NEWS RELEASE
SOUTH SIMCOE POLICE
*************************
South Simcoe Police Constable Rob Enwright was at Tanger Outlets in Cookstown this week, speaking to merchants about crime prevention.
Here are some tips to make your store less vulnerable to theft and fraud:
- Train all employes to ensure they are familiar with security procedures.
- Use quality locks and alarm systems.
- Consider upgrading your surveillance cameras.
- Mark all equipment with an identification number.
Crimes against businesses are usually crimes of opportunity.
Failure to take good security precautions invites crime into a business.
Shoplifting Prevention
Businesses lose billions of dollars each year to shoplifting, and then often must pass this loss on to the customers through higher prices.
Train employees in how to reduce opportunities for shoplifting and how to apprehend shoplifters.
Work with law enforcement to teach employees what actions may signal shoplifting.
Keep the store neat and orderly. Use mirrors to eliminate "blind spots" in corners that might hide shoplifters.
Merchandise should be kept away from store exits to prevent grab-and-run situations.
Keep displays full and orderly, so employees can see at a glance if something is missing. Keep expensive merchandise in locked cases.
Limit the number of items employees remove at any one time for customers to examine.
Design the exits of the business so all persons must pass by security personnel or store employees.
You may want to use an electronic article surveillance system or other inventory control devices.
The cash register should be inaccessible to customers, locked, and monitored at all times.
Place it near the front of the store, so employees can also monitor customers coming and going.
Dressing rooms and rest rooms should be watched at all times. Keep dressing rooms locked and limit the number of items taken in.
Credit Card Fraud
Train employees to follow each credit card company’s authorization procedures.
Be skeptical of a customer with only one credit card and one piece of identification.
Be aware of the customer who makes several small purchases by check or credit card that are under the amount for manager approval.
Is the item being purchased one that could be easily fenced for cash? (Examples include televisions, stereos, cameras, and other portable items.)
Examine the signature strip on the credit card.
A criminal may cover the real card owner’s signature with "White-Out" and sign it on the new strip. Check to see if the signature on the card compares favorably with the signature on the sales slip.
Cheque Fraud
Many fraudulent cheques are visibly phony. By paying close attention to a cheque's appearance, you can often detect a possible bad cheque before accepting it as payment.
By using these tips, and working together with local police, you can prevent crime before it happens.
*************************
