In February I wrote a blog about Wegmans grocery stores deciding not to sell tobacco products anymore. (View article) Last week there was a front page article in USA Today about pharmacies “putting out their smokes”.According to Wendy Koch of USA Today the San Francisco Board of Supervisors will approve a ban on city pharmacies from selling tobacco products, taking effect on October 1, 2008.  Ah, but you say this is San Francisco - one would expect nothing less from them.

According to USA Today similar Bills are pending in New Hampshire, Illinois and Tennessee with pharmacies that have walk-in clinics.  A Bill in New York would apply to all pharmacies, including industry giant WalMart. According to the article Wegmans was not the only grocer to remove tobacco product in February. New York- based chains Budwey’s and DeCicco Family Markets followed suit. Some ShopRite stores joined the bandwagon in March.

In the February blog piece I asked if this trend was going to catch on.  I have my answer.

Curtis Baillie, Principal Consultant - Security Consulting Strategies, LLC

Not long ago I spoke before an Interpersonal Relationship class at an American Management Association seminar about using neuro-linguistic movements to determine truthful and false statements. At the end of the first day I told the attendees to try an experiment at home to test what they had learned. Those with small children had them tell a bedtime store; one that the child knew well. They were told to look for right and left brain reactions as the child told the story. They then told their children to tell another bedtime store, this time making up the story as they went along. The next day the results were as I suspected. Many participated in the exercise and reported that they were astounded by what they had learned from their children. They now were able to, more accurately; determine when their children were telling them the truth. Many years ago I taught my wife this technique as she was really fustrated one day and asked me, “How do you always know when the kids are telling the truth?”

Try this with your children - you’ll be amazed by the results. Here’s a guide to use. Let me know about your results.

The following guide is reprinted with permission from W-Z & Associates -

Neuro-Linguistic Eye Movement - The eyes are used by each of us as we begin to recall or create information from our visual, auditory, or kinesic channels.  By determining which representational system a subject is using, the interviewer can ascertain whether or not the information is being recalled or created.

Eye movement of subject
Up and to the left:   visually recalling
Up and to the right:  visually creating
Straight across to the left:  recalling something heard
Straight across to the right:  creating something heard
Down and to the left:  internal dialogue
Down and to the right:  internal feelings, touch

- Curtis Baillie, Principal Consultant - Security Consulting Strategies, LLC

The rule of thumb is wherever there is a ‘reasonable expectation of privacy’ you cannot use cameras to view employee/customer activities. I explained that you could use cameras to view the entrances of locker rooms and fitting rooms, but not to peer inside the private or changing areas.

We also talked about the use of ‘fake’ cameras. At any given time, you can look for fake cameras on EBay and find 200 or more ads. Only a few will include a disclaimer of liability. I advise my clients not to use fake or dummy cameras in their business. If a business makes exclusive use of dummy cameras, they have created a reasonable expectation of security for their customers.

Look at it this way - you, the storeowner, has purchased fake cameras because you are having a shoplifting problem and think the cameras, visible to the public, will have a deterrent effect on your shoplifting problem. A few months later, a customer is in your store when a street thug steals her purse. She resists and is struck in the face and injured. The robber gets away. The customer is injured to the point where she is taken to the hospital by ambulance. This is a tragic experience, not only for the customer but also for you the business owner. During the investigation, the police see the cameras and ask you for the video tape in hopes of identifying the criminal. You tell them your cameras are not real and there is no video tape. Many months later, you receive a notice from an attorney and learn the injured customer is suing you. During the discovery process, it’s found that you used fake cameras to save a few dollars. You can see where this little scenario is leading, especially when the customer says she felt safe shopping in your store because she saw the cameras. To make matters worse - you had a sign in the window proclaiming the premises were being monitored by surveillance video.  I hope your business is able to survive!

Curtis Baillie, Principal Consultant - Security Consulting Strategies, LLC

Thus type of “cowboy justice” is not new to Arizona. Maricopa County Sheriff is famous for his methods for housing Maricopa County jail inmates.  Sheriff Joe Arpiao has housed inmates in tents, issued pink underwear, socks, bed sheets, and handcuffs when these items started disappearing. The problem was solved.

Kudos to the Avondale Police Department for thinking outside of the box.

Curtis Baillie - Security Consulting Strategies LLC

If you are involved in any part of the background screening process you will want to read the guideline, and make comment to ASIS. This preemployment background screening guideline may very well become the standard used by the Courts in deciding litigation cases.

My only concern is the guideline fails to address post-employment background checks, which. I feel, should be an integral part of any companies screening process. I have voiced my concerns to ASIS. Here’s the public comment link. Comments will accepted through April 16, 2008.

Curtis Baillie, Principal Consultant - Security Consulting Strategies LLC

Curtis Baillie, Principal Consultant - Security Consulting Strategies LLC

Here’s the story from: Digital Transactions

Curtis Baillie, Principal Consultant - Security Consulting Strategies LLC

Credit - USA TODAY/Associated Press

Credit card fraud continues to soar. Many times it is due to the lack of security procedures of the retailer. I very recently had my own brush with credit card fraud. In my business I travel and frequently (every week) review my online credit card and bank statements. In Feb., 2008 I found where a gobal hotel chain charged two nights to my card when I had not stayed there. I did stay, for one night, back in November, 2007 and was correctly charged for my room and meals.

I contested the charge, called the local police, and notified my bank. Little did they know who they were messing with. Turns out an employee had dug out my old record and decided to charge the card and take cash from the register.

I tried several times to call the hotel and speak with the Manager, but was put off every time, he never returned any of my messages. Guess who took my money?

I guess the lesson of this story is to constantly check your statements and review the charges. I have friends that never check their statement and rely on the monthly bank statement as being accurate - pitty the fool.

Curtis Baillie - Principal Consultant  Security Consulting Strategies LLC 

There has always been a divide between Loss Prevention protecting the assets of a store and the merchant’s ability to display and sell the merchandise. The secret is how well can the two partners work together to achieve a happy medium. At issue is what the Loss Prevention staff views as prohibitive policies that deter them from doing their job. Some of these policies include fitting room stops, chase, or no chase policies, the amount of force used in making shoplifter apprehensions, and under what circumstances a shoplifter is prosecuted.

Currently, there is a discussion thread going on at SecurityInfoWatch forums titled, “Security Loop Holes.” The discussion quickly turned to fitting rooms being “safe zones” for shoplifter apprehensions. Just reading the postings reveals a wide variety of opinions about the subject. The question is why potential shoplifters feel that fitting rooms as safe zones.

Fitting rooms naturally provide customers with sense of privacy, as well they should. Thieves steal because they are presented with the means, motive, and opportunity to steal. The number one deterrent to theft in retail establishments is customer service. There in lies the solution to fitting room thefts, as they are an area where customers can enjoy a reasonable expectation of privacy. Therefore, the use of CCTV (cameras), mirrors, and peepholes to observe illegal activity cannot be used. What is very effective in reducing fitting room losses is the fulltime clerk who is assigned to provide customer service. The fitting room attendant duties should be greeting customers, attending to customers needs while in the fitting room; such as knocking on the fitting room doors to let customers know they are there to assist them, and keeping the rooms clear and free unwanted merchandise left behind.

Why LP policies are enacted – One of the posters on the “Security Loop Holes” thread wrote that they though it was unfortunate that all companies didn’t have the same apprehension policies when it came to fitting rooms. This never will happen. Companies develop LP policy and procedure based on; 1) what they think will best protect them and continue to serve what is in the best interests of their customers, and 2) litigation avoidance and cost controls. Unfortunately, the litigation avoidance part usually comes after something negative has happened and the company pays damages to a “wronged” party.

As an example, I’m familiar with the ‘chase – no chase” policies of many different companies. Meaning once the suspected shoplifter exits the front door, and decides to run to escape being apprehended; some companies allow pursuing shoplifters, many do not. There again retailers have learned that Murphy’s Law reigns. If something can go wrong – it probably will. Either the LP Agent, shoplifter, or an innocent bystander can be injured, resulting in a lawsuit against the retailer.

This blog topic, “Loss Prevention vs. the Merchant” is full of possible sub-topics. Some that come to mind are handcuffing policies, training of LP Agents, and internal theft. I’m sure we’ll explore them down the road.

Now for a SHAMEFUL BOOK PLUG:

A new book has been released for sale by Butterworth-Heinemann – Retail Crime, Security, and Loss Prevention – An Encyclopedic Reference written by Charles A. Sennewald, CPP, CSC and John H. Christman, CPP. Retail Crime, Security, and Loss Prevention (ISBN: 978-0-12-370529-7) is destined to become the “go to” source of crime- and loss prevention - related information in the retail industry. The author of this blog is a contributing author for this publication; writing on topics including:

Bank Deposits
Ethical Dilemmas and Conflicts of Interest
Grocery Loss Prevention, and
Product Tampering and Contamination.

Curtis Baillie, Principal Consultant     Security Consulting Strategies LLC

“Criminals often take advantage of honest shoppers by selling stolen merchandise through online auction sites,” said Joseph LaRocca, NRF Vice President of Loss Prevention. “Many health and beauty products on these sites may have expired or be spoiled, posing real health risks to the buyer.”

I often deal with retailers on suspected product tampering cases. I say “suspected” because the vast majority of these cases are not true product tampering cases, but turn out to be defective packaging and prior customer product inspection issues.

I would never recommend purchasing health and beauty products from an online auction website for the obvious reasons as stated by the NRF alert, but also because you do not have a chance to examine the product before purchasing it.

Here are some tips when buying over-the-counter products, from the Consumer Healthcare Products Association:

• Check for dirt or discoloration on the package. This could be a sign of improper storage.
• Check for tape on the package. This may indicate that the product has been removed and replaced with something else.
• Check for ink spots on the package. Some individuals who replace the contents of a package with another product or even foreign material mark the tampered-with carton so they do not accidentally re-purchase it themselves.
• Check for excess glue on the package. If applied by the actual supplier, the glue should be virtually unnoticeable.
• Check for loose flaps, cuts, or tears on the packaging.
• Check for stickers or strange tags.

If the package makes a strange sound when shaken, this could be a sign that something other than the intended product is in the container.

Ever since the “Tylenol” product tampering murder cases in the 1980s I have made it a practice to check the packaging of all OTC medicines I purchase.

- Curtis Baillie, Principal Consultant - Security Consulting Strategies LLC