8 minute read
DIGITAL DIALOGUE
Managing Industry News: Are You Staying Informed?
In a recent article in our weekly e-newsletter, LP Insider, we asked our readers, “What makes a magazine a resource?” An article can be well-written, the messages can be meaningful, and the lessons life-changing; but none of it really matters if no one is reading. Information holds its greatest value when we put it to use.
Of course, that same message applies to all of our media resources. What makes the material valuable to you?
There is no single interest or motivation that determines what we chose to read or whether it will hold value. In many ways, adding value is in the eyes of the beholder. This is not only something that is unique to a particular individual, but can sway within any one of us based on our mood, our state of mind, or our course of action. Our ability to absorb information is an
active process. It takes a focused effort by the reader to recognize what they consider to be important. That’s why we feel that it’s important to provide you with informational options. This takes the learning process to another level, helping to keep you and your team informed, educated, and engaged.
Retail is an incredibly dynamic business. Naturally, this leads to exceedingly diverse loss prevention content that surfaces on a perpetual basis. As a result, staying current with important news and events and sorting through what is most relevant to each of us becomes a sizable task.
It may not be prudent or realistic to try to stay informed on every story, investigation, or event that takes place on a daily basis, but it is still wise to explore industry-specific content that keeps us informed and engaged. We then must find ways to best manage our information and apply it within the framework of our day-to-day responsibilities.
So, how successful do you feel that you are at managing this information? Do you consider yourself to be well-informed? Are you current on the latest and most compelling information related to the industry?
Following is a summary of several topics that have been prominent in the news over the past few months with a focus on those that have drawn the greatest interest from our industry professionals. Examples have been provided to add perspective, but this is by no means a complete list of important industry topics and only provides a glimpse of current events.
By Jacque Brittain, LPC
Brittain is editorial director, digital, for LP Magazine. Formerly a director of learning design and certification, Brittain managed the development of the LPC and LPQ certification programs in collaboration with the Loss Prevention Foundation. Prior to that he was vice president of operations for the industry’s largest executive search and consulting firm. In his thirty-plus years in the LP industry, he has helped build and enhance many learning initiatives and provided career counseling for thousands of industry professionals. Brittain can be reached at jacb@lpportal.com or by phone at 704-246-3143.
Data Breaches Still Dominating the News
Cyber-criminals hacking into company databases has provided a relentless theme in every digital outlet early in 2014, with several retailers confirming breaches and several others currently investigating potential incidents both in the U.S. and internationally. Countless stories have flooded the newswires and discussion groups as companies and customers seek answers to a problem that has the potential to affect millions of retail transactions every day. Millions of customer accounts were compromised as a result of these breaches, with multiple reports of cyber-fencing of accounts as well as actual and potential use of the information by criminal factions. Congressional hearings have been held that have challenged existing practices while calling for additional controls, customer protection, and reporting standards.
These stories have clearly drawn the interest and attention of the entire retail community with companies examining internal security tools, policies, and protocols to strengthen their existing programs. Many are restructuring their departments by adding new positions, redefining roles, and eliminating others to combat the threat.
Loss prevention practitioners and solution providers are working closely with IT departments and other experts to improve security efforts. “Chip and PIN” credit cards, cyber-threat information sharing, and additional technology solutions are also being introduced and/or expedited in order to enhance controls and improve service. This trend is
continued from page 66 expected to continue to dominate news channels as additional information is released and additional solutions are developed and implemented.
All in the Family
Shoplifting rings and organized retail crime (ORC) incidents continue to make headlines, highlighted by a recent incident involving a Chicago-area family allegedly stealing more than $7.1 million in retail merchandise and selling the items on eBay. The husband, wife, and daughter operated a sophisticated booster operation, taking extended road trips to steal toys and other items from retailers nationwide.
The husband and wife emigrated from what was then Yugoslavia and are in the U.S. illegally. Both have arrest records, and Branko Bogdanov, the husband, was supposed to be deported following a criminal conviction more than ten years ago. Bogdanov and his wife, Lela, will be held in jail pending trial after a federal judge ruled that they are flight risks. They currently own a $1.3 million home and twelve vehicles.
On a more positive note, many of the reported incidents were solved following collaborative efforts between various retailers and law enforcement partners. The $7 million Chicago family incident was solved as part of eBay’s PROACT team partnership with loss prevention executives at several retailers in cooperation with eBay and the U.S. Secret Service leading to the arrests.
Target’s forensic services laboratory was recently recognized for assisting outside law enforcement with help on special cases. Many other recent incidents clearly show the importance and the power of collaborative partnerships between retailers and other enforcement agencies.
Gateway Crimes
As reported in a recent LP Magazine story with Kroger’s Dennis Dansak, there is often a direct relationship between ORC and other crimes, such as drug trafficking, drug abuse, gun violations, other violent crimes, and even terrorism. The significance of ORC incidents as “gateway crimes” was repeatedly confirmed in recent events.
Numerous incidents involved heroin, including a woman who asked to use heroin while in custody, a shoplifting suspect that had 246 heroin packets in her possession, and another involving an employee allegedly selling heroin in Happy Meals at the drive-through window.
Multiple incidents involved mobile meth labs that were confiscated in vehicles during shoplifter arrests. A food-stamp fraud case involved suspects shipping products and money to Liberia. Another incident involved a store-based operation where suspects were exchanging food stamps and stolen merchandise for cash and crack cocaine.
News You Can Use
Some of the most read stories were those focused on learning, education, and professional growth. Articles involving LP safety, the National Retail Security Survey, training, and leadership articles, such as the “Sports Authority LP Magazine Review,” and articles on building business partnerships showed high readership.
These subjects also tended to provide the most fuel for conversations in the various group-discussion outlets. Participation in the various discussion groups varies greatly. Some groups show very little interactive participation, while others are much more participatory, such as the Loss Prevention Foundation discussion group on LinkedIn. Several have made it clear that direct access to the information is the best way to spark interest and participation, with those topics that provide such access offering the most feedback from the group members.
LP Worldwide
From flash mobs in Brazil to the theft of a $995,000 alligator coat in Hong Kong, the types of crimes occurring worldwide and the way that loss prevention departments and law enforcement are handling these issues has provided a wealth of content and a growing interest from the loss prevention community.
A British television program featured individuals involved in actual shoplifting incidents and other crimes. A shoplifter is jailed with 280 criminal convictions. A man known as the “Pink Panther Robber” involved in a notorious jewelry theft ring recently escaped from prison. Serious criminal acts involving data breaches, fraud, ORC, and other incidents continue to remind us that these are worldwide problems and provide insight into how these issues are handled on an international scale.
You Can’t Make This Stuff Up
Crime itself is never amusing, but some of the outlandish actions and behaviors described in some of these stories leave us wondering about the capacities of many of those involved. Everything from the ridiculous to the bizarre has provided us with an endless source of eye-rolling and head-scratching.
A man robbed a petrol station wearing a flower pot on his head and wielding a chainsaw, only stealing a bottle of soda. A man smuggles nearly 40,000 piranhas into the country and sells them to pet stores as harmless “silver tetras.” A woman has sex with five underage teens behind a store after meeting them while shopping and then accuses them of robbery when her cell phone comes up missing. Naturally, one of the teens recorded the encounter on his cell phone. A shoplifter on drugs thought he was invisible to the police. And most recently, a man robbed a second-hand store wearing nothing but a g-string, stealing a bride’s sash, a hood, a cape, and a batman doll before breaking into a dance routine outside the building while wearing his ill-gotten goods—all of which was captured on video.
How Informed Are You?
Are you getting the information that you need? While some of these stories may not directly affect you or your department, other articles and information may significantly impact our industry and our way of doing business. LP Magazine keeps you up-to-date and informed on the latest and most important subjects facing our industry. It can offer a source of new ideas and new approaches to the business, as well as providing information and education for you and your team. But it is still critical that the information is put to use. This requires that we seek out and apply the resources at our disposal, manage the information effectively, and utilize the most effective channels to communicate that information to our teams.
