Learn about some of the best practices that retailers can use to help protect themselves from ORC
For most retailers, organized retail crime begins and ends in the parking lot. It’s where criminals stage the attack, park or idle their getaway cars, and escape to hawk their illicit gains elsewhere.
ORC, thefts where thieves steal considerable amounts of product to sell later on the black market either online or at flea markets, is a real phenomenon, Trevor Wagener, the chief economist at the Computer & Communications Industry Association told The New York Times. According to his research on retail data, his insights revealed that organized groups were likely responsible for about 5% of stolen merchandise between 2016 to 2020.
For retailers and loss-prevention experts, the primary goal is to turn away would-be thieves before they ever reach the door. Matt Kelley, LiveView Technologies Head of Retail, Go to Market, tells clients their efforts should first focus on the parking lot. That’s because the lot is where high-impact solutions do not jeopardize the customer experience, as locked cabinets and cumbersome security tags do for shoppers inside the store.
He told Security Magazine that retailers who secure their parking lots have an unmatched opportunity to stop ORC offenders. Investing in these tailored strategies not only deters bad actors but also helps local law enforcement apprehend criminals and, most importantly, prevent future crimes from occurring.
Here are five of the best practices to combat ORC. These proactive strategies help retailers keep an eye on—and criminals out of—the parking lot.
When retailers allocate a parking space for a mobile surveillance camera, it deters criminals around the clock. This visible and always-on security system, like the LVT Unit, serves as an active extension of the retailer’s security staff—one that doesn’t require PTO or lunch breaks.
Retail security systems that are designed specifically for the parking lot, like LiveView Technologies’ remote surveillance system, helps monitors potential ORC activities outside the store and puts bad actors on notice. From recording the area to warning people with flashing lights and announcements, this overt parking lot presence can deter ORC incidents. Video surveillance recordings are also essential for gathering vital evidence to share with investigators.
And it works. Retailers who installed LVT Units to combat ORC reduce high-risk crimes by 62% and decrease grab-and-go-thefts by 69%.
The threat of a parking ticket or tow trucks doesn’t ward off ORC.
But because potential perpetrators often park illegally before their heists it’s worth considering what security barriers or other temporary installations can redirect traffic. These physical measures help retailers’ asset protection teams easily identify suspicious activity and force criminals to determine if the risk is worth the reward.
When retailers display signs that let customers know there are surveillance and anti-theft measures in place, shoppers know the retailer takes security—and their employees’ safety—seriously.
But if a potential bad actor sees a business security camera, they are more likely to look elsewhere to commit a crime.
“We’re trying to get the offender or crew to say, ‘Not here, not now, this doesn’t feel right,’” Dr. Read Hayes, director of the Loss Prevention Research Council, told CNBC.
For retailers and loss-prevention experts, advanced analytics and artificial intelligence analyze patterns and work to predict potential ORC activities before they happen. The primary goal of these technologies is to dissuade thieves from entering the store, not to catch them in the act.
Though half of retailers now report using descriptive insights from analytics systems to understand their losses, few leverage the next-gen technologies that are now available. Just 12% of retailers say they leverage predictive analytics, and even fewer (7%) incorporate prescriptive insights into loss prevention strategies.
This detailed information can help to identify high-risk areas and times and allocate resources accordingly.
“Every bit of research shows that a small portion of the offending population is responsible for the majority of incidents,” senior research scientist at the LPRC Senior Research Scientist Cory Lowe told Investors Business Daily. He explained that when a retailer drilled down to understand the analytics provided by their case management system, the asset protection team discovered that 10% of the known offenders were responsible for 90% of their losses.
Ordering ahead and using a retailer’s parking lot pickup option is convenient for customers and a useful security strategy as well. When stores maintain a visible and active presence in the parking lot, potential bad actors take note.
This strategy requires dedicated staff training. It’s important for team members to learn how to effectively survey the parking lot and store entrances and then understand how to assess possible problems in each area.
Deploying an LVT Unit, backed by the LVT Platform and AI-powered analytics capabilities,
provides another set of eyes. This layers another effective strategy that backs up employees and helps reduce potential risks.
Using innovative and next-generation technologies to patrol the parking lot delivers a good return on investment in the fight to prevent ORC thefts. When two suspicious men were milling about an Atlanta-area Home Depot parking lot, a company at the forefront of deploying innovative retail theft measures, asset protection leaders stopped an ORC in progress.
“Crooks seek the path of least resistance which is why an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of the cure,” said retired asset protection leader Mike Lamb about LVT. “The bad guys see it, get it, and ultimately fear it.”
Our customers trust LVT to deter would-be criminals, defend their sites against bad actors, and help law enforcement investigate and prosecute crimes. Ready to learn more? Contact our team today for a demo.
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