| Retail Loss Prevention |
| Shoplifting Detention Arrest Liability |
| Retail loss prevention is a profession that is responsible for reducing inventory losses inside retail stores. Loss prevention professionals manage in-store security programs that focus on reducing inventory losses due to employee theft, shoplifting, fraud, vendor theft, and accounting errors. Like others in the security industry, retail loss prevention professionals must interact with store personnel and store customers when dishonestly or carelessness occurs. As you can imagine, accusing someone of dishonestly or carelessness is not a small matter and must be done with the utmost care and professionalism. |
| Shoplifting Advice |
| Retail Theft of Merchandise |
| Shoplifting is a common crime that occurs when someone steals merchandise offered for sale from a retail store. Shoplifting from retail stores costs merchants an estimated loss of 13 billion dollars per year. To be convicted of shoplifting, one must "intend" to permanently deprive the merchant of the value of the merchandise. Merchants are often confused about the procedures for lawfully detaining someone suspected of theft from their store. What are the rights of the merchant? What are the rights of the customer? How much force can be used to detain someone who has stolen merchandise? Shoplifting |
| Probable Cause |
| Probable Cause Steps |
| To establish a solid base for probable cause, and prevent false arrest claims, there are six universally accepted steps that a merchant should be follow before detaining someone suspected of shoplifting: |
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| Step 1: |
| You must see a shoplifter enter your store or approach a display and see that the customer does not have any merchandise in their hand or that they haven’t retrieved a item from their own purse, bag, or pocket. This step prevents a common mistake that occurs when a customer brings an item back to the store for a return and does not check in at the return desk first. If you detain someone after seeing them replace their own merchandise into their pocket or bag, you could be subject to a false arrest claim even though it is a seemingly honest mistake. Many false arrest claims are filed because retailers missed this important, but basic, first step. |
| Step 2: |
| You must see the shoplifter select the merchandise. Store employees can misunderstand when they see a customer innocently put an item into their pocket or purse and not realize that the customer had brought the item into the store with them for comparison purposes. If you can positively and honestly state that you saw the shoplifter remove your merchandise from your display prior to concealing it, then you have a strong foundation for proof of shoplifting. |
| Step 3: |
| You must see the shoplifter conceal, carry away, or convert your merchandise. This includes concealment in bags, strollers, or on a person. Shoplifting can occur by wearing articles in plain view once the tags are removed. Shoplifting can occur by conversion, for example, when consuming food prior to being purchased. An exception to the observation rule is inside a fitting room where observation is impossible. Once inside a fitting room store merchandise can be concealed almost anywhere. The important factor is to know what items go into the fitting room and what items don't come out in plain view. Of course, the fitting room must be checked beforehand to see if it is clear of merchandise and after the suspected theft exits to see that the missing items were not simply discarded. |
| Step 4: |
| You must maintain continuous surveillance of the shoplifter. If your store policy is to detain and apprehend all shoplifters, then you must adhere strictly to this step. Experienced shoplifters will try to dump the concealed merchandise, without your knowledge, if they believe they have been observed. Many states have adopted merchant statutes to protect the retailer against this trick. If you followed steps 1-3 and then lost sight of the shoplifter for several minutes you may be surprised when you detain them and they are no longer holding your merchandise. The best approach, if you lose sight of a shoplifter, is to make your presence know to the shoplifter and give them a chance to dump your merchandise and leave your store without a word being said. Sometimes, loss prevention personnel will walk nearby and turn up their mobile radios to alert the shoplifter that they are plain-clothes security. Another technique is to make a storewide P.A. announcement for security to come to the Children’s department, for example, which is where the shoplifter happens to be standing. They will usually dump your merchandise immediately and hopefully never return. |
| Step 5: |
| You must see the shoplifter fail to pay for your merchandise. Typically, a shoplifter will walk out of your store, past all cash registers, without making any attempt to pay for the concealed merchandise. This is an important element to prove "intent" later in court, if necessary. Sometimes, shoplifters will go through the checkout line and pay for other items but not for the concealed item. It is important to observe that the concealed item is not retrieved and paid for at the checkout. It is also important to verbally confirm with the cashier that the concealed item was not paid for either. For example, a shoplifter may get a change of heart and tell the cashier that they consumed a candy bar worth .75 cents and the cashier rings it up. If you don’t inquire first, you could detain the shoplifter and have some exposure to litigation. Another example is when you observe a customer removing garment tags and dressing their child in new clothes and place the old clothes into a large bag. When the suspected shoplifter proceeds to the cashier, and without you knowledge, they present all the price tags and pay in full. Another example is when a customer at a grocery store tells the cashier to charge for a carton of cigarettes or a newspaper. After the transaction, the customer leaves the check stand a selects the cigarettes or newspaper from the stand in the lobby and exits, seemingly without paying. Sometimes there is a reasonable explanation for removing merchandise, seemingly without paying, so you must be aware of the practices within various retail settings that would allow this to occur. Remember, some shoplifters are clever and will purchase an item, obtain a receipt, and dump it in their car. Next they return to the store to steal the exact same item. If stopped they can produce a receipt and even get the cashier to swear the item was purchased. I've seen the same item stolen five times using this technique until we busted him. |
| Step 6: |
| You must approach the shoplifter outside of the store. Although not technically necessary, following this step eliminates all possibility that the shoplifter still intends to pay for the stolen product. A few courts have held that detaining someone for shoplifting inside a retail store does not establish the criminal intent of theft. However, in several states shoplifters can be detained once they have concealed the merchandise. When approaching a shoplifter outside of the store always have a least one trained employee as a back up and witness. There is safety in numbers and most shoplifters will cooperate if they believe fighting or running is futile. Always have at least one more loss prevention officer present than the number of shoplifters. When you approach a shoplifter outside it is important to identify yourself clearly and your authority for stopping them. Plain-clothes loss prevention agents carry badges or official looking ID cards so the shoplifter has no doubt who they are. Most shoplifter apprehensions should be accomplished with no force or if necessary, minimal force like touching or guiding. Professional loss prevention agents sometimes will use handcuffs to take someone into custody, if they are first trained how and when to legally apply them properly. If you follow these six steps, you should have no problem with proving criminal intent to shoplift and be able to establish probable cause to detain a shoplifter. You should also be well insulated from civil liability if you followed these six steps correctly. Remember, the steps recommended in this article exceed most state laws and are not always required for successfully prosecuting a shoplifter. However, the steps are designed to provide consistency in procedures and training for loss prevention professionals and reduce civil liability for the retailer. |
| Loss Prevention |
| Retail Store Exit Bag Checks |
| • Exit Bag Checks |
| We often receive e-mails from retail store customers who were offended when they had to submit to having their purchases checked against the receipt at the door before exiting. Many felt it was a simple intrusion while others felt it was a total violation of their privacy or civil rights. Some customers even felt like they were being falsely detained, unjustly accused of theft, and wanted to file a lawsuit. Not all of the complainants were from overly sensitive customers. Obviously, it was the bag checker’s mannerism that made them feel forced to submit to the search that was bothersome. |
| • Bag Check Policy |
| What these consumers are complaining about is a local store policy where an employee or security guard will check customer purchases against their receipt. This radical loss prevention tactic is usually used in high-ticket specialty stores who have experienced large inventory losses. For example, stores that sell computer hardware and software products, small handheld electronics, music CDs, and videotapes might employ this method. This bag inspection applies to store purchases only and not to other items you might be carrying. The store management knows that the door bag check procedure is not consumer friendly, but must believe it is a necessary step. |
| • Can Merchants Do This? |
| Yes, as long as the procedure is voluntary. The bag inspection should occur past the last point of payment solely for the purpose of verifying the sales transaction that just occurred. The door bag checker is looking to see that the cashier correctly charged for all items in the shopping bag or cart. Once this is done, the bag checker makes a distinctive mark on the receipt to indicate that it was checked. A merchant is free to put procedures in place to help curb their losses due to theft. It is estimated that 11 billion of dollars are lost every year due to shoplifting alone. These unchecked losses will soon put many retailers out of business unless they take some proactive step. This bothersome procedure is very effective in preventing employee theft, shoplifting, and refund fraud. So what’s all the fuss about? Merchants already have lots of anti-theft procedures in place that consumers endure. There are video surveillance cameras and undercover officers that watch you shop. There are little plastic devices attached to soft goods called electronic article surveillance tags (EAS) that must be removed by a salesperson to prevent an alarm from going off at the exit. There are items displayed under lock and key that you can’t access without assistance. There are items where you must take a paper ticket to the cashier to have the item brought to the checkout stand. None of these procedures are consumer friendly, but are deemed necessary by some retailers for survival. After reading this, if this procedure is still offensive to consumers they should shop elsewhere. |
| • Are Door Bag Searches Legal? |
| Yes, as long as the inspection is voluntary. No, if the bag check is involuntary or coerced. This is a rather fine legal distinction that is subject to misunderstanding and abuse. Basically, nothing in the law gives the merchant the right to detain a customer for the purpose of searching a shopping bag unless there is a reasonable suspicion of retail theft. A customer can refuse to have their bag checked and simply walk out the door past the bag checker. Hopefully the bag checker has been trained to know that they cannot force anyone to submit to a bag search without cause. This is important because the expectation of the bag checker is that all bag contents have been purchased. The worst thing that could happen is that an aggressive bag checker would forcibly detain or threaten a customer who refused to comply with the voluntary search. |
| • How Should the Bag Check Proceed? |
| The bag check procedure should be routinely handled just like the checkout process. Most customers don’t give it another thought as long as there isn’t a long delay. It is helpful if the bag checker is non-threatening in manner and appearance. Many stores make the mistake of placing someone at the door that looks and acts like a bouncer with aggressive body language that sends the wrong message. Not only does the bag checker help catch mistakes and deter theft, but also aids in the return procedure. The special mark that is made on the receipt is a signal to the refund desk that the item passed by the door checker after being purchased. Unmarked receipts suggest that the items might be stolen or purchased at a different store. This could adversely hamper speedy refund processing. My suggestion is to be patient with the store bag check procedure and understand that the store is trying to survive by preventing theft. If the bag check still offends you then I suggest shopping elsewhere. |
| Employee Theft |
| Retail Loss Prevention |
| Employee Theft |
| Employee Theft from a retail store is a term that is used when an employee steals merchandise, food, cash, or supplies while on the job. However, in the eyes of the law, employee theft is just theft…the elements of the crime are identical. To commit theft, the employee must “intend” to permanently deprive their employer of the value of the item stolen. Employee theft can occur just like shoplifting by concealing merchandise in a purse, pocket, or bag and removing it from the store. It can also occur by stealing cash, allowing others to steal merchandise, eating food, and by refund, credit card, or check fraud. Employee theft can sometimes be charged as embezzlement due to the trusted fiduciary status of the employee. All of these methods lead to loss of inventory (shrinkage) and/or profit for the merchant. Employee theft is an insidious crime because the merchant is paying a wage and benefits to the thief on top of paying for the cost of their dishonestly. Studies have shown that employees can do a lot more damage than shoplifters because they are trusted and have an insider’s knowledge of store security measures. |
| Employee Theft Profile |
| There is no real physical profile for a dishonest employee. Dishonest employees come in all shapes, sizes, ages, sexes, ethnic backgrounds, religions, levels of education, and economic status. You simply cannot accurately determine who is likely to steal based on their demographic status alone. However, an employer can make reasonable assessments based on their conduct, integrity, and judgment. A person’s past conduct, integrity, and judgment often provides the best indication of their future behavior. Retail store employees have a constant opportunity to steal cash or merchandise…all they need is the desire and sufficient motivation to do so. What keeps most employees honest is moral character, loyalty, respect for the law and their employer, and the desire to be viewed as trustworthy. Studies support this by proving that shrinkage is significantly less in stores with reduced employee turnover and fewer part-time workers. For others, the only barrier to dishonesty is the fear of getting caught. The employee thief risks getting fired, being arrested, jailed, and paying restitution. The criminal record and bad job reference will have a compounding effect that will follow them for years. Merchants must not be sending a clear message to their employees because most employee thieves that I have encountered never thought they would be caught. |
| Cost of Employee Theft |
| According to the University of Florida 2002 National Retail Security Survey, employee theft was estimated to be responsible for 48% of store inventory shrinkage. That represents an estimated employee theft price tag of about 15-billion dollars per year. This astounding figure makes employee dishonesty the greatest single threat to profitability at the store level. The study found the average dollar loss per employee theft case to be $1,341.02 compared to $207.18 for the average shoplifting incident. Despite these facts, many retailers focus their loss prevention efforts on shoplifting. |
| Loss Prevention |
| Preventing employee theft is a constant challenge for retailers. The industry knows that it must put systems in place to prevent or deter internal theft. To be effective, loss prevention systems must be designed to reduce the opportunity, desire, and motivation for employee theft. Basic loss prevention steps involve good procedures for hiring, training, and supervision of employees and managers. Procedures that are clearly defined, articulated, and fully implemented will reduce the opportunity, desire, and motivation for employees to steal. I will talk about each of these concepts in future articles. |
| Shopping Centre Security |
| Shopping Centres & Malls |
| Shopping centres come in all sizes from the giant regional malls to the small strip-center with only a few stores. What they have in common is a parking lot. This is where your family is at greatest risk because of the "nature" of a shopping center parking lot. The most common violent crimes committed in the parking lot are stranger-on-stranger purse snatch and strong-arm robbery and occasionally carjacking and abductions. If you think about it, we are all strangers in a large parking lot. Violent criminals can blend in with the rest of us and get in close proximity fairly easily. Criminal predators can walk right by us and we will allow it because of the public setting. Next time you go to a large shopping center sit in the parking lot for a few minutes and observe how easy it would be for a criminal predator to approach and attack you or your family. Shoppers walk to and from their cars totally consumed by their thoughts and thinking about what they are going to do next. Watch shoppers as they approach their cars fumbling for their keys. They will turn their backs and attention completely away from those nearby to load their shopping bags into the car, and get children and infants installed inside the vehicle. Most shopping center and parking lot abductions and carjacking occur precisely at this point. |
| Awareness is Best Defence |
| To protect your family in this setting the best defence is awareness. Awareness will allow you anticipate the potential danger and plan ahead for the next time you go to a shopping center. Planning includes selecting a safer time to shop (daylight) and arranging not to shop alone if possible. You can plan where to park (i.e. not next to a large enclosed van) and in high traffic areas. You can plan to scan the area for suspicious males before parking and exiting your vehicle. You can also plan not to park or exit your vehicle if suspicious males are in the area. Families should agree in advance to exit and enter their vehicle quickly and lock the doors. Families should be trained to look around their vehicle before approaching and retreat if anyone suspicious is loitering in the area. They should be trained to return quickly to the shopping center and alert mall security or call the police. A little awareness (educated-paranoia) is healthy and can keep your family safe. |
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| Parking Lot Security |
| Parking lots come in all shapes and sizes from the gigantic high-rise or subterranean multi-level structures to the flat lots of a small retail strip-center with only a few stores. While parking lots provide a great service by allowing us access to retail and office centers, they sometimes create a substantial risk. What determines the relative safety of a parking are governed by three factors. They are 1) the nature of the parking lot, 2) the crime history, and 3) the location. |
| Nature of a Parking Lot |
| A parking lot is best described by the design and how and when it is used. The crime rate of a parking lot can be affected positively or negatively by its' design. Large high-rise or subterranean structures can have poor visibility because of walls, pillars, and elevation changes. Large flat parking lots attached to a regional mall can offer a car-thief great visibility to watch for security and great escape routes. The time of day, traffic, and the use of the parking lot makes a difference to its' relative safety. As you can imagine, late at night some parking lots can become remote with no available witnesses to watch over the area. A parking lot outside of a nightclub will have different problems than a lot adjacent to a day-use only professional office building. At nighttimes, lighting is an important condition that allows us to see potential threats and thereby deters some criminals. You should be able to see and identify someone at 100 feet. If lighting is inadequate, park somewhere else. |
| Property Crime |
| The most common crime in parking lots is theft or vandalism. Where else can you find such a selection of automobiles left unattended--it's a thief's dream. The most frequent crimes are auto vandalism and auto burglary. Thieves think nothing about smashing out your car window to steal a stereo, a portable telephone, or some item left on the seat. What they need is a little time and no witnesses. Some parking lots are notorious for auto thefts and auto burglaries. Sometimes the explanation is that they are located adjacent to excellent escape routes such as freeway on-ramps or major high-speed thoroughfares. Flat parking lots are preferable to thieves because of ease of visibility and ease of escape. Multi-level pay lots offer some deterrence because of the access control and the requirement to pass the video-monitored toll booth upon exit. Valet parking is considered safer because the attendant goes out into the lot for you to retrieve your car. Another benefit is that unauthorized persons stand out in this special parking area that is supposed to be accessed by attendants only. If you are a woman alone, consider using valet parking at hotels and where available, especially at night. |
| Remember these parking lot security tips: |
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| Violent Crime |
| The most common violent crimes committed in urban parking lots are stranger-on-stranger purse snatch and strong-arm robbery, and occasionally carjacking and abductions. If you think about it, we are all strangers in a large parking lot. Violent criminals can blend in with the rest of us and get in close proximity fairly easily. Criminal predators can walk right by us and we will allow it because of the public setting. Next time you go to a large shopping center sit in the parking lot for a few minutes and observe how easy it would be for a criminal predator to approach and attack you or your family. Shoppers often walk to and from their cars totally consumed by their thoughts and thinking about what they are going to do next. Next time, watch shoppers as they approach their cars fumbling for their keys. They will turn their backs and attention completely away from those nearby to load their shopping bags into the car, and get children and infants installed inside the vehicle. Most shopping center and parking lot abductions and carjacking occur precisely at this point. Parking lot robbers are usually opportunists who look for the easiest person to victimize. They cowardly prey on older persons and women most often and prefer to attack them away from witnesses or security officers. These predators like to hang out in the parking lot looking for potential victims. They will pretend to talk on a telephone or watch from inside a car. They will try to get close to their intended victim before they strike. Most victims have said that they never saw the robber approach. You must stay alert at all times. If you see a suspicious male approaching you, change directions. If he appears to follow, look him in the eyes and yell at him to STOP. However, do not stand your ground and confront him. Get out of there, if you can. Run toward other people and point him out. You can always apologize later, if you are mistaken. If no other people are close by, go into the closest store or office building and call the police. |
| Family Security Plan |
| To protect yourself or your family in this setting the best defense is awareness. Awareness will allow you to anticipate the potential danger and plan ahead for the next time you go to a parking lot. Planning includes selecting a safer time to shop (daylight) and arranging not to shop alone, if possible. You can plan where to park (i.e. not next to a large enclosed van) and park in high traffic areas. You can plan to scan the area for suspicious males before parking and exiting your vehicle. You can also plan not to park or exit your vehicle if suspicious males are in the area. Families should agree in advance to exit and enter their vehicle quickly and lock the doors. Families should be trained to look around their vehicle before approaching and retreat if anyone suspicious is loitering in the area. They should be trained to return quickly to the shopping center and alert mall security or call the police. This all becomes second nature after a while. A little awareness (educated-paranoia) is healthy and can keep your family safe. |
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| Security Guards |
| • Drive Through Patrol |
| Security Guard Drive Through Patrol Service. I frequently get asked for a recommendation for a drive-through security patrol service for a commercial property. My first question is always, "What do you want to accomplish with the security patrol service?" |
| • Purpose |
| Drive-through security patrols serve a limited, but useful purpose. By definition, the drive-through patrol service does not remain on-site and generally uses a vehicle to make the rounds. This type of patrol is less expensive than a dedicated on-site security guard because of the limited time spent on the property. Highly visible, drive-through security services are ideal for the patrol of commercial properties after business hours or on private property not open to the public. One purpose of this type of patrol is to observe (or test) all accessible gates, doors, and windows and make sure they are secured, and to report the conditions found on the property to the business owner or the police. Another purpose is to make sure no unauthorized persons are trespassing on private property. Some drive-through security services may also respond to alarm signals, but this requires a more specialized guard force. The primary goal of a drive-through security patrol service is to deter property loss and discover vandalism after business hours. This presence is normally supported by signage that states the property will be patrolled by "ABC Security Service." Drive-through security patrols are not good at catching criminals in the act. By design, drive-through security patrols should be highly visible and therefore should be incapable is sneaking up on a perpetrator. The best patrol vehicles are high profile, and distinctive in appearance. The most visible security vehicles are well-marked and equipped with a light-bar on the roof and high-powered spotlights. This high visibility maximizes the deterrent effect as long as the security officer is patrolling competently and according to post orders. Random drive-through security patrols are less effective on commercial properties while open to the public. This is because the drive-through security officer probably has 6-10 other commercial accounts to patrol each hour. Random and infrequent patrol does not allow the security officer enough time to observe loiterers or differentiate between the customers, the residents, and the criminals. Many drive-through patrols consist of only a high-speed pass and offer little in the way of observation or scrutiny of suspicious activity. Because of the nature of the drive-through patrol, customer contacts are infrequent and suspicious groups are not likely to be confronted. Drive-through is better than not doing anything, but understand the limitations of infrequent and non-confrontation security services. Due to fear from prior litigation claims, signs supporting the random drive-through security patrol are not always used on retail and rental housing settings for fear of misrepresenting to a consumer that security guards are always on-site. |
| • Post Orders |
| Any contract security services must have clearly defined and articulated "post orders". Post orders are written instructions for how the security officer is to patrol a site and should be incorporated as part of the contract. These written instructions need to be detailed and reflect the expectations of the property manager and the responsibility of the security patrol service. Post orders are necessary for drive-through accounts because the same security officer will not always patrol the site and each property will have specific requirements. Written post orders allow for consistency in patrol and reporting and set forth the obligations for fulfilling the service contract. Post instructions should specify if drive-through security officers are to get out of their vehicle to "shake" doors or walk behind buildings. If you don't require it...it won't occur. Well-written post order acts like a checklist for the security officer while on-site and helps them fill out their daily activity reports and logs. |
| • Reporting |
| It is the custom and practice of all contract security patrol industry to complete daily activity reports (DARs) and incident reports for each site they patrol. Despite this practice, it is important to require written DAR and incident reports as part of the contract for service. This is usually one of the items specified in the post orders. As a rule of thumb, if you don’t receive a written report, assume the patrol did not occur and don’t pay for the service until you receive one. This practice will ensure that reports are written and submitted in a timely manner. Detailed daily activity and incident reports are crucial to a property owner. It is a form of supervision and holds the security service accountable for patrolling the property as agreed. In addition to communicating what was observed in the parking lot, the reports provide important documentation in case of a lawsuit alleging inadequate security. Daily activity reports are designed to report routine things like when and where the security officer was on your property and what they observed. DARs should be detailed and informative. Each entry should list the date, time, location, and activity. Don’t accept activity logs that merely state, "10:00 PM or 11:00 PM – All Quiet". A proper daily activity report of an apartment property might state, "9/29/99 -10:06 PM – Completed patrol of the south parking lot, one light burned out over parking space #256 or "9/29/99 - 10:14 PM – Checked the mail room, pool gate, laundry room, and restroom door locks. All were secure." These reports notify the landlord to repair burned out lights or to resolve hazardous conditions. Daily activity reports should document the patrol of all roadways on a property even if no unusual activity is observed. Incident reports are only written when something unusual happens that requires a more detailed account. Incident reports are not limited to crime. Incident reports should notify the client of an unlocked door, a large group loitering, a flooded parking lot, safety hazards, and of course all crimes or property damage. All contacts with persons on a client’s property should be reported as well. Incident reports should be more detailed than DARs because they chronicle one specific event. Incident reports that say "see police report" are not acceptable. Incident reports should note everything the security officer observed, what they did, and what they were doing at the time of the incident. They must contain the basics of reporting like who, what, where, when, why, and how. |
| • Supervision |
| One inherent flaw in contracting for drive-through security patrol service is supervision of the officers. Unless someone is checking, the drive-through patrol may not occur or the service may be insufficient. A common problem for some security patrol services is that they overbook, and assign too many accounts to their officers. It is impossible for patrol officers to properly inspect a site if they must make a high-speed pass to keep on schedule. It is important at the beginning of the contract to establish the quality and timing of the patrols and then follow up if you suspect that the service is inadequate. Worse yet, is when security officers falsify reports indicating that they patrolled when they had not. To avoid these problems, security patrol officers need to know that they are being supervised in some manner. This can be accomplished by a patrol supervisor but will usually involve additional costs. Other methods are to incorporate a mechanical or electrical check in device. Common systems include logging in on strategically placed watchman clocks, dropping patrol slips through the mail slot (hopefully in view of a video camera) or punching in on a time clock. On occupied commercial properties, the guard service should check in or sign off on a log in presence of a site employee. |
| • Selecting a Patrol Service |
| Finding a quality patrol service can be a challenge. It is easier in a smaller market because a company's good reputation is important to its survival. In large metropolitan areas, a poor patrol service can survive longer and get away with substandard service. This is because there is so much work that lost accounts has little immediate impact on their ability to stay in the marketplace. The other problem is the labor pool. In big cities, all security agencies draw from the same labor source. A poor quality officer can drift from agency to agency for years and end up patrolling your property. The best way to locate a quality security patrol service is to get a referral from a satisfied customer. It is always best to get multiple proposals and don't consider price alone as the deciding factor. |
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| • Record Retention |
| Security officer reports should be maintained at least for a period of two years. These reports are important for evaluating your security needs, identifying historical problems on site, and for insurance purposes. These reports are critical in defending premises liability lawsuits since they are proof of providing adequate security. Even reports showing no activity should be stored to show that the property has been reasonably safe. Records can be purged after this period except for reports containing important events. |
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