It started with the pandemic and has grown since—the supply chain has become the industry’s focus and part of the national conversation. There is hope among some who fight cargo theft that with talk about issues like driver shortages, packed warehouses, and port logjams, more light may shine on the related problem of supply chain theft and, potentially, catalyze greater accountability for those who commit it.
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There is even video to sell the story. Police in Pamona, California, reported in November they had discovered $100,000 worth of retail packages strewn along Union Pacific rail lines and stashed in nearby homeless encampments—along with countless empty boxes. Among the items were brand new vehicle tires, small kitchen appliances, auto parts, and clothing. Area police say the thieves break into containers as mile-long train cars sit idle waiting for tracks to clear,
and that cargo trains are hit on a weekly basis. Local news stations deployed aerial vehicles to document thieves in action, shooting footage of them jumping on trains armed with bolt cutters, leaving container doors wide open, and tossing as much off trains as they could grab. Nearly every time they checked a particularly high-risk stretch of track, largely hidden from view, NBC4 said they caught thieves in action, communicating with whistles to alert one another they were being watched. When Los Angeles County Sheriff Alex Villanueva was shown video by a local news reporter his reactions were telling: “Wow,” he said, “holy moly,” and, more worrisome, “This is new to me.” He also promised, “We’re going to put someone on that,” and it does seem to have sparked action. The LAPD hosted meetings in November and December to provide updates on investigations and forge a coalition of law enforcement, retailers, major manufacturers, and rail and road transportation representatives. To sustain momentum and improve enforcement, more resources are going to be needed,
according to one law enforcement representative. “We’re trying to do our part to curb it. It’s obviously a big problem, but it requires having the available resources because it goes along with everything else that we’re trying to address,” he said. Sgt. Covarrubia has focused on cargo theft for nine years, and while there is nothing novel about what is going on currently, he says the scale has changed, set in motion by force reductions in the number of officers protecting rail lines. “When those numbers were cut, there was no longer an ability to cover the area with a physical presence or respond to incidents, which dramatically impacts how you can handle the problem,” he said. A vicious cycle ensued. People got away with it, emboldening more people to do it. “The last couple of years I’ve really seen it grow,” said Sgt. Covarrubia. “It has gotten to the point now where they’re popping locks and just clearing out the containers, and once they get what they want, local transients clear out what’s left.” Los Angeles has seen three murders directly related to cargo theft, and the criminal gangs behind thefts in Southern California—and
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Concentration of cargo theft in select geographic locations adds credibility to the idea that strong partnerships can make a real difference, especially if they are agile and fast to react to developing threats. When cargo theft gangs become active around specific major transportation nodes, disrupting activity in those areas can materially impact cargo theft overall. the violent turf wars they’re engaged in—have pushed law enforcement to reach out to the private sector for help, said retail coalition members. “It’s more complicated than an addict walking into a railyard looking to steal. It’s highly organized crime groups that may not even be from the area, coming to exploit a vulnerability,” one explained. Retailers in the LA coalition are trying to help secure money from the Department of Homeland Security to combat the problem. “We’re working with law enforcement to draft grants to get law enforcement assigned to cargo security,” explained a supply chain security manager from a national consumer goods company, including providing statistics that should provide strong ammunition in the fight for funding. Third-quarter data from CargoNet (see page 42) shows theft along the US West Coast grew 42 percent year-overyear, in part due to frequent thefts of high-end computer electronic shipments in Southern California. Concentration of cargo theft in select geographic locations adds
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FEATURE Moving Targets credibility to the idea that strong partnerships can make a real difference, especially if they are agile and fast to react to developing threats. When cargo theft gangs become active around specific major transportation nodes, disrupting activity in those areas can materially impact cargo theft overall. Speaking to the current threat environment, Max Leitschuh, senior transportation analyst at Crisis24, agreed that the threat is manageable when all sides are attacking the problem. “Exposure
Sgt. Michael Gibbs with the Memphis, Tennessee, Police Department’s cargo theft task force, explained both the challenge and imperative of addressing cargo theft as a public safety issue. “With everything going on, property crime tends to take a backseat, but one thing I’ve always seen is that property crime helps fuel violent crime, because it provides them money that they use to buy the guns and drugs.”
can be mitigated by effective security and police measures against cargo theft,” he told LP Magazine. Prosecutors and legislators are also good to have on board, suggested Tom Morgan, a professor at Middle Tennessee State University with a PhD in Logistics Systems. He told LP Magazine that current disruptions are likely due in part to organized multi-person theft and the lessening deterrent of getting caught. Sgt. Michael Gibbs with the Memphis, Tennessee, Police Department’s cargo theft task force, explained both the challenge and imperative of addressing cargo theft as a public safety issue. “With everything going on, property crime tends to take a backseat, but one thing I’ve always seen is that property crime helps fuel violent crime, because it provides them money that they use to buy the guns and drugs.” One retail representative said he’s encouraged by burgeoning partnerships in Southern California. It’s still in the goal-defining stage, and he thinks it will take at least six months to realize benefits, but he believes it could pay dividends for the retailers that are losing millions of dollars in the rail line attacks. “Bridging that gap between public and private is a huge step forward,” he said. “They have a lot of tools we don’t have, and we can do things they can’t, so we can do things to assist one another.” In cities where law enforcement still has a dedicated cargo theft task force, police-private sector cooperation is typically excellent and valuable as a source for information exchange, data sharing, and joint training and sting operations, according to Travelers’ Scott Cornell. He’s been focused on cargo theft for twenty-five years and said these strong partnerships have been—and continue to be—instrumental in controlling cargo theft.
Bumpy Roads Ahead? Labor shortages have caused massive disruptions to global
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cargo transportation, especially to containerized cargo transport as ships wait to unload. In the US and Europe, ships have had to endure lengthy delays offshore causing cascading delays to shipping schedules around the world. And, as the saying goes, “Freight at rest is freight at risk.” Leitschuh draws a line between the backlog at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, with Union Pacific rail lines service, and the rise in thefts at and around America’s two largest ports. “The supply chain disruptions have led to containers and other cargoes sitting at ports, warehouses, and other locations for longer, which increases their exposure to potential thefts,” Leitschuh told LP Magazine. And, with warehouses full to overflowing, cargo has been forced to sit in trucks or less secure secondary spaces, according to Cornell. “Add to that the shortages [increasing product demand], and you’ve created the perfect storm.” Sgt. Gibbs says he’s seeing supply chain kinks play out in the Mid-South region with devastating effect, including an “explosion” in rail theft as trains with full containers sit idle for days along stretches of remote track that police don’t have the resources to monitor. It typically starts with three or four thieves who “shop the containers” until they find what they want—big screen TVs have been hot lately—and then message others. “This whole mob mentality is something we’ve never seen before in the Mid-South, with thirty people jumping on trains at one time,” he said. “They line up waiting to steal from trains like a line at Chick-fil-A.” Supply chain flow is thus an important risk factor, and there is no certainty when the current disarray will end. “Ongoing disruptions will likely continue through at least the first half of 2022,” according to Crisis24’s 2022 Global Risk Forecast, with the pandemic acting as a primary wildcard. The products targeted by cargo thieves in the third quarter of 2021 were familiar, with a few
Looking ahead, analysts said they’re concerned about the targeting of computer electronic shipments from California, as well as the potential breakout of full truckload cargo thefts spreading across the eastern half of the US.
fluctuations. Computer electronics shipments were targeted more often, and household product theft dipped slightly. The geographic areas hit in Q3 were also common, with California, Texas, and Florida accounting for more than half of theft events identified by CargoNet. Theft dipped modestly in the middle of the country, but that was in comparison to a record-setting year for cargo theft in 2020, the group said. Looking ahead, analysts said they’re concerned about the targeting of computer electronic shipments from California, as well as the potential breakout of full truckload cargo thefts spreading across the eastern half of the US. If cargo resumes its normal flow, Cornell says he can see food and beverage returning to its position as the most stolen category of cargo,
but if another commodity falls into short supply, he expects that to take center stage. “The golden rule is that cargo thieves steal what they know they can sell and what people want and need,” and so the targets of cargo thieves evolve in concert with consumer demand.
Battling Back A 22-year veteran, LAPD Sgt. Jose Covarrubia says it’s disheartening to see a rise in a problem he’s been fighting for years. Sgt. Gibbs is equally worried in Memphis, with increases in all manner of cargo theft, mobfueled attacks, and greater violence. He’s been on a cargo task force for six years, but 2021 is the first in which he’s seen truck drivers being robbed at gunpoint. LP pros who work on cargo theft and law enforcement
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alike identified cooperation as key to making inroads against the problem. Businesses must come forward when they’ve been victimized, said Covarrubia, and partnerships must continue to be strong. As cargo thieves increasingly join forces and cooperate, good guys must come together as well. Along with cooperation, communication is critical, said Cornell. The supply chain is all about hand-offs between different entities—from manufacturers to freight brokers and so on—and the quality of the communication between links in the chain is foundational to secure transport. “Sometimes that happens well and sometimes not so well,” he said. Cornell helps Travelers’ clients with a three-layer approach to protect moving targets. ● Awareness, education, and good processes and procedures, such as having drivers fueled up and rested when picking up loads so they can drive a good distance (200 to 250 miles) right after loading to get out of the “red zone” where cargo thieves like to hit. “Thieves don’t want to work harder than they have to,” he said. ● Good hard-locking devices. ● Covert tracking capabilities in loads to help with recovery if a theft does occur.
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Max Leitschuh
Tom Morgan
FEATURE Moving Targets
LP pros who work on cargo theft and law enforcement alike identified cooperation as key to making inroads against the problem. Businesses must come forward when they’ve been victimized, and partnerships must continue to be strong. As cargo thieves increasingly join forces and cooperate, good guys must come together as well. Other Recommendations from the Experts Improve Information Control. “Information is the key to slowing supply chain theft,” according to Morgan, who offered the following best practices—safeguard information that potential thieves may use to gain access to goods; limit knowledge of inventory locations and quantities to those who require it; and improve precise monitoring of inventory or asset location, such as with RFID tracking, Bluetooth low energy (BLE) tracking, and IP address tracking. Leverage Political Power. Sgt. Covarrubia is reluctant to turn cargo theft into a political issue, but he believes certain truths are inescapable, specifically that no-cash bail, lack of prosecutions, cuts to police funding, and light sentences are all contributing to greater cargo theft in his region. Both he and Sgt. Gibbs encouraged retailers to use the sway they possess to change laws and better deter cargo thieves. “There are minimal consequences if they get caught. So why would they
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stop? I see people with no history committing these thefts because they’re seeing their friends doing it and making money,” said Sgt. Gibbs. “The private sector is very powerful, and I encourage them to be vocal with legislators, or it will continue to be a slap on the wrist.” Stay Current with Trends. From available cargo theft information networks, stakeholders can learn about threat trends and current hotspots. A map of truck pilferage in Memphis, with pins clustered in certain stretches of road, makes the point. By way of example, “If a truck parks on Lamar Avenue, it will get broken into,” said Gibbs. “The biggest thing is that retailers don’t understand the importance of that very first incident, because if a suspect is successful, they will come back, and they will tell others.”
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Upgrade Security. Higher quality cameras are the difference between making arrests and simply watching clips of unidentifiable thieves in action, said Sgt. Gibbs, adding that good fencing is a helpful deterrent, and tracking devices aid investigations. “I understand every business has a budget, but my history of doing cargo theft is that when people are willing to pay a one-time fee to get security measures in place, they deter a lot of crime going forward.”
Garett Seivold is senior writer for LP Magazine. A trained journalist, he has spent the majority of his career writing about security, risk management, supply chain, and loss prevention topics. He can be reached at GarettS@LPportal.com.
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Stefanie Hoover, CFI Hoover is the AVP of strategic accounts and business development at ALTO USA. She is a member of the ASIS Retail Council and IAI Midwest Chapter Executive Board, and has over twenty years’ experience in retail loss prevention. She can be reached at shoover@alto-us.com.
Loss Prevention and The Big Quit Din employee retention? The
oes loss prevention play a role
Employees in understaffed stores, frustrated by working conditions, or perceiving a lack of company interest about addressing theft may take it out by stealing.
truth is that a well-equipped loss prevention or asset protection team can and should play a critical part in helping to retain good employees. The past two years were filled with stretches where stores closed or reduced their hours, workers struggled to find childcare or public transportation, people were afraid to shop, and employees were afraid to work. Now that they are back to work, many retail employees are faced with rude customers and a steep rise in organized retail crime (ORC)—69 percent of retailers noted an increase in organized retail crime over the last year, which can be dangerous for workers and customers alike. Retailers can lock up merchandise to try to counteract theft, but what about employees? As Corie Barry, CEO at Best Buy, recently said, “For our employees these are traumatic experiences, and they are happening more and more across the country.” While morale ebbs and flows in any job, it’s vital that employers know how to boost it when it begins to sink. That may involve more than temporary “nurturing;” it most likely involves fulfilling their needs as humans. Personal safety is a basic human need. Here are four reasons employee morale is as important as ever in your stores.
The Hiring Crunch Continues Whether you’d like to call it “The Great Resignation” or “The Big Quit,” workers are leaving their
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jobs in droves. In October, 683,000 people left retail jobs, adding to the intense labor shortage that started in 2020 and isn’t showing signs of slowing. When employees leave, it’s increasingly difficult and costly to hire their replacements. Shortstaffed retailers are forced to put more of a burden on remaining employees—who may end up working overtime. And employee departures could cause other employees to leave. Labor shortages mean prospective employees are commanding higher hourly wages, richer benefits, and better working conditions. Add to that the costs of time and training that go into new hires, and you may find that low morale costs you a lot.
Internal Theft Could Increase Employees in understaffed stores, frustrated by working conditions, or perceiving a lack of company interest about addressing theft may take it out by stealing. The National Retail Federation’s 2021 Retail Security Survey noted the average loss in a dishonest employee case was over $1,500 in 2020. But the share of employers who reported that average increased from 29 percent in 2019 to 50 percent in 2020. When employees are unhappy, stressed, and feel underappreciated, they are more likely to steal from stores.
External Theft Suffers, Too There’s a domino effect when it comes to employee morale.
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Feeling underappreciated means employees are less likely to feel pride in their work, or the retailer they work for. As a result, they’re more likely to turn their backs on external theft. This could range from ignoring theft when they know it’s happening, to not reporting it after an incident. Ignoring external theft means criminals are not arrested, cases aren’t built, offenders aren’t prosecuted, and thefts continue. Shoppers who feel unsafe in highcrime stores will visit other stores, and employees may decide to go elsewhere too.
Rules Are Ignored and Bad Habits Grow Employees who don’t feel valued are more likely to break rules and create bad habits in stores. Employees with low morale are less likely to offer good customer service, stock shelves correctly, or show up for their shifts on time. In some cases, bad habits may grow out of “shortcuts” due to staff shortages. This creates a negative in-store experience, leading shoppers to choose other stores or buy products online. The brick-and-mortar retail industry is facing historic challenges in retaining employees. As we head into a new year, there is a significant opportunity for loss prevention executives to review the role their teams play in employee retention and review strategies that help to create safer stores.
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An Ounce of By Cory Lowe, PhD
Ianonymous author wrote n February of 1735, an
a letter to The Pennsylvania Gazette titled “On Protection of Towns from Fire.” The letter discussed how volunteer fire departments might be organized and resourced. However, the author started by listing the ways townspeople could prevent fires, such as being careful when carrying hot coals around the house or regularly sweeping chimneys. This article is famous today for two reasons. First, we now know that Benjamin Franklin wrote the letter and anonymously submitted it to his own newspaper. Second, Franklin used the now‑famous phrase “an
ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure” for the first time in the letter. Franklin’s argument was that, in the worst possible scenario, all the fire departments in the city would not be able to extinguish a very large fire. Therefore, the townspeople needed to do all they could to prevent fires. Today, retailers are faced with the worst possible scenario—a metaphorical retail theft “fire”—and cannot just react to it. Retail offenders are becoming more brazen and aggressive, and retailers cannot rely on the criminal justice system to address the problem. Yes, many retailers have reduced or eliminated in-
TonelsonProductions / Shutterstock.com
5D Retail Theft Prevention across the Five Zones
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Prevention
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Winter 2022
FEATURE An Ounce of Prevention store apprehensions. However, retailers have abandoned reactive strategies because, in many cases, even if they apprehend offenders ● Law enforcement will not respond or fully investigate retail crimes, ● Prosecutors will not fully prosecute crimes, and ● Corrections systems will not incapacitate or rehabilitate retail offenders.
Clearly it is possible to prevent retail theft. However, loss prevention teams will be more effective when their strategies and programs are built using the best available data, theories, and research. Of course, this also means that loss prevention teams must invest in understanding their problems as well as tracking them over time. It is clear, in today’s climate, an ounce of loss prevention is worth much more than criminal justice cures—cures that simply aren’t available.
Preventing Retail Theft Clearly it is possible to prevent retail theft. If theft prevention wasn’t possible then we would all be out of a job! However, loss prevention teams will be more effective when their strategies and programs are built using the best available data, theories, and research. Of course this also means that loss prevention teams must invest in understanding their problems as well as tracking them over time. At the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC), there
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are a few key concepts that guide the way we think about crime prevention, including the “Five Ds of Retail Crime and Loss Prevention,” the “Five Zones of Influence,” and others. All these ideas can help loss prevention practitioners, managers, and executives think critically about the problems they face before investing in costly strategies and solutions that may not work for their specific problems. The purpose of this article is to apply 5D loss prevention across the fives zones of influence. The first step is to explain these concepts.
5D Retail Crime and Loss Prevention Criminologists and security researchers have developed several ways of thinking about and solving crime problems. The LPRC’s 5D Retail Crime and Loss Prevention concept refers to broad strategies that focus on five tasks, including: 1. Deterring offenders, 2. Diverting individuals from crime, 3. Detecting offenses, 4. Disrupting offenders, and 5. Documenting offenses. One important aspect of the 5D approach is that three of the tasks are “person-focused” (diverting individuals and deterring and disrupting offenders) and two are data-focused or
intelligence-focused (detecting and documenting offenses). To effectively prevent theft, retailers need to deter and disrupt offenders’ plans and attempts and divert individuals from committing crimes. However, retailers also need to know about their failures and learn from them. If retailers do not track where, when, why, and how they are failing (experiencing losses), they can never begin to truly understand what they need to do to improve their loss prevention program. Deterring Offenders. Nevertheless, the first D refers to the process of convincing offenders that it is not in their best interest to steal from a retailer. This can be achieved according to the principles and technique of “situational crime prevention.” Situational crime prevention is based on rational choice theory that suggests that humans are (mostly) rational creatures—meaning people will offend when the benefits of crime outweigh the consequences or costs of crime. Traditionally, the principles of situational crime prevention have included: ● Increasing the perceived effort to commit crimes among offenders, ● Increasing offenders’ perceived risk of committing crimes, and ● Reducing the perceived benefits of committing crimes among offenders.
Five Ds of Retail Crime and Loss Prevention Diverting Individuals Deterring Offenders
Offender/individual-focused
Disruputing Offenders Detecting Offenses Documenting Offenses
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Offense/intelligence-focused
By manipulating the perceived risk, effort, and rewards of crime, retailers can deter crimes. However, retailers must always ensure that, in their attempt to prevent retail theft, they are not also preventing sales. Nevertheless, we will discuss real-world examples of these strategies later in the article. Diverting Individuals from Crime. The second D refers to addressing risk and protective factors among employees and members in the community to reduce the likelihood that they will engage in crime, including retail crimes. This includes training employees on de‑escalation tactics, cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) training on effective conflict resolution, education on the impact of retail theft, and possibly even exercises and policies that strengthen bonds between retailers and their employees. However, retailers can also support community prevention and diversion among at-risk youths. Research shows that evidence-based prevention and diversion can keep youths from pursuing a life of crime. Detecting Offenses. The third D refers to detecting the when, where, and what of a retail theft. Retailers must have the proper intelligence-gathering infrastructure in place so that they can better understand the nature of their problems, and especially the distribution of risks and vulnerabilities throughout their organization. However, offense detection is also critical for the last two Ds—disrupting and documenting theft incidents. Disrupting Offenders. The fourth D refers to tactics and strategies that can upset offenders’ plans, especially those who are not deterred by other means including organized retail crime (ORC) offenders. For example, some ORC offenders will not be deterred by traditional deterrents, yet, if their ability to fence goods was eliminated, they might stop shoplifting, or at
The Five Zones of Influence
Zone 1 - Specific Target or Asset Zone 2 - Specific Categories or Areas Zone 3 - Store Entry and Overall Interior Zone 4 - Parking Lot and Curtilage Zone 5 - Broader Community and Cyber Domain
least reduce the frequency with which they shoplift. Alternatively, retailers can support effective investigations and prosecutions of key members in organized crime rings. Documenting Offenses. The fifth and final D refers to keeping track of known incidents when they occur. To build intelligence, retailers must document offenses so they can better understand the most common sources of loss and address these. Losses can be due to specific threats or vulnerabilities. These can only be identified if retailers are collecting information regarding the “what, where, how, when, and who” of retail theft. In other words, retailers must know what items were stolen; where, when, and how did it happen; and who did the offense involve? Finally, retailers can only map the risk landscape if they are effectively documenting where offenses are happening and analyzing this data. This enables retailers to use the appropriate and most costefficient solutions and strategies at the highest risk places.
Identifying Aiming Points for 5D Retail Crime and Loss Prevention Here at the LPRC, we like to discuss opportunities for prevention in terms of the “Five Zones of Influence”— the five key areas over which retailers have influence. The Five Zones of Influence are helpful when
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thinking about preventing retail crime for two reasons. First, even though every incident occurs in a specific place and involves a specific target, offenses always occur within a broader context. We must understand the context in which crimes occur, because understanding these contexts can help us understand risks, threats, and vulnerabilities. Second, as the name implies, the Five Zones of Influence framework helps us think about all the opportunities for prevention. It helps us identify “aiming points” where we can intervene to prevent retail crimes. Ultimately, any prevention effort is based on the idea that there is a causal sequence of events, that produces an outcome. By addressing the causes of retail crime, we can prevent them from occurring. The figure above depicts the Five Zones of Influence, which range from zone 5 that contains all others to zone 1—the specific target or asset involved in an offense. In other words, each of the zones are nested within the others. Whenever retailers attempt to solve retail crime and loss problems, they should think about which of the five Ds they can focus on in each of the areas. There are opportunities to deter, divert, detect, disrupt, and document in each of the five zones.
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The Five Zones of Influence framework helps us think about all the opportunities for prevention. It helps us identify “aiming points” where we can intervene to prevent retail crimes.
FEATURE An Ounce of Prevention
The “SEE-GET-FEAR” Model of Deterrence For a deterrent solution to be effective, offenders must… “SEE IT” Notice the solution is in use
“GET IT” Understand the solution’s capabilities
Zone 1
By changing the solutions, this may disorient offenders and make it more difficult for them to offend within retail stores.
Specific Interior Points or Assets. Zone 1 refers to the precise location of a specific target or asset. It could be a person that’s shopping, a store employee, or merchandise on a shelf. As we research solutions, we want to think about what makes the red or criminal shopper’s goal of stealing, intimidating, or defrauding less desirable. Zone 1 product protection solutions could be anything that touches an asset, such as a spider wrap around a box or a security shelf fixture. The LPRC team uses the “See-Get‑Fear” model to deter offending. According to this model, a deterrent will only be effective if offenders (1) see the deterrent, (2) understand its capabilities, and (3) fear its use or in other words believe it is a credible threat to them. A credible threat is one that increases the risk or effort associated with committing a crime. For example, if a retailer is using an electronic article surveillance (EAS) system, they would want offenders to (1) see the tags, (2) understand that the tags are for theft detection, and (3) fear that there will be a negative consequence if they steal an item protected by the EAS system. Unfortunately, in our interviews with retail offenders, many offenders do not believe that retailers will respond if an alarm goes off.
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“FEAR IT” Believe the solution is a credible threat
One caveat is that there are times when we do not want offenders to see solutions because the intention is not to deter. For example, we do not want offenders to see covert surveillance systems. However, this is because covert systems are intended for detecting and documenting offenses so that the footage gathered can be used to successfully investigate and prosecute retail offending. The solutions discussed above may deter individuals, however, retailers must also document, detect, divert, and disrupt offenses whenever possible. For example, retailers can use technologies that identify when an individual enters an area, dwell in an area, and when they remove products from shelves. All these technologies can promote more effective detection and documentation of theft events. Furthermore, solution providers continue to develop technologies that detect theft in Zone 1 using behavioral signatures, including technologies that rely on artificial intelligence and computer vision. Nevertheless, detecting offending in Zone 1 will be key to documenting offenses. Retailers can also disrupt offenders in Zone 1. For example, some leaders in loss prevention have used a strategy of regularly changing product protection solutions to “throw offenders off.” For example, offenders might become
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accustomed to a specific product protection solution over time, and they may learn how to defeat that solution. By changing the solutions, this may disorient offenders and make it more difficult for them to offend within retail stores. Unfortunately, this strategy of rotating product protection solutions has not been examined in rigorous research.
Zone 2
Specific Interior Category Areas. Zone 2 refers to the approximate space around the target. This could be a product section or a store aisle. There is an opportunity again to create the impression of control. A common solution used for these areas is enhanced public view monitors (ePVM), but it can also be the design of a particular area of a store. For example, Zone 2 solutions would include strategically placing some highly valuable products behind a counter in a department. However, we could also use signage to make offenders aware of deterrents, such as “recording in progress” signs. This helps ensure that retailers “see” and “understand” the deterrents used in retail stores. While all of these can deter crime, these technologies can also be used to disrupt offending. For example, retailers can make slight changes to the display on ePVMs within departments—if a retailer uses green bounding boxes around individuals on ePVM displays, they might vary the colors and use red, yellow, and green for different individuals. Research with offenders indicates that introducing this variation can “throw offenders off,” disorient them, and make them think that a new solution has been introduced. Of course, as mentioned earlier, simply introducing new analytics will also disrupt offenders’ plans.
Finally, in Zone 2, individuals can be diverted from crime with other anti-crime messaging. For example, retailers could include messaging that stealing is wrong and will be prosecuted. Alternatively, retailers could post messages in a department that reminds guests how retail theft affects product availability or the overall wellbeing of the community. Theoretically, reinforcing messages like these should reduce crime, however, more research needs to be done on a large scale to determine how different types of anti-crime messaging affects crime over time. This anti-crime approach can also be used throughout the other zones of influence.
Zone 3
Store Entry and Overall Interior. Zone 3 includes the entry and exit points, as well as the store interior. We want to focus on transition areas where people enter and exit. The goal is to create an impression of control as soon as guests enter the door. On one hand, we want offenders to know that there are certain risks if they commit crime—that the retailer has control of the situation. On the other hand, we want legitimate guests to know the store is a safe place in which to shop. Zone 3 solutions include EAS, CCTV systems, and the store layout itself. CCTV systems and EAS have been a key part of detecting and documenting offenses for a long time. These technologies are especially helpful for removing a reliance on human reporting. Humans are prone to errors; therefore, by relying on technological integration, retailers can capture video at the time of an alarm, and then use footage from other areas in the store to document how a retail theft was committed, identify all the products involved in the theft, and identify the individuals involved.
There are also approaches, such as RFID and EAS, that can enable retailers to track which products are exiting the store. If retailers know which products were sold, and which products left the store, they can compare the products that were sold and the products that exited the store and detect greater retail theft. This technology has the potential to capture a much greater number of retail theft events than many other technologies because retailers have item-level insights into the movement of products from a store.
Zone 4
Parking Lot Entry, Parking Lot Interior, and Store Curtilage. Zone 4 represents the parking area and curtilage of a retail store or supply chain facility. Once again, we want to project an impression of control to all guests in Zone 4. Solutions for this area could be exterior cameras, patrol vehicles, security guards, or highly visible parking lot surveillance towers. All these solutions can help retailers deter, divert, detect, disrupt, and document retail theft. For example, the presence of these technologies might increase offenders’ perceived risk of offending. If offenders believe they are more likely to be apprehended or identified during the commission of retail theft, they may reconsider committing crimes at the location. Of course, all these technologies can also be used to detect offending and document it—this will help retailers understand the threat and risk landscape and refine their loss prevention strategies and merchandise protection program. Some of these solutions can help retailers divert individuals from crime. For example, if a guard detects a juvenile offender, then the retailer might offer the juvenile diversion programming. Research shows that evidence-based diversion
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programs for juvenile offenders and first-time offenders can divert these populations from a life of crime. In fact, some retailers work with the National Association for Shoplifting Prevention (NASP) to divert first-time offenders from a life of crime by providing them with prevention programming. Of course, this is an approach that applies to other zones of influence.
Brick-and-mortar retailers can work with e-commerce retailers to reduce offenders’ opportunities to sell stolen goods. From a situational crime prevention perspective, this reduces the benefits of retail crimes by reducing opportunities for offenders to personally profit from retail crimes. Zone 5
The Surrounding Community Context and the Cyber Domain. Zone 5 includes the areas beyond the parking lot as well as online networks. There are many opportunities for crime and loss prevention in Zone 5, even though it is an easy zone to overlook. This may be because retailers have far less control over what happens beyond their locations and the immediate areas surrounding them. Nevertheless, there are many opportunities for retailers to divert individuals from criminal lifestyles, and many retailers currently do this through community engagement and charitable programming. On one hand, retailers collaborate with law enforcement to deter,
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FEATURE An Ounce of Prevention detect, and document retail theft. However, retailers can also disrupt offenders in Zone 5 by disrupting illicit marketplaces. As mentioned previously, if retailers assist law enforcement in shutting down local fences, the demand for stolen goods can be reduced.
Retailers can use the 5 Ds of retail crime and loss prevention to critically examine and improve their loss prevention programs. However, they must also think about where they focus their efforts. The LPRC’s Five Zones of Influence is a useful typology that can help retailers focus their efforts, from protecting specific targets to achieving broad reductions in crime throughout the communities they serve. The same thing is true on a larger scale—brick-and‑mortar retailers can work with e-commerce retailers to reduce offenders’ opportunities to sell stolen goods. From a situational crime prevention perspective, this reduces the benefits of retail crimes by reducing opportunities for offenders to personally profit from retail crimes. Of course, organizations devote considerable resources to the communities in which they operate, and work with local juveniles and adults to address problems related to crime, delinquency, substance use, mental health, and homelessness. For example, many of the major home improvement retailers
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are committed to reducing homelessness. Similarly, other retailers work with local organizations to help at-risk youths avoid turning to crime. Others commit resources to diverting the mentally ill from the criminal justice system by connecting them with local social service providers who can address their underlying needs. The cyber realm is another fruitful avenue for detecting and documenting retail crimes and identifying prolific offenders. There is a wealth of information on social media, chat services, and other online platforms that can be monitored. This can provide retailers with valuable information about local offenders, as well as networks of offenders, which can be used for investigations. Finally, there are many organizations that promote collaboration, education, and research in Zone 5, such as LP Magazine, the Loss Prevention Foundation, the LPRC, and the major trade organizations. Retailers can collaborate within these organizations, and this can help them improve their ability to effectively deter, divert, detect, disrupt, and document retail theft. Research projects in the LPRC have also helped retailers refine their programs. For example, the LPRC has helped retailers refine the way their associates document crimes, so that the resulting data is much more useful for analysis. All these organizations play an important role in the ongoing development of the profession.
Moving from Reactive to Proactive Strategies Retailers have many options for preventing retail theft. However, retailers need to think strategically about how and where they devote their loss prevention resources. The LPRC operates from the perspective that loss prevention
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teams will be more effective if they are focused on deterring and disrupting offending and diverting individuals from crime. However, they must have a long-term focus on continuous improvement. This requires that they collect the necessary data to understand the threat and risk landscape, as well as identify vulnerabilities within their organization. This also means retailers must devote resources to detecting and documenting offenses that are not deterred. There will always be retail offending, therefore, there will always be opportunities for loss prevention teams to improve. Retailers can use the 5 Ds of retail crime and loss prevention to critically examine and improve their loss prevention programs. However, they must also think about where they focus their efforts. The LPRC’s Five Zones of Influence is a useful typology that can help retailers focus their efforts, from protecting specific targets to achieving broad reductions in crime throughout the communities they serve. Nevertheless, one thing is clear: the industry needs to invest in much more than an ounce of prevention. Relying on reactive strategies is no longer an option because the fire of retail theft is raging, and any amount of prevention is worth infinitely more than cures that are not available.
Dr. Cory Lowe is a research scientist at the Loss Prevention Research Council. He received his doctorate in criminology in 2020 from the University of Florida (UF). At UF he specialized in crime and delinquency prevention, communities and crime, criminological theory, and research methods and data analysis. He has published in peer-reviewed journals and other scholarly publications on the causes of crime, crime and delinquency prevention, and the factors associated with substance use and delinquency.
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Meehan is retail technology editor for LPM as well as chief strategy officer and chief information security officer for 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.
The Global Supply Chain Crisis What Happened and When Will it End?
D
espite the world’s ongoing economic recovery from the coronavirus pandemic, global supply chain bottlenecks have caused record shortages of many products consumers are used to having readily available—from household goods to electronics to automobiles. But for many consumers, the question remains: “What happened and when will it end?”
What Is a Supply Chain?
In order to remain competitive, companies develop sophisticated supply chains to reduce their costs, therefore, an optimized supply chain should result in lower costs and a faster production cycle, which is why supply chain management is so essential.
Generally speaking, a supply chain is a network between a company and its suppliers that produces and distributes a particular product to the final consumer. Activities, individuals, firms, information, and resources are all found within this network. It is also important to understand that the supply chain also represents the process by which a product or service is brought from its “original state” to the customer. There are a series of steps involved in getting a product or service to the customer through a supply chain. The process consists of moving and transforming raw materials into finished products, transporting those products across the globe, and distributing them to waiting consumers. Among the entities involved in the supply chain are producers, vendors, warehouses, transportation companies, distribution centers, and retailers.
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In order to remain competitive, companies develop sophisticated supply chains to reduce their costs, therefore, an optimized supply chain should result in lower costs and a faster production cycle, which is why supply chain management is so essential.
When it comes to retail supply chains of the future, technology is only part of the solution. Beyond labor shortages, retailers will need to strategize on reducing costs within the supply chain, adjusting to the rapid digitalization of the retail landscape, experimenting with technologies to bridge the gap between labor and health concerns, and managing the ever-changing needs and behaviors of consumers. When Did the Supply Chain Issue Start? As you know, in March of 2020, the entire world entered lockdown. Many people found themselves
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working from home and taking on the position of teacher to their children. Dining rooms became offices, and kitchen tables became classrooms. Shortly into the pandemic, families began buying proper office furniture and outfitting playrooms as classrooms—ramping up sales in areas such as home goods and furnishing. In addition, lumber and related do-it-yourself (DIY) industry sales started to skyrocket as eager DIYers began tackling their long awaited “honey do lists,” or simply found that with surplus time on their hands, they could now tackle other home projects they had been putting off for another time. And with that, consumer purchases flooded the system, wreaking havoc on the supply chain due to timing and quantity. As a result, factories whose production schedules tended to be predictable began to ramp up to meet the surge in demand, but to no avail. So, why didn’t factories that were open produce more goods?
Why Can’t Factories Just Make More? They answer to this is not that simple. Global workers, who are critical parts of the supply chain—those working in factories, at loading docks, or driving trucks—were forced to stay home in the beginning continued on page 58
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Record shortages of food, household products, electronics, paint, and raw materials such as plastics, lumber, and cardboard have been caused by supply chain bottlenecks.
of the pandemic. The result? Factories in large industrial countries like China, South Korea, and Germany (to name a few) shut down. The ripple effect then extended into the shipping industry, where we saw reduced schedules in anticipation of a significant drop in demand. We all know now that this was unfortunately not the case. According to Peter Goodman of the New York Times, “This proved to be a terrible decision.” This is what happens when we follow analysts who were making incorrect recommendations about the way the pandemic would unfold. This, along with the increasing number of workers who did not return to their jobs once businesses started to reopen, coupled with those quitting jobs (the great resignation) that were vital to keeping things running smoothly, choked the once well-oiled machine that was the pre-pandemic supply chain. Look at the United States for example. In August 2021, 4.3 million Americans quit their jobs—the highest number since the Department of Labor began tracking this data in 2000. While retailers are increasing wages to keep up with concerns around inflation, they are also now forced to come up with creative ways to glean talent and workers from their competition. Warehouse employers such as Walmart, Target, and Amazon were offering attractive benefits, including free college tuition, to attract workers ahead of the 2021 busy holiday season.
Where Are All the Ships? Plain and simple, ocean freight is suffering from massive delays and increased prices. In a “perfect storm” of sorts, we how have peak shipping season running into a significant labor shortage, not to mention natural disasters like floods, wildfires, typhoons, and tornadoes, which have all aided in the reduction of supply chain capacity. Due to labor shortages, congestion at major marine ports, a lack of space on vessels, and restricted amounts of available containers, ocean freight is facing
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unprecedented delays and higher rates. In addition, more fleet capacity is needed to move the same amount of cargo, resulting in longer delays as container ships spend more time waiting in ports like the Port of Los Angeles and the Port of Yantian, due to lack of skilled labor. Now, toss in the delta and omicron variant that led to countries restricting or completely closing off land access, this situation could potentially happen again. The result? Sailors stranded at sea and captains unable to staff a ship or rotate crews. To state we are experiencing a global supply chain crisis is the only point of accuracy you can allude to here.
To say the future is uncertain, is an understatement. Until there is a solid therapeutic to accompany vaccines, this will likely be an ongoing issue for the world. Regarding the supply chain crisis, issues around containers and the trucking industry will continue to be a long-term problem. What Items Are in Short Supply? Record shortages of food, household products, electronics, paint, and raw materials such as plastics, lumber, and cardboard have been caused by supply chain bottlenecks. “At this point, shortages are guaranteed,” said Jonathan Gold, vice president of supply chain policy at the National Retail Federation. “We’ve been warning consumers to manage their expectations for the holiday shopping season (and beyond) for months now. The fact of the matter is the supply chain is stretched to its limit from end-to-end.” And the demand for product is not slowing down. According to Gold, demand grew so rapidly in the past two years of the pandemic that it is the equivalent of almost fifty million new Americans joining
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the economy. Since there are fewer workers to process goods, shipping yards and warehouses are running out of space, making it increasingly difficult to organize and get goods to their final destinations—consumers. This includes goods that have expiration dates. “All parts of the supply chain, most of which are built on ‘lean’ principles (no slack, little redundancy, from truck drivers to inventory in warehouses) were not prepared for this increase,” explained Tony Pelli, practice director of security and resilience at BSI, in a recent article in Business Insider India. “While consumer demand can increase in a matter of months, it takes more time to increase port capacity, build warehouses, hire employees, etc. to meet that demand,” he added.
What Does the Future Look Like? To say the future is uncertain, is an understatement. Until there is a solid therapeutic to accompany vaccines, this will likely be an ongoing issue for the world. Regarding the supply chain crisis, issues around containers and the trucking industry will continue to be a long-term problem. As someone who lives and breathes the current supply chain issues, I will share this warning. Manufacturers need to be cautious. As they scramble to find and substitute materials, there needs to be a greater focus on quality control. For example, car manufacturers will need chips for vehicles, but if they are not properly quality controlling these processes and parts, the result may be cars having major issues that they did not have pre-pandemic. Proper measurements need to be put in place to not only protect the brands, but more importantly, the consumers. When it comes to retail supply chains of the future, technology is only part of the solution. Beyond labor shortages, retailers will need to strategize on reducing costs within the supply chain, adjusting to the rapid digitalization of the retail landscape, experimenting with technologies to bridge the gap between labor and health concerns, and managing the ever‑changing needs and behaviors of consumers.
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ASK THE EXPERT Interview with Jason DeVinney DeVinney is the business development manager for Checkpoint Systems supporting grocery retailers with shrink, sales, and inventory improvements driving ROI with technology such as EAS and RFID hardware, software, and labels. With more than twenty-five years of retail experience with CGPs, LP professionals and retail merchandising teams, DeVinney has successfully deployed chain-wide programs for some of the largest retailers in North America, Latin America, Europe, and Asia. He can be reached at jdevinney@checkpt.com.
Controlling Grocery Shrink What does the grocery industry look like?
What are the high-theft categories in grocery?
Grocery sales in the US are big business and contribute heavily to the US economy. According to the USDA, the US grocery market had revenues of over $688 billion in 2018 from a large grouping of over 115,857 grocery retailers. Stores range from the largest US retailers to countless local mom-and-pop stores. An incredible 92.2 percent of all spending in the US on food and drink occurs in what are categorized as grocery stores (supermarkets and smaller independent grocers). Convenience stores make up the next highest proportion, a mere 4.5 percent. The remaining 3.3 percent is spent in specialized food stores.
Meat is a major shrink item and is increasing over the last year in both prepackaged meat and meat packaged in the store. Another major contributor to shrink is wine and spirits with liquor being the main driver with product often defensively merchandised and locked in a glass cabinet or behind the counter. Based on Checkpoint’s annual survey with major US retailers, top shrink categories include health and beauty, cosmetics, and over-the-counter drugs. Grocery retailers have the unique challenge of carrying a variety of high-shrink items like fresh meat, fish, and seafood, while combating shrink on personal care items such as teeth whitening, body wash, shaving, and fabric-care products. Retailers have found that visible tagging will reduce shrink and increase sales on these high-theft items.
What does shrink look like? The 2020 National Retail Security Survey revealed shrink was at an all-time high, accounting for 1.62 percent of a retailer’s bottom line, costing the industry $61.7 billion. Prior to the economic downturn, total shrink consumed 3.1 percent of a typical grocer’s revenue, much higher than any other retail sector according to The Food Industry Association (FMI). Now more than ever, grocery retailers have a major opportunity to combat shrink and positively impact the overall value proposition to shoppers while increasing net profits.
Is launching EAS difficult? EAS success in grocery is easier than ever based on two major developments. First, improved radio frequency (RF) technology that has enabled increased detection at the entry/exits and instantaneous deactivation at the pointof-sale allowing automated deactivation by the cashier or at self-checkout. Second is
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merchandise protection where essentially anything in the store can easily be protected at source with a RF label that is product and package agnostic. According to FMI, average shrink is 3.1 percent of a grocer’s revenue and item‑level shrink can be 4 to 5 percent for high-risk items. Launching a merchandise protection program will keep high-shrink products on the shelf and available for sale. The result is increased profits and an improved shopping experience.
How long is the ROI for EAS systems? Based on a recent Checkpoint survey, 90 percent of North American food retailers utilizing EAS systems recognized an ROI in the first twelve months, and 100 percent by the eighteenth month. The ROI is driven largely due to shrink reduction on a select list of high-risk, high‑volume products with the shared objective of increasing profits via greater on-shelf availability (OSA). In speaking to food retailers, shrink reduction can be recognized from 10 to 40 percent on protected items, improving OSA, thereby making the product available to customers for purchase. Retailers are demonstrating that everyone wins with EAS, from the shopper to the consumer goods manufacturer to the grocery retailer.
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When comparing grocery retailers to the overall retail industry, we find grocery has some of the lowest margins in retail while also experiencing higher shrink. The negative impact on the grocery retailer and the shopper is significant.
JACK: For those who may not know, give our readers a brief history of FMI and the role it has played over the years in the grocery industry. DOUG: This year FMI celebrates forty-five years. The roots of our FMI name date back to the merger of two leading associations that served the industry since the 1930s, the Super Market Institute and the National Association of Food Chains. This combination resulted in a new name, the Food Marketing Institute, along with its more commonly used acronym, FMI. In 2002, the board of directors approved a plan to join FMI’s food retail and wholesale members with the grocery wholesaler members of Food Distributors International (FDI). And in 2003, FMI acquired the Safe Quality Food (SQF) supplier certification program from the Department of Agriculture of Western Australia. The SQF program is designed to manage
FMI, The Food Industry Association Advancing a Safer, Healthier, and More Efficient Consumer Food Supply Chain By Jack Trlica, LPM Editor-in-Chief
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Doug Baker joined FMI in 2014 to lead private brands, and that role has since expanded to include technology and oversight of asset protection and risk.
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FEATURE The Food Industry Association food safety and product quality utilizing industry specific codes of practice and regulations. Today, as FMI, The Food Industry Association, we work with and on behalf of the entire industry to advance a safer, healthier, and more efficient consumer food supply chain. JACK: When did you finalize the FMI rebranding? Chad Ross
Leslie Sarasin
DOUG: With the resolve and perspective of the FMI board of directors and executive committee, we refocused our lens and embraced the broader food community over the last several years. This came together more formally with the launch of our emboldened organization on January 21, 2020. Our goal is to work toward the overall progress of the food industry, through advocacy, collaboration, and education. And what we do matters, as we support and help foster our members’ ability
This year FMI celebrates forty-five years.
The roots of our FMI name date back to the merger of two leading associations that served the industry since the 1930s, the Super Market Institute and the National Association of Food Chains. Today, as FMI, The Food Industry Association, we work with and on behalf of the entire industry.
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to feed and nourish consumers. On that date—coincidentally right before the pandemic hit our nation—we revealed a new FMI, one that embraces the new marketplace. Anchored in our tagline as The Food Industry Association, we believe it is crucial to take an end-to-end value chain view that extends beyond retailers to include manufacturers and others, so we can most effectively amplify the collective voice and impact across the industry. JACK: What is your role with the association? DOUG: I joined in 2014 to lead private brands for FMI. Over the past seven years, I have had the pleasure and opportunity to expand my role to include technology and oversight of asset protection and risk. Each of these focus areas is grounded in a community. Like the professionals I represent among our member
FMI Asset Protection Council Members companies, my role shifted quickly to address the pandemic and the essential nature of our industry to keep Americans fed and safe. JACK: What was your previous industry experience before joining FMI? DOUG: This industry has been my life work, starting in store operations with Fry’s Food Stores, a division of the Kroger Company. After several years as a retailer, I had the opportunity to see the industry from a different vantage point and moved to Nabisco, staying through the acquisition by Kraft. I moved from manufacturer brands to private brands with Federated Group, which owns
JACK: Tell us more about FMI’s asset protection group. Who are the key players inside FMI supporting AP?
(Chair), Senior Director, Asset Protection, Festival Foods
William England (Vice-Chair), Vice President, Asset Protection, Weis Markets
DOUG: Chad Ross, manager of industry relations, leads day‑to‑day operations of the asset protection council, but several years back we also organized an internal crisis management team across government relations, food safety, communications, and legal roles within FMI. In March of 2020, we not only operationalized this group, but because of the pandemic, the entire organization played a key role in supporting the industry. It was really a testament to the culture our
Bringing the conference back was a priority of the council prior to the pandemic. We heard from many in the industry that felt there was a void when it came to asset protection events that focused on food retail. One of our council members stated it well, when he said, “All food retailers are retailers, but not all retailers are food retailers.” one of the very first private brands in the US—Red & White—which supported the Red & White stores and competed against the Atlantic and Pacific Tea Company, one of the largest retailers at that time. I led their sales organization, supporting retailers’ private brand development and marketing activities. My career path led me to FMI and naturally set me up to understand the business and address our members’ needs as a peer.
Joe Laufenber
Retail Operations, Northgate Gonzalez Market
Michael Brenton, Vice President of Store Support, Giant Food Damon Cavasin, Director, Asset Protection, SpartanNash
Joseph Conway Director, Asset Protection, ACME Markets Joe Darnell Manager, Loss Prevention Administration, Ahold Delhaize USA Chris Harris, Director, Asset Protection, The Kroger Co. Jackie Johnson, Asset and Profit Protection Director, Festival Foods
Dave Kozak, Assistant Vice President, Loss Prevention, Hy-Vee Kevin Larson, Senior Manager, Asset Protection Transaction Monitoring, The Kroger Co. Matthew Larson, Director, Loss Control, Coborn’s Jesse Levine, Director of Loss Prevention and Risk Management, Ravitz Family Markets
Luke Moore, Regional Asset Protection Manager, Meijer Diane Munro, Safety Auditor Trainer, Big Y Foods Michael Nelson, Asset Protection Director, Wegmans Food Markets
Derrick Price, Director, Asset Protection, Wakefern Food Corp.
CEO Leslie Sarasin built after arriving in 2009. Everyone stood willing and ready to support our members and this industry. During that time, we revised or created several guides to support members who were experiencing the impacts from civil unrest, de‑escalating conflict, food safety and sanitation, to increased awareness training because of a rise in active assailants.
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Michael Bowers, Vice President, Efficient
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Suzette Stevenson, Director of Asset Protection, Giant Food William “Bill” Thurman, Asset Protection Manager, Associated Food Stores Luis Torres, Director of Business Protection and Safety, Sprouts Farmers Market
Marcus Young, Director, Asset Protection, United Supermarkets
Scott Ziter, Vice President, Risk Management, Price Chopper Supermarkets
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FEATURE The Food Industry Association JACK: Tell us more about your asset protection council. DOUG: The asset protection council is an inclusive group of twenty food retail senior executives (see page 63) from independent regional operators to publicly traded national companies working interdependently to predict, confront, and resolve common issues or concerns using an all-hazards, all-threats, all‑crime, all-the-time approach. The council has experienced growth through the pandemic and is open to all FMI member companies. JACK: I attended several FMI loss prevention conferences
For 2022, we are releasing our first annual State of the Industry report focused on asset protection. Additionally, we are working with partners to review and update several of our crisis guides—from cyber to active assailant.
over the past twenty years. But you’ve not held a conference recently. However, 2022 will be different. Tell us about your upcoming conference. DOUG: As we get closer to the date—March 21–24 at Loews Portofino Bay in Orlando—and more session formats and speakers are confirmed, we are really excited about this conference. Our mission going in was that this be a conference for high-impact industry dialog built by the industry. The council has owned this process and done a terrific job. In terms of its format, by including smaller roundtable discussions following the general sessions, attendees will have the opportunity to dive into the topic learnings from their peers and activating what they’ve learned in their own companies. Additionally, we want the solution providers involved to confidently engage with retailers through our B2B scheduler. Of course, no conference is successful without meaningful and enjoyable networking activities, which attendees will be able to enjoy once again—in person—with each other. JACK: Would you talk about some of the topics you especially think will be of value to attendees? DOUG: The most impactful speakers we invite will be retailers. Our goal is to ensure that our attendees leave the conference with real-world applications for their companies, and what better way to learn than by getting a lesson from a peer. We’ll address the growing organized retail crime (ORC) concern, the rise in active shooter events, and ways to strengthen public-private partnerships. As we understand in our role as crisis management practitioners, if we fail to prepare, we prepare to fail. We are doing everything
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possible to assist key personnel in preparing, responding, stabilizing, and finally recovering from these situations. JACK: Given this is one of the first in-person conferences since the pandemic, what do you tell an AP executive about why they should attend this conference. DOUG: Bringing the conference back was a priority of the council prior to the pandemic. We heard from many in the industry that felt there was a void when it came to asset protection events that focused on food retail. One of our council members stated it well, when he said, “All food retailers are retailers, but not all retailers are food retailers.” There are AP issues that span retail sectors, but there are also ones that are unique to food retail and are
best addressed by those within our community that have food industry expertise. If an executive wants to know how his or her peers are addressing specific food retail related issues, this event is where they need to be to explore and learn. JACK: Apart from the upcoming conference, what are some of FMI’s asset protection initiatives for 2022? DOUG: For 2022, we are releasing our first annual State of the Industry report focused on asset protection. Additionally, we are working with partners to review and update several of our crisis guides—from cyber to active assailant. In addition to our partnership with The Power of Preparedness (TPOP), we will also be announcing a member+
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FMI Asset Protection & Grocery Resilience Conference March 21–24, 2022, Loews Portofino Bay, Orlando, Florida Register at fmi.org/apgr partner relationship focused on early crisis detection. Last and equally important is the opportunity for 2022 strategic planning based on lessons learned from the conference. The influence of this event’s collective attendance will give us the ability to learn and respond to FMI members in the AP community. JACK: How can asset protection professionals get involved with FMI? DOUG: Companies interested in FMI asset protection may email Chad Ross, manager, industry relations, at cross@fmi.org.
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AN FO FOR MORE IN
To listen to an LPM podcast with Doug Baker, visit our Podcast page on the magazine website, LossPreventionMedia.com or scan the QR code.
Alexander Supertramp / Shutterstock.com
CYBERSECURITY Garett Seivold Seivold is senior writer for LP Magazine. A trained journalist, he has spent the majority of his career writing about security, risk management, supply chain, and loss prevention topics. He can be reached at GarettS@LPportal.com.
Predictions, Problems, and Priorities Five Cyber Musts for Retail in 2022
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Retailers have traditionally focused attention on protecting their internal systems and processes, but vulnerability now hinges on the security of others.
etailers are paying more attention to cybersecurity and increasing spending on data protection, but technology and threat vectors are evolving sufficiently fast that investments and effort haven’t truly translated into a more secure operating environment. Progress on one front or against one type of attack is frequently counterbalanced by new threats emerging elsewhere. This year is likely to bring more of the same, suggested cyberexperts. Many are predicting that retailers will continue to be pressed to stay ahead of cybercrooks and online threats—and even holding ground will require resolve. The consensus seems to be that retail organizations can maintain their current level of protection against online threats, but only if they don’t take their foot off the gas. Specifically, retailers might give weight to the following broad areas of cyber risk identified by experts in interviews and recent analysis.
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Align security strategy with reliance on third-party providers. In an examination of holiday risks for retailers, Forrester analyst Allie Mellen noted that
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ransomware attackers like to hit always-operating environments like hospitals because they offer the best chance for a payday, and that retailers “fall right into this bucket” with its reliance on continuously running production and 24/7 customers. And pay they do. A survey by ThycoticCentrify released in late 2021 revealed that 83 percent of organizations hit by a ransomware attack give in to attackers’ demands. Ransomware attacks were behind the exponential increase in cyberattacks in 2021, with some estimates putting the growth in global ransomware attacks at 600 percent. Increasingly, though, cyberattacks like ransomware can impact retailers without being the initial target. Third parties are playing a growing role in supporting digital retail operations, especially as retailers made a quick pivot to online during the pandemic. While important business assets, vendors can also present a threat to security. Third-party providers and cloud-based solutions are frequently relied upon for a host of omnichannel services, from running loyalty programs to supply chain tracking. With their deep level of access, infiltrations
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can go undetected by traditional tools to detect anomalous network behavior. The infamous SolarWinds hack in December 2020 was an example of the danger and a “moment of reckoning,” according to Microsoft Corporate Vice President of Security Vasu Jakkal. He said the attack, in which trojan viruses were distributed to customers through a trusted platform update, was not an outlier—and he warned such attacks were going to become more sophisticated in the years ahead. “This is going to be the norm,’’ he told ZDNet in 2021. It’s estimated that 30 percent of organizations impacted by the attack didn’t even have a direct link to SolarWinds. Retailers have traditionally focused attention on protecting their internal systems and processes, but vulnerability now hinges on the security of others. Retailers must account for interdependencies by more closely scrutinizing the security of their software supply chain and third-party providers. Experts advise more testing of software updates before they arrive and caution against immediately continued on page 68
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One obstacle is that personal data sharing with retailers makes customers concerned about the loss of privacy. A study by PwC in 2018 found that 87 percent of US customers doubt if retailers are effectively able to manage their customers’ personal data, and half do not trust using retailers’ new technologies such as location data tracking.
Noah Simon
installing updates that might contain malicious code. In short, adopt a zero-trust model. Increasingly complex and digitized supply chains offer a way to attack retail organizations, and it is made more attractive because they often limit security testing to the immediate network environment, according to John Sawyer, director of red team services at IOActive. He is one of several cyberexperts making the case that companies should expand penetration testing to the software supply chain in 2022 and identify risks through adversary simulation to spot hidden problems.
2.
Strike the right balance between enhanced security and customer ease-of-use and recognize security as the foundation on which many future sales strategies must be built. When it comes to customer‑facing security, the results of a new survey suggest that retailers may think they’re in a no-win situation. Retailers, restaurants, and hospitality businesses were surveyed by Hanover Research for FreedomPay and Cornell’s Center for Hospitality Research, and 91 percent think customers deeply care about cybersecurity. Another 86 percent believe strong cybersecurity increases customer loyalty. However, results of the Cybersecurity Attitudes and Usage Survey also suggest security’s potential downside. Some 65 percent of retail companies think customers are annoyed by extra security measures, and 67 percent believe that customers demand easy-to-use systems. The report recommends that merchants ensure software and firmware are always up to date, to lobby for government involvement in fighting cyber threats, and to make cybersecurity visible for customers. More money may also be needed. The balancing act between security and convenience requires strategic investment, but half of the
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retailers and other companies surveyed admit to stagnant IT security budgets. When considering security investments, retailers should factor in the role that a customer’s confidence in cybersecurity is foundational to emerging sales strategies. Case in point: There is a growing interest in location data sharing via smartphone, by which a retailer accesses customers’ geographic locations in a store, tracks their movements, and permits a store’s mobile app to push meaningful, personalized services to customers. Such targeted offerings are more valuable and useful for both
innovative sales strategies. Building trust is the key to encourage customers to grant location sharing, and “One way to build trust is to communicate to customers that the retailer sets cybersecurity and privacy as the forefront of business strategy and implements robust governance and privacy protection policies,” the report explained.
3.
Map cybersecurity metrics to relevant business objectives. Cybersecurity metrics offer a critical pathway to continuous improvement and help illuminate vulnerabilities that can result in data exploits, but it’s a
Retailers are paying more attention to cybersecurity and increasing spending on data protection, but technology and threat vectors are evolving sufficiently fast that investments and effort haven’t truly translated into a more secure operating environment. Progress on one front or against one type of attack is frequently counterbalanced by new threats emerging elsewhere. customers and retailers, and “a successful personalized retail offering improves customers’ loyalty,” noted a study by the Australian Retailers Association in October 2021 titled Customers’ attitudes toward in-store location sharing prompts and its influence on purchase decision making. One obstacle is that personal data sharing with retailers makes customers concerned about the loss of privacy. A study by PwC in 2018 found that 87 percent of US customers doubt if retailers are effectively able to manage their customers’ personal data, and half do not trust using retailers’ new technologies such as location data tracking. “Thus, it is crucial to reduce customers’ privacy concerns if retailers want their customers to share their location data,” concluded the Australian Retailers Association study. How do you get there? Robust cybersecurity is one of the key factors in helping retailers capitalize on this and other
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problem when organizations rely exclusively on what it can measure to guide activities, warned Noah Simon, senior director of product marketing at Axonius, in a recent security industry webinar “Cybersecurity Metrics: The What, Why, and How of Measurement.” Simon advocates an idea that is popular among industry leaders—that organizations include on their metric dashboards the metrics that are needed but are not available, and to mark that in some manner to signal an area of elevated risk. “For many companies, identifying gaps is a great place to start,” said Simon. “Putting together a laundry list of items that can’t be measured today—but should be—is an important starting point.” As for cybersecurity metrics themselves, Simon explained that focusing on the why is incredibly important: ● Is the metric to show the strengthening of a
security posture? To demonstrate that the security team is getting more efficient? ● To show a specific initiative is having positive results? He said he sees a need for more metrics gathering in areas that impact the business as a whole. “Metrics need to be more about business impact and less specific to only the security program,” he said. They should also be driven by what executives want to measure and what they care about. Incident cost is a commonly used and illuminating metric, which may be calculated as the time to fully detect and resolve an incident multiplied by the combined salary costs of the staff involved in investigating the incident. ●
4.
Lift cybersecurity awareness to match exposure. Just about every l arge organization and major employer in every industry is relying more on remote workers. According to Unisys’ 2021 Security Index, hybrid and remote work became “the new normal” in 2021, with nearly two-thirds of workers (62 percent) working remotely at least part time. Many workers who can are likely to continue remote work even after the pandemic, and there are suggestions that their level of security awareness needs to improve to prevent putting their employers at risk. “The survey identified a widespread lack of consumer awareness on avoiding and addressing online threats,” the survey report concluded. Among the findings—39 percent of people report not being wary of clicking on suspicious links, and 45 percent have downloaded or installed software not approved by their IT department. That can be a problem, because while most organizations have security controls in place, there are still risks or holes that can be created by downloading unauthorized software or apps. “Everyday employee tasks like opening an attachment can have serious
consequences if employees aren’t paying attention to the source,” warned Leon Gilbert, senior vice president and general manager for Unisys’ Digital Workplace Solutions. Remote workers may not even need to be at their home office desks to pose a risk. According to the Cyber Center for Security and Analytics at the University of Texas at San Antonio (USTA), hacks on smart devices increased during the pandemic. USTA’s Elias Bou‑Harb said remote work is a boon to hackers who can move from an exploited connection to a smart device to a computer that logs into an organization’s networks. Some analysts express surprise that despite more breaches touching people individually, they haven’t grown much more vigilant about security processes when functioning as employees. Some suggest that organizations should be investing more in training to help employees know what they should and shouldn’t be doing, and to be aware of the risks so they can alert security teams if they spot anything suspicious. As such, many advocate putting processes in place that simplify reporting.
transportation, and retail, among other industries. Even appreciation of “insider threats” may need to evolve. “Hitherto understood to refer to a human’s risk to an organization, the insider threat of 2030 could just as easily be an object or an algorithm.” Compounding the 2030 cyber challenge will be growth in the burgeoning Crime as a Service (CaaS) market. “We may expect to see illicit retail of AI-enabled tools that offer individuals with little or no specialist technical skill the opportunity to run a cybercriminal enterprise,” according to the report. These and other future risks can be obscured, however, by myriad current challenges that tend to drive cyberdefense strategy, according to Rik Furguson, vice president of security research at Trend Micro. As companies have been moving away from data center centric usage patterns to cloud usage patterns and exploring new ways to conduct business and new ways to communicate, “Security response is in this constant firefighting mode.” While companies can’t ignore the threats in front of them, they also need to see how
Many are predicting that retailers will continue to be pressed to stay ahead of cybercrooks and online threats—and even holding ground will require resolve. The consensus seems to be that retail organizations can maintain their current level of protection against online threats, but only if they don’t take their foot off the gas.
5.
Think about 2030 risks while mitigating 2022 threats. In its Project 2030 whitepaper, analysts from Europol’s European Cybercrime Centre and Trend Micro note that in the coming age of the Massive Internet of Things (MIoT) and 5G, “Threats aimed at things will have billions more connected targets,” and successful cyberattacks will result in disruption to manufacturing and logistics,
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future predictions of cyber threats match up against retail operations. This vision allows a company “to see which technology areas are worthy of more strategic investment, which require further planning, and maybe even areas where you don’t need to focus as much as you perhaps thought you did,” Furguson advised during a 2021 RSAC conference presentation, “Scenarios for the Future of Cybercrime.”
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Rik Ferguson
PODCASTS Courtney Wolfe M21Perfect /shutterstock.com
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.
Top Ten Podcasts of 2021 O 3 LPM Podcasts If you’ve yet to dive into our podcast library, consider starting with this round-up of the most popular LPM podcast episodes of 2021.
ne thing the LPM team is particularly proud of coming out of 2021 is our rapidly expanding podcast channel. Throughout the year, we published twenty-four episodes, totaling 916 minutes of content. Thanks to our loyal listeners, those podcasts were downloaded a total of 12,864 times. And this is just the start—we’ve already published several podcasts in the new year and are excited about the great content we will be rolling out in the months to come. If you’ve yet to dive into our podcast library, consider starting with this round-up of the most popular LPM podcast episodes of 2021. From COVID-19 vaccines to organized retail crime, there’s something sure to interest anyone in the loss prevention industry. You can access our podcasts on your favorite podcast platform, hear all of them on the Podcast tab of our website, or scan the QR code above.
1
olving Today’s LP S Challenges and Understanding Tomorrow’s Shopper
Episode 56 In the video management software world, companies face problems like tech debt
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and staying up to date with the latest technology for their systems. In our number one podcast of 2021, Padma Duvvuri from Dragonfruit AI and Grant Cowan with Salient explore how retailers can have a single interface for video to pull everything together and then layer on business intelligence with the cameras already in place to start understanding tomorrow’s evolving shopper.
2
The Team at LifeRaft Answers the Question: So What Do You Do?
Answers from the Experts on the COVID-19 Vaccines
Episode 51 In this presentation from the LPM Spring Fling virtual event in March 2021, experts with the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provided the most current vaccine information available at the time, and addressed some of the more common questions and concerns regarding the pandemic response.
Episode 52 “So What Do You Do?” is a special series from LPM that is essentially like a virtual version of the conversation one would have at a trade show when you walk up to a new vendor and ask them to explain what they do. In this first edition, join LPM’s Kevin McMenimen and special co-host Rhett Asher, president of the International Supply Chain Protection Organization (ISCPO), as they learn about LifeRaft and how the company provides actionable intelligence to protect people and assets.
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This is just the start—we’ve already published several podcasts in the new year and are excited about the great content we will be rolling out in the months to come.
4
nd This Is Why Ultra A Beauty Partnered with Detective Analytics to Fight ORC
from corporate. LP veteran Scott Pethuyne of Zebra Technologies has seen his fair share of these initiatives during his tenure as an LP professional. Ultimately what helped his budget-strapped team truly accelerate productivity and drive next-level results was a new analytics solution called prescriptive analytics
9
ridging the B Gap between Brick‑and‑Mortar and e-Commerce
Episode 44 In this episode of the “And This Is Why” podcast series, Lead ORC Manager Alaina Kring with Ulta Beauty explains why they chose Detective Analytics’ deep learning loss prevention platform to use as a tool across their enterprise to support their investigations and training in the fight against organized retail crime in their stores.
Episode 57
7
nd This Is Why A Walgreens Partnered with ALTO to Address Shoplifting
Episode 43
5
I mportance of Company Culture and Continuing Education with Big Lots’ Rob LaCommmare
Episode 60 In this episode of LPM’s 2Cents on 2Things podcast series, Kevin McMenimen sits down with Rob LaCommare, vice president of asset protection and safety at Big Lots. LaCommare discusses Big Lots’ culture of putting family first, and how the company also prioritizes its employees’ personal needs, both in and out of the workplace.
In this episode of the “And This Is Why” podcast series, Bill Inzeo, the senior director of strategic analytics systems and support for Walgreens, explains why Walgreens partnered with ALTO Alliance to implement a comprehensive solution that helped the company address shoplifting and organized retail crime in their stores.
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ever Board Up Again N with Innovative Glass Hardening Solutions
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6
ressured to “Do P More with Less?” Add Prescriptive Analytics
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Contending with an increase in rioting, smash-and-grab theft, and natural disasters, retailers have been forced to employ a strategy of board up, pull down, repeat. And the catastrophic costs from damages and downtime are detrimental. Here, James Beale, a leading expert in glazing security solutions, discusses how to avoid all this.
In this first edition of LPM’s “What’s Cooking” podcast series, we hear from Nathan Smith, senior vice president of product strategy for Appriss Retail, about how they are using data mining and artificial intelligence to help retailers cope with the significant increase in omni-channel business due to the pandemic to minimize the increasing costs of online fulfillment as well as fraud, while improving the customer experience.
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Episode 58 Rhett Asher, vice president of strategy for ThinkLP and president of the International Supply Chain Protection Organization (ISCPO), discusses how he was able to remain constantly involved with his children and family despite his professional career, and how that translated into mentoring those who work around him to ensure they maintain and promote their own work-life balance.
Countless loss prevention teams are feeling the pinch of “do more with less” initiatives
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ork-Life Balance W and Building Integrity with ThinkLP’s Rhett Asher
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From COVID-19 vaccines to organized retail crime, there’s a podcast episode sure to interest anyone in the loss prevention industry.
LPM DIGITAL Courtney Wolfe Wolfe is LPM’s 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.
Things You May Have Missed on the LPM Digital Channels T
To ensure that you don’t miss any important loss prevention information, subscribe to our digital channel by scanning the QR code above.
he LP Magazine website and digital channels offer loss prevention professionals a myriad of thought-leadership articles from a wide range of industry experts, original articles from LPM writers, webinars with industry experts, videos, and so 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 information, subscribe to our digital channel at LossPreventionMedia.com/email or scan the QR code here.
of? What’s their favorite food? Here, we spoke with Joe Coll, vice president of asset protection operations and strategy at Macy’s.
Winter 2022
Key Lessons from the Pandemic’s Amazon Effect
New Report Examining Retailers’ Return Policies Released
20 Questions with Macy’s Joe Coll
Loss prevention is a lot of things. But, at its core, loss prevention is the people putting in the work and showing up to protect customers, employees, and product, every day. In this exclusive digital interview series, LP Magazine takes a closer look at the people behind loss prevention, and what makes them tick. Where did they get their start? What are they most proud
product descriptions, fit, or quality issues.
Incisiv released its 2022 Ominichannel Returns Index, which assesses top retailers’ returns capabilities across four areas—product content and digital experience, returns policy and information, returns and refund process, and 360-degree service. The report showed that returns accounted for 10.6 percent of retail trade in 2020, and totaled $428 billion. Another interesting finding? Six percent of all returns are fraudulent, and 73 percent of returns occur due to retailercontrolled reasons such as inaccurate
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Amazon is now the most visited e-commerce website in the United States, with nearly 2.5 billion monthly visits. To put it in perspective, that’s more than the next six major retailers’ online traffic combined. And Amazon has only grown more powerful during the pandemic, as its online business model appeals to those stuck at home. In this article, Tony D’Onofrio, CEO of the consultancy firm TD Insights and CEO of Prosegur’s global retail business, examines the retail giant’s dominance, and what has been coined as the “Amazon Effect.”
continued on page 74
Witness, victim, subject – everyone has a story to tell, even an interviewer. As the investigative interviewing environment evolves, so does the need to obtain powerful and practical methods. Make sure you prepare for the changes ahead when you start your story with WZ. The need for new strategies and industry knowledge is an essential chapter of your professional development. A great story can motivate, encourage, and inspire – leading you to new opportunities and growth. Choose the WZ training programs that meet your needs, register, and start yours today!
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Continued from page 72
Why Loss Prevention Is More Important Than Ever
There is new content updated to the LPM website daily that is featured in our e-newsletter.
The challenges retailers and communities face when it comes to crime have grown in scale and complexity over the past two years. Some of the key challenges include the surge in aggression and violence in stores, changes in law enforcement response and legislation, impacts of lockdowns, rapid growth in online marketplaces, and the subsequent and continued rise in ORC. Loss prevention has been critical to surviving what we hope is the worst of the pandemic and has now rightfully earned its place at the table for how to thrive in the future. This is going to provide plenty of opportunities to find new ways of working, including new technology and working closer as an industry and with law enforcement, according to Auror co-CEO Phil Thomson.
SAFR Shares Its Predictions for the Physical Security Industry in 2022
Since the start of the pandemic, technology in the physical security industry has been advancing
Winter 2022
rapidly to keep up with the new needs of consumers. So, what will the big trends in physical security be in 2022? Letting go of fears around artificial intelligence, embracing hybrid cloud solutions, and learning from pandemic-driven use cases are at the top of the list according to SAFR from RealNetworks, a facial recognition platform for live video.
The Homeland Security Investigations Team Explains How They Fight ORC
As Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) helps to lead the fight against organized retail crime, HSI is partnering with retailers and a network of government agencies supporting ORC investigators and driving investigations that also look at the ancillary opportunities for criminal charges that will help in crippling and dismantling these criminal networks. As a part of LPM’s January ORC BLITZ on January 25, which provided updates on the current status of the retail industry’s fight against ORC, the HSI team shared how they are ramping up their efforts to create partnerships. In addition, the Retail Industry Leaders Association presented on their push for the INFORM Act, and asset protection professionals from Nordstrom and Walgreens shared how they keep
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their stores safe amid the rise in ORC. You can watch the webinar on- demand on the LPM site.
In Case You Missed It
It is difficult for anyone to keep up with everything written about loss prevention and retail topics across the country and the world. LPM editors gather some of the most important articles published each week by industry sources, local newspapers, and major media outlets. We post links to these articles as well as summarize the top articles featured on our website in our ICYMI weekly updates posted in our Friday e-newsletter and sent out via email to our digital subscribers. Check out a sample here and be sure to sign up as a digital subscriber at LossPreventionMedia.com/email.
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Believe the Hype The Detective Analytics automated investigations platform has proven itself successful to the most discriminating professionals—retail investigators and law enforcement. “The crime-linking network has not only expanded our own personal contacts within the loss prevention world, but it’s also helped us solve cases that we had absolutely zero intelligence on,” said one Senior Manager of Organized Retail Crime. “This program is easy to use and quickly highlights cases that are connected to each other. If outside retailers are also part of Detective Analytics, their cases will cross‑connect making it easier to collaborate on the same suspects. Packaging cases for prosecution couldn’t be easier. With a click of a button, the cases are bundled into an electronic file that includes all linked cases, visual mapping of the cases, and time/date of occurrence. which can be sent via email to law enforcement. A detective with the Sacramento Sheriff Department told us ‘This is the most professional case presentation I have ever received,’” said a Senior Manager of Asset Protection Investigations.
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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 Sam Robledo is now a corporate investigator at 7-Eleven.
Sismai Jadai was promoted to head of general services, prevention, and loss at Angeloni (Brazil).
Andrew Brunger was promoted to senior district manager of AP at Abercrombie & Fitch (United Kingdom).
Denise Zeiders, CFI was promoted to senior manager of commercial AP at American Eagle Outfitters.
Dylan Dobbins is now an AP investigator, ORC at Albertsons. Mohit Bhasin was promoted to head of audit and compliance at Alshaya Group (United Arab Emirates). Steven Roberts, CFI is now a field HR and LP manager at Alvarado Restaurant Nation. Amazon announced the follow changes: Martin Hale CPP, head of security and LP programs, EMEA (United Kingdom); Björn Merse, CPP, head of security and LP, Southern Europe (Germany); Robert Harkort, CFI, senior manager of security and LP customer fulfillment (Germany); Stuart Hunt, CSMP, security program manager EMEA (UK); Prashant Pillai, senior manager of crisis, risk and resilience (India); Tim Juback MBA and Sal Nunez, senior regional LP managers; Katie Amin, Mindy Morgan, and Nick Mergel, regional LP managers; Fernando Oliveira, multi‑site security and LP manager; Jacob Foutch, corporate investigator; Sean Owens, CPP, PSP, CHPA, ACP, NTE area security manager; Lizbeth Anahi Esquivel Garcia, on-road risk manager (Mexico); Irimescu Emilian Cristian, PhD, CPP, CSyP, senior security program manager, EMEA (Germany); and JD Clements, corporate investigations operations manager.
Manoel De Souza Soares Jr, Claudia Veloso, and Caio Cesar Maia were promoted to LP coordinators at Americanas s.a. (Brazil).
Georges David is now a regional LP advisor for Northern France, Belgium, and Luxembourg at Claire’s (France). Anthony Salvatore, Jason Beck, LPC, and Craig Austin, CFI were promoted to managers of corporate security and resiliency; Drew Halter was promoted to manager of security operations, supply chain; and Al Schmidt is now a multi-district AP leader at CVS Health. Marcelo Freitas is now a regional LP supervisor at DIA Group (Brazil).
Shankar Murthy was promoted to LP specialist at Apparel Group (Saudi Arabia).
Gregory Hammond is now manager of LP operations, and Hugh Kerins was promoted to district LP manager at Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Stuart Guest was promoted to divisional LP manager at Asda (UK).
Michelly Oleastre was promoted to LP supervisor at Direct Log (Brazil).
James Peters is now a regional manager of LP and safety with At Home Group.
Fa’atui Parm was promoted to audit support investigator at DTIQ.
Andrew Kouimanis is now VP of partnerships and innovation at Auror. Shaun Vanderwerf, CFI was promoted to director of corporate LP operations at Beall’s.
Valerie Zennario was promoted to zone LP manager at Beall’s. Aaron Duxbury, CFI is now an area profit protection manager at Bed Bath and Beyond.
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Hawken Averett was promoted to senior manager, risk policy operations, investigations at eBay. Jose Luis Bernal is now security supervisor at Farmacia San Pablo (Brazil). Craig Smith, CFI is now a district LP manager at Forman Mills. Melisa Hothem was promoted to director of strategic initiatives, LP at Gabes.
Russell Barr is now compliance lead for Europe at Glenmark Pharmaceuticals (UK). Matt Holland was promoted to director of sales, public sector, east at Genetec. David Errera was promoted to director of commercial sales, and Brandon Dixon was promoted to director of national account sales at Guardian Protection. James Barstad is now regional investigator, West Coast at Guitar Center. Tommy Nelson was promoted to senior director of security, and Dai-shawn Fowler is now a regional security manager at GXO Logistics. Matthew Bluck was promoted to group field profit protection manager at Halfords Autocentres (UK). Jonn Essig was promoted to senior area LP manager, and Michael Fallon Jr. is now an area LP manager at Harbor Freight Tools. Bryan Miller was promoted to corporate manager of AP operations at The Home Depot. Daniel Bordeleau is now chief people officer at Interface. Randall Anderson was promoted to senior manager of AP – central investigations, technology, and global security at JCPenney. Matt Stolba was promoted to corporate manager, AP operations, learning, and communication; and Douglas Martinez and Michael Norman, CFI are now district AP managers at JCPenney. Brian Smith was promoted to area profit protection manager at JD Sports Fashion (Ireland). Hector Coronado is now VP of global LP and security at Kavak.com (Mexico).
Leah Bearup was promoted to district LP manager at Kohl’s.
Kenna Carlsen is now a research associate at the National Safety Council.
Adam Ruiz is now division AP manager at Kroger.
Alexis Lennon is now a senior LP partner at New Look (UK).
Lucas Block-Trstenjak was promoted to district AP manager at Loblaw Companies (Canada).
Trevor Moses Semuwemba (NEBOSH/IOSH certified) is now a security and LP supervisor at noon (United Arab Emirates).
Ribeiro Junior and Micheli Scarpa were promoted to LP supervisors at Lojas Marisa (Brazil). Sean Johnson was promoted to LP supervisor at London Drugs (Canada). Carlos Alberto Mijangos, CPO is now senior analyst of investigations, LP at Mercado Libre (Mexico). Mat Schriner, LPC was promoted to senior director of operations at the Loss Prevention Foundation.
Sharon Nawrocki Paige, LPC is now a district LP manager, and Christina Whelan was promoted to district AP manager at Lowe’s. Laura Papa is now senior manager of AP capital, Jason Knight and Michael Raver are now senior managers of supply chain AP, and Mark Leuschner, LPC is now a multi-store AP manager at Macy’s. Kahuê Cardoso is now director of risk and fraud prevention at Magazine Luiza (Brazil). André Fuzaro is now a LP coordinator at Mercado Livre (Brazil). Raja Balakrishna is now regional head of security and LP at Metro Wholesale (India). Kody Lake is now a market AP manager at Meijer. Van Carney is now director of safety and security at MSK Management (franchisee for Domino’s Pizza).
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Alex Collins, MBA was promoted to senior program manager, AP initiatives; David Carreno was promoted to area AP manager; and Ramsina Sergis was promoted to market investigator at Nordstrom. Joe Haffey was promoted to global LP program manager at Nike.
Tyler Aman is now a district AP manager at Nordstrom Rack. Brittany Jumonville is now an AP operations manager; and Braden Sharpe, Carisma Michel, and Benjamin Green are now AP business partners at Nouria Energy Corporation. Christina Ledoux was promoted to director of global safety and security programs at Palo Alto Networks.
Kyle Dunn is now an external fraud and crime specialist at Rexall Pharmacy (Canada). Corey Passafiume, Edward LeFever, Joseph Piscioneri, and Michael Simpson, LPC are now regional AP leaders; and Deborah Beene was promoted to senior physical security analyst at Rite Aid. Tunde Adekunle was promoted to senior director of LP intelligence.
PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
Sherry Raabe is now an area LP manager at Ross stores. Sean Tireman is now regional director of AP at Saks Off 5TH.
João Ferreira Silva was promoted to LP process implementation supervisor at Supermercado Barao (Brazil). Leonardo Oliveira is now head of LP at Supermercado Alvorada (Brazil).
Sam Maguire is now manager of investigations and safeguarding audits at The Salvation Army. Sean Finegan, CFI is now director of LP at Save Philly Stores.
Christopher Dyess, LPC was promoted to senior manager, field and LP analytics at Tailored Brands.
Razan Almadani, CFE was promoted to fraud prevention manager at Panda Retail Company – Savola Group (Saudi Arabia).
Kaitlynn Horsley was promoted to AP business partner, and Kelsey Lesch was promoted to shortage research and insights business analyst at Target. Laszlo Schvitz is now country LP and security manager at Tesco (Hungary).
Tony Byerly has been promoted to president, global electronic security, and Kevin Engelhardt has been promoted to president, Securitas Electronic Security, and electronic security business leader for North America at Securitas.
Matt Hollingsworth, LPC was promoted to regional LP manager; Devin Eastman and Jacquelyn Talley were promoted to district LP manager; Michael Mulholland, CPCI was promoted to district LP supervisor; and Emmanuel Suarez is now an ORC and cargo theft investigator (Puerto Rico) at TJX.
Charlotte Crockford is now program director for retail, EMEA (UK) at Securitas Electronic Security. Kaitlin Burke was promoted to fraud specialist at Sephora. Susan Grieve Dahl is now a senior analyst, internal audit at Signet Jewelers.
Ryan Roby, CFI is now an area LP manager, and Bryan Hall, LPQ is now an LP intelligence analyst at Ulta Beauty. Justin Kresser, CFE was promoted to manager, digital fraud at Under Armour. Britny Ylisaari is now a regional LP manager at Variety Wholesalers. Diana Dindial Guzman is now a regional AP manager at Victoria’s Secret.
Vivek Bucha is now in fraud prevention and quality assurance at Snapdeal (India).
Kevin Mrockowski is now manager of global security at Walgreens.
Pete Barker is now director of fraud and identity at SpyCloud. Andrew Fox, CFI was promoted to national LP manager at SSP America.
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Nicole Dotson, MS, SPHR, LPC is now a global investigator I, workplace investigations; and 4,000 AP assistant store managers were promoted to the new role of AP operations coach at Walmart. Jimmy Soto, CPhT, LPC is now regional AP manager, West Coast at Wayfair. Christopher Magana was promoted to director of risk management and AP at WKS Restaurant Group. Michael Uri is now national LP manager (New Zealand), and Brad McQuillan was promoted to national security systems lead (Australia) at Woolworths Group. Jear Pinca has assumed an additional role as founding member and VP for membership development and relationship at the League of Young Professionals and Emerging Leaders in Security (Philippines). David Pardoe is now head of profit protection at The Works (United Kingdom).
Find the Perfect Match
Are you ready to ignite your job or candidate search? Whether you’re an LP professional looking for a new opportunity or an employer looking for new talent to fill a position, LPjobs.com is a resource you cannot afford to miss utilizing if you are truly committed to finding the best job or the best job candidate! We have been helping to find jobs and fill positions since 1999 as the only online resource dedicated to the loss prevention and asset protection profession.
Don’t miss out on the perfect match. Visit LPjobs.com today!
Advertisers ADT Commercial..................................................19 adtcommercial.com AGF............................................................................65 agfmfg.com AXON........................................................................25 axon.com/loss-prevention Checkpoint............................................................. 21 checkpointsystems.com CONTROLTEK........................................................84 controltekusa.com Cyber Security Summit.....................................67 cybersecuritysummit.com Detex.......................................................................... 7 detex.com/ode6 Garrett Metal Detectors...................................45 garrett.com InstaKey...................................................................55 instakey.com Loss Prevention Foundation.................... 37, 83 losspreventionfoundation.org Loss Prevention Research Council..............57 lpresearch.org LPjobs.......................................................................79 lpjobs.com LPM Media Group................................................81 lpmmediagroup.com QMI............................................................................47 qmiusa.com/highsecuritydoor Riot Glass.................................................................. 2 riotglass.com Securitas.................................................................33 securitases.com siffron......................................................................... 3 siffron.com ThinkLP.................................................................... 31 thinklp.com W-Z............................................................................73 w-z.com
Calendar Due to the many event cancellations and postponements because of the COVID-19 pandemic, we are not listing industry events here. Please go to the magazine website Events page to get the most up-to-date calendar listings. LossPreventionMedia.com/events
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PARTING WORDS
Jacque Brittain, LPC
A New Year with New Beginnings A
2022 will bring us many fresh starts, new ideas, and exciting opportunities. As we continue to adjust to a new normal, responsibilities will grow and change. Different outlooks and innovation will impact what we do. There will be new laws and regulations, along with new programs and partnerships.
s most of you are aware, this past year provided some significant milestones, with LP Magazine celebrating twenty years and the Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) with fifteen years serving the loss prevention and asset protection community. In an industry as dynamic as retail, where change is part of our foundation, and a profession like loss prevention that is so critically important and yet so often misunderstood, these are truly significant accomplishments. An anniversary offers an opportunity to reflect on our greatest challenges, notable achievements, and how so many variables have influenced the ride that led us to where we are today. Building on an idea and having the drive, ambition, and fortitude to make it work is exceptional. For the leaders that took the steps to make a difference and the strength to follow through supporting the magazine and the foundation, you have our gratitude.
Taking a Moment Yet while these events provide tribute to the many accomplishments of LP Magazine and the LPF, they also reflect the strength and resilience that will help lead us in the years to come. LP Magazine does more than give voice to the loss prevention industry, it is part of the fabric of our community. We provide a forum to discuss the most pressing topics facing today’s LP professional. We keep you informed of the
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latest news and events. We share your ideas and opinions. We offer opportunities to learn and grow. We take the steps to influence change by providing a platform for industry leadership at every level. Over the past twenty years, real change has taken place and credibility has been earned through the collective efforts of countless individuals that have contributed to what we do. The LP Foundation provides an important vehicle for professional growth and development. Through the academically accredited and internationally sanctioned LPQualified and LPCertified programs, our leaders have established foundational education based on industry best practices, subject-matter expertise, and the latest trends and technology. Beyond the certifications, there’s so much more. LPF has established additional learning materials, critical networking and partnership opportunities, and additional programs and initiatives that directly contribute to the growth and development of the loss prevention industry. Through the collective efforts of the LPF team, its board of directors, and the contributions of everyone that supports the mission and vision of these initiatives, we have established a striking example of the power of partnerships. Accolades for much of what has been accomplished begins and ends with each of you. And as we reflect on what has been achieved, we can see that these organizations have largely been
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woven from the same cloth, providing a source of collaboration, innovation, and credibility supported through the joint efforts of the entire loss prevention community. There is much for all of us to be proud of and plenty of congratulations to go around.
A Time for New Beginnings While we can always reflect on the past, we still have a responsibility to build a future. It’s a new year, full of fresh ideas and opportunities. If the past twenty-four months have taught us anything, it’s that change is absolutely inevitable—and we have proven our community has the ability and fortitude to handle it. What we’ve seen is only the beginning, and only a fraction of what’s yet to come. This new year will bring us many fresh starts, ideas, and exciting opportunities. As we continue to adjust to a new normal, responsibilities will grow and change. Different outlooks and innovation will impact what we do. There will be new laws and regulations, along with new programs and partnerships. Priorities will evolve, and company cultures will adapt. Personal and professional decisions will be made. And through it all, we’ll be there with you. But there’s more, so stay tuned. There are some exciting things in the works, and we can’t wait to get started. Here’s to all we have to look forward to in 2022! Happy New Year!
omo Use Pr Code: r G20 fo
LPMA
FF 20% O rship
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BECOME PART OF THE WORLD’S LEADING LOSS PREVENTION & ASSET PROTECTION COMMUNITY Now more than ever, it’s important to work together and build strong connections. With LPF’s world leadership in educating and certifying retail LP/AP professionals, this not-for-profit brings individuals together to network, learn and grow. By working together to elevate the profession and give it the recognition we know it deserves, our LPF Members help evolve the LP industry and ensure we provide relevant, convenient and challenging educational resources. By becoming a part of the membership program, you will take advantage of our course-ware, certifications, educational series, and much more while connecting with other like-minded professionals around the world. Help inspire others while moving your career forward. Become involved now.
BECOME PART OF SOMETHING BIGGER
JOIN TODAY!
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