Loss of inventory in stores caused by shoplifting and employee theft staggeringly amounts in the billions. Missing inventory is caused primarily by shoplifting from outside customers followed closely by theft from dishonest employees. Unfortunately, employee theft is quickly becoming an alarming threat to a store’s profitability and it should be equally addressed to shoplifting from outside customers. A business can hire a private investigator to probe how theft is being executed in order to successfully prevent any future instances and to help curb the occurrence of criminal activities related to retail loss. Recovering stolen inventory, facilitating prosecution of perpetrators with due process and preventing future losses are the goals of private investigators. Today, we at Advanced Private Investigator & Security of Miami, FL would like to share how we can help with shoplifting and employee theft to help you prevent retail loss in your business.
How Can a Retailer Prevent Loss?
1) PIs can Catch Shoplifters in the Act. While keeping a low profile, a skilled investigator knows how to differentiate between legitimate customers and shoplifters. Based on observations, interactions, and telltale signs, an experienced investigator can identify shoplifters and get the evidence in real time.
2) Assess Surveillance System. After making an evaluation of your surveillance system, investigators can make recommendations for camera placement, upgrades, and more if necessary. Especially those that monitor employee movements, you want security cameras to be both obvious and discreet. Prime locations where security cameras can be maximized to work effectively is identified by a private investigative and security consultancy firm. Watching camera feeds and security footage amounts to a lot of a private investigator’s work. To determine patterns and types of suspicious behavior exhibited by employees and customers in certain areas of the store, and across different branches if applicable, private investigators gather relevant information and thoroughly go over video recordings.
3) Monitoring Anti-Theft Technology. Security technology such as Radio-Frequency ID tags that are fastened to products and items of clothing is also monitored by private investigators. Once an item is taken through the perimeter sensor, these tags will activate signals. To ensure that these security measures will not be easily removed, it is the goal of investigators to discover the ways that these tags can be tampered with or foiled, and come up with effective solutions.
4) Confrontation Management. Confrontation and physical violence can be a possibility in the case of shoplifting and employee theft. Private investigators can typically use tactical negotiation and/ or restraint tactics to avoid damage and injury to everyone involved and bystanders.
5) Loss Prevention Investigations. In order to investigate employee theft, a private investigator can analyze internal sales records. Changing inventory labels, giving away special employee discounts, slipping stock into their personal belongings among other strategies and other elaborate schemes are often uncovered. The company’s records department such as IT, internal audit or accounting are also consulted in order to discover patterns or discrepancies in the inventory, stock, sales figures and more. These areas are all under scrutiny during an investigation in order to expose inventory losses and shrinkage.
Private Investigator & Security Services in Greater Miami, Sunny Isles, Hialeah, Fort Lauderdale, Pembroke Pines, Hollywood, Miramar, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach & Miami Gardens Florida
If you are concerned about retail loss, call Advanced Private Investigator & Security of Miami, FL and let us assist you today!
