Knowledge Center: Jeff Stein on The Risky Business of Loss Prevention
By Jeff Stein, president of Executive LP Services and MonitorClosely.com
Every August the feds release their compilation of on-the-job fatalities. And nearly every year I’m a bit surprised that retail Loss Prevention/Security doesn’t make the top ten list. Relieved, but still surprised. Fortunately, we’ve yet to
make the top ten. However, I do not believe that the public realizes, appreciates or understands how dangerous this job can be. Over the years several from our LP family have lost their lives, been severely injured and or been assaulted while trying to protect the assets of their employers. The most recent death happened last month at a Kmart in Julian, CA:
“Petty Officer David Busby II, a U.S. Navy gunner’s mate, survived one tour of duty in Iraq.
“But it was an encounter with a shoplifter that claimed his life Saturday.
“The 34-year-old father, who moonlighted as a security guard at a Kmart in Ramona, was fatally shot after confronting a theft suspect in the parking lot.
“He left behind a wife, Lauren, and a 15-month-old son, Wyatt, who live in Julian.”
—From the San Diego Union-Tribune
I was nearly killed myself while trying to apprehend a shoplifter on October 28, 1989, so I know first hand that this is a dangerous profession. I have had guns, knives and other weapons pulled on me. And of course, I’ve been in numerous knockdown brawls. Several years ago, while working alone, two males shoplifted some Polo merch. I went to apprehend them and they dropped the bags and ran. I chased them through the parking lot and then into a field. When they got to the edge of the woods, they stopped, turned around pulled out knives and said, “Come and get us.” I skidded to a stop. They then ran into the woods. Luckily, the cops caught them coming out the other side.
Back in 1989, I was run down by a getaway driver in the King of Prussia Mall in PA. The police report read: “Suspects – Unknown, Victim – Jeffrey Stein, Charges – Attempted vehicular manslaughter.”
Two males had cut the cables off some men’s leather jackets and ran out of the store to a waiting getaway car. My boss at the time began wrestling with one of the guys across the street. The other guy jumped into the getaway car, and as I went to go help my partner subdue the suspect, the guy in the getaway car intentionally ran me down. I jumped up onto the hood of the car to avoid impact. I remained on the hood for approximately 75 yards until I just couldn’t hold on any more. I then went over the roof of the car, estimated to be going 40 miles per hour according to the police reports. I hit my head on the curb. Local ambulance called for the heli-vac.
I was then transported to the hospital via helicopter, hooked up to a respirator and spent the next three days in the ICU. I suffered a fractured skull and fractured inner ear bone.
The getaway driver was never apprehended. The one person who was caught never gave up the others involved, saying he only knew them by their street names. After getting out of jail, he subsequently was arrested several more times. The last time was for armed robbery and they threw the proverbial book at him and gave him five years just for the shoplifting event where I was run down.
I do not remember that incident at all, but I could tell you everything about that day—right up to the chase—like it was yesterday. Because of this crime, I have a permanent loss of smell, diminished taste and constant ringing in my right ear. I truly consider myself very lucky.
Here are several more recent stories that illustrate just how violent Loss Prevention can be:
- Shoplifting Gone Bad: “The individual that was being detained yelled out to the driver, ‘shoot him, shoot him, shoot him.’”
- Dunbar man charged after shoplifting arrest: “Jones was accused then of punching his ex-girlfriend in the head and breaking a window in her vehicle, police said.”
- Suspected Shoplifter Stabs Security Guards: “Though the security officers did get one handcuff on the Magana, he continued to fight with them until the three fell to the ground in a struggle.”
- Caught on tape: Shoplifting case turns violent: Security video then seems to show a car trying to run down a security guard in the parking lot.
- Shoplifting suspect on life support: “As employees were trying to return Flores to the store, a struggle ensued. Gundlach said Flores hit the ground at some point.”
I’m sure many of the readers of this blog have their own stories about serious incidents that they or a co-worker have experienced—and we would like to hear them.
Loss Prevention is dangerous work. We are the first line of defense. We make the initial stop, detention and apprehension of criminals—many with long, long arrest records.
I would like to suggest to the National Retail Federation, Retail Industry Leaders Association and all of the other large retail groups need to work together and set up trust funds for the families of future Loss Prevention professionals who sadly lose their lives while trying to protect the safety, security and profits of so many.
As we all know, ORC’s are building momentum. We also know that drug rings and terrorists groups and are behind several of these very organized retail crime rings. So is it going to get any safer? I do not think so.
Let’s all work together to do something for the families of the fallen. And let’s help to educate the public that in the large retail malls, strip centers and stand alone stores, we are there to protect them.
Your thoughts? Please leave a comment below.
Comments
Subscribe to this blog
August 18th, 2007 at 8:11 am
Sounds like you have been through it all in retail store loss prevention. I however deal with a client base that is smaller stores, mostly clothing, that struggles with the average joe shoplifter. Someone that just wants to take something because they feel the shop owner owes it to them for shopping there all the time, or just because they think they can get away with it. Until now these smaller retail store environments had a difficult time financially putting in a Sensormatic ($8000) or a Checkpoint ($5000) security system. These devices or towers in the doorway ring when someone tries to steal a tagged garment. In an effort to help stop shoplifting, our company has started to buy the security gates & pillars to refurbish them and get them into the hands of the smaller retailers for as low as $1000. This has made it possible for hundreds of smaller stores to secure themselves against shoplifters and finally stay in business rather than be robbed blind. The problem as you might know is getting the word out so that those smaller retailers can take advantage of this opportunity to secure their products with security sensor tags. Tags like those found at www.usedtags.com or http://www.retail-security-loss-prevention.com are at a fraction of what clothing stores would pay for these tags new. Just helping to do our little part to make things better for the smaller shops and store fronts.
October 3rd, 2007 at 6:22 pm
I was looking for information on tips to give our employees here at Sears about shoplifters, and I came across some of your stories We’ve had oir share of dangerous , though nothing like some of the ones I’ve read. Most of ours here have been grab and runs and have turned into Felonies. The only way I catch them is to have an LP on the camera while I’m on the outside waiting for the suspects to come out the door. Though, if I think they are going to be dangerous I call the police ahead of time and alert them , that I’ll will be needing thier assistance in apprending subjects. Our Camera system though is from the dark ages , and it’s still VCR tapes, from 1974 . It still works some times, but mostly we use on the floor tactics . I wish we could tackel them liek some of the stories I’ve read , but Sears won’t let us. We do have Ink tags, but eevn with an esa tags they hear the noise but still keep running as with the ink tag they think they’ve gotton away……..Gina
May 13th, 2008 at 7:10 am
I got chills reading your story. I have had many close calls. The closest was in Columbus, Ms…I was a detective working for Sears. I stopped a male as he exited our mens department with two $99 DVD players. I will remember that day for the rest of my life. I stopped the male, even escorted him to the LP office as he muttered something about looking for lay-a-way…outside, right..So I attempted to get information from him as the other detective I worked with went to get a price on the DVD players. Before I even knew what was happening, he pulled a gun out of his shoe. I was shocked and in that instant…I did see my life flash before my eyes. Its amazing when you are looking death in the eye, what goes through your head in just a few seconds. I saw my four kids, two of which were twin girls, about 6 months old…my husband ( I am divorced now because he felt like LP was all I did, I worked all the time) He slammed me against the wall with the gun at my head and demanded me unlock the door…I did just that…thankfully, the police were on the other side. There was a struggle. He was arrested and I went to the police station to sign the papers. I found out that day how close I had come to getting killed. He was considered armed and dangerous, released just a few months prior. He had a rap sheet two miles long…shoplifting, armed robbery, assault….just to name a few. I almost quit that day. My love for my job kept me going. It took something out of me for a little while. At the time I was one of the top detectives, out performing most bigger stores. Since then, I have come close to getting ran over…I have had knives pulled on me, been in tons of fights. I love my job, I do. I come to work every day not knowing what the day may hold. I know that what I do is dangerous. I know that my detectives put their life on the line every single day that they step through these doors. I respect everyone that does this job. So for all those that do what I do..hats off to you. Good luck and God bless!!!!!!!!!!