Loss Prevention
Many people tune in on Saturday nights to watch the popular show COPS.
They see all the action and only the action that cops face every day, its not that I am saying that a Police Officers job is hard or dangerous, or even action packed, it is just that they don't see the everyday stuff, the traffic stops, the endless arguments during domestics, the regular drunks, and the petty retail frauds.
Again lets not get the impression that I am implying that the police have it easy, in fact they have the most dangerous job.
But what a lot of people don't know about is another world of law enforcement where people risk their lives everyday for just above minimum wage, its called Loss Prevention.
Those who live out in the country, in the rural areas, may never even know a job like this exists.
But it is a very strong presence in urban and high populated areas.
The police can not protect everyone from crime, and most of all they can not protect large retailers from one of the most common urban crimes; retail fraud.
Shockingly 75% of adults have shoplifted at some point.
It is a growing number and billions of dollars are lost each year to shoplifters.
Those who spend each and every day of their working life trying to catch shoplifters have one of the most dangerous jobs.
While most people steal out of impulse or peer pressure there are just as many people who steal as a living or as a need.
These are the ones that are the most dangerous.
Drugs run rampart in urban areas, they are cheaper and easier to get.
With that people will go into a large retailer and steal popular items, sell them on the street for reduced prices then purchase drugs with the money.
These people are called boosters, they are the professionals in the world of retail fraud and will do almost anything.
Each year as many as 10 loss prevention personnel die while attempting to apprehend shoplifters.
Since retail fraud is neither a crime of emotion or passion there are many techniques that work to stop and prevent shoplifting.
The biggest is visual deterrent.
More and more retailers are hiring people to walk around their stores with security written all over their uniforms.
However some people know that these are the people that will not stop you and simply wait for them to pass, while others who might just be there to do it for fun see them and will leave the area or store.
Some people even think that it is the employees of the store that can get them in trouble, however that is not the case.
With the increase of lawsuits in recent years retailers have restored to hiring employees whose soul purpose is to stop, and apprehend shoplifters.
These specialists are dressed like normal every day shoppers and with the use of state of the art CCTV systems they seek out those who intend to steal, let them steal then grab them as they are walking out the door, they then refer these shoplifters to local police departments for prosecution.
These loss prevention can and will do almost anything to stop someone, they will chase you, they will tackle you, they will handcuff you, and they will hurt you.
These people know what they are doing and you will not see them until you are walking out of the store with your coat stuffed full of their items.
And that is exactly what makes this job so dangerous, the fact that the people they can stop may be armed where as they are not, they carry nothing, not even mace, and they still have to stop you and bring you back to the office.
And where a good majority of people walk back quietly because they do not want to cause a seen or be embarrassed, some will run, fight, kick, scream, and yell to try and get away.
Just remember, next time you think about stealing from a store, you are probably being watched, and if you didn't get caught last time you will this time.
They see all the action and only the action that cops face every day, its not that I am saying that a Police Officers job is hard or dangerous, or even action packed, it is just that they don't see the everyday stuff, the traffic stops, the endless arguments during domestics, the regular drunks, and the petty retail frauds.
Again lets not get the impression that I am implying that the police have it easy, in fact they have the most dangerous job.
But what a lot of people don't know about is another world of law enforcement where people risk their lives everyday for just above minimum wage, its called Loss Prevention.
Those who live out in the country, in the rural areas, may never even know a job like this exists.
But it is a very strong presence in urban and high populated areas.
The police can not protect everyone from crime, and most of all they can not protect large retailers from one of the most common urban crimes; retail fraud.
Shockingly 75% of adults have shoplifted at some point.
It is a growing number and billions of dollars are lost each year to shoplifters.
Those who spend each and every day of their working life trying to catch shoplifters have one of the most dangerous jobs.
While most people steal out of impulse or peer pressure there are just as many people who steal as a living or as a need.
These are the ones that are the most dangerous.
Drugs run rampart in urban areas, they are cheaper and easier to get.
With that people will go into a large retailer and steal popular items, sell them on the street for reduced prices then purchase drugs with the money.
These people are called boosters, they are the professionals in the world of retail fraud and will do almost anything.
Each year as many as 10 loss prevention personnel die while attempting to apprehend shoplifters.
Since retail fraud is neither a crime of emotion or passion there are many techniques that work to stop and prevent shoplifting.
The biggest is visual deterrent.
More and more retailers are hiring people to walk around their stores with security written all over their uniforms.
However some people know that these are the people that will not stop you and simply wait for them to pass, while others who might just be there to do it for fun see them and will leave the area or store.
Some people even think that it is the employees of the store that can get them in trouble, however that is not the case.
With the increase of lawsuits in recent years retailers have restored to hiring employees whose soul purpose is to stop, and apprehend shoplifters.
These specialists are dressed like normal every day shoppers and with the use of state of the art CCTV systems they seek out those who intend to steal, let them steal then grab them as they are walking out the door, they then refer these shoplifters to local police departments for prosecution.
These loss prevention can and will do almost anything to stop someone, they will chase you, they will tackle you, they will handcuff you, and they will hurt you.
These people know what they are doing and you will not see them until you are walking out of the store with your coat stuffed full of their items.
And that is exactly what makes this job so dangerous, the fact that the people they can stop may be armed where as they are not, they carry nothing, not even mace, and they still have to stop you and bring you back to the office.
And where a good majority of people walk back quietly because they do not want to cause a seen or be embarrassed, some will run, fight, kick, scream, and yell to try and get away.
Just remember, next time you think about stealing from a store, you are probably being watched, and if you didn't get caught last time you will this time.