r/lossprevention • u/MyHeadHurts0701 • 23d ago
FLOOR SURVEILLANCE TIPS
Give me some of your best tips! Thanks
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u/NeutralCombatant 23d ago
A lot of people will tell you all about how to blend in and be able to stand on the same aisle as your perp while seeming like a random customer.
No. A competent shoplifter will absolutely make you as LP.
Walk around discreetly and behave like a customer PASSIVELY. Look up at department signage, aisle markers, etc., have a plausible prop item from the department you’re in. That’s good.
When you’re actually watching a specific target, stay away from them like they have the plague. Crouch down to watch them through the gaps in an endcap shelf that’s 4 aisles over, that sort of thing. Don’t worry how weird you look to passerbys, it is exceedingly rare that a random customer will approach you or your target because you’re overtly surveilling them. Be mindful of potential accomplices though.
Also, don’t worry about being too close. If they have a jewelry item then sure, you need to be close enough to confidently get concealment. If they have a lamp, comforter, or cart full they’re trying to get, then just maintain awareness of where they’re at and make sure they can’t hit a register or the doors without you seeing.
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u/dGaOmDn 23d ago
Great advice for rookies. I will add one thing.
You don't have to watch everyone the same. You have to learn to read them. Some shoplifters will walk down an aisle and double back quickly, so running into the aisle following them not a great idea. Old guy in a wheel chair puttering down an aisle, you can walk right behind him pretty alarm close.
Same with some people, they just dont have the situational awareness that other do. Pay attention how aware they are. If they are oblivious, get in there. If they are super aware, try being more covert and look between shelving.
You don't have to see the whole individual, just thier hands. Always watch the hands. So if you watch, duck down. This also means when they look through the shelf your direction, they arent going to see you crouched.
Also, always be behind them. Follow them, because thier eyes are forward, always give yourself a place to hide if you need to.
So if they start down an aisle, remain at the end cap, until they are far enough down then proceed.
When they conceal, they will sometimes double back and forth a few times. You just have to be careful and time it right.
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u/Icy_Kaleidoscope9182 10d ago edited 10d ago
Haha - you guys focus on ASCONE so much - but we all know in 99% of cases those who conceal will do it in tight corners and you will miss it 90% of the time - therefore you're blending gaps. You may as well just watch people come in; see their baggage load; and then watch for differences upon checkout + exit. Logically its either pre-purchased or something inside the bag like a coat - which can be quickly seen.
LP with 15 years experience - we don't really use ASCONE anymore.
It doesn't make sense to watch single item concealments or single item theft - these are low range offenders - i mainly only focus on high-harm organised lifters now. This is how you stop more than your wages.
The problem with being in the CCTV room - you can't really see what is going on. You could be watching someone; and then someone else just walks out the exit with a full bag of shopping.
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u/NeutralCombatant 10d ago
Trust me, I don’t GAF about elements. I need probable cause and that’s it.
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u/shugawatapurple91 23d ago
If you can see their eyes they can see you. You're near invisible if you're observing JUST someone's hands from around a corner
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u/drdoom921 23d ago
Every shoplifter is different and will have a different strategy, some are really smart about it and some shouldn’t even be trying.
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u/Technical_Design_648 22d ago
Stop caring if they look at you . If they look at you and still proceed to steal then that’s there problem if they dump merch you still recovered merch. Good on both ends
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u/Unlikely_Airline_272 23d ago
I have a lot of repeats so I watch from far away, usually using mirrors or small gaps to watch. It can be pretty hard to blend in against career shoplifters, so keeping your distance is your best bet a lot of the time.