Chapter
1
It
was just after 3 pm and the store was moderately busy. Mark toggled
between cameras in his dark office lit only by the colored monitors
in front of him. In each view, racks of clothes folded and hanging,
were all displayed in neat and perfect lines, alternating in color,
with no two like colors touching. The Dress pants were folded over
their hanger once with sharp crease lines threating to cut the first
hand attempting to disrupt their order. Numerous bright colored
Jackets hung on a circler rack near one of the entrances. Their
bright yellow discount stickers screaming for attention as thrifty
shoppers slid them left, and then right. Each slide sounded off like
a butcher sharpening his knife before its intended use.
Darting
in and out of each CCTV screen toggled, eager sales representatives
stalked their prey, while at the same time, glaring at the others,
warning off the competition. The intensity was increased as the prey
shuffled their feet quickly, tracking the floor with their eyes in an
attempt not to be noticed. The struggle was real, and everyone was
out for number one. There would be no cooperating for the good of
the overall sales numbers. Off season was tracked by individual
contributors.
In
the retail business we called this the off season run. Sales
representatives had spent all of their money when it poured like an
endless fountain during peak season. Now it was as if God himself
was standing next to the faucet tightening the shut off valve and
laughing. Bills would be pushed off, cars would be repossessed, and
the late-night bars would be closing early as their customers either
chose to be sober or muster up the change needed for the always
reliable Old E 40's.
Out
of the corner of his eye Mark caught movement like the sudden
disappearance of a shadow caught only by the tiny corner of one's
eye, not able to catch the full view just enough to cause curiosity.
Like anyone else Mark's position as a Loss Prevention Detective he
followed his suspicion and pulled up a camera, he guessed, was in
front of the possible direction of travel. Squinting Mark looked for
any movement and studied every inch of the monitor just long enough
to realize he was holding his breath. What was it he saw? What was
it that caused this curiosity?
Day
in and day out Mark arrives at work and is paid to watch the numerous
screens in what he refers to as his dark room. His performance is
evaluated every year by how many shoplifters he can identify and
apprehend after his suspects are observed completing the five stages
of retail theft. The first step is always the easiest. They watched
individual starts by scouring the ceiling attempting to identify the
soulless black eye. The black eye with no pupil and champion of
every known staring contest. Next the watched looks across the
store. If no eye contact is made with the gate keepers working the
registers or the guards watching their departments the suspect is
free to move on.
Steps
two and three are almost the same motion. Selection and concealment.
The experienced do this with multiple items in one fluid motion like
a shooter in a speed competition. Two point nine seconds off the
shelf and into the pants leg or coat pocket. The inexperienced will
not see the anti-theft device and get caught right after the finish
line. Next comes the walk.
Most
thieves will walk the store numerous times like a curious shopper.
There are two reasons for this, the first is to reduce the chances
the loss prevention detectives will be able to maintain surveillance
while they hold the item. The second is to draw out the time under
surveillance and allow distractions to help break the essence of
constant surveillance. Most of these distractions come as the
newcomers run the door sounding off alarms from the anti-theft
devices still left on the products.
The
last step is only a benefit to the quickest pair of legs. The goal
of the mouse is to cross the register line and get to their car
before the cat breaks out of the door marked fire exit and catches
them. The rules are simple, the cat cannot start perusing until the
mouse crosses the register line. Most would think the mouse has the
advantage, but the cat has also been known to hunt in packs, hence
the use of the inexperienced as a distraction.
Mark
has an advantage. See the mice always end up getting caught sooner or
later, ending or at least, forcing them to take some time off. Mark
has been catching these thieves every day for the last 10 years right
after he graduated from High School. In fact, it was an unexpected
run in with his now mentor, when he was in school that led him to
where he was today.
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