Shoplifting
Put a Stop to Shoplifting
Alert employees may be your best defense. Have them greet
customers when they enter the store. Teach them to be attentive in a helping way. Make
sure that all your employees are familiar with shoplifting laws in your state and
establish procedures for them to follow if they suspect shoplifting.
- Make sure you can see everything that goes on in your store. Keep counters low, no more
than waist-high. Mount mirrors in corners so there are no blind spots.
- Make it hard to leave your store without paying. Place expensive items in the center of
the store, away from exits. Arrange counters and display tables so there's no direct route
to the exit. Some stores put turnstiles at entrances to the only way to get out is through
the checkout counter.
- Arrange your displays so that missing items are easily noticed. Place small items in
neat rows or patterns. If you must, fasten expensive merchandise and attach alarms.
Reverse alternate hangers of hanging garments to prevent "grab and run."
- Announce and observe a policy to prosecute shoplifters. The threat of being caught,
questioned by police, put on trial and maybe even put in jail, may be enough to turn most
shoplifters away. If someone ignores your warning, follow through. An empty threat is
meaningless.
Common Shoplifting Methods
What to Watch For
- Be aware of customers' hands – and their pockets, purses and handkerchiefs.
- Notice open packages, purses, shopping bags and knapsacks.
- Watch for customers who are nervous, have wandering eyes, or are loitering.
- Watch for groups of people – especially if one attempts to keep you distracted.
Employees are Not Exempt
Some experts believe that businesses lose more to employee theft than
to burglary, robbery and shoplifting combined. Examine your management practices. Make
your employees feel that they've got a stake in your business.
Embezzlement & Pilferage
Sometimes employees only take a few items, like office
supplies. But embezzlement and pilferage can get a lot bigger. Cashiers may
use "short ring ups" – ringing up a lower price on the sales register to
cover money they've taken from the cash register. Or they may overcharge other employees
and friends. Embezzlement can go from simple overloading of expense accounts, to payments
made to non-existent suppliers, to complicated juggling of the company books.
Watch out for these signals of
embezzlement:
- Records are rewritten to they'll look "neater."
- Inventory shortages are increasing in size or frequency.
- Employees refuse vacations or promotions.
- Business patterns change when a certain employee is absent.
- Customers complain about errors in monthly statements.
- Collections decline.
- Employees seem sensitive to routine questions about procedures.
Inventory Control
Your best defense is frequent and thorough inventory
control. Limit employees' access to stock and inventory records. Occasionally check trash
bins. Conduct periodic, unexpected inventory checks to dishonest employees know they run
the risk of being caught by surprise.
Bribery & Kickbacks
Warning Signs to Look Out For:
- Purchasing agents use one supplier despite a company policy of rotating suppliers.
- Employees frequently associate with vendors or suppliers.
- Employees receive free tickets for sports events, shows, etc.
- Reputable businesses refuse to submit bids.
- One person has responsibility for issuing and approving bids.
 To fight the problem, institute strong policies against
accepting gifts, make sure employees require competitive bids, and rotate purchasing
agents and suppliers.
For a presentation to your employees, please contact the Mesa
Police Department Crime Prevention Office at (480) 644-2300, option 5.
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