On The Job -Retail Security Agents –(PART TWO) www.privateofficer.com

On The Job -Retail Security Agents http://www.privateofficer.com

Atlanta GA. Nov 29 2008

BY: Rick McCann
NTL. ASSOC. PRIVATE OFFICERS
http://www.privateofficer.com/
Her day starts with a review of security video footage from the stockroom and loading dock area as well as several other sensitive areas of the store.

She sips her coffee and scans the video for any telltale signs of internal theft or someone found where they shouldn’t have been.

On this day, she spots an electronics department associate in the electronics security cage several times without any apparent reason.

The associate doesn’t leave the area with anything visibly in their hands but they could have concealed merchandise on their person so she makes an incident report of this and she decides that she’ll set up a covert camera inside the cage later tonight after the store is closed and all employees have left.

The rest of the video showed basic activity so she calls one of her loss prevention agents on the 2-way radio and they meet at the center of the store and take a walk through together looking for shoplifting activity as they talk.

The LP agent fills her boss in on a shoplifting case that she had the night before that resulted in three arrests. The three had concealed a laptop computer and tried fleeing with it. The LP had been watching them since they first had entered the store because of something that just didn’t look right about the trio and as an experienced loss prevention agent she decided to observe them for a while and it didn’t take long for them to prove her suspicions right.

While the average shoplifter ranges in age from 12-80 and from every employment and financial background imaginable, there are a few things that store security agents watch for. Big empty bags are his biggest red flags, heavy coats when the weather is warm, lingering in an aisle for long periods of time, or piling shopping carts full of expensive electronics or clothing signal possible door busters, (those who run for the door with the cart) merchandise stockpiled in an out of way area of the store usually is a sign that one person planted it there for another to pick up later and there are other signs as well.

Karen Brown spent nine years as a police officer before her career came to an end as a speeding drunk driver crashed into her patrol vehicle as she was on a traffic stop and issuing a citation. She sustained multiple fractures, lacerations and other injuries and although she recovered and went back to her beat four months later, she continued to experience flashbacks and sleepless nights and post traumatic anxiety which eventually led her to resigning and taking a retail security position. A decision that she doesn’t regret as she now leads a team of thirty agents in numerous stores as a regional loss prevention director. She said that she has fully made the changeover from a law enforcement officer to a private security agent and that she thoroughly enjoys her work. Much of her time these days is spent looking at the paper trail of refund scammers or shipping errors or video of suspected dishonest employees, credit card, and check fraud suspects, investigating slip and falls and training and mentoring her loss prevention staff. And she often works on cases with her friends and former co-workers at police headquarters as well as numerous other local, state, and federal agencies. She has initiated and ran joint investigations with area police, the U.S. Marshal’s, U.S. Secret Service and several state law enforcement agencies. It’s something different everyday Brown says with a smile on her face. I can really see myself doing this until I’m too old to see or drive or my mind is completely gone, she laughs as she glances across the wall of video monitors.

Undercover security officers are used by retail stores to stop theft, both internally (employees) and externally (customers). These officers are plain-clothed and blend in with shoppers. Others monitor and record suspicious activity or thefts in progress from a security officer somewhere off from the sales floor. It’s not like it was twenty years ago when Craig Moore first started with the K-Mart company. We would have to climb up onto these little platforms that were in the back stockroom area with one way glass that looked out onto certain areas of the store. Sometimes we’d be stuck there for hours observing a particular employee or we’d have to maneuver from one perch to the other trying to keep an eye on a shoplifter while staying out of sight. Once a shoplifter concealed the merchandise we then had to race to the floor while trying to keep an eye on them until they left without paying for the stuff. It was hard to do but we got the job done and caught the thief he said shaking his head. Now, there’s camera everywhere and no more climbing or jumping around Moore laughs as he points to a female mannequin. See her eyes, those are cameras. Pretty cool he says with another hearty laugh. Yup, we got it much easier than the store detectives did ten or twenty years ago.

Retail security agents do have the authority to stop and detain you and in certain states “arrest” a suspected shoplifter or person involved in criminal activity within their store or on the store’s property. Although most of the time loss prevention agents are busy with theft issues, they can also find themselves in the middle of a domestic fight, child abuse case, assault incident, lost or missing children searches, “peeping toms” incidents and an array of other criminal activity that they are called to.

The job is high-stress as the demand to meet certain productivity levels creates a lot of pressure. Though there might not be a quota put on the security agents, like law enforcement officers there is an expectation of production and job performance which really equates to monthly quotas Brown said. If a full time loss prevention agent in a high traffic or a high shrinkage store is only averaging three or four apprehensions a month there is a problem she said. Maybe they need to be retained on what to look for or maybe they spend too much time talking to store associates or on the phone with friends and family. While there is no certain number of shoplifters that a loss prevention agent should catch each month, in most cases there is a goal based on what previous security agents accomplished in that particular store. Some agents are very good at their job and will easily apprehend 20-30 each month while others average 6-10 apprehensions. The numbers depend on store location, volume of sales, floor traffic, and a number of other criteria that loss prevention management considers when looking at productivity.

While the entry level pay for loss prevention agents exceed minimum wages by a few bucks more and most stores offer some form of medical insurance, vacation and holiday pay and other perks not often seen in a uniform security guard position, no one is getting rich. But there is plenty of room for advancement especially with large box type stores who are still expanding and opening new stores. The next level above an agent would be a store security manager and then a district loss prevention manager position and from there a regional position which is where someone can make a very good living Brown said. It doesn’t take long either. I started out as an agent and three years later I’m the area manager so as you can see there is opportunity in retail security if you like the security business.

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Shoplifting/Retail Security News Round-Up www.privateofficer.com

Shoplifting/Retail Security News Round-Up http://www.privateofficer.com

Atlanta GA. July 26 2008

Compiled By: Bryan Hill
Ntl. Assoc. Private Officers
http://www.privateofficer.com

Pascagoula MS
Denny Avenue, Wal-Mart, Kandie Chang, 25, Dogwood Drive, Lucedale, was arrested on charge of felony shoplifting.

Wickenburg AZ The Wickenburg Police Department arrested a 17-year-old Grand Avenue (Wickenburg) male on Sunday (July 13) on charges of shoplifting, resisting arrest and underage consumption of alcohol after he allegedly fled from police and appeared to be in the motion of striking an officer with a 40-ounce glass bottle.

Freemont Ca On July 13 at 2 p.m., police responded to a shoplifting report at Fry’s Electronics at 43800 Osgood Road. Security officers at the business said they observed a man opening DVDs and digital media players and stuffing them down the front of his pants, police said. While officers were en route, security detained the suspect as he attempted to leave the store. Officers arrested Bhupinder Singh, 22, of Hayward, on charges of shoplifting and took him to Fremont City Jail.

FRAMINGHAM MA – An Ashland man was arrested Tuesday at 5:04 p.m. after police said he shoplifted at Bob’s Store.Thiago Miranda Gomes, 21, of 47 Mountain Gate Road, was charged with shoplifting, police said.

MARANA AZ Shortly after 4 p.m. on Wednesday, July 9, an officer responded to a shoplifting call at the Sportsman’s Warehouse on the 3900 block of West Costco Drive. The store’s loss prevention manager had stopped a juvenile male from stealing a paintball gun. As the store worker stopped the boy, he saw two other young males sitting in a black truck outside leave the parking lot.

The officer questioned the boy, who claimed that the others waiting for him in the truck, his cousins, also had shoplifted paintball equipment a few days earlier. The officer phoned the other boys’ father, who later returned the stolen items worth an estimated $684.93. The officer arrested the boys on charges of shoplifting before releasing them to their parents.

In a separate arrest about 6:30 p.m. on Thursday, July 10, police arrested a woman on a charge of shoplifting. She allegedly stole several items from the Kohls department store on the 5800 block of West Arizona Pavillions Drive. The woman admitting taking clothing and accessories worth about $300, according police. She stole the items “for her sister who is going through a tough time.” The woman also had an oustanding warrant for her arrest in Tucson for a liquor law violation. Police booked her into the county jail.

TOWN OF NEWBURGH NY Police said three men stole more than $6,000 worth of electronics from Wal-Mart Sunday morning. At about 4 a.m., one man approached an employee and asked to see an MP3 player in a locked case. Once the case was open, two other men surrounded the clerk, and the three emptied the entire case into a white laundry bag and told the clerk to shut up, according to a police press release. Wal-Mart did not have security on duty at the time. The three men left the store and fled north on Route 300 in a small silver sports car that was waiting outside the store, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call 566-TIPS. A reward is available for information leading to an arrest.

AVENTURA FLA
Police arrested a 19-year-old man on a charge of theft at Target, 21265 Biscayne Blvd., at 4:45 p.m. July 6. Store security said he hid an MP3 player valued at $40 in a bag.

Police arrested two women, 21 and 23, on charges of grand theft at Bloomingdale’s, 19555 Biscayne Blvd., at 4:45 p.m. July 6. Store security told police the women took merchandise valued at $1,730 into a fitting room, where they hid the clothes in their purses.

Police arrested a 19-year-old woman on a charge of theft at Urban Outfitters, 19575 Biscayne Blvd., after store security said she stole a blouse valued at $48 and set off the store alarm at 6:15 p.m. July 6.

Rome GA A shoplifter stole items from a Broad Street business on Friday, reports stated Saturday.
According to Rome police reports:
Officers were called to Lynn’s Uniforms at 244 Broad St. after a woman allegedly took four hospital scrub tops without paying for them.
An employee said a woman customer approximately 5-feet-6 and 160 pounds with short dark hair took several scrub tops back to the dressing room. She left the store and allegedly had hidden four scrubs in her black bag. The value of the items was listed at approximately $80.
The woman left in a burgundy Honda Element.

Fort Oglethorpe GA

Adam Parker, 30, of 523 Townsend Drive, Ringgold, was arrested on July 10 and charged with shoplifting.
Phillip Wysons, 21, of 6872 Robin Drive, Chattanooga, was arrested on July 12 and charged with shoplifting.
Marivic Morgan, 44, of 1708 Shepherd Road, Chattanooga, was arrested on July 13 and charged with shoplifting.
Brandon Brett, 20, of 181 Knollwood Drive, Ringgold, was arrested on July 14 and charged with shoplifting.
Melinda Hargis, 17, of 19 Lowery Lane, Ringgold, was arrested on July 16 and charged with shoplifting.
Brittany Smith, 19, of 71 Jade Lane, Ringgold, was arrested on July 16 and charged with shoplifting.

Kinston NC Zelena Rhem, 26, 3430 Poole Road, Kinston, July 18, misdemeanor shoplifting. Bond: $300. Arresting officer: T. Jarvis.

Slidell LA

Danita M. Casnave, age 39 of 2826 Clark Ave. Slidell, La Was arrested on an Outstanding Probation Violation through Slidell City Court, and Theft under $100 by Shoplifting at the Dollar General Store, 883 Robert Blvd.

Charlene Forte, age 28 of 3 Sadec Ln. Picayune, MsWas issued a Summons for Theft under $300 by Shoplifting at Wal-Mart on Natchez Dr

John K. Wilson, age 17 of 1011 Rue Verand Slidell, La Was issued a Summons for Theft by Shoplifting at Wal-Mart on Natchez Dr

Mark Womack, age 17 of 805 Freedom Ln. Slidell, LaWas issued a Summons for Theft by Shoplifting at Wal-Mart on Natchez Dr

Trenton Roy, age 18 of 1423 Eastridge Dr. Slidell, La Was issued a Summons for Theft by Shoplifting at Wal-Mart on Natchez Dr

Jennifer J. Gandy, age 25 of 319 Hickory Dr. Slidell, LaWas arrested for Theft Under $300 by Shoplifting at Wal-Mart on Natchez Dr

Millville NJ
Myrtle A. Wilson, 47, of Millville Gardens Apartments, was charged Tuesday with shoplifting two tubes to toothpaste from Shop Rite on North 2nd Street.

LAWRENCE MA — A woman was arrested after she picked up $26.98 in clothing items at an Essex Street clothing store and walked away, police said.
Officers were sent to Tello’s at 700 Essex St., where store workers told them of the theft. The woman was at the scene when police arrived and allowed police to check her purse, where the clothing, with the store tags, was found.
Yolanda Brown, 38, 114B Hancock St., was charged with shoplifting under $100.

VERMILION, Ohio — Vermilion police said they arrested a man accused of shoplifting two times in a four-hour period on Monday.
Police said 42-year-old Stephen Harris stole $88.85 worth of steaks from the Vermilion Giant Eagle. He was arrested and released on bond.
Police said three and a half hours later, officers arrested Harris again at Tobaccoville liquor store on suspicion of stealing a bottle of Jack Daniels liquor.
Harris will appear in court on Thursday

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