By Letter to the Editor

behind the scenes of crime prevention

The “Art of Loss Prevention”

Aug 11, 2019 | 10:36 AM

A side to retail is often left to the shadows. Here’s my view.

Moving through the retail jungle, waiting and watching for any activity of the unscrupulous kind, I have had the privilege to act as a shadow, to watch the skills and techniques involved in the art of Loss Prevention.

The amount of patience required to watch and listen is incredible. You must have an adept sense of something erring, know what to look for, along with a special word – continuity.

More often than not, my mentor was right. We are hidden in plain sight, watching as the misguided individual makes their selection. Also working in the background is an amazing team of store employees who take notice and relay what’s out of place. From time to time they too witness people’s lack of moral character and alert the LPO to occurrences. It’s an amazing team effort that says a lot for a store that works together.

They look left, they look right, and walk around like nothing is amiss. Little do they know that their actions have been noticed and captured by the one charged with undoing their reckless acts. Feeling confident in their ability to conceal their indiscretion, they make passage toward the exit. One step ahead is the Loss Prevention Officer, waiting and watching for the bypass of a rightful transaction of said selection of hidden wares. As has happened many times before, they pretend as if nothing is required at such time, maybe buy a small trinket to moralize or deflect from the bigger stash currently hidden.

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“Excuse me! You need to come with me please!” A brief introduction answering who and why is followed an escort to a detention room, sometimes while wearing some nice wrist jewelry.

On most occasions the detained are in possession of some type of weapon, most common being knives. In more serious occurrences, in which I was not present for, a hand gun has been discovered.

Many years of refined skill, ability, and keen senses have guided potentially dangerous situations to a safe outcome. You listen to the responses of the detained while being interviewed. Some have nothing to say, some are remorseful, sometimes they tell you off. They don’t care and believe they can do what they want, when they want. It’s scary how many believe in their sense of entitlement to the products, and seem completely oblivious to the fact of what they have done is wrong.

Each situation is dealt within its own merit. It is dependent upon the way they choose to behave – if they are able to purchase the items, if it’s a first time offence, or if there are any active warrants. Honesty goes a long way. The more lies, belligerence, and unaccepting attitudes of what has been witnessed, the easier it is for the RCMP to take you away. Trespassing orders are given out, but compassion is given at times to those who deserve it. Don’t confuse compassion with pity. One of the unfortunate issues when not pressing charges for all thefts is that it can potentially turn into a catch and release situation as they continue onto the next store. With the negativity of the events, you still have hope that something positive will be set in motion.

The sad reality is the system is so broken that this is an everyday occurrence at retail stores. I have gone to some of the larger ones just to witness multiple people stealing with little effort at hiding their actions. They work solo, in groups, or in pairs with one keeping watch, or both in the take.

The one situation that I find unforgiving is when parents or adults are training the youth and next generation to do the same. I have witnessed this in action at a major grocery store. I’m sure they’re not the only stores to have this happen. You say, “Why didn’t you stop this?” I have gone to customer service and asked them to contact the managers or LPO to let them know. I have told certain key employees of the events. Most of the time there is so much of it, they can’t do anything about it, or its corporate policy not to. For the safety of the staff, I understand this.

I have seen people come in pay with large sums of money or bills then fraudulently return saying they did not get their change. I was very impressed when the staff caught this, and said to the con artist that they “Would get the LPO to review the video”. Only to get a reply “Oh don’t worry about it, I don’t have time to wait.” The LPO still went and reviewed it. Yup! You guessed it; the change was given out properly. In some cases one will come in and put a different sticker or barcode from a discounted item. Here again, is the sense of entitlement, setting a price they are willing to pay.

In the end, the criminals are getting away with what they want and there are no repercussions for their actions. The youth of tomorrow are being trained now and fully understand what they can get away with. The government hides behind words like FOIP or PIPEDA because they think those who continually violate our rights should be allowed to hold onto theirs. The actions of today need to be rehabilitated before it’s too late. We are already at a breaking point, and it’s only a matter of time before the system fights back. The only ones getting hurt are the frustrated, the innocent, and the everyday honest consumer.

Jason Hives

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EDITOR’S NOTE: The views expressed in this piece do not necessarily represent those of rdnewsNOW or the Jim Pattison Broadcast Group. Suggestions and letters to the editor can be sent to news@rdnewsNOW.com