Call for unity of action and accountability

Despite ongoing efforts and numerous preventative measures to improve retail safety, retail crime remains a persistent national problem. According to a July report from the Council on Criminal Justice (CCJ), while most crime rates decreased in the first half of 2024, shoplifting increased by 24 percent. This significant increase highlights an escalating problem that affects not only retailers, but also the safety and well-being of employees and customers across the country.

This data also reveals a worrying trend: while shoplifting is on the rise nationwide, the response to this crisis is often inadequate. The problem lies not only in the frequency of reported incidents, but also in the frustration resulting from the lack of coordination between store teams, police and prosecutors. Often, a vicious cycle of finger-pointing, mutual blame or simply inaction makes the situation worse.

At the store level, many teams doubt the ability of the local justice system to effectively combat retail crime. This lack of trust often leads to retailers being hesitant to report incidents because they believe law enforcement will not intervene appropriately and perpetrators will not be held accountable. This skepticism is not unfounded; retailers often feel that their concerns are not being addressed with the urgency they deserve, further complicating the problem.

From a law enforcement perspective, the challenges are significant. Our experience in building local partnerships has shown that communication between store teams and law enforcement is often inconsistent. This lack of streamlined communication hinders efforts to effectively address problems and achieve better outcomes. In addition, retail crime cases are often dismissed because victims are not represented in court, leaving offenders without consequences and adding to the frustration of those involved in the criminal process.

Stores can become desensitized to retail crime, including thefts and disturbances. Employees should not be blamed for perceived complacency; instead, the root causes of these issues must be addressed to improve employee safety. Furthermore, based on what we've seen working with our community partners, there is a direct link between retail crime in stores and employee safety. According to the National Retail Federation's (NRF) 2023 National Retail Security Survey, violent shoplifting incidents increased by over a third in the last year, with 88 percent of retailers saying today's shoplifters are more aggressive than in the past. Well-being and safety concerns are among the leading causes of high turnover rates, which can negatively impact brand reputation, reduce customer satisfaction, and lower employee morale.

Implementation of community networking strategies

The Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) 5-Zone Model focuses on building relationships with neighboring businesses, law enforcement, and local communities to develop a comprehensive and connected community strategy to combat retail crime. Retailers can collaborate and share resources to improve security infrastructure and monitor local organized retail crime and repeat offenders. This approach is critical to creating a robust in-store incident management framework and last-mile asset protection strategies because it brings all stakeholders involved in retail crime together in one place by improving communication and coordination from the initial incident report to holding offenders accountable and ensuring consequences for their actions.

In my experience over the past few years, effectively solving this problem requires more than just technological solutions; it requires improved communication and greater collaboration between all stakeholders – retail stores, law enforcement and prosecutors. Data alone is not enough without actionable accountability strategies. We must work in partnership to ensure retail environments are safe for everyone and protect those who work in and visit these spaces.

Retail crime from a broader perspective

Retail crime is not just a financial problem, it is a major national problem that needs to be addressed urgently. When crimes that affect the quality of life are tolerated without consequences, criminals are emboldened, leading to more frequent crimes and further threats to store safety. Protecting the safety of retail employees and customers must be a top priority, and to effectively combat these crimes, one must address the core issues with a multi-faceted approach, rather than just reacting to the symptoms.

As part of the retail asset protection solutions industry, I believe the issue of retail crime needs to be looked at from a broader perspective. It's not just about shrinkage; it's about community wellbeing. There is no one size fits all solution to the complex problems of retail crime and business interruption. However, to be successful, an effective management process is required from when an incident occurs in a retail store to taking action or advocating for consequences for those who compromise the safety of store staff. This must be guided by collaboration and a commitment to community safety. Together, we can create a safer retail environment for everyone.