NOW COMES THE MOMENT OF TRUTH. THIS IS THE TIME WHEN WE MUST CONFRONT THE SUSPECT. EVERY STOP IS DIFFERENT....THERE IS NO WAY TO EVER KNOW HOW THE SUSPECT WILL REACT WHEN STOPPED. MAKING THE APPREHENSION IS NOT SOMETHING THAT SHOULD BE TAKEN LIGHTLY. THIS DUTY IS JUST AS IMPORTANT AS THE 6 STEPS. THERE ARE A LOT OF THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR. FIRST OF ALL, WHEN CONFRONTED, THE OFFENDER WILL USUALLY DO ANY OF 3 THINGS. THE FIRST 2 ARE COMMON PSYCHOLOGY LAW---THE FIGHT OR FLIGHT PRINCIPLE. THE THIRD ONE IS TO JUST GIVE IN AND WALK WITH YOU BACK INSIDE. THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMEMBER IS THAT THE APPREHENSION IS NOT OVER UNTIL THE SUSPECT IS IN YOUR OFFICE WITH THE MERCHANDISE ON THE TABLE.
GENERALLY, THE FIRST THING TO DO IS TO START WITH STEP 6 (APPROACH THE SUSPECT OUTSIDE OF THE STORE). WHAT YOU SAY OR DO IS CRUCIAL IN HOW THE PERSON WILL REACT. I HAVE KNOWN SECURITY GUARDS WHO WOULD RUN UP AND PHYSICALLY GRAB THE SHOPLIFTER EVERY TIME THEY WERE MAKING A STOP. THAT SECURITY GUARD GOT INTO A LOT OF FIGHTS AND OFTEN HAD TO RELY ON HANDCUFFS TO RESTRAIN THE SUSPECT. THAT GUARD ALSO ENJOYED BRAGGING ABOUT ALL OF THE FIGHTS THAT HE HAS BEEN IN AND HOW HE HAS BEEN STABBED WITH NEEDLES AND HAD WEAPONS PULLED ON HIM. THIS IS REALLY JUST BASIC PSYCHOLOGY. IF YOU RUN UP AND GRAB SOMEONE, THE PERSON IS USUALLY GOING TO FIGHT. IN MY TIME IN LOSS PREVENTION, I HAVE HAD A COUPLE OF FIGHTS WITH THE SHOPLIFTERS. I HAVE NEVER HAD TO HANDCUFF ANY OF THEM AND HAVE ONLY DRAWN MY HANDCUFFS ONE TIME AND TOLD THE OFFENDER THAT IF THEY DID NOT COOPERATE, THEY WOULD BE HANDCUFFED. I HAVE FOUND THAT IT'S ALL IN HOW YOU TALK TO PEOPLE. THE FIRST THING TO KNOW IS THAT THE ACCUSED IS PROBABLY GOING TO BE EMBARRASSED BY THIS. THEY DON'T WANT ATTENTION DRAWN TO THE SITUATION. I HAVE FOUND THAT IF, FOR EXAMPLE, I WALK UP TO THEM AND SAY ONLY LOUD ENOUGH FOR THEM TO HEAR "SECURITY, WE NEED TO TALK ABOUT SOME COMPANY PROPERTY" THAT THEY WILL USUALLY COME WITH ME. I HAVE ALSO FOUND THAT THE TIMES THAT I DID DO SOMETHING SUCH AS YELL "SECURITY, STOP!!!" OR SOME VARIATION THERE OF, THAT THE PERSON USUALLY RUNS. IN ILLINOIS, THE LAW ALLOWS A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE TO BE USED IN MAKING THE APPREHENSION. IT ALLOWS THE USE OF HANDCUFFS, HOWEVER, THERE IS A LARGE AMOUNT OF LIABILITY IN USING THOSE AND MOST COMPANIES WILL PLACE HEAVY RESTRICTIONS ON WHEN THEY ARE ACTUALLY USED.
IF YOU ARE AN UNDERCOVER AGENT, YOU MUST ALWAYS IDENTIFY YOURSELF. THIS CUTS OUT THE CHANCE THAT THEY CAN SAY THEY RAN BECAUSE THEY DIDN'T KNOW WHO YOU WERE. AFTER YOU GET THE PERSON TO WALK BACK WITH YOU, YOUR NEXT STEP IS TO RECOVER THE MERCHANDISE. HOWEVER, THAT'S NOT YOUR ONLY GOAL. UNTIL YOU GET THEM TO THE OFFICE, YOU NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT THEY DON'T TRY TO MAKE A RUN FOR IT AND MOST IMPORTANTLY, IF THEY HAVE CONCEALED THE MERCHANDISE, THAT THEY DON'T TRY TO DITCH THE MERCHANDISE ON THE WAY TO THE OFFICE. ALSO WATCH THAT THEY DON'T TRY TO FIGHT YOU OR PULL A WEAPON ON YOU. GET THEM TO THE OFFICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AND RECOVER THE MERCHANDISE.
RECOVERING MERCHANDISE
ONCE YOU HAVE THE SUSPECT IN THE OFFICE, IF YOU HAVEN'T YET RECOVERED THE MERCHANDISE FROM THEM, NOW IS THE TIME TO DO IT. YOU SHOULD TRY TO TALK THEM INTO IT. I HAVE FOUND THAT IF I TELL THEM THAT THEY ARE ON VIDEO AND THAT I KNOW THEY HAVE IT IN THEIR RIGHT PANTS POCKET, THEY WILL USUALLY JUST GIVE IT UP. HOWEVER, SOME SHOPLIFTERS WILL TRY TO INTIMIDATE YOU. THEY MAY DENY TO THE END THAT THEY DID NOTHING WRONG. WHEN THEY DO THIS, OR IF THEY REFUSE TO GIVE YOU THE PRODUCT BACK, YOUR BEST BET IS TO INVOLVE THE POLICE. THE POLICE HAVE THE RIGHT TO SEARCH A SUSPECT'S BELONGINGS AND THEIR PERSON.
WITNESSES
YOU SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE AT LEAST ONE OTHER PERSON WITH YOU IN THE OFFICE THE ENTIRE TIME OF THE INTERVIEW. BY DOING THIS, YOU WILL BE ABLE TO AVOID ACCUSATIONS OF MISCONDUCT OR SEXUAL HARASSMENT. SUPPOSING THAT YOU ARE A MALE AGENT, IF YOU APPREHEND A MALE SHOPLIFTER, YOU CAN HAVE A WITNESS OF ANY GENDER. IF YOU APPREHEND A FEMALE, YOU WILL WANT TO HAVE A WITNESS WHO IS A FEMALE WITH YOU AT ALL TIMES. ALSO, IF YOU APPREHEND A JUVENILE, IT'S USUALLY A GOOD IDEA TO HAVE YOUR WITNESS BE A FEMALE.
THE INTERVIEW
WITH THE SHOPLIFTER IN THE OFFICE AND A WITNESS THERE WITH YOU, YOU MAY NOW START THE PAPERWORK. DIFFERENT COMPANIES GENERALLY HAVE DIFFERENT THINGS THAT THEY WANT DONE AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER, THEY ARE USUALLY VERY SIMILAR. FIRST OF ALL, YOU WILL WANT TO IDENTIFY THE SUSPECT. MOST COMPANIES HAVE PAPERWORK THAT YOU FILL OUT WITH THE OFFENDER'S INFORMATION. THE BEST WAY TO DO THIS IS TO REQUEST AN I.D. FROM THEM. IF THEY DON'T HAVE ONE, YOUR BEST BET IS TO HAVE A POLICE OFFICER COME IN AND RUN THEM. THIS WILL PREVENT THEM FROM LYING ABOUT THEIR IDENTITY. ONCE THE PAPERWORK IS COMPLETE, YOU MUST MAKE YOUR DECISION ON WHAT WILL BE DONE FROM THERE.
THE DISPOSITION
COMPANY POLICY USUALLY DICTATES OR SOMEHOW TELLS YOU WHAT HAPPENS TO THE SHOPLIFTER. THE DIFFERENT OPTIONS YOU HAVE ARE TO RELEASE THEM, HAVE THEM ARRESTED, OR, IN THE CASE OF A MINOR, THEY MUST ALWAYS BE SURRENDERED TO A PARENT OR THE POLICE (THEY CANNOT BE RELEASED). THE REASON FOR THIS IS BECAUSE YOU HAVE TAKEN THAT MINOR IN TO YOUR CUSTODY AND THEREFOR YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT MINOR UNTIL SOMEONE ELSE (A PARENT, GUARDIAN OR THE POLICE) TAKES THAT MINOR INTO CUSTODY. IF YOU RELEASE THE MINOR AND HE/SHE GETS HIT BY A CAR, YOU COULD BE HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THAT IN CIVIL COURT. IF YOU PROSECUTE THE OFFENDER, YOU MAY BE REQUIRED TO GO TO COURT. IF YOU DON'T SHOW UP FOR COURT WHEN YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO, THE JUDGE COULD DISMISS THE CASE. IF THAT HAPPENS, YOU COULD BE LIABLE TO THE ACCUSED IN CIVIL COURT.
CIVIL RECOVERY
UNDER THE LAW, A STORE HAS A RIGHT TO RECOVER SOME OF THE LOSSES THAT IT ACCRUES FROM DEALING WITH SHOPLIFTERS. THESE LOSSES INCLUDE PAYING FOR SURVEILLANCE, SECURITY, ATTORNEY'S FEES AND COURT COSTS. THIS PROCESS IS KNOWN AS CIVIL RECOVERY. THE SHOPLIFTER DOES NOT HAVE TO BE ARRESTED IN ORDER FOR THE STORE TO MAKE CIVIL DEMAND. THE STORE WILL GENERALLY ASK FOR AN AMOUNT OF MONEY FROM THE SHOPLIFTER. THIS AMOUNT IS TO BE NOT LESS THAN $100.00 AND NOT MORE THAN $1,000.00. THE OFFENDER WILL HAVE THE OPTION TO EITHER MAIL IN THIS MONEY TO THE STORE OR GO TO CIVIL COURT AND ARGUE IT BEFORE A JUDGE. HOWEVER, IF THEY CHOOSE TO GO TO CIVIL COURT, THEY CAN ALSO BE FORCED TO PAY THE STORE'S ATTORNEY'S FEES AND COURT COSTS.
