A STORE IS PRIVATE PROPERTY AND AS A RESULT, WE HAVE THE LEGAL RIGHT TO MONITOR EVERYBODY ON THAT PROPERTY. IF CUSTOMERS DON'T LIKE THAT, THEN THEY CAN CHOOSE TO DO BUSINESS ELSEWHERE. HOWEVER, THIS IS OBVIOUSLY SOMETHING THAT WE DON'T WANT BECAUSE WE WOULD HAVE TROUBLE STAYING IN BUSINESS IF ALL THE CUSTOMERS WENT ELSEWHERE. AS A RESULT, AS A LOSS PREVENTION DEPARTMENT, WE MUST DO EVERYTHING THAT WE CAN IN ORDER TO PROTECT OUR ASSETS, AND KEEP OUR CUSTOMERS HAPPY AT THE SAME TIME. SIMILAR TO SHOPLIFTERS, LOSS PREVENTION ASSOCIATES HAVE MANY RESOURCES THAT ARE AVAILABLE TO THEM FOR HUNTING SHOPLIFTERS. THERE ARE NEW WAYS BEING DEVELOPED EVERYDAY. HERE ARE SOME OF THE METHODS THAT ARE COMMONLY USED.

UNDERCOVER FLOOR WALKING

THIS IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE OLDEST AND STILL, MOST WIDELY USED TECHNIQUES IN THE L.P. INDUSTRY. THE UNDERCOVER FLOOR WALKER IS BASICALLY A MEMBER OF SECURITY WHO WEARS PLAIN CLOTHES AND POSES AS A CUSTOMER. AS YOU SHOP, THEY ARE WALKING AMONG YOU AND YOU PROBABLY DON'T EVEN REALIZE IT. THEY DO EVERYTHING A CUSTOMER DOES, PUSH A SHOPPING CART FILLED WITH MERCHANDISE AND SORT THROUGH COUPONS. THEY CAN BE QUITE CONVINCING AS A CUSTOMER. HOWEVER, THESE PERSONELL ARE TRAINED TO WATCH FOR SHOPLIFTERS. THEY ARE USING ALL OF THE TECHNIQUES OF AN EXPERT SPY. I HAVE SPENT A COUPLE YEARS DOING THIS SURVEILLANCE TECHNIQUE. I HAVE WALKED THE STORE WITH A COMPACT HAND MIRROR AND POINTED IT DOWN AISLES IN ORDER FOR ME TO SEE WHAT CUSTOMERS ARE DOING WITHOUT STEPPING IN TO THE AISLE. I HAVE EVEN USED A SET-UP CART THAT CONSISTS OF A LARGE AMOUNT OF MERCHANDISE AND A HAND MIRROR THAT WAS DISCREETLY PLACED IN THE CORNER OF THE SHOPPING CART. I WOULD ANGLE THAT SHOPPING CART IN TO THE AISLES AND GAZE DOWN THEM THROUGH THE MIRROR. THE CUSTOMERS IN THE AISLE WOULD THINK NONE THE LESSER. BEING A YOUNG GUY, I HAVE EVEN POSED AS A COLLEGE STUDENT AND WALKED THROUGH THE STORE WITH A BACKPACK AND SUNGLASSES. THERE ARE SO MANY FLOOR SURVEILLANCE TECHNIQUES THAT I CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO ACCOUNT FOR THEM ALL.

THESE UNDERCOVER AGENTS WILL BE LOOKING FOR THE 6 STEPS TO CATCHING A SHOPLIFTER. ONCE THEY MEET THE REQUIREMENTS, THEY WILL APPROACH THAT SHOPLIFTER AND PRESENT THEM WITH A BADGE OR I.D. CARD AND/OR VERBALLY IDENTIFY THEMSELVES AS "SECURITY". THEY WILL MAKE THE APPREHENSION AND BRING THEM TO THE OFFICE.

VIDEO SURVEILLANCE

WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF TECHNOLOGY. COMPANIES WITH HIGH DOLLAR MERCHANDISE AND BIG L.P. BUDGETS ARE INVESTING IN THE BEST EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE. VIDEO SURVEILLANCE IS WORTH ITS WEIGHT IN GOLD. VIDEO IS A PROSECUTOR'S DREAM. THERE IS NOTHING BETTER THAN WALKING IN TO THE COURTROOM AND PLAYING A VIDEO TAPE FOR THE JUDGE THAT CLEARLY SHOWS THE DEFENDANT COMMITTING THE CRIME. HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY DEFEND THAT. YOU CAN'T SAY "I WASN'T THERE" OR "I DIDN'T DO IT". BASICALLY, YOU'RE ALL OUT OF STEAM AS SOON AS THAT TAPE IS PLAYED. I HAVE WORKED FOR A COMPANY THAT IS COVERED FROM FRONT TO BACK WITH PAN-TILT-ZOOM CAMERAS. THIS MEANS THAT WE CAN MOVE THE CAMERAS ALL AROUND AND ZOOM IN WITH A JOYSTICK FROM THE SECURITY OFFICE. WE FOLLOW THE CUSTOMERS ALL THROUGH THE STORE AND THEY DON'T EVEN KNOW IT. ALMOST ALL COMPANIES, REGARDLESS OF SIZE INVEST IN SOME TYPE OF VIDEO SURVEILLANCE. EVEN IF IT'S JUST A STATIONARY CAMERA WHEN YOU WALK IN OR CAMERAS AT THE REGISTERS TO STOP EMPLOYEE THEFT, IT ALL COUNTS. A PERSON CAN SPEND AS LITTLE AS $50.00 ON A STATIONARY MONOCHROME CAMERA FOR MONITORING THEIR PROPERTY, OR THEY CAN SPEND THOUSANDS OF DOLLORS TO GET THOSE PAN-TILT-ZOOM CAMERAS THAT ARE WORTH APPROXIMATELY $1,500.00 EACH. THE COMPANY I WORK FOR HAS EMBRACED THE NEWEST TECHNOLOGY WHICH IS DIGITAL SURVEILLANCE. OUR STORE IS COVERED WITH MOTION ACTIVATED DIGITAL COLOR VIDEO CAMERAS. ALL OF THE CAMERAS ARE RECORDED AND VIEWED ON A COMPUTER AND THE SURVEILLANCE IS SAVED TO THE COMPUTER'S HARD DRIVE. WE HAVE THE ABILITY TO STOP MOTION, ZOOM IN AND PRINT OUT STILL PHOTOS FOR FACE RECOGNITION. WE CAN ALSO VIEW THE SURVEILLANCE FROM ANY INTERNET BASED COMPUTER THROUGH THE USE OF HIGH SPEED PHONE LINES. THAT MEANS THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO BE ON THE PROPERTY TO WATCH THE SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS. IT'S A SCARY NEW WORLD OUT THERE AND RETAILERS ARE ARMING THEMSELVES WOTH EVERYTHING THEY CAN TO PROTECT THEIR ASSETS. JUST TRY AND COMMIT A CRIME. CHANCES ARE, REGARDLESS OF WHERE YOU ARE, SOMEONE IS WATCHING YOU.

UNIFORMED AGENT

WITH SO MANY LAW SUITS OUT AND ABOUT AND THE HIGH COSTS OF CRIMINAL PROSECUTION, COMPANIES ARE GRASPING THE IDEA OF DETTERING SHOPLIFTERS INSTEAD OF PROSECUTING THEM. ONE TECHNIQUE USED BY COMPANIES IS TO PLACE A UNFORMED AGENT AT THE FRONT OF THE STORE TO GUARD THE DOORS. BY HAVING SOMEBODY GUARD THE DOORS, THIS WILL CUT DOWN THE CHANCE OF A PROFESSIONAL SHOPLIFTER RUNNING OUT WITH A CART FULL OF MERCHANDISE OR ITEMS IN PLAIN VIEW. THEY WILL NOT WANT TO RISK THE CHANCE OF GETTING CAUGHT. SOME COMPANIES PLACE AGENTS IN UNIFORMS AND LET THEM ROAM THE STORE. LETS TALK ABOUT 2 SCENARIOS...SUPPOSE "STORE A" MIGHT EMPLOY UNDERCOVER SECURITY AGENTS WHO ROAM THE STORE. YOU DON'T KNOW WHO THEY ARE OR WHEN THEY WORK OR EVEN IF THE STORE HAS SECURITY. THEY MIGHT BE THERE OR THE STORE MAY BE UNGUARDED. WOULD YOU TAKE A CHANCE AND STEAL FROM THAT STORE??? MAYBE, MAYBE NOT. NOW SUPPOSE THAT "STORE B" EMPLOYS AGENTS THAT WEAR COMPANY SHIRTS AND IDENTIFICATION THAT STATES THAT THEY ARE "SECURITY". THE SECURITY AGENTS WATCH ALL OF THE CUSTOMERS WHO ENTER AND LEAVE THE STORE AND ALSO WATCH THE SALES FLOOR. YOU ALWAYS KNOW WHEN SECURITY IS IN THE STORE BECAUSE THEY ARE WEARING UNFORMS AND IN ADDITION, YOU KNOW THAT THE STORE OBVIOUSLY EMPLOYS SOMEBODY TO WATCH YOU. "STORE B" MAY ALSO EMPLOY THE UNDERCOVER AGENTS SIMILAR TO "STORE A", BUT YOU JUST DON'T KNOW SINCE YOU CANNOT SEE AN UNDERCOVER AGENT. AS A SHOPLIFTER, WOULD YOU RATHER STEAL FROM A STORE WHERE YOU DON'T SEE A SECURITY PRESENCE AND FOR THAT MATTER, DON'T EVEN KNOW IF THERE IS SECURITY? I WOULD. AS A SHOPLIFTER, I WOULD RATHER TRY TO STEAL FROM "STORE A". I ALREADY KNOW THAT "STORE B" HAS SECURITY BECAUSE I HAVE SEEN THEM. I DON'T KNOW HOW MUCH SECURITY THEY HAVE, BUT I KNOW THAT THEY HAVE THEM. THERE IS OBVIOUSLY LESS CHANCE OF GETTING CAUGHT AT "STORE A" AND THEREFOR IF I AM GOING TO TAKE THE GAMBLE, I WILL BE AT THE EASIER TARGET. COMPANIES KNOW THAT SHOPLIFTERS THINK LIKE THIS AND AS A RESULT THEY USE IT TO THERE ADVANTAGE. IT'S LIKE A GAME OF CARDS, WE ARE SHOWING A "POKER FACE" (UNIFORMED SECURITY AGENTS), SO NOBODY WANTS TO BET AGAINST US (STEAL FROM OUR STORE) DUE TO THE ANTICIPATION THAT WE HAVE SOMETHING GOOD ( MORE SECURITY). WHAT THE OTHER PLAYERS (SHOPLIFTERS) DON'T KNOW IS THAT I HAVE A FULL HOUSE UNDERNEATH (A LARGE UNDERCOVER SECURITY FORCE IN ADDITION TO THE UNIFORMED AGENTS) THUS GIVING ME ENOUGH POWER TO SMEAR THEM ACROSS THE BOARD (CATCH THEM STEALING). HOWEVER, MAYBE I AM PLANNING TO BLUFF EVERYBODY BY SHOWING THAT "POKER FACE" (THOSE UNFORMED SECURITY AGENTS) AND I ACTUALLY DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ( NO MORE SECURITY). THE POINT IS THAT AS A SHOPLIFTER, YOU DON'T KNOW. I CAN SCARE YOU OR INTIMIDATE YOU INTO HITTING A DIFFERENT STORE BY SHOWING YOU THE UNIFORMED SECURITY AGENTS AND THEREFOR SHOWING YOU THAT I HAVE SECURITY, BUT YOU JUST DON'T KNOW HOW LARGE MY SECURITY FORCE IS. WOULDN'T YOU RATHER STEAL FROM "STORE A" SINCE YOU DON'T SEE ANY SECURITY? I WOULD.