Prevent and Deter

Sourced from a variety of industry experts, including a former Met Detective Chief Inspector, a security market analyst outlines a helpful checklist for business owners and security officers to follow to prevent shoplifting in retail.

These unprecedented times have sparked new challenges for retailers to fight today’s consumer crime and to develop countermeasures for the post-pandemic future. The retail industry anticipates an unfortunate trend in shoplifting, with predicted mass unemployment suggesting an increase in retail crime, along with opportunistic offending against a background of stretched police resources and closures of law courts unable to cope with rising backlogs that congest the justice system.

The Centre for Retail Research estimates that shoplifting costs the UK nearly £2 billion annually; it impacts everyone, with retail crime adding an estimated £80 each year to the average shopper’s costs.

Organised retail crime is common, with opportunistic shoplifters regularly on the lookout for stores with a weak layout or poor security practices in their store policy. David McKelvey, former Met Detective Chief Inspector and founder of TM-Eye, a provider of bespoke protective services, says: ‘There is no doubt that the COVID-19 pandemic has provided a fertile breeding ground that has seen a rise in opportunistic retail crime.

“During the six months of the coronavirus crisis, we have observed a shift away from the average opportunistic shoplifting offences towards more sophisticated and targeted thefts from shops involving stolen goods for resale both online and in markets and car boot sales. The organised criminal gangs involved in systemic shoplifting offences across London have returned in force as shops have started to open post the COVID-19 lockdown.

“Our watchword is ‘Prevent and Deter’, and for us, its fulfilment is achieved by robust enforcement of the law. We are now prosecuting theft and shoplifting cases daily through private criminal prosecutions, putting offenders before the courts to face justice. The impact on offending at specific stores that use the service has been significant, with reductions in losses. “Despite figures from the Office for National Statistics showing that shop theft has declined, it should be noted that, according to the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), the crime of shoplifting is under-reported. Many retailers surveyed by the ACS claim that the response they receive from the police actively deters them from reporting incidents.

Having vigilant well-trained staff – supported by applicable anti-theft systems – is key to deterring shoplifters and preventing retail loss. If they appear armed, do not apprehend them. Remember, aggression can often be the knee-jerk response of an aggrieved shoplifter when their theft is exposed.

Life is more precious than any piece of merchandise!