If you're a professional in the loss prevention field and want a long career, then this guidebook is for you. For almost two decades, Herman Otis Laskey Jr. has been saving companies time and money. In this guide, Laskey offers anecdotes and methods for loss prevention, including detailed case studies about how he's uncovered internal and external thefts; issues that all retail businesses must focus on to reduce losses; ways to deter employees and customers from stealing; tips on cutting costs when investigating crimes; five secrets to a successful loss prevention career. He also shares how the STINOR Method Loss Prevention can reduce shoplifting and employee theft by up to 95 percent. This method has been used for more than fifteen years by thousands of retailers and restaurants. In addition, you'll learn how to focus on problem areas such as bathrooms and fitting rooms. By thinking like a thief and equipping yourself with the knowledge of a longtime loss prevention professional, you'll benefit from Secrets of a Successful Loss Prevention Career.

Secrets of a Successful Loss Prevention Career

By Herman O. Laskey Jr.

iUniverse, Inc.

Copyright © 2011 Herman Otis Laskey Jr.
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-1-4620-3220-4

Contents

Biography.....................................................................viiIntroduction..................................................................ixHow I got Into Loss Prevention................................................1Myths about Internal Theft....................................................531 Loss Prevention Topics.....................................................9Risk VS Gain Theory...........................................................45Five Important Things to Know about Your Employees............................47Using Deterrent Pages to Deter External Theft.................................51A great way to reduce your liability on external theft........................55A Pocket Guide to Conducting a Successful Phone Interview.....................59Dealing with the report aspect of phone interviewing..........................65Case Studies..................................................................67Cost associated with face to face interviewing................................69The Stinor Method.............................................................73Sources of Shrink.............................................................77My Five Secrets to Succeeding In Loss Prevention..............................79Types of Fraudulent Refunders-S. U. L. F......................................83Characteristics of a Fraudulent Return........................................87Deterring Theft in the Fitting Rooms and Bathrooms............................91My Time in Cuffs..............................................................95Thank you page................................................................99

Chapter One

How I got Into Loss Prevention

My journey into the Loss Prevention field is probably like most Loss Prevention professionals. I was going to Rose State College and needed a part-time job to help with the bills. I worked in the toy department at Target store in Midwest City, Oklahoma. I had no idea what Loss Prevention was and I had never heard of it. I began to find empty CD packages tucked away behind the merchandise on the shelves and wondered what was going on. I quickly realized that there were actually people out there that stole merchandise from Target. This blew my mind and I began to challenge myself to find empty packages every day. One day I got frustrated and asked my supervisor what they were doing about these people that steal from the store. My supervisor called for a guy named Chris and introduced him to me. Chris was the Loss Prevention manager for Target and I had no idea.

Chris told me to call him at a certain extension number if I found any empty packages or saw any suspicious activity. I took him up on the offer and called him all the time. Chris began to catch more shoplifters with my help. One day Chris told me that I would be good at Loss Prevention. I told him that I was a criminal justice major at Rose State College. He told me that I should interview for a Loss Prevention associate job opening. I told him to forward my name and information so I could interview. About one month later I interviewed and got the job. I will always remember thinking to myself, "Cool, I get paid $6.25 per hour to walk around a store and do nothing." Boy was I wrong! I soon learned that Loss Prevention was very dangerous work and that it was my responsibility to wrestle these unknown people back into the store.

My very first apprehension was a seven year old boy that stole some AA batteries. I felt so bad all week because his mom was very mad at him. I needed my first stop and nothing was going to stand in the way. My second stop happened to be my fellow Loss Prevention associates uncle. His wife worked at the service desk and like some families, she had a drug addicted uncle. He had concealed about three cordless phones inside of his jacket and waived at her on the way out. This was my first chase. Of course, I was young and cocky, so I was not going to let and old man outrun me. He ran straight into the parking lot as I asked him to stop for me. The chase was on. I grabbed his jacked and slung phones and phone accessories all over the parking lot. I scrapped my knuckles something fierce and still have the scars to prove it.

My second stop was a huge 400 pound male that had severe psychological issues. The person had concealed a tube of caulk, a bandana and some dexitrim diet pills inside of his overalls. He was amazingly calm in the office. I began to ask him why he stole and he explained to me that God told him that it was alright. He went on to explain that God talks to him all the time and he can take whatever he wants with God's permission. I did not disagree or try to argue with him since the Loss Prevention office was only about a six by six room in the back of the store. I calmly told him that I understood. He began to tell me all of the medication that he was on which was too many for me to list in this book. He stayed very peaceful and then I began to smell a horrible stench. I knew it was not me because I had showered before work that day. I talked with him and pretended to smell nothing. The police arrived and took him into custody and I was very relieved.

I will skip a few of my apprehensions and tell you all about the good ones. One Christmas Eve I was working and noticed a clean cut attractive female selecting numerous CDs and placing them in her cart. I followed her around until she concealed all of the CDs. The female came back to the office and offered to pay for the merchandise but that was not in our policy so I called 911. While we were waiting for the police to arrive, she entertained me with a series of attempted bribes. None of them came close to my paycheck amount so I refused them all. She was the owner of a local insurance agency and felt very confident she could convince me to let her go. She tried everything from offering me a job to writing me a $1500 check. The officer arrived and was in a very bad mood. Probably because he had to work Christmas Eve. He immediately told her to stand up and placed hand cuffs on her. She was arrested for theft and taken to jail. We ran the cameras back to see what car she was driving. At closing, her car was still in the parking lot so I decided to go and take a look. Her car was filled with Christmas gifts for her kids. They would have to wait until mom got out of jail to get their gifts. I later found out that she spent all of the holidays in jail because the judges were out of town and no court was held.

Myths about Internal Theft

Internal Theft 70%?

For years Loss Prevention professionals have said that the majority of theft is internal. Is it really so? Let's think for a minute. One of your colleges is known for catching many shoplifters. Don't they always have their fare share of internals? Also, don't your colleges that have a significant amount of internals have their fare share of externals? What is this deal about 70% of theft being internal?

Some have said that one internal equals five externals. Can't the same be said for external theft? Cashiers and other employees can easily steal more than shoplifters because they are in the store on a regular basis. I have also known some shoplifters to be in the stores on a regular basis. Just because we do not see them every time does not mean they are not in the store. We simply get...