retail store & shopping mall security

© 2003 – Present | International Security Training, LLC Retail Store & Shopping Mall Security of 58

© 2003 – Present | International Security Training, LLC Retail Store & Shopping Mall Security Page 1 of 58

RETAIL STORE &

SHOPPING MALL SECURITY

www.InternationalSecurityTraining.org



Table Of Contents:

Overview Of Retail Security & Loss Prevention 3

Organized Retail Crime 13

Loading Dock Security 19

Point Of Sale Security 25

Shoplifting Prevention & Shoplifter Apprehension 27

Shopping Mall Crime Prevention 37

Trespass Warnings 44

Drive Through Patrols 51

Conclusion 58



Overview Of Retail Security & Loss Prevention

Retail loss prevention is a set of practices employed by retail

companies to preserve profit. Profit preservation is any business activity

specifically designed to reduce preventable losses. A preventable loss is any

business cost caused by deliberate or inadvertent human actions,

colloquially known as "shrinkage".

Deliberate human actions that cause loss to a retail company can be

theft, fraud, vandalism, waste, abuse, or misconduct. Inadvertent human

actions attributable to loss are poorly executed business processes, where

employees fail to follow existing policies or procedures - or cases in which

business policies and procedures are lacking. Loss prevention is mainly

found within the retail sector but also can be found within other business

environments.

Since retail loss prevention is geared towards the elimination of

preventable loss and the bulk of preventable loss in retail is caused by

deliberate human activity, traditional approaches to retail loss prevention

have been through visible security measures matched with technology such

as CCTV and electronic sensor barriers. Most companies take this traditional

approach by either having their own in-house loss prevention team or using

external contract security agencies.

Four elements are necessary for a successful loss prevention plan:



1. Total support from top management

2. A positive employee attitude

3. Maximum use of all available resources

4. A system which establishes both responsibility and

accountability for loss prevention through evaluations that are

consistent and progressive

Shrink

Periodically, a retail business inventories all of the merchandise in the

store. Items that are unaccounted for compared to what the inventory system

believes the store should have are losses or "shrink". Shrink is caused by

operational errors, internal theft and external theft. Retail loss prevention is

responsible for identifying these causes and following up with training,

preventing, investigating, responding to and resolving them.

Operational Errors

Operational errors are inadvertent human errors. Operational errors

occur when associates do not follow existing business best practices and

policies or when a company lacks the proper best practices and policies to

ensure work is performed with minimal human error. Operational errors also

occur due to a lack of proper training for associates.



External Theft

External theft is when customers intentionally cause shrink by theft,

fraud, or vandalism. 80% of customers who steal merchandise are

opportunists and do not walk in to the store with the intent to steal. They find

that one thing they did not expect to find, cannot afford to pay for it, and will

steal it - if they have the opportunity. Others, are desperate and will steal

essentials for their family, but only if they have the opportunity. A few steal

because they like the adrenaline rush and will steal, regardless of how much

money they have, if they have the opportunity.

The remainder are "boosters" who are thieves for a living. They walk

in with the full intent to steal and sell their goods for a profit, on their own, or

to a "fence" that sells stolen merchandise.

The vast majority of thieves have one thing in common, they will steal

only if they have the opportunity. So theft prevention is fairly easy. Constant

and great customer service will eliminate most opportunity to steal. However,

there are those who are not as easily deterred. Prevention techniques

commonly used are customer service, Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS)

with inventory control devices, uniformed or plain-clothed security and/or

loss prevention personnel, surveillance systems, dummy cameras, locked

display cases, etc.

Retail loss prevention uses several prevention techniques because,

like most things, there is no one answer for everything. Once all prevention

measures are in place, resolving external theft in many companies includes



apprehending shoplifters. State laws vary and allow business owners or

representatives of the company to detain shoplifters with "reasonable force"

for a "reasonable amount of time" until law enforcement arrives. Several

companies have designated trained individuals who are allowed to detain

shoplifters according to company policy.

Modern retail loss prevention teams use surveillance techniques with

camera systems or on the sales floor, or a combination. Working in teams

has its advantages since one person can man the cameras while the rest of

the team observes on the sales floor as individual shoppers in disguise or

male and female loss prevention agents posing as a couple.

Policy from company to company varies, but are basically the same.

There are very specific elements that Loss Prevention must observe before

detaining a shoplifter.

Some of the typical elements are:

1. Observe the subject enter the store or department

2. Observe the subject select merchandise

3. Observe the subject conceal merchandise

4. Know what the subject selected and where it was concealed

5. Maintain unbroken observation of the subject

In some companies, entering a restroom or fitting room is broken

surveillance and elements must start over. Observe the subject pass all



points of sale. In some states, the point of sale may be the line of cash

registers or the front door. One must observe the subject exit the store.

If any of the elements used by the company are not observed, Loss

Prevention may not detain the subject according to company policy. The use

of force or detain the shoplifter varies from company to company and take

local and state laws into consideration.

Detaining an individual who did not take merchandise is referred to as

a "bad stop", and depending on the severity of the situation and if force was

used against the innocent business patron will depend on the severity of the

consequences for the loss prevention agent. Consequences for a bad stop

may include a civil lawsuit, corrective action from the company up to and

including termination, criminal prosecution for kidnapping is possible if an

innocent customer is moved and detained against their will, etc. So mistakes

are not an option, and the fear of making mistakes can be very stressful.

Internal Theft

Internal theft is when company employees intentionally cause shrink

by theft, fraud, vandalism, waste, abuse, or misconduct. Because associates

have access to the entire building and during non-business hours, they are

capable of creating substantial losses to the company over a longer period

of time. Internal theft is typically identified by reporting systems, first hand

visual/CCTV surveillance or tips from coworkers.



Unauthorized marking down prices with a computerized inventory

system or dishonest behavior on a computerized cash register will generate

on several store reports. Item markdowns, overrides, line item voids,

suspended transactions, hand-keyed merchandise, refunds outside of

normal transaction parameters, cash over/shorts, and other reports will

identify dishonest behavior if the person viewing the reports knows what to

look for. A lot of companies hire a third-party company to run algorithms on

their cash register reports to look for specific patterns and behaviors that will

identify dishonest behavior. When dishonest behavior is identified, Loss

Prevention is notified to investigate if the behavior is intentional theft, policy

violation or an inadvertent error that can be solved with additional training.

Associate merchandise theft that does not involve a computer or cash

register, is more difficult to identify because you typically have to catch them

in the act. Whether prompted by suspicious behaviors, a guilty look,

anonymous tip, or you "just have a feeling", internal theft cases are usually

investigated with the use of video surveillance systems or a plain clothes loss

prevention person that the associate has not been introduced to.

People are creatures of habit and when they find a method of theft that

works, they typically stick to it. So, the installation of covert cameras in a

work area (provided company policy and local/state laws allow it) generally

give loss prevention the upper hand in resolving the situation.

Once the internal theft has been proven and all required evidence has

been collected or observed and approval given by appropriate Loss



Prevention and/or Human Resource management, Loss Prevention will

apprehend or "pull" the associate to the office for interview or interrogation.

There are a few scenarios where a certified Loss Prevention agent will

pull an associate based on a tip, rumor or hunch and conduct what is called

a "cold interview" to see if they can get a verbal admission, but most

companies do not allow cold interviews because the implementations of the

interview may be perceived by the associate to be an accusation of theft and

have issues with civil liabilities that may result. It is wiser to wait and complete

a thorough investigation before conducting an interview.

Once the interview is complete, Loss Prevention may proceed in

several ways depending on the information gathered during the investigation

and during the interview. Again, the investigation should identify if the

associate's behavior was intentional theft, a policy violation or an inadvertent

error that can be solved with additional training. If intentional theft is

discovered, the police may be called and criminal charges filed.

The severity of the criminal punishment will depend on the amount of

property/cash/merchandise the company has lost due to the associate's

dishonest/illegal behavior. To file criminal charges, the exact dollar amount

stolen/lost must be proven, beyond a reasonable doubt, to hold up in a

criminal trial. Termination of employment due to theft will most likely be an

outcome of the investigation.

In addition to criminal prosecution, companies have the option to seek

civil restitution. In a lot of theft cases, the company loses property that cannot



be returned or recovered. Since the dishonest associate represented the

company, the reputation of the company may have been tarnished,

relationships with business partners may suffer or terminate, and the

possibility of lost business opportunities with new clients.

The company also uses a lot of resources, technology and payroll to

investigate internal theft, and any other possible losses or "damages"

incurred by the company due to the associate's dishonest behavior allow the

company to partner with a legal firm or their own legal department to demand

civil restitution from the former associate in the amount determined by a

case-by-case basis. Failure of the former associate to pay the civil restitution

may result in the company filing a civil lawsuit.

Electric Article Surveillance

The development of electronic article surveillance (a magnetic device

attached to the merchandise that would trigger an alarm if removed from the

store, also called EAS) led to an increase in arrests; however, many cases

have been dismissed due to “lack of observation” of the crime. A later effort,

called "benefit denial", is intended to reduce the incentives for people to take

the items by “destroying the usefulness of items” that were improperly

removed from stores. This is done through the use of measures such as

exploding dye packs.



Internal Loss

Internal loss, as with other forms of shrinkage, can be classified as

either "malicious" or "non-malicious".

Malicious internal loss is shrinkage caused by individuals from within

the business such as staff members and cleaning staff and anyone else

involved internally in the company. Internal shrink accounted for 35 percent

of shrink to businesses in 2011. Internal shrink is caused by methods such

as staff members stealing products, cashiers not ringing sales through the

tills and keeping the payment for themselves, package pilferage, staff selling

products to friends and family at discounted prices, "sweet hearting" by

giving products for free to friends and family by staff. Another behavior is

“colluding” with maintenance staff or external contractors to steal products.

Finally, under-ringing merchandise on the tills for friends or family so they

end up paying less for the items.

Internal theft traditionally causes more loss to a business than external

theft due to the increased opportunity available to internal staff members. A

well-informed security superintendent of a nationwide chain of retail stores

has estimated that “it takes between 40 and 50 shoplifting incidents to equal

the annual loss caused by one dishonest individual” inside an organization.

Non-malicious shrinkage can result from a number of operational

failures within the business structure. The processing of returned and/or

damaged stock, for example, can cause articles to be removed from

inventory and discarded (which contributes directly to shrinkage) rather than



sold at a discount, donated, returned to vendors for credit, or otherwise

removed from inventory in a manner that minimizes financial loss.

Civil Recovery

The image of retail loss prevention has become linked with the

controversial practice of civil recovery.

In the United States, laws were enacted in the 1970s allowing

merchants to be awarded damages from those who removed merchandise

without paying. Some say this law then began the development of

departments that focused on retail loss prevention. In more modern times,

merchants expanded "recovery" to include larger monetary damage awards.

The controversy surrounds large retailers suing thieves in civil court for

up to ten times the replacement cost of the merchandise stolen. These

recovery amounts, argued by merchants, are for the costs associated with

the detection, prevention and prosecution of theft. In most cases, these

recovery claims are secured voluntarily, in conjunction with criminal charges.

Judges like to see a penitent thief repaying merchants for their crimes.

Why do the accused agree to pay civil damages? It is more likely that, people

caught for stealing would voluntarily pay these claims, rather than endure

them appearing on their credit report as judgments.



Organized Retail Crime

Organized retail crime refers to professional shoplifting, cargo theft,

retail crime rings and other organized crime occurring in retail environments.

One person acting alone, is not considered an example of organized retail

crime. Here's a simple way to make a real impact on organized retail crime

(ORC) at your company or individual store level, without wasting time, or

money.

Educate

The first step in making an impact is clearing the air of the catchphrase

"ORC" through education. Often I read emails from peers and law

enforcement regional alerts detailing an alleged ORC subject who shoplifted

two or three pairs of jeans.

Shoplifting does not immediately make the subject connected to ORC.

Labeling a subject into this category first takes a large collection of data and

basic investigation that most stores are lacking. Categorizing your shoplifters

should never contain assumptions, or be taken as lightly as many Loss

Prevention professionals currently do, in their reports and alerts.

If the subject evades arrest and you have no evidence (documented

surveillance, statement from Law Enforcement or subject) then do not label

them as a habitual, booster, professional or ORC shoplifter. You have no



proof of their intentions other than stealing one or two times, making them

no different than your average teenage shoplifter.

Proper documentation will help limit the hype as well as provide

realistic metrics that can be used to justify better resources in the future that

can actually combat the right type of theft at your company.

Document, Document, Document

Metrics not only provide statistics for more resources, but are the very

core raw data used, to prevent future ORC with impactful arrests. Instead of

chasing organized rings across the country with wasteful budgets and limited

quality resources (trained and experienced personnel, time, equipment, etc),

metrics and proper documentation in your own report/incident system or

even a basic excel spreadsheet, will make the largest blow to professional

thieves. The key to your documentation is providing Law Enforcement with

clear data showing repeat offenders and/or conspiracy to steal from your

company.

Currently, if you arrest a known booster and their partner, Law

Enforcement most likely will cut them loose with a petty theft misdemeanor

charge and laugh at any suggestion the subject(s) should be arrested for

trespass, burglary, felony shoplift and conspiracy. These charges aren't

listed as separate but rather a lump collection to get your subjects off the

street and most importantly educate the bad guys that - your company

doesn’t take lightly to shoplifters.



It many sound impossible, but with the right documentation, evidence

collection and updated information - you can swing Law Enforcement's

method of operation into a supportive role with these charges. Once that is

occurring, it helps keep boosters out of your store for good.

Every major theft or attempted theft needs to be well documented, with

dates, times, inventory of losses, video clips of the incidents (on CD or DVD),

printed face shots, subject descriptions, methods of operation, vehicle

information, a police case number for each known incident and any other

vital information to the case.

The second and most important part to collecting this information is

having it ready at a moment's notice, even between stores, regions or states.

Your company incident tracking system, a shared network drive or even

email chain can keep things updated so you may print out this information

when your store arrests a repeat offender.

Having this package will help present your argument to the patrol

officer that the subject meets the criteria for a more severe charge (after the

first theft, you attempted to put john doe on notice), repeat shoplift offender

statues, burglary (intent, tools) and conspiracy (working with others, look out,

vehicle, etc). The better collection of facts and presentation, the more wins

your store will receive.

Share Information - But Not Publicly!



Sharing your subject information on ORC websites, local meetings and

regional alerts should be stopped and limited between your own stores. Too

many alerts improperly label subjects in accusatory or inappropriate

manners. Without solid documentation or police reports to back up these

reports, they can easily become libelous posts for the public to read. If you

don't have the traditional "five/six steps" on video or in a detailed report, you

are exposing your company to the equivalent of a bad arrest. Prevent this

altogether by not sharing your sensitive company information to the public.

Don't be misled or confused: ORC websites and alerts are public! No

matter what "formal" statement the site might post, the sites are accessible

to anyone. If you don't believe me, see how easy it is to setup a fake account

on your local ORC site.

On top of not sharing information to the public, other companies should

not receive information that will help their investigations, even when you're

after the same subjects. Remember the core of the Loss Prevention

department is to protect your company's bottom line (not the surrounding

company’s) and make money. By now you probably have realized ORC

groups are repeat offenders and don't stop.

The key to preventing loss is letting the bad guys know your company

makes felony arrests and they should skip your stores and hit another

company instead. Your sales will go up, the competitor's sales go down.

If this philosophy bothers you, become a police officer and fight crime

everywhere. As a Loss Prevention professional your goal is to limit liability



(bad alerts) and prevent monetary loss for your company and shareholders

with solid arrests, deterring theft and increasing sales with product on your

shelves. Your loss prevention strategy should be treated as highly

confidential and protected like any core function of your business. This

doesn't prevent you from participating in ORC organizations, alerts or other

intelligence gathering events, but limit your exposure and help your company

by not providing information.

Work On The Cases That Matter

When documenting your losses, reviewing detailed shortage reports

and communicating them to your teams. The goal is to focus resources on

the right tasks like a laser, rather than to just throw money or bodies at the

problem.

Too many ORC teams now are taking to the streets and malls, hunting

boosters that don't even shoplift in their own store, or working credit card

fraud cases that don't affect the bottom line. Each hour you spend on

surveillance outside your store, your basic and professional shoplifters are

hitting your stores, while you miss the arrest or deterrence factor and every

dollar you spend on an analyst or agent tracking a credit card ring, an

employee takes cash and merchandise right out of your bottom line.

Skip helping your next door retailer and bragging about “hundred

thousand dollar” credit card wins. Focus on watching high theft items,

deterrence, intelligence collection and customer service… in your store.

Sales will go up, theft will go down and your LP resources can be put to better



use. Shoplifters rely on opportunity, and when your resources are off the

sales floor, that creates all types of opportunity.

Save your company and yourself from a lot of hardships and return to

the basics of treating all theft equally. Although the above tips may sound

controversial - especially if you are gung-ho about making big ORC arrests -

once you look past the hype of ORC and focus your attention back to all theft

in your store, you will see a great positive impact on your bottom line.



Loading Dock Security

A loading dock security incident can be the stuff of security department

nightmares. Let’s review an incident that occurred at Alltell Communications.

Early on the morning of Sept. 2, while most folks were home sleeping,

thieves used bolt cutters to break into an Alltel Communications warehouse

and four of its loading docks in Fort Smith, Ark. Sources say they escaped

with an estimated $10 million worth of cell phones, not a bad haul for their

Labor Day efforts.

The burglary had been extensively planned. Fort Smith police said the

thieves apparently seized the opportunity to strike when they knew the

warehouse would be closed for several days over the holiday weekend,

entering through a hole they cut through the ceiling of the warehouse. They

managed to disable the alarm and surveillance systems before helping

themselves to four tractor-trailers loaded with cell phones.

Unfortunately, this highly detailed, finely executed attack is typical of

today's loading dock thefts. This was a very organized group that did a lot

of work before they hit the facility. These guys spend as much time as they

need - to do the research necessary to pull off a heist like this. And when

warehouses and loading docks get hit these days, the losses tend to be big.

But loading dock security is not just about loss prevention. Today,

many companies bolster their physical security measures for the loading



dock and elsewhere in order to comply with regulations ranging from the

Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism (C-TPAT) to the Free and

Secure Trade Program (FAST) to vertical industry-specific versions. Many of

these regulations are now voluntary and are designed to attract companies

with the promise of “faster trade clearance” in exchange for compliance.

Progressive companies are addressing compliance now, so that they will be

ready if the regulations ever become mandatory.

In the meantime, they enjoy the perks that go along with compliance,

while also reaping the benefits of enhanced security. Securing the loading

dock is no simple undertaking, however. As with most things, it requires a

mix of procedures, training and technology. Experts and security officers in

the trenches recommend that you start with the following best practices:

Take A Risk-Based Approach

Air Products, a $10 billion gases and chemicals company, has a

consistent security program across its operations in more than 40 countries

globally. But some regions are unstable enough to require additional security

measures layered on top of the existing program, according to Marc Murphy,

global supply chain security lead for Air Products, in Allentown, Pa. "Our

approach to security is risk-based, first and foremost. In areas where we

have concerns, we make the appropriate choices for security there."

According to management, their high-risk areas include Brazil, South Africa,

Mexico, the U.K., Russia and the Netherlands.



Increase Access Control

Regulations like C-TPAT that address loading dock security place

access control above all. Badges, gates, cameras, guards, barriers,

bollards, turnstiles, and biometric devices (finger print & retina scanners).

You should employ several of these at the least, backed up by well-

documented procedures and well-trained personnel. High-risk areas should

have concentric rings of security.

Keep Overhead Doors Locked

Under the heading of access control, don't succumb to the temptation

to let overhead loading dock doors stay open during business hours. Access

to the key that unlocks those doors should be severely limited, perhaps to

just one supervisor. When people go on break or lunch, they will press a

button, the camera clicks on and shows who the person is and then lets the

person thru. That door should also be wired to the control room. As much as

employees might complain, the key is to not leave those doors open so

people can go in and out at will. If you do that, you lose internal and external

control. Sometimes people want the ease of flow, in and out, but from a

security standpoint, there is not enough control. Just having a security officer

there does not give enough security. You have to find out who's present and

who is overseeing what is being taken in and out of the facility.



Secure The External Supply Chain

It is human nature to concentrate on what is directly in front of you.

Many companies therefore work hard to secure the loading docks at their

own facilities but don't pay much attention to security measures used by their

supply chain partners. People lose sight of cargo when it leaves their factory

and it goes into a black hole called the supply chain. They pay for high

security at their factories and contract manufacturing locations. But unless

they put requirements into their external supply chain, they won't how their

cargo / products are treated and stored. A lot of companies turn a blind eye

to it unless they have huge exposure.

Focus On Shipping Trucks

In the Alltel robbery mentioned earlier, the thieves stole trucks locally

and brought them to the warehouse to load up with loot. In this instance, the

warehouse and loading docks were the focus of the loss. This is not the

norm.

Data collected from businesses indicate that 85 percent of financial

losses now occur during the trucking stage, as opposed to warehousing. A

few years ago, warehousing accounted for 40 percent of losses, now it's

approximately 10 percent or 12 percent.

It pays to concentrate more on the truck policies as well as on driver

access protocol. Drivers should be restricted to a waiting room and

bathroom. They should have no access to the count area. Drivers should



be restricted and controlled while on the dock. They should not have access

to a shipping/receiving area. That driver could take a couple of boxes from

the pre-staged cargo area in the next bay - and put them on one of their

palettes. Or make plans for a future attack.

Get The Pick-Up & Delivery Timing Right

Spartan Stores, a chain of grocery stores based in Grand Rapids,

Mich., restricts the hours during which it receives truckloads. "We have

policies on what time loads can come in," says Tim Bartkowiak, Spartan's

director of security and loss prevention. "We don't want them there too early,"

when the contents might be more vulnerable.

During the scheduled hours, a vendor-receiver checks in each

truckload as it arrives, opening the doors only as necessary and only to those

with express clearance.

Build In Security From The Start

It is a lot easier and more cost-effective to build in loading dock security

from a facility's inception as opposed to retrofitting it later. Gates, alarms

and cameras should be built into the design.

Make Sure Security & Safety Work Together

Safety is paramount in the chemical industry, which has collectively

spent more than $3 billion to shore up security in the industry, since 9/11.



Businesses should use consistent practices and training worldwide. Both

security and safety should operate across all businesses and organizations

at the corporate level - with clear senior executive support, which makes it

sustain consistency.

Protect Against Other Types Of Potential Losses

Much of loading dock security concerns loss prevention. Much, but not

all. In addition, the threat of workplace violence arising from a lapse in

security is real. You might have a problem with a former employee or a

domestic partner who is disgruntled. If they can gain access to an area

through the loading dock area, that is a potential problem. It's not only a

property issue. It's a people issue.

This type of threat, unlike loss of goods generally, can be very

opportunistic. The bad guy is up in the building, and security doesn't even

know they're there. Guards should always be present at the loading dock to

restrict access to the building when the doors are open. Anyone entering

should have a legitimate purpose and be monitored to ensure that he or she

goes to the right area.



Point Of Sale Security

The “point of sale” (POS), has always been a target for thieves. While

they once went after the cash drawer, retailers often find themselves facing

sophisticated networks of thieves’ intent on the criminal equivalent of

“volume discounts”. Reams of credit card data, entire shelves of goods to

fence or, in the case of pharmaceuticals like Sudafed, drugs used for making

methamphetamines. Retailers then, operate under the constant threat of

having their point of sale either hacked by cyber-thieves (the Dave & Buster's

wireless hack being another recent high-profile example) or spoofed by an

on-site thief. Between them, these various thieves target all the major

aspects of a modern point-of-sale system:

1. The cash register

2. The bar-code scanner

3. Wireless access

4. The in-store voice or IP network

5. The store inventory management system

Where once the big scourge was "till tappers" - people who grab the

money and run - that's no longer a major headache for most retailers.

Instead, they have to contend with sophisticated rings of thieves who've

figured out that it's far more lucrative to systematically steal goods by

spoofing the point-of-sale systems, especially self-checkout systems, which

are incredibly easy to bypass.



You've got one employee monitoring four to six registers, and you can

easily distract that person and take merchandise while only scanning some

items.

A bigger problem still - is under-ringing, or sweet hearting, where

crooked cashiers in cahoots with thieves - simply don't scan all the items

presented. Retail theft was almost $35 billion, according to the 2007 National

Retail Security Survey, with estimates that between $8 billion and $10 billion

of it comes from under-ringing. Under-ringing is incredibly hard to detect,

under any system.

The major modern method for catching under-ringers is video analytics

applied at the point of sale. Companies like IBM, Milestone and Wren

Solutions, all offer video analytics that aim to help store managers see when

breaches have occurred.

Meanwhile, there are new approaches being tried with traditional

smash-and-grab techniques, like running off with a rack of leather jackets.

Time Domain, a maker of real-time location systems, is putting radio

frequency identification (RFID) tags into high-value items, and tracking them

via ultra-wideband (UWB) wireless technology. Time Domain's technology

creates electronic article surveillance that ties into the cameras at the front

of the store and will flag the unusual, like an entire rack of leather coats

suddenly moving, and pan the cameras on the items - as long as the store

uses pan-and-tilt video cameras. This technology is in pilot right now.



Shoplifting Prevention & Shoplifter Apprehension

It is estimated that 35.8% of annual losses due to shrinkage are

attributed to shoplifting. The #1 reason for shoplifting is that it is easy and

there is little or no risk involved. The challenge is having the ability to spot a

shoplifter before he or she commits the crime. Unfortunately, shoplifters

come in many shapes and sizes. A shoplifter can be rich or poor. Young or

old. Male or female. The point here is, you can’t tell just by looking at people

whether or not they will steal from you.

One thing may be certain; shoplifters tend to behave in similar ways.

Knowing what behaviors to look for may help you reduce or avoid becoming

a victim of shoplifting.

Prevention

1. Install convex mirrors that allow employees to easily observe all

corners and aisles.

2. Have only one entrance and one exit to your business.

3. Have a security officer at the entrance and exit.

4. Keep expensive merchandise inside locked cases.

5. Use electronic tags that cannot be removed by a non-employee without

damaging the merchandise.

6. Install security cameras in plain view.



Apprehension

First things first. Learn and obey the laws that pertain to your stores

area. Talk to your legal department and/or human resources when

developing the policy and sop’s for this topic.

Next, a little review / overlap from things mentioned earlier. You

typically won’t stop anyone unless you’ve personally observed the thief:

1. Select the item

2. Conceal the item

3. Maintained (you) continuous and uninterrupted surveillance

4. Pass the last point of payment making no attempt to pay

Remember these are just guidelines so there are circumstances where

some of these things can and even should be omitted. E.g. surveillance in

changing rooms, toilets, etc. but if you stick to these guidelines then you

should be fine.

As mentioned first, knowing the laws of the land is key. It’s true what

they say “knowledge is power” knowing what your legal limits are is very

important. It arms you with the confidence to deliver a good if not exceptional

quality - security service.



Patience – Patience – Patience

You will be insulted. As most likely will your mother, wife, daughter and

anyone else people can think of. Learn to block out abusive language.

Mother jokes are the things a lot of guys have to fight from letting them lose

their temper. They know it’s their switch. Know your own switch. When it

comes to people trying to push your buttons, let them run their mouth.

Never chase someone off-site. I’ve known of men who can handle

themselves better than me doing this and turning a corner and running into

a group of friends of the guy you just chased. Needless to say they got a

kicking. One retailer has a “No violence policy”. Anytime you think someone

is about to become aggressive, you have to show them a clean, clear path

to the exit. No challenging, No stopping, No Questions. They just let them

go.

Another opinion on this, is not to be extreme on either end of the

spectrum. Don’t go into work with the mentality that you’re cracking

everyone’s skull you catch. It’s very dangerous to think like that. Most likely

you will be the one with a cracked skull and you’ll end up in jail yourself. On

the flipside, don’t think that if you adopt a company’s no violence policy you

will have an easy day. Shoplifters talk to each other. Shoplifters share tips

on how not to get caught. You will find that there are communities of

shoplifters that are regulars. We’ve found this most common in Heroin, Meth,

and cocaine addicts. You will catch them one day, and they will be back. So

remember faces.



The reality with retail security, is that store agents are putting their life

on the line for an hourly wage.

Society at the moment is pretty degenerate. Kids as young as 10 have

been caught carrying knifes. Many thieves carry firearms. Don’t rush into a

potentially dangerous situation without assessing your options. I.e. your

approach and if necessary your retreat method or route.

Helpful Tips

Don’t treat everyone with a blanket approach. Every situation you deal

with will be different. Every single one. In 3 years, one agent estimates he

caught close to 1000 people and apart from the re-offenders - almost every

case had its own twists and situations.

In general, it can be said that there are 2 types of shoplifter. Those that

steal out of greed and those that steal out of need.

Greed

One shoplifter we learned of, used to steal expensive bottles of alcohol

to take around to the local hangouts, to sell at half price. They would then

use this money to buy drugs with. Couples have been caught bringing in

loads of carrier bags and they would just fill their cart… bagging as they went

along… and do their shopping. Then, they’d walk out as if having paid for it.



Need

One agent caught a guy stealing and took him to the office. He emptied

his bag. He stole loaf of generic brand bread, generic beans and two cans of

baby food. The agent felt so bad that he’d stopped him. The agent took out

what he had in his wallet, gave it to him and sent him off with the stuff. Now

I don’t expect everyone to give handouts to these people, but trust me you’ll

run into situations like this.

As a security professional, your job is to guard from theft and damage

to assets and people. Knowing the reasoning behind why someone steals

helps you customize your approach, when dealing with each situation.

Sixth Sense, Blind Eyes

The sixth sense or “the eye” you develop when your experience

increases will be awesome. This skill is great but don’t rely on just that. You

will definitely be able to notice a shoplifter walking past, but there are

exceptions to the case that you would never ever pick up on in a million

years.

Our eyes take in lots of information and a lot of it we don’t process. You

can incrementally train your mind to process more information. So you might

see someone steal, but just due to how they look your mind wont process

the action and it just gets stored in your subconscious mind.



The Main Reasons People Say They Stole:

1. Kids stealing to impress other kids

2. Young women coming in groups, purely to shoplift for fun.

3. To feed a drug habit

Helping Hand

Every single person has a chance to change. If your store policy allows

it, there will be times when you can give the person a good talking and in

your own way sent them back on track. I live for these kinds of days. To see

someone genuinely change their ways for something better is nice to see.

A lot of the time you catch people it’s their first time (being caught), so

they end up shaking like a leaf. A stern and forceful threat with explanation

of what can happen is usually effective. That being said, one statistic stated

that every shoplifter you catch has stolen at least 25 times before you got to

them. Crazy world we live in!

Tips & Tricks To Catch People That Look Suspicious On The Way Out

Wait for them to walk out and walk up to them and, at about 10 - 15

feet away, say “Excuse me Sir or Miss”. The people that had stolen would

ALWAYS run. The innocent people would just stand there and say Yeah?

Then you ask, “Do you have the time?”



Threats On Your Life

For one agent “I’m gunna come back and Kill you” were a daily

occurrence. We also known of a guy saying he was going to come back to

an LP agent - and he came back, shooting off shotgun rounds in the parking

lot, calling the LP agent out. These are a rarity, but stay alert.

People Who Get Their Kids To Steal Or Come Shoplifting With Their Kids

One trick people like to do is bag up stuff and send the kid outside with

it, they follow them and turn to see if their being followed and if they aren’t

they just walk off.

High Risk Store Areas & Items

Meat Section, Clothing Section, Alcohol Section, Razor Blades, Batteries,

Chewing Gum.

Also watch out for:

1. B.O.B – Bottom of Basket

a. Always check the bottom of a basket as they go through

checkouts.

2. L.I.S.A – Look In Side Always

a. In hollow items like bags & boxes. Sometimes people like to hide

small items so always open up the items.



3. Baby seats & strollers:

a. Under the baby seat and on the back by the handles are all hot

high risk areas too.

“Guilty knowledge” is a trait that all shoplifters have in common. Unlike

ordinary customers, shoplifters know they are thieves. That knowledge

drives them to think and act differently from honest shoppers. In turn, alert

store employees who know what to look for can often spot a shoplifter.

Here are various behavior traits and other clues that law-enforcement

officials say can be tip-offs to shoplifting:

1. Nervous Behavior

a. Shoplifters are constantly on guard. They glance about nervously

and look over their shoulders. Unlike most people, they are very

aware of who may be watching them. Their attention is focused

away from themselves rather than on merchandise immediately

at hand.

2. Avoiding Others

a. Shoplifters tend to shun store personnel and other shoppers.

Privacy means less scrutiny. They tend to move in low-traffic

areas and prefer to “shop” when few other people are in the

store.

3. Taking Offense

a. Since shoplifters fear scrutiny, they are sensitive to the attention

of sales personnel. When you try to help them, they may become



irritated or act rudely. They may even display annoyance if you

stand in the same aisle. Legitimate shoppers, on the other hand,

don’t object to attentive service.

4. Aimlessness

a. Shoplifters typically seem indecisive. Lacking a real shopping

list, they often wander through the store, lingering here and there,

stopping only to handle merchandise. They fold and drop things

and may seem clumsy and overly interested in the items they

handle. They are looking for the right time to conceal the

merchandise.

5. Bulky Baggage

a. To help them steal from you, shoplifters often use items such as

large purses, umbrellas, newspapers, and packages. The

packages are known as “boosters boxes,” which may even be

gift-wrapped. Other tricks include the use of fake casts and

slings, wheelchairs, and baby strollers.

6. Concealment Techniques

a. A common shoplifting tactic is to wear loose fitting or oversized

apparel, which may seem out of place or out of season. Baggy

clothing helps shoplifters conceal stolen clothing underneath

their own. Female shoplifters have been known to leave a store

with merchandise tucked under their skirts. Hairdos, bras, girdle,

and devices that make a woman look pregnant are also used to

hide loot.

7. Ploys

a. Shoplifters sometimes work in teams. Together they fabricate

distractions and diversions. They may fake an argument with



store personnel or among themselves. One may monopolize an

employee’s time with pointless questions. Another may topple a

display stand or stage a phony medical emergency.

8. Cash Register Flimflams

a. Pay attention to price tags. Shoplifters sometimes switch them

from low-cost to high-cost items. Also, you should require proof

of purchase on returned items. Shoplifters may try to get a refund

on an item lifted from your store.

Store employees should know what to do when they spot someone

suspected of shoplifting. Here are guidelines:

1. Simply offering the customer assistance may be enough to scare a

would-be shoplifter away.

2. If a customer who you are certain has lifted an item appears at a cash

register to pay for other items, ask politely if he or she has forgotten to

pay for the merchandise in question.

3. Call the police immediately when you are sure that someone is

shoplifting. Although attempting to detain a suspected shoplifter is

lawful in most states, it can be dangerous.

Authorities recommend that you check with your local and state law-

enforcement agencies to determine what the laws in your area say about

challenging or apprehending suspected shoplifters. Though they can be

most clever, shoplifters often give themselves away.



Shopping Mall Crime Prevention

The term “shopping mall” is used to describe a cluster of shops or

stores designed and developed as one architectural unit. Shopping malls

may be small, large, covered, uncovered, one or many-storied, with exposed

or undercover parking.

Shopping malls are an American invention, evolving out of Main Street

shopping areas. The first recognizable shopping mall was built in 1907.

With the post World War II baby boom and the move to suburbs, small

shopping malls were integrated into the plans for new communities.

Continued growth and the proliferation of motor vehicles saw the

emergence of larger malls serving mobile regional populations. Most

recently, huge regional malls housing office complexes and cinemas as well

as department stores, specialty shops and individual boutiques have

appeared.

Types of Shopping Malls

Shopping malls fall into five major categories: neighborhood malls,

community malls, regional malls, city center malls and multi-use megamalls.

1. Neighborhood Malls

a. Are often anchored by a supermarket and serve up to 40,000

people. Neighborhood malls are usually located on local streets.



2. Community Malls

a. Add a large inexpensive chain store and serve up to 150,000

people from several neighborhoods. Community malls are

usually located on highway arteries.

3. Regional Malls

a. Usually support two main department stores and a large number

of smaller specialty shops. Regional malls are often located at

major highway intersections.

4. City Center Malls

a. Can be built underground or as a part of an urban redevelopment

program.

5. Megamalls

a. Join hotels, cinemas, restaurants, bars, offices, sports arenas

and even amusement parks with traditional shops within one vast

structure (Mall of America in Minnesota and West Edmonton Mall

in Alberta, Canada).

Factors Affecting Crime in Malls

Shopping mall crime problems tend to occur in predictable patterns

that depend on the following:

1. The location of the mall



a. Because they were built in middle-class affluent suburbs and

were accessible only by motor vehicle, older malls tended not to

attract great numbers of crime-prone groups. As demographics

change and crime moves out to the suburbs form the inner city,

crimes in and around shopping malls have increased.

2. The design of the mall, its grounds and facilities

a. Design is often key to property and nuisance crimes in and

around shopping malls. Nuisance behavior is most frequent near

high-activity spots that attract juveniles or areas where non-

buyers hang out. Thefts occur more frequently in busy stores

with easy access.

3. CAP Index

a. The CAP Index is a private organization that can provide a crime

vulnerability assessment for any location in the United States and

Canada. This vulnerability assessment incorporates a wide

variety of information from neighborhood demographic and

physical housing data, FBI Uniform Crime Reports, National

Crime Surveys, local police data and company crime reports to

provide a forecast intended to indicate the likelihood of crimes

occurring in any location.

b. CAP Index scores are scaled so a value of 100 is equal to the

national, state and county average. Thus, a CAP Index of 200 is

twice the average.



c. In determining appropriate security measures, shopping mall

management should be aware of the CAP Index score for their

location. Research data indicates that 65% of shopping malls

are located in areas with above average crime risks. As many as

25% of shopping malls are in areas having three times or more

the national crime risk.

d. For more information about CAP Index and how to obtain a crime

vulnerability assessment for a specific location, see their Internet

website at: www.capindex.com

Crime Prevention Strategies

There are numerous crime prevention strategies that can serve to

make commercial shopping malls safer and more secure. These strategies

include the following:

1. Security Patrol

a. Provide ample uniformed security officers to patrol both the

interior and exterior of the mall in well-marked, high-profile

vehicles. The security staff either contract or in-house, may be

augmented by off-duty sworn police officers.

2. Escorts

a. Provide escort service to both patrons and employees to their

motor vehicles, particularly during late-night hours of darkness.



3. Community Policing Substation

a. In some communities, community policing substations have

been located in shopping malls.

4. Exterior Lighting

a. Provide adequate exterior lighting (3-5 foot-candles) in all

parking and exterior areas associated with the shopping mall. A

reliable lighting inspection and replacement program should also

be in place.

5. Placement of Public Restrooms

a. Unfortunately, shopping malls frequently place public restrooms

at the end of long service corridors in less desirable space.

Isolation makes mall restrooms possible sites for anything from

robbery to sexual assault. Mall maintenance or housekeeping

personnel should be instructed to be in the restrooms every 15-

30 minutes, and keep log sheets showing the frequency of these

visits.

b. In addition, mall security officers should also visit the restrooms

periodically. A CCTV camera may be installed to monitor the

corridors leading to the public restrooms, especially if the

corridors twist and turn.

c. Convex mirrors at corridor intersections can help mall patrons

see around corners before they get there.



6. Bicycle and Mounted Patrol

a. For purposes of visibility and accessibility, some shopping malls

have their security officers patrol the parking areas and grounds

on bicycles. A small number even have horseback mounted

security patrols.

7. Rooftop Patrol

a. Particularly during holiday shopping periods, when theft from

motor vehicles tend to increase, shopping malls may station

security or police officers on the building roof with binoculars.

8. Shoplifting Awareness Training

a. The shopping mall may provide or sponsor shoplifting awareness

and prevention training for its tenants and their employees.

9. Exercise Walkers

a. Enclosed shopping malls often attract persons who want to walk

within the confines of the mall for purpose of exercise. This

practice should be encouraged, particularly during hours of least

activity within the mall.

10. Use of CCTV

a. Closed-circuit televisions cameras can be used to monitor

parking areas and common areas. The Mall of America employs

approximately 130 CCTV cameras monitored by two persons at

all times.



11. Emergency Phones or Call Boxes

a. Shopping malls may provide highly visible emergency phones or

call boxes located in parking areas and the mall itself.

12. Volunteer Patrol

a. A few shopping malls have developed volunteer citizen patrols to

assist mall security or volunteer parents to work at the shopping

malls on Friday and Saturday nights to interact with youth.

13. Wayfinding Signs

a. Signs should be placed along shopping mall ring roads to assist

patrons in locating parking that is closest to their destination.



Trespass Warnings

Shopping center security has become a necessary component to

safely operate large regional shopping centers. Let’s face it; no one wants to

shop in an environment that is perceived to be unsafe. In some shopping

centers, hordes of teenagers descend on the property and sometimes walk

in large groups causing disruption. Sometimes gang members try to claim a

shopping center as part of their turf. Other undesirables like aggressive

panhandlers, intoxicated persons, and loud and obnoxious persons

sometimes create a disturbance.

Sometimes crimes are committed where security officers detain

someone for arrest. Because of this, shopping center managers have

established policies to cause the removal of those unwanted persons who

commit crimes or violate mall rules while on the property.

What is a Trespass Warning?

If you think about it, a shopping center is private property that’s open

to the public. This means that the invitation to come onto the property can be

revoked by its operators. In the security vernacular, the word trespass has

been coined as a term-of-art used to describe this policy.

To trespass a customer means to formally warn the offending customer

that they are to immediately leave the premises and not return under threat

of criminal prosecution. The trespass notification can be written document or



just a verbal warning. Obviously, written is better but not always practical. In

either cause, the trespass warning must be communicated to the offender

and should contain the precise language used in the state criminal statute.

Trespass warnings can be given for a day, a week, a month, a year or

permanently. However, temporary trespass warnings are difficult to enforce.

For example, can you legally trespass a 15-year-old minor child for life?

Technically speaking, once a person is formally trespassed they can be

arrested if they return.

Be advised that wholesale use of trespass warnings are sometimes

viewed as a tactic to rid the mall of unwanted minority groups or others

exercising their constitutional rights.

Who Can Issue a Trespass Warning?

Anyone who represents the property owner or leaseholder can revoke

permission to come onto private property. The shopping center landlord,

property manager, and their employees would certainly have the authority to

trespass someone. Mall security typically is given the responsibility for

trespassing undesirables. A tenant within a shopping center can only

trespass a person from their shop, but not from the entire shopping center.

Sometimes a tenant will call mall security after catching a shoplifter,

and ask them to trespass the shoplifter from the entire mall. The trespass

warning is equally legal if given verbally or in writing as long as it contains

the proper language. Written and signed trespass warnings are better for



proof purposes. The problem arises when a security officer illegally detains

a mall patron for the purpose of filling out the respass form or requiring the

unwanted person to stand still for a photograph.

Can Trespassers Be Legally Detained?

One of the most misunderstood and abused shopping center practices

is how to legally handle persons about to be trespassed. Many security

officers believe that they can temporarily detain a person for violating a mall

rule and process them. Many times I hear stories of mall security officers

who detain teenagers for fighting or walking in large groups or for using foul

language. These offenders are sometimes handcuffed and transported to the

mall security office.

Once in custody, the rule violators are required to produce ID, sign

formal trespass warning forms, and stand still for a photograph. After the

teenagers are released, the photos and trespass forms are maintained in a

mall filing system for future reference. The intent of these records is to be

used as evidence of trespassing should the offender return. This process

sounds okay to many mall security officers, but is patently illegal in most

states.

You can’t take someone into custody for violating a mall rule like

walking in groups, using foul language, or being too noisy. Also problematic

is posting a trespassed person’s picture on the office bulletin board for all to

see (sort of rogue’s gallery) when they haven’t committed any crime.



When to Detain Trespassers

Security has no more authority than an ordinary citizen, in most states.

At best, security officers can ask rule violators to leave the premises and not

return. Unless a state statute specially allows for it, security officers cannot

detain someone or take him or her into custody unless they have committed

a crime. If a crime is committed, then the officer must make a citizen's arrest

before detaining a person.

To legally make a citizen's arrest, a minor crime (misdemeanor) must

have been committed in the presence of the person making the arrest.

Security officers cannot rely on another person’s word that a misdemeanor

crime occurred.

This whole business of stopping a person for a rule violation,

transporting them to the mall security office for processing, and formally

trespass-warning them, is improper. Also, improper is requiring mall

miscreants to stand in place while security officers obtain ID, bring forms and

a camera to photograph them before issuing the trespass warning.

To argue that the offending teenager volunteered to be detained for

the purpose of being trespassed and processed is risky and should not be

practiced.



Should All Trespassers Be Arrested?

No! There are many exceptions, for example, when trespassed

teenagers return with their parents. Most malls issue second and even third

warnings for non-violent re-offenders. As always, using good judgment is

important.

However, there are times when detention and arrest of criminals and

trespassers is proper. Legitimate troublemakers and known criminals who

have been trespassed previously sometimes should be arrested. The mall

has an obligation to keep the premises reasonable safe. If mall security

learns that a previously trespassed person has returned it can create a

liability, especially if the person is known to be potentially dangerous.

If the person previously trespassed is not believed to be dangerous

then discretion can be applied, depending on mall policy. Most mall security

personnel simply remind the offending person that they are unwelcome and

reaffirm the trespass warning. Trespassing is not a strong criminal charge

and should be reserved for the more deserving offenders. The courts have

been known to drop trespassing charges, in the interest of justice, without

consulting the retailer. This can be a trigger for a lawsuit.

Use Good Judgment

Some shopping center security departments get carried away with the

whole trespass concept. The trespass warning is just another tool that can

help rid the center of the most troublesome persons. As a matter of policy,



not all trespassers should be arrested. Sometimes second or even third

warnings make more sense to rid the property of undesirables.

Trespass warnings may not be enforceable across city or county lines

making blanket banishment from all stores within a chain meaningless.

Trespass policies are not designed to be a license for security officers to

abuse state laws or violate the civil rights of mall visitors.

Violation of a mall rule is usually not a crime.

The most that mall security can do is to advise, warn, and request mall

visitors to act appropriately or to leave. What happens if an undesirable

refuses to leave after being issued a trespass warning, can you arrest them

for trespassing? The answer is usually, no, because the offender was initially

invited onto the property as a member of the public and hasn't left the

property yet.

In most states, the crime of trespassing won’t take effect until the next

time they return. In some states refusing to leave when asked and warned

completes the crime of trespassing. But in the exercise of caution, most

shopping centers have a policy to call the police to remove the person who

refuses to leave rather than attempting a citizen's arrest.

Escorts off the Property

Make sure those persons who are asked to leave the shopping center

actually vacate the entire premises, including the parking lot. Most major



shopping centers escort and observe the offending persons off the entire

property. This practice allows for clear enforcement of the trespass policy.

The security escort should not be harassing or forceful.



Drive Thru Security Patrols

Drive-through security patrols serve a limited, but useful purpose. By

definition, the drive-through patrol service does not remain on-site and

generally uses a vehicle to make the rounds. This type of patrol is less

expensive than a dedicated on-site security guard because of the limited time

spent on the property. Highly visible, drive-through security services are

ideal for the patrol of commercial properties after business hours or on

private property not open to the public.

One purpose of this type of patrol is to observe (or test) all accessible

gates, doors, and windows and make sure they are secured, and to report

the conditions found on the property to the business owner or the police.

Another purpose is to make sure no unauthorized persons are trespassing

on private property. Some drive-through security services may also respond

to alarm signals, but this requires a more specialized guard force.

The primary goal of a drive-through security patrol service is to deter

property loss and discover vandalism after business hours. This presence is

normally supported by signage that states the property will be patrolled by

"ABC Security Service."

Drive-through security patrols are not good at catching criminals in the

act. By design, drive-through security patrols should be highly visible and

therefore should be incapable is sneaking up on a perpetrator. The best

patrol vehicles are high profile, and distinctive in appearance. The most



visible security vehicles are well-marked and equipped with a light-bar on the

roof and high-powered spotlights. This high visibility maximizes the deterrent

effect as long as the security officer is patrolling competently and according

to post orders.

Random drive-through security patrols are less effective on

commercial properties while open to the public. This is because the drive-

through security officer probably has 6-10 other commercial accounts to

patrol each hour. Random and infrequent patrol does not allow the security

officer enough time to observe loiterers or differentiate between the

customers, the residents, and the criminals.

Many drive-through patrols consist of only a high-speed pass and offer

little in the way of observation or scrutiny of suspicious activity. Because of

the nature of the drive-through patrol, customer contacts are infrequent and

suspicious groups are not likely to be confronted. Drive-through is better than

not doing anything, but understand the limitations of infrequent and non-

confrontation security services. Due to fear from prior litigation claims, signs

supporting the random drive-through security patrol are not always used on

retail and rental housing settings for fear of misrepresenting to a consumer

that security guards are always on-site.

Post Orders

Any contract security services must have clearly defined and

articulated "post orders". Post orders are written instructions for how the

security officer is to patrol a site and should be incorporated as part of the



contract. These written instructions need to be detailed and reflect the

expectations of the property manager and the responsibility of the security

patrol service. Post orders are necessary for drive-through accounts

because the same security officer will not always patrol the site and each

property will have specific requirements. Written post orders allow for

consistency in patrol and reporting and set forth the obligations for fulfilling

the service contract.

Post instructions should specify if drive-through security officers are to

get out of their vehicle to "shake" doors or walk behind buildings. If you don't

require it...it won't occur. Well-written post order acts like a checklist for the

security officer while on-site and helps them fill out their daily activity reports

and logs.

Reporting

It is the custom and practice of all contract security patrol industry to

complete daily activity reports (DARs) and incident reports for each site they

patrol. Despite this practice, it is important to require written DAR and

incident reports as part of the contract for service. This is usually one of the

items specified in the post orders. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t receive a

written report, assume the patrol did not occur and don’t pay for the service

until you receive one. This practice will ensure that reports are written and

submitted in a timely manner.

Detailed daily activity and incident reports are crucial to a property

owner. It is a form of supervision and holds the security service accountable



for patrolling the property as agreed. In addition to communicating what was

observed in the parking lot, the reports provide important documentation in

case of a lawsuit alleging inadequate security.

Daily activity reports are designed to report routine things like when

and where the security officer was on your property and what they observed.

DARs should be detailed and informative. Each entry should list the date,

time, location, and activity. Don’t accept activity logs that merely state, "10:00

PM or 11:00 PM – All Quiet". A proper daily activity report of an apartment

property might state, "9/29/99 -10:06 PM – Completed patrol of the south

parking lot, one light burned out over parking space #256 or "9/29/99 - 10:14

PM – Checked the mail room, pool gate, laundry room, and restroom door

locks. All were secure." These reports notify the landlord to repair burned out

lights or to resolve hazardous conditions.

Daily activity reports should document the patrol of all roadways on a

property even if no unusual activity is observed.

Incident reports are only written when something unusual happens that

requires a more detailed account. Incident reports are not limited to crime.

Incident reports should notify the client of an unlocked door, a large group

loitering, a flooded parking lot, safety hazards, and of course all crimes or

property damage. All contacts with persons on a client’s property should be

reported as well. Incident reports should be more detailed than DARs

because they chronicle one specific event. Incident reports that say "see

police report" are not acceptable.



Incident reports should note everything the security officer observed,

what they did, and what they were doing at the time of the incident. They

must contain the basics of reporting like who, what, where, when, why, and

how.

Supervision

One inherent flaw in contracting for drive-through security patrol

service is supervision of the officers. Unless someone is checking, the drive-

through patrol may not occur or the service may be insufficient. A common

problem for some security patrol services is that they overbook, and assign

too many accounts to their officers. It is impossible for patrol officers to

properly inspect a site if they must make a high-speed pass to keep on

schedule. It is important at the beginning of the contract to establish the

quality and timing of the patrols and then follow up if you suspect that the

service is inadequate.

Worse yet, is when security officers falsify reports indicating that they

patrolled when they had not. To avoid these problems, security patrol officers

need to know that they are being supervised in some manner. This can be

accomplished by a patrol supervisor but will usually involve additional costs.

Other methods are to incorporate a mechanical or electrical check in device.

Common systems include logging in on strategically placed watchman

clocks, dropping patrol slips through the mail slot (hopefully in view of a video

camera) or punching in on a time clock. On occupied commercial properties,

the guard service should check in or sign off on a log in presence of a site

employee.



Selecting a Patrol Service

Finding a quality patrol service can be a challenge. It is easier in a

smaller market because a company's good reputation is important to its

survival. In large metropolitan areas, a poor patrol service can survive longer

and get away with substandard service. This is because there is so much

work that lost accounts has little immediate impact on their ability to stay in

the marketplace. The other problem is the labor pool. In big cities, all security

agencies draw from the same labor source. A poor quality officer can drift

from agency to agency for years and end up patrolling your property.

The best way to locate a quality security patrol service is to get a

referral from a satisfied customer. It is always best to get multiple proposals

and don't consider price alone as the deciding factor.

1. Ask for references and check them

2. Ask to see licenses, insurance papers, and samples of reports that will

be used on your property

3. Check with the state licensing board to see if any complaints have been

filed against the company or if their patrol license is valid

4. Ask to see a copy of the contract and study it or have your attorney

review it. It is usually not a good idea to sign the security company

contract if it contains language that attempts to limit their liability or shift

insurance responsibility to you.

5. Make sure that you are involved in drafting the detailed post orders and

make sure that they are dated, signed, and incorporated into the

contract



6. If the post orders need to be modified, do it in writing. Finally, actively

supervise the guard service and make sure you receive and read the

reports.

Record Retention

Security officer reports should be maintained at least for a period of

two years. These reports are important for evaluating your security needs,

identifying historical problems on site, and for insurance purposes. These

reports are critical in defending premises liability lawsuits since they are proof

of providing adequate security.

Even reports showing no activity should be stored to show that the

property has been reasonably safe. Records can be purged after this period

except for reports containing important events.



In Conclusion

As you now know, retail environments provide a very challenging

environment for security and loss prevention professionals. Threats come

from every direction. Employees, customers, and even organized crime

groups. From the need to protect an individual item of clothing… to having

to protect a loading dock… the security function can be very intense. If not

done well, organizations lose millions of dollars, and people lose jobs.

Every individual in the security & loss prevention arena has the

opportunity to improve the livelihoods for the employees within their

organization.

Good Luck On Your Exam!

retail store & shopping mall security

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