Lancashire Police’s latest initiative, Operation Vulture, has set out simple steps retailers can take in their stores to reduce the blight of shoplifting.
While the guide obviously does not condone staff confronting anyone suspicious (with the exclusion of security staff - which it also highly recommends), among the easier techniques you can deploy are the impact of a warm welcome in stores.
The guide reads: “By greeting genuine shoppers, not only does this provide a positive impression of your store, it also deters potential shoplifters. An offender is less likely to shoplift if they sense that they’re seen and noticed by staff.”
The new initiative encourages retailers to employ what it call dedicated customer greeters, who would welcome shoppers as they enter. Officers have produced an online guide for retailers, How to Deter a Shoplifter, which explains the reasoning behind the approach.
It also highlights the fact there will be certain times of day when stores can be more vulnerable to crime, such as when staff levels are lower, and goes on to stress the importance of displaying warning notices throughout stores informing would-be thieves that they will be reported to authorities.
Operation Vulture, which launched last month, is Lancashire Constabulary’s response to the huge spate of shoplifting across the county, and is seeing dedicated officers undertaking hotspot patrolling, increasing visibility in targeted areas and creating “partnerships with retailers across the county to better share intelligence, get a deeper understanding of retail crime and identify more offenders,” it says.
You can read the full guide here.
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