Tips for surfing the tile?

[crazykid46]

Hey guys (and any gals on here), FINALLY got into LP after the better part of 3 1/2 years of trying...

I'm starting off as a VSO, so I'm walking the floor pretty much my whole shift. I've read through as much of the info as I can, but was wondering if anyone has any other tips for someone who is brand new and going from "customer service" to "surveillance?"

[LPCap]

Carry shopping bags from other stores. Wear a backpack. You can conceal your radio in one of these bags. Wear an Ipod. Try and find spots on the floor where you can view people discreetly - behind columns or racks. Learn the blind spots and where people will conceal.

When walking the floor, walk through fitting rooms and ensure they are constantly being cleaned during the day. If you find fitting rooms which are filled with clothes, talk with associates about the benefits of clean fitting rooms. Also, when in the fitting rooms check underneath the benches, behind the mirrors and anywhere price tickets can be found. When you see an area being hit hard, focus on those areas.

Your best bet is to watch how "real" shoppers shop. Learn from them. When you know how a real shopper shops, you will be able to see how the shoplifters operate. Look for people who select merchandise and drape it over their arm or shoulder. Look for people who remove clothing items from hangers and discard the hanger. Look to see what shopping bags people are carrying - if the store isn't in your mall, they are probably up to something.

When walking the floor, smile at people and make light conversation. When you talk about the sales while looking at merchandise or make a comment about a kid, shoplifters see you as just another shopper. If you are sneaking behind racks and trying to be covert, they will notice. When walking the floor, actually shop. Well not actually shop but you know what I mean. Carry around merchandise, look at price tags etc. I have had people conceal right in front of me because they thought I was a shopper.

The best tip of all is to have fun! This job is fun and exciting and I am sure you will enjoy it. You will move from the visual security spot to an agent in no time. Just put in your time and work your ass off on the floor and your hard work will be rewarded.

[Nauticus]

Carry shopping bags from other stores. Wear a backpack. You can conceal your radio in one of these bags. Wear an Ipod. Try and find spots on the floor where you can view people discreetly - behind columns or racks. Learn the blind spots and where people will conceal.

When walking the floor, walk through fitting rooms and ensure they are constantly being cleaned during the day. If you find fitting rooms which are filled with clothes, talk with associates about the benefits of clean fitting rooms. Also, when in the fitting rooms check underneath the benches, behind the mirrors and anywhere price tickets can be found. When you see an area being hit hard, focus on those areas.

Your best bet is to watch how "real" shoppers shop. Learn from them. When you know how a real shopper shops, you will be able to see how the shoplifters operate. Look for people who select merchandise and drape it over their arm or shoulder. Look for people who remove clothing items from hangers and discard the hanger. Look to see what shopping bags people are carrying - if the store isn't in your mall, they are probably up to something.

When walking the floor, smile at people and make light conversation. When you talk about the sales while looking at merchandise or make a comment about a kid, shoplifters see you as just another shopper. If you are sneaking behind racks and trying to be covert, they will notice. When walking the floor, actually shop. Well not actually shop but you know what I mean. Carry around merchandise, look at price tags etc. I have had people conceal right in front of me because they thought I was a shopper.

The best tip of all is to have fun! This job is fun and exciting and I am sure you will enjoy it. You will move from the visual security spot to an agent in no time. Just put in your time and work your ass off on the floor and your hard work will be rewarded.

Quoted for truth.

I duck behind racks and sneak around after I've caught someone concealing merchandise, but for the most part, it's definitely a better idea to pretend to be a shopper. I agree 100% what LPCap said.

[crazykid46]

Thanks Cap! Just a question:

If I conceal my radio inside one of the bags, won't it look suspicious if I get it out to talk or try to listen to it?

[TACTICAL 785]

I am not a very good Floor walker at all. I am a camera bunny for the most part, but I work in a straight asile drugs store chain so its a little more difficult. I would sudgest all the above also, one thing I like to do is pretend I am talking on a phone and I wear a hat to cover my eyes, Also I find not making direct eye contact with shoplifters to I have a bad habbit of this. get out of the store from time to time. I will go sit in my truck and watch the doors to watch people going in and then go in the store. Dress for the weather outside I think its funny when its -50C in calgary and I walk in to a store to see guys or girls walken around plan clothing with T-shirts on lol kind of obveus.

[ghostguy6]

Thanks Cap! Just a question:

If I conceal my radio inside one of the bags, won't it look suspicious if I get it out to talk or try to listen to it?

Get a set of earbuds this way it looks like your listening to music, most radio maufacturers sell earbuds with a clip on mic. For LP I would stay away from anything with an acoustic tube ( FBI style) as that is a dead give away.

[crazykid46]

I am not a very good Floor walker at all. I am a camera bunny for the most part, but I work in a straight asile drugs store chain so its a little more difficult. I would sudgest all the above also, one thing I like to do is pretend I am talking on a phone and I wear a hat to cover my eyes, Also I find not making direct eye contact with shoplifters to I have a bad habbit of this. get out of the store from time to time. I will go sit in my truck and watch the doors to watch people going in and then go in the store. Dress for the weather outside I think its funny when its -50C in calgary and I walk in to a store to see guys or girls walken around plan clothing with T-shirts on lol kind of obveus.

I wear my hat pretty much all the time anyway, so that's not a problem!

So the LPM shouldn't mind me dipping outside for a few minutes and coming back in another way to look more "natural?"

Get a set of earbuds this way it looks like your listening to music, most radio maufacturers sell earbuds with a clip on mic. For LP I would stay away from anything with an acoustic tube ( FBI style) as that is a dead give away.

Alright, thanks! I'll have to look into that.

[LPCap]

Thanks Cap! Just a question:

If I conceal my radio inside one of the bags, won't it look suspicious if I get it out to talk or try to listen to it?

Not anymore suspicious than when you pull it out of your pocket or off your belt. Just keep the volume low so as to not tip off people. If you don't want to carry shopping bags, wear a backpack (what employee wears a backpack)? A hat is good to break up your profile, just don't over use it. If you don't answer your radio have the camera room make a page such as Linda Parker (LP) dial extension 119. Then get to a secure spot and get your radio.

So the LPM shouldn't mind me dipping outside for a few minutes and coming back in another way to look more "natural?"

Talk with your LPM. If there are benches outside your store, take a seat and watch. Don't overuse it and don't use it as an excuse to shop the mall. Back in my LP days when we knew that we were going to make an apprehension and we knew what exit they would be using, we would have someone sit on the bench and as soon as they exited, stand up and approach from the front. Freaked people out as they never saw it coming.

[Nauticus]

I cannot stress enough how important other employees are. My current loss prevention job is in-house, and the employees are actually trained decently in noticing suspicious behaviour, and they're trained how to communicate their discoveries to loss prevention. Employees are on the floor all day, so they're pretty good at picking out the questionable ones.

Most theft is internal, but as far as combating external theft, employees are a must. Whenever I find myself focusing on internal theft, I tend to rely more on my surveillance cameras, pinhole cameras, and employee interviews.

[TACTICAL 785]

I wear my hat pretty much all the time anyway, so that's not a problem!

So the LPM shouldn't mind me dipping outside for a few minutes and coming back in another way to look more "natural?"



Alright, thanks! I'll have to look into that.

I don't see why not. Heck sometimes I sit in my truck and watch whats coming int he front doors of the store from the parking lot.

[sneakybstrd]

Going outside for a bit is a realistic idea, it helps you see who or what might be staging up outside and it adds to your own look of being "weathered" to look like you just came into the store...wet if it is raining, cold if snowing, sweaty if hot, etc.

As for other pointers: Don't get too involved right away in looking at customers and trying to size them up, just look for what I call the Four P's. Product - what product are they selecting or carrying - is it high theft, unusual quantity, different sizes? Packaging - Do they have a bag or box they could be concealing into, like diaper bags? Placement - How have they placed the items or bags on their person or in a cart - purses open in the seat, backpacks open with items piled nearby? last is Position - Where are they in the store, and how are they standing, hunched over a cart, lingering in corners? After you assess all the prior then look at the person, are they looking around and acting suspicious? Trust me, you take the person and your personal opinions and embedded prejudice out of the picture you'll be nabbing more - there is a ton of little old ladies and clean cut guys in suits stealing from you.

[TACTICAL 785]

Going outside for a bit is a realistic idea, it helps you see who or what might be staging up outside and it adds to your own look of being "weathered" to look like you just came into the store...wet if it is raining, cold if snowing, sweaty if hot, etc.

As for other pointers: Don't get too involved right away in looking at customers and trying to size them up, just look for what I call the Four P's. Product - what product are they selecting or carrying - is it high theft, unusual quantity, different sizes? Packaging - Do they have a bag or box they could be concealing into, like diaper bags? Placement - How have they placed the items or bags on their person or in a cart - purses open in the seat, backpacks open with items piled nearby? last is Position - Where are they in the store, and how are they standing, hunched over a cart, lingering in corners? After you assess all the prior then look at the person, are they looking around and acting suspicious? Trust me, you take the person and your personal opinions and embedded prejudice out of the picture you'll be nabbing more - there is a ton of little old ladies and clean cut guys in suits stealing from you.

Awesome advice! I could not agree more. Know your product is such an important part of LP. I find not judging anyone right away and treating everyone as a shoplifter works well also. I have arrested all shapes and sizes from little old ladies to a lawyer. so I mean anyone can steal. keeping in mind that Shopelifting for the most part is a crime of opertunity, and usualy isn't a planed theft. In my experiance that is.

Another thign is when you go to make the arrest, I like to be as loude as you can so as not be mistaken for a bad guy. Plane clothing officers have this probalme I have been approched by people asking me "why the HELL are you assulting this person" ect ect... thats just me and know your suroundings*sp

[DJDrew22200]

Awesome advice! I could not agree more. Know your product is such an important part of LP. I find not judging anyone right away and treating everyone as a shoplifter works well also. I have arrested all shapes and sizes from little old ladies to a lawyer. so I mean anyone can steal. keeping in mind that Shopelifting for the most part is a crime of opertunity, and usualy isn't a planed theft. In my experiance that is.

Another thign is when you go to make the arrest, I like to be as loude as you can so as not be mistaken for a bad guy. Plane clothing officers have this probalme I have been approched by people asking me "why the HELL are you assulting this person" ect ect... thats just me and know your suroundings*sp

That's awesome advice as well as the four P's. It's also good to be outside every once in a while or even monitor the main doors using the parking lot cameras from the LP office. I've noticed many times that thieves will have a friend who waits at the door to let them know if anything suspicious is going on that might make them re-consider stealing.

[rmd08]

Bumpin' this thread. I got a new job in a store that has almost no cameras expect those used for internals. I have experience in a big box retailer that was very camera heavy. Im sure I will adapt just wondering if anyone has anymore tips to make the process smoother. Thanks in advance!

[Curtis Baillie]

Bumpin' this thread. I got a new job in a store that has almost no cameras expect those used for internals. I have experience in a big box retailer that was very camera heavy. Im sure I will adapt just wondering if anyone has anymore tips to make the process smoother. Thanks in advance!

You may want to look at this thread - http://forums.securityinfowatch.com/...ead.php?t=6132