Looking into the Mind of a Shoplifter
Overview:
To better understand shoplifting and to minimize theft we not only worked with law enforcement agencies, the security industry and retail organizations but we also interviewed approximately 300 shoplifters to better learn the some of the tricks of their trade.
Complete Text:
To better understand shoplifting and to minimize theft in general, we closely worked with various law enforcement agencies, the security industry and various retail organizations. We also interviewed almost 300 shoplifters in order to get a very different perspective into shoplifting. Our intention was to understand a thief’s way of thinking and to learn more about the “tricks of their trade”. We then compiled this information and developed a highly effective shoplift prevention training program. What is truly interesting is that the interviewed shoplifters were very open and provided us with an incredible amount of valuable information that all other resources were unable to provide.
A common theme within shoplifting circles is generally they do not take any unnecessary chances. Today’s shoplifter will do everything in their power to reduce the risk of getting caught and possibly prosecuted. Therefore the majority of shoplifters with the exception of the impulsive thief tend to target the easy mark and often will continue to repeatedly steal from the same establishment sometimes for several years. Many of the thieves we interviewed claim that stealing from an easy target was virtually effortless, and usually the retailer did not even have a clue of what was occurring under their nose. When we asked the question “What is considered a tough target that would discourage them from stealing within the establishment”? To my surprise only 40% of those interviewed stated that anti theft devices were the greatest deterrent. A full 60% viewed security systems as something relatively easy to outsmart and often gave retailers a false sense of security, which again often gave the thief a distinct advantage. One seasoned shoplifter said, “Its great for me when a retailer puts all his trust into a security system, because usually no one is paying attention and once I learn how to beat the system, which is pretty easy with a wide range of information on the internet, I basically have an open invitation to steal as much as I want”.
It is important to realize that for the impulsive shoplifter, security systems are a good deterrent but are not nearly as effective with the compulsive as well as the professional shoplifter.
From our interviews we essentially discovered that the most effective method of reducing shoplifting, whether you have a security system or not is your staff. Building awareness within your entire staff, through continuous education on shoplift prevention as well as other retail loss training is one of the most cost effective methods of dealing with a growing problem. Although a security system can cost you tens of thousand of dollars, you already pay for the services of your employees. It is simply a matter of properly training them. The key is making loss prevention a topic of discussion and maintaining a good ongoing training program for both management and staff.
Most shoplifters claim that they can instantly tell if a retail outlet has a well trained and alert staff when they first survey a premises and if the staff is alert usually they move onto an easier target. Some shoplifters also claim that they target stores when part time staff are on duty because most part timers are not as well trained and may feel uncomfortable dealing with a shoplifting incident.
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