William Wallace’s Post

SHOPLIFTING. This "ARTEGIO" is very old, it is transmitted from generation to generation, from the most skillful gangs that have left school and damage due to robbery throughout the country and others such as the United States, Canada, Europe, etc., started in the area of the Merced, Candelaria de los Patos, Morelos and Tepito among many other artegios (Retinto, Piñero, Boquetero, Zorrero, Chiñero, Robo Hormiga, Packagero) from there they moved to the Constitutionalist Army, Eastern Army, Santa Marta, Ermita Zaragoza, among others areas of Iztapalapa, Gustavo A. Madero, allá in Mexico City and the State of Mexico such as Chalco and Valle de Chalco, other gangs developed in Guadalajara, Monterrey, Veracruz, etc. In the United States, a gang from Veracruz stole printer toners, photocopiers, and faxes in the 90s, to order since they had been recruited for that, they delivered them to Colombians who, in a complex criminal network, took them as "licit" merchandise to Colombia. and Mexico as a strategy to transfer the funds (money) for the purchase of narcotics to these countries, making profits throughout the chain, each toner was paid from 10 to 30 US dollars, at less than 30% of the market price, they operated in a group of 7 or 8 members and dispersed in the stores in pairs or trios, using minors as distractions or warnings, each person stole up to 30 toners, they stole up to 80 or a little more per person in a day visiting stores in different cities and states. This is how a "minor" crime can have unthinkable criminal scope and effects such as theft of vehicles, cell phones and more. Excellent option to prepare the new generations of private, corporate and police security https://lnkd.in/emKYJfVE

For anyone involved in CRE, riddle me this: in major cities where shoplifting is skyrocketing, at what point do the proverbial dominoes fall, one by one, until no one wants to lease center-city office space anymore? Remember, the same "forces" that are causing shoplifting, are also causing rampant vagrancy, vandalism, and assaults to rise in equal measure. Domino effect: * Shops close due to theft (organized "swarms" of shoplifters looting stores bare) * Rising vagrancy makes walking on streets dangerous (due to drug use, vandalism, assaults, and/or lack of basic sanitation) * Unprosecuted simple assaults make riding in public transit dangerous * Unchecked vandalism sends signals that other crimes are not prosecuted * LATHER, RINSE, REPEAT Personal prediction remains: if public policy regarding law enforcement is not brought back to where it was prior to 2014, major cities where laws remain unenforced will become ghost towns in less than two years...

A couple of thoughts about shoplifting this morning…. ·      Retailers know that shoplifting is a ‘thing’ and do plan against it operationally and procedurally. Their issue won’t be that shoplifting exists (as being really clinical about it, that’s a cost of doing business) but that it is on the rise and it is becoming more difficult to deal with and it is posing an escalating safety risk ·      To that end, shoplifting trends have been climbing for most of the last decade at least. ·      The trend will be based on the reported shoplifting – many incidents will go unreported owing to the length of time it takes to report an incident. Therefore, it’s likely that the majority of reported incidents will be in the upper ranges of severity or cost. It is probable that the true impact of shoplifting is likely to be higher. ·      Store managers are placed under significant pressure to control processes well and not accept stockloss as uncontrollable theft. That we are even hearing noise about shoplifting from the industry tells its own story. ·      Shoplifting is one of the most frustrating things out there in retail. Any store manager will tell you that the vast majority of customers do not steal, but there is a cross-section of shoplifters who are known to them and are regulars. ·      For those who think that retailers should just apprehend the shoplifters themselves – I’d invite you to try. It’s a risky gig and the threshold for committing assault against the shoplifter is probably lower than the cost of the individual theft – particularly in convenience stores. Retail workers are not, and should not, be law enforcement and I have first hand experience of being told by a Police authority that shoplifting incidents costing less than £100 will not be attended by police. Assuming the retailer apprehends the shoplifter safely, what would you suggest the retailer does with the apprehended party if the police won’t attend anyway? ·      I have no comment on the socio-economic drivers of shoplifting but it is not a victimless crime – As someone with over 20 years of experience in the industry, I’d like to point out that there are tens of thousands of retail workers across the nation who will go to work today to serve you and their communities. By the end of the day, hundreds of them will be witnesses to crime at best or traumatised, even injured, by it at worst. They deserve better than to be expected to simply suck it up. #Retail #Shoplifting https://lnkd.in/eJFvFMTx

The struggles of shop owners like Surinder Josan highlight the real impact of shoplifting on small businesses, especially during tough economic times. While it's encouraging that local police have stated a decrease in incidents, it appears more needs to be done to support retailers. Stronger deterrents and a more proactive approach by utilising communication technology to address theft could help restore confidence among shop owners, ensuring livelihoods aren't continuously threatened, and begin to deter thieves. #theft #retail #crime #news https://hubs.ly/Q02TX7Cd0

The latest release from the Office for National Statistics has shown shoplifting figures at a new record high, reaching almost half a million incidents in the year to March. The official figures are still playing catch up to the reality of what's happening on the ground. 500,000 thefts in the convenience sector alone would equate to less than one incident a month per store (!) The actual extent of theft is more than 10x this, which is why it's so important to keep reporting - only then will the police get a more accurate picture of what's going on. https://lnkd.in/dPDuAff9

America Has a Shoplifting Epidemic. The thieves aren't who you think. - Middle-class Americans are shoplifting everything from tape measures to blocks of cheese. - As much as retailers are quick to point the finger at organized operators for their theft problems, there's another group that gets a lot less lip service: the opportunists, like Carson, who are pocketing things from time to time because they feel like it. These shoplifters have existed forever — adults with decent jobs who are firmly in the middle class. And they're everywhere. - "It's your normal, everyday person, doesn't matter sex, gender, age, whatever, it's just people that see an opportunity and go, 'Huh, I bet I could steal that and nobody would know,'" said Joshua Jacobson, a loss-prevention professional in California who's worked for half a dozen major retailers over the past decade. "They're like a giant organized mob, they just don't know each other." - Shoplifting is illegal, and there are costs to it, even if you don't love the company that's bearing them. Many people find this sort of behavior objectionable and unethical. But after chatting with members of the smallest-time thieves brigade, it was clear that they generally aren't concerned about the moral weight of their actions — they choose to ignore it, or they don't really consider what they're doing as wrong.

Shoplifting has soared over the past few years, according to a study by one loss-prevention consulting firm. “Retailers say stores are closing because they can’t make up their losses, and because some employees are scared and don’t want to work there anymore,” Marc Fisher writes. https://lnkd.in/ewSasesC Why now? The coronavirus pandemic and social media are the two factors most often cited by researchers and industry executives. During the early pandemic, store employees grew less willing to confront thieves; people seemed “quicker to go violent” against clerks who did intervene, the former store detective Read Hayes told Fisher. And industry analysts say they are seeing more middle-class shoplifters than they did pre-COVID, mainly because shoplifters think they won’t face significant consequences. Thieves advertise their loot on Facebook and eBay, and trade tactical tips on Reddit and elsewhere; many shoplifters are now trained by online advisers to know precisely what to target. The internet has also become a place to show off a shoplifting haul. “Videos tagged #haul—some set to the tune of Ayesha Erotica’s ‘Real Messy Bitch’ (‘Yeah, I sca-a-am and I ro-o-ob, I’mma take everything that you go-o-ot … I love robbery and fraud, I’m a shoplifting god’)—feature slo-mo pans: energy drinks, candies, cleaning products,” Fisher writes. Stores have tried everything to abate the behavior, yet nothing seems to work. But “sometimes, especially with casual thieves, a few hours of education about the impact that shoplifting can have on their own friends and family—raising prices, closing stores—can make a difference,” Fisher continues. One organization offers a course “focused on sending shoplifters the message that their behavior isn’t harmless.” In a study in King County, Washington, the course seemed to lessen the incidence of repeat behavior. Such a tactic won’t put an end to organized retail crime, the program’s leader said, but it might help the many occasional shoplifters who think thievery is no big deal. “We can’t stop them,” she told Fisher. “We have to get them to stop themselves.” 🎨: Ben Denzer

Keep up with the latest cargo theft scams... A London-based toy company lost over $1 million worth of holiday merchandise when three trucks never arrived at their intended Walmart destination. The complex scheme involved thieves impersonating legitimate trucking firms, rerouting 12,600 Smart Sketcher projectors to warehouses on the West Coast—and possibly New York. Now, the stolen toys have been popping up at steep discounts on third-party Amazon stores, forcing the rightful owner, Flycatcher, to file a federal lawsuit and slash its own prices to compete. Industry experts say “double-brokering” scams—where fraudsters pose as both carrier and broker—are skyrocketing, leaving honest drivers unpaid, and businesses on the hook for lost goods. Despite multiple alerts to law enforcement and Amazon, the company’s founder warns that new sellers keep surfacing online, making this fast-growing crime a nightmare for businesses nationwide. https://lnkd.in/gUdxyecw

Disappointing, but unsurprising news. Retail crime, and especially shoplifting, has almost become decriminalised over recent years. https://vist.ly/3fqrb #PropertyCrime #RetailCrime #AlarmResponse #CommercialSecurity #KeyHolding #MannedGuarding #SecurityPatrols #VanguardSecurity

The repercussions for shoplifting or deceiving stores may be perceived as severe by some, yet justified by others. Upon examining various incidents and their implications, it becomes evident that certain crucial aspects were overlooked, leading to the prolonged operation of dishonest individuals. Turning a blind eye to shoplifting and deception not only harms the affected store financially but also fosters a culture of tolerance for unethical behaviour. By neglecting to address instances of shoplifting or deceit, businesses inadvertently condone such actions, signalling to perpetrators that their misconduct will go unchecked. This lack of accountability can embolden individuals to continue engaging in illegal activities, further eroding the integrity of the retail environment. Additionally, the financial losses incurred by stores as a result of theft and deception can have a detrimental impact on their operations, potentially leading to increased prices for honest customers to offset these losses. It is imperative for businesses to prioritise the enforcement of policies and procedures aimed at deterring and addressing shoplifting and deception. Implementing robust security measures, conducting regular audits, and providing employee training on identifying and responding to suspicious behaviour are essential steps in safeguarding the interests of the store and maintaining a fair and ethical retail environment. By taking a proactive stance against dishonest practices, businesses can uphold their reputation, protect their bottom line, and uphold standards of integrity that benefit both the organisation and its patrons. Robberies: https://lnkd.in/gbn2mDAd Watch us on YouTube: https://bit.ly/3p9YAD6 #quelltraining #workplaceviolence #workplaceviolenceprevention #personalsafety #retail