Store Detectives are Central to the Future of Security Guarding in Retail

Organised crime is a growing problem for the UK retail industry, with total losses to criminality totalling £603m last year – 18% up on the previous 12 months – according to the BRC.

Gangs are targeting more expensive items and stealing in bulk. The coordinated use of in-store technology – including CCTV, RFID tagging and EPoS systems – is helping to combat the threat. But clearly not enough.

Increasingly we are finding that experienced store detectives are essential in getting the intelligence data on criminal activity to ensure that protection and detection can be targeted precisely to deal with the growing threat from ever more sophisticated criminals, working with in-store technology systems.

At the heart of the solution is the intelligence centre, to monitor in-store systems, collect data and coordinate the response. Data can be analysed on a daily basis to ensure fast reaction to trending crime waves, such as purse dipping, or handbag snatching.

Store detectives are key to this intelligence-driven strategy to protect margins and create a safer retail environment by stopping those who prey on shoppers. That makes a difference to footfall and the bottom line.

Store detective teams can provide some 40% return on investment (ROI) on contract costs through goods recovered and civil recovery proceedings in court, in the experience of Lodge Service.

The legal remedy enables retailers to recoup losses and the related costs of investigation and management time, as well as of disruption to the business. It is also highly effective as a deterrent, with very few repeat offenders recorded.

The profile of a store detective is a security officer with on average of seven years’ experience at Lodge Service. Specialist training is essential, to learn how to spot activity by ‘skilful’ criminals, because CCTV alone will often fail to detect an incident.

This is particularly the case with staff theft, a growing problem for retailers. It requires an understanding of shop practices to identify legitimate from criminal activity, such as when staff are handling credit cards and cash at the point of sale, or when products are moved across the shop floor.

Keen observation skills and a good memory are paramount to spotting criminal activity and avoiding false detentions, which can be costly, while all the while looking inconspicuous among shoppers.

A shoplifter might for example try on a shirt and then put their own jacket on top and leave the store – so the detective must remember what the shopper was originally wearing. Similarly when customers are trying on fashion accessories, the task is to identify display goods from a shopper’s own bracelet, scarf or belt for example.

Store detectives have to note when a shopper swops pricing labels for a higher priced item – another recurring crime. Also if goods are substituted illegally: where the criminal makes a purchase and then returns with the receipt, selects an identical item and requests a cash refund.

There is a growing incidence of fraud where individuals deliberately intend to look as though they are shoplifting. They then later seek legal redress for wrongful arrest and can win as much as £5,000 in a civil action.

These fraudsters often operate by taking a stock item in view of security staff or cameras and then putting it into a pocket with a hole at the bottom. The item falls to the ground and they kick it surreptitiously out of sight, to appear entirely innocent when stopped by guarding officers.

To counter this and other incidents of fraud and theft, detectives are trained to monitor a suspect’s activity over prolonged periods leading up to, during and after an incident.

Procedures have to be regularly updated in response to new patterns of crime, legal precedents, and changes in retail practices and in-store technology. We have two training instructors continually touring the UK, to ensure that detectives are versed in leading edge methods of surveillance, detection and apprehension.

Some detectives specialise in dealing with particular types of crime that are a recurring problem in busy stores or shopping centres. Purse dipping is one example – theft from a handbag that is left briefly unattended when a shopper is trying on clothes or shoes.

Foreign gangs often move from one UK city to another after a few days to evade detection. In one recent instance, fraudulent transactions in London notified to our intelligence network which led to several arrests shortly afterwards when similar crimes were attempted in Liverpool and Manchester.

Store detectives are often considered to be expensive to employ. A contracted service, with clear KPIs (Key Performance Indicators), can be highly cost-effective both in terms of the direct return on the investment and also in creating a safer and more attractive shopping environment.

When considering the deployment of a store detective, Lodge Service advises retail loss prevention managers to consider the following key issues:

1. Total costs and ROI: identify the Return On Investment from the store detective service. This is usually comprised of the value of goods recovered and from civil recovery proceedings
2. In-store teamwork: detectives should work as a team with security guards for maximum effect. Two security staff are usually required to make a successful stop with the least controversy
3. Team rotation: a large team is required to select and rotate detectives who will blend in with customers and avoid recognition by criminals
4. Intelligence network: for effective surveillance, detective teams should work together with in-store monitoring and detection systems – including CCTV, EAS and till scanning
5. National coverage, local knowledge: an understanding of both local issues and national trends in criminality is invaluable, supported by a thorough, proven training programme

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