Playing Defense
62 Beverage Dynamics • March/April 2014
www.beveragedynamics.com
ing shoplifting. But another balance must be struck. How many
employees can a retailer afford to have on the fl oor? Some hire
security guards for particularly busy times in order to have another
set of undistracted eyes in the store. But hiring a guard, such as an
off-duty policeman, can be expensive.
Camera systems have their place in a store's security system,
but they don't always deter shoplifters, according to Bregar.
"That's because they know you are not watching those images
right then," he said. However, technology may be developing to
help with that. Some camera systems can be set to send alerts
or alarms, even an automatic message over the store's public-
announcement system or a text sent to a manager's cell phone,
when the camera records an event of a certain type. "If you have
a product of high value, a champagne for instance, you can set
a box around that area and, if the camera records a person lin-
gering there for longer than a certain time, it will send the alert,"
explained 3xLogic's Davis.
Davis also pointed out that video images are important when it
comes to determining who committed a crime after the fact and in
building a case against them in court. Retailers can also post pictures
of shoplifters from their security systems for the employees to see,
including posting them at all the locations in a chain.
Benefi t-denial devices, such as a locked cap on the bottle that
must be taken off at the check-out, can also deter theft.
These devices can also be used as part of an electronic article
surveillance (EAS) system. Those are the systems that set off an
alarm if a product is taken past a sensor at the door of a store
when its tag or bottle cap has not been deactivated. A store sell-
ing rare wines in London, called Hedonism Wines, for instance,
recently began using such caps, customized with the store's logo
and colors, to protect very expensive wines. The caps were pro-
duced for the store by Alpha High Theft Solutions, a division of
Checkpoint Systems (alphaworld.com). The advantage of these
systems is the product is there, to see, to touch, to examine, but is
also protected from theft.
NRF's Mellor has always enjoyed his work in loss prevention.
"It's always changing, there are always new challenges," he said.
"You are always trying to stay one step ahead of the thieves."
BD
"Shoplifters try to blend in with the other
customers by how they dress and act.
It could be the rich kid who has money
in his pocket; it could be the bored
housewife. There really is no profi le.
It's not just the scruffy-looking guy."
– Bill Bregar,
president, Loss Prevention Systems
Electronic article surveillance (EAS) system tags, from Checkpoint Systems,
which works in tandem with the company's EAS system located at the
store's exit.
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