The opening speaker of the first ST17 Scotland conference at Glasgow in September 2017 was appropriately local – Maxine Fraser, of the Stirling-based Retailers Against Crime (RAC, pictured after her talk).
Weโve featured her over the years, most recently the members-only document for shop staff to gen up on the tactics thieves use to steal goods. Some of the โeveryday concealersโ, Maxine went through in her talk; such as foil-lined bags; or โnest trolliesโ; a take-away coffee cup; or even a crisp bag, large enough to hold a DVD. Sheโs long argued that professional gangs are the premier threat to retail, doing theft in bulk (or refund fraud). She spoke to ST of โdaisy-chainingโ whereby a crime team may bring back an item of clothing and exchange it for a slightly higher-priced item; and pay cash.
Eventually the thief generates a cash receipt, so they can get a refund (for stolen stock!?). Vigilance is a must, as each member has a task, one distracting the perhaps sole member of staff on a floor. Maxine gave a case of a largest gang theft of ยฃ2800 of goods in an eight-minute visit; and another of ยฃ1300 (with video footage) in three minutes. Yes, the authorities are using the Proceeds of Crime Act against offenders, who however see that loss and a stay in prison as par for the course, even a chance to put their feet up. Hence the sharing of crime incidents and tracking of gang movements nationwide. Organised eastern European thieves even if caught, may โdisappearโ – leave the country – and new members come in; all perhaps using many aliases (hence security staff should be careful to take ID numbers of those they detain).
