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Fighting Organized Retail Crime: Forget the hype!

Brandon Gregg challenges current thinking about organized shoplifting rings. Forget the hype and get back to basics.

By Brandon Gregg

March 24, 2011 — CSO —

Several years ago, after reading an article by former Target Investigation head Chris Nelson, I made it my goal to get hired with their Organized Retail Crime (ORC) Investigation Team for three reasons: direction, innovation and resources.

The concept of actually tracking boosters to their local fence, the local fence to a gray or black market distributor and then shutting the whole illegal infrastructure down with surveillance documentation that would put most FBI stings to shame demonstrated Target was paving the future of combating ORC. (Read much more in CSOonline's Organized retail theft: Facts and myths.)

Flash forward ten years later: ORC is an overused catchphrase that most retailers do not have the direction, innovation or resources to tackle, nor need to. Even more surprising is seeing year after year more resource wasting teams, libelous regional law enforcement alerts and other self promoting ORC experts line their own pockets while your business gets hit by the same boosters.

Here's how to make a real impact on ORC at your company or individual store level, without wasting time, money or listening to all the hype.

Educate

The first step in making an impact is clearing the air of the catchphrase "ORC" through education. Often I read emails from peers and law enforcement regional alerts detailing an alleged ORC subject who shoplifted two or three pairs of jeans.

Shoplifting does not immediately make the subject connected to ORC. Labeling a subject into this category first takes a large collection of data and basic investigation that most stores are lacking. Categorizing your shoplifters should never contain assumptions or be taken as lightly as many Loss Prevention professionals currently do in their reports and alerts. If the subject evades arrest and you have no evidence (documented surveillance, statement from Law Enforcement or subject) then do not label them as a habitual, booster, professional or ORC shoplifter. You have no proof of their intentions other than stealing one or two times, making them no different than your average teenage shoplifter.

Also see Retail security: Critical strategies

Proper documentation will help limit the hype as well as provide realistic metrics that can be used to justify better resources in the future that can actually combat the right type of theft at your company.

Document, document, document

Metrics not only provide statistics for more resources, but are the very core raw data used to prevent future ORC with impactful arrests. Instead of chasing organized rings across the country with wasteful budgets and limited quality resources (trained and experienced personnel, time, equipment, etc) metrics and proper documentation in your own report/incident system or even a basic excel spreadsheet will make the largest blow to professional thieves. The key to your documentation is providing Law Enforcement with clear data showing repeat offenders and/or conspiracy to steal from your company.

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