41 StateWays Q www.stateways.com Q March/April 2014
W
hen asked if criminals have any
compunction against targeting
state-owned liquor stores because
they are a government entity, the
people in charge of protecting the
security of these stores just laugh.
Nope. To would-be thieves and fraudsters, including
employees who would steal, a state-owned liquor store is
just another target, like any other retail operation.
And retail crime is a big problem. According to the
Global Retail Theft Barometer, an annual study done by
Euromonitor International, funded by Checkpoint Sys-
tems, American retailers lose, on average, 1.5% of their
sales to theft. The two main sources of loss: employee
theft and shoplifting.
In at least one way, however, the New Hampshire
Liquor Commission (NHLC) has a distinct advantage
over private retailers. The NHLC has almost 30 of its
own sworn law-enforcement offi cers in its enforcement
division. One of these offi cers devotes time to constant
security and loss-prevention training for NHLC store
employees. She also is always available to do impromptu
DETERRING AND
DETECTING RETAIL
CRIME IS A SERIOUS
GAME OF CAT
AND MOUSE.
BY
CHERYL URSIN
Playing
Defense