Environmental Design

Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) is based on the premise that you can alter the physical environment to make a business less attractive to criminals and to reduce the fear or crime.  Take a look at your business's physical environment with these three basic principles of CPTED in mind:

Territoriality: People protect territory that they feel is their own and usually respect the territory of others.   Fences, pavement treatments, art, signs, good maintenance, and landscaping are some physical ways to express ownership.  Identifying intruders is much easier in a   well-defined space.

Natural Surveillance:   Criminals don't want to be seen.  Placing physical features, activities, and people in ways that maximize the ability to see what's going on discourages crime.   Shadows, or such barriers as bushes or window advertisements, make it difficult to observe activity.  Landscaping and lighting can be planned to promote natural surveillance from inside a building and from the outside by people passing by.   Giving such "gatekeepers" as cashiers, parking lot attendants and hotel desk clerks an unrestricted view of their territory is important.

Access Control: Properly located entrances, exits, fencing, landscaping, and lighting can direct both foot and automobile traffic in ways that discourage crime.  Criminals want to get in and out in a hurry, and barriers can impede their progress.  Access control can be as simple as a front office with one door that serves as both entry and the exit.  Other strategies include closing streets to through traffic or controlled access to parking lots.

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Company Information

Think before talking about the details of your job or working on sensitive projects in public places such as restaurants, airplanes, classrooms, and gyms.

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Shoplifting

Facts:  Retailers loose $10 billion in merchandise each year to shoplifting.  That's more than $25 million per day.

There is no profile of a typical shoplifter.  Men and women shoplift about equally as often.  Approximately 25% of shoplifters are kids, 75% are adults.  One out of five shoplifters state that they stated shoplifting in their teens.

Many shoplifters buy and steal merchandise in the same visit.   Shoplifters commonly steal from $2 to $200 per incident depending upon the type of store and item.

Shoplifters say that they are are caught an average of only once every 49 times.  They are turned over to the police 50% of the time.

Prevention:  Shoplifters state that the single most effective deterrent to shoplifting is good guest service.  Shoplifters do not want to be identified.  They have been known to enter a store and leave upon being greeted by an employee.  In addition many times after concealing merchandise and being greeted, they dump the merchandise and leave the store. 

If you suspect that a guest in your business is about to shoplift, providing good guest service can deter them from shoplifting.  Ask, "Is there anything I can help you with?"  Or, "did you find the item you were looking for?"  If the customer replies that they do not need help, let them know you are still available and that you will check back on them.  You should not be accusatory, you are only doing your job by providing good guest service.

Criminal penalties for shoplifting typically include a fine, community service, an educational rehabilitation program and/or jail.  Civil penalties are also commonly imposed by retailers.  Many people believe that theft is taken less seriously against stores and that the use of the term "shoplifting" has contributed to that downgrading.  We want to convince people that this is not so--shoplifting is theft and theft is a felony.

Employee Theft

Did you Know:

Detecting employee theft can be difficult.   Learn how to identify the early warning signs of employee theft:

Look for unusual occurrences in the workplace such as:

Watch employee's behavior for:

Reducing Employee Theft:

Screen Employees:

Create the Right Atmosphere:

Eliminate Opportunities:

If You Suspect an Employee of Theft:

If you suspect and employee is stealing and you want to confront and discipline the employee, we suggest that you contact your legal counsel so that your rights, and the employees rights are protected.

If an employee is stealing, you must decide whether to:

Things You Should Caution Against:

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Counterfeit Money

Spotting Counterfeit Currency:

The amount of counterfeit currency in circulation in the United States is very small—only 3/100ths of 1 percent of total currency. About 75 percent of all known counterfeit currency is seized before it reaches the public.

But it is in your interest always to examine any currency you receive because you must assume the loss for any counterfeit note you accept. Perhaps the following suggestions from the U.S. Secret Service will help you spot one.

Study genuine currency:

In series 1996 or later currency, specific security features will be present. In addition, look closely at the workmanship of several features.  On genuine notes, the portrait and the picture on the back of the note stand out sharply from the background, and the eyes in the portrait appear lifelike. Numbers are firmly, evenly printed and well spaced, and the fine crisscrossing lines of the scrollwork borders are sharp and unbroken.

On counterfeit notes:

The portrait and picture may merge with the background, the eyes or other features on the portrait may be dull or smudgy, or the face may seem unnaturally white. Numbers may be out of line, poorly spaced, and printed too light or too dark, and the lines in the scrollwork borders may be blurred or broken.

The paper used for genuine notes is of very high quality. The tiny red and blue fibers embedded in the paper of genuine notes may not be visible if the bill is badly worn or dirty; on counterfeit bills, these threads may be imitated by fine red and blue lines printed or drawn on the paper. Counterfeit currency paper may feel different or be whiter than genuine paper.

Rubbing a bill on a piece of paper is not a good test. Ink can be rubbed off genuine as well as counterfeit notes.

Compare suspect notes to genuine notes of the same denomination and series:

If you're not sure whether a note is counterfeit, consult an experienced money handler—a bank teller, for example.

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Bad Checks

Non-sufficient Funds

Closed Account

No Account

Unable to Locate Account

Stop Payment

Refer to Maker

Blocked Account

 

Identify Each Check Writer:   Identity can be established by requesting picture identification that contains the driver's license number, date of birth, or social security number and a signature.   Signatures should be compared and all available identifiers recorded on the check along with the acceptor's initials.  Important:  If the acceptor of the check cannot verify identification of the writer at the time the check was issued, then identification cannot be verified for issuance of a warrant.

Check Deception Defined:  Check Deception IC35-43-5-5.  A person who knowingly or intentionally issues or delivers a check, a draft, or an order on a credit institution for the payment of or to acquire money or other property, knowing that it will not be paid or honored by the credit institution upon presentment in the usual course of business, commits check deception, a Class A misdemeanor.  However, the offense is a Class D felony if the amount of the check, draft, or order is at least two thousand five hundred dollars ($2,500) and the property acquired by the person was a motor vehicle.

Procedure To Follow When Accepting Checks:

Educate employees about the program using the following training tips:

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Quick-Change Artists

Quick-Change is a con game that has been around as long as currency has.  The goal of the Quick-Change artist is to obtain as much cash as possible from a cashier in a short amount of time.  The reason it is considered a con is because the artist cons the cashier into giving them the money.   Because of this, the Quick-Change game is difficult to prosecute.

Recognizing a Quick-Change Artist:

The game is played by the Artist asking the cashier to change a large bill--usually a $20 or $50.  The artist then hands the cashier the bill to be changed.  As the cashier counts out the change, the Artist will request another transaction--i.e. more change or ask for the larger bill back.  After that, the Artist will continue to request additional transactions.  Through this series of requests, the artist is able to confuse the cashier into giving them not only too much change back but many times the original bill that began the game.  The profits from this game can be surprisingly enormous considering the game only lasts a few seconds.

Preventing the Quick-Change:

Educate Employees on the Quick-Change Game.

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Credit Card Fraud

Train your employees to:

	Watch the customer sign – keeping hold of the card while this is being done – and make sure the signatures match.
	Check the signature strip for any signs of tampering.
	Check the issued and expiration dates on the card.
	Make these checks obvious to the customer.
	Telephone for authorization, when appropriate.
	Vary the authorization levels frequently, even between different stores in the same chain.
	Refer to a list of lost/stolen cards, if there is one available.
	Check any supporting identification (i.e. driver's license), where appropriate.
	Be suspicious when a customer selects goods without thought or care.

Some retailers use equipment at the point of sale which, via a computer network, automatically obtains authorization for every plastic card transaction. This detects cards immediately after they have been reported stolen. However, it is still important to make the above checks – don’t rely on the electronic equipment alone.

Customers are entitled to expect goods:

	To be accurately advertised and described;
	To be of satisfactory quality;
	To be fit for the purpose for which they are intended.

Therefore, refund fraud above can often be dealt with by refusing to offer refunds for goods which have no defect and which meet the above conditions. Alternatively, you may like to consider the following measures.

	Insisting upon proof of purchase.
	Insisting that the original packaging be returned with the goods.
	Offering credit vouchers instead of a cash refund.
	Taking the name and address of the customer – this will enable you to keep a record of refunds, and check for regular ones. You could also obtain this information by insisting upon sending a check refund to the customer’s home.

You should be aware that some fraudsters may be deliberately damage goods and attempt to return them as defective.

Preventing Robbery

Definition of Robbery:  A person is guilty of robbery if he/she steals using force or puts or seeks to put any person in fear of being subjected to force.  Robbery is stealing aggravated by violence.

From a business owner's point-of-view, there are several types of robbery to be aware of:

Violent till snatches:  The target in these attacks is the cash in the till.   They are sometimes carried out by amateurs and often involve a single offender.   If you run a small shop with few employees, you are particularly vulnerable but these robberies also take place in larger stores.

Organized robbery:  The target here is usually more than the cash in the till: i.e., cash in the safe or entire high value merchandise.  These robberies involve a considerable show of force usually with more than one offender.  The offenders commonly have weapons such as knives, pry-bars, or firearms.  In some cases, the target is the cash at the time of handing over to a cash collecting company.

Attacks on "cash in transit":  These robberies target employees who are not using a cash collection service, and are taking cash to the bank themselves (usually to deposit in the night safe).  Again, there are normally several offenders involved most commonly armed with knives.

What can you do about it?

Not all of the following suggestions will apply to your business.  The risk of a robbery occurring at your store will depend on a number of factors--some of which are out of your control.  Some of the factors are the type of merchandise you sell, your hours of operation, local crime rate, and the location of your business.  You need to weight each suggestion and choose the most appropriate prevention measures for your store.

Train your employees:  You will need to involve your employees in you robbery prevention plans, and to train them carefully in the use of any equipment or system you install.

Remove the target:  Cash and Stock

Cash in the till:  Keep as little cash as possible at all times by regularly transferring it to somewhere more secure.  Use stickers or posters to tell potential robbers that you only have a small amount of cash in the till.

Encourage non-cash transactions:  If your business involves a high turnover of cash it is going to be a more attractive target.  In this case try to encourage the use of credit accounts to limit the amount of cash on the premises.  Again, make sure you advertise the fact that very little cash is kept in the till.

Use of cash-carry specialists:  This option will not necessarily prevent a robbery from taking place, but it puts your cash in the hands of companies that are better equipped to protect themselves.

Banking routines:   There are a number of practical routines that deter robbers from attacking when you take money to the bank.  Cash carriers should remove badges or uniforms identifying them as employees and , if possible, make the journey with a companion; they should not carry cash in a store carrier bag.  Vary the route and the time they go to the bank, and be vigilant at the night safe.

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Preventing Burglaries

Definition of Burglary:  A person is guilty of burglary if he or she enters any building as a trespasser intending to do any one of four things:  steal, cause damage, inflict bodily harm, or commit rape.

Different types of retail burglary:

Smash and grab:  These burglaries, characterized by the violence of the burglar's entry, are the most common.    Burglars may use bricks to smash windows, scaffolding poles to raise protective gates, or power tools to cut padlocks or gates.  In some cases they take only the goods in the window but more often they take high value stock on the sales floor.   In Ram Raids, stolen vehicles are used to ram their way into stores.   As with other crimes involving the misuse of motor vehicles, ram raiding raises serious public safety issues.  The amount of damage caused in each incident also makes repairs particularly expensive.

Smash and Grab attacks are usually to the front of the building, although rear overhead doors are a common target.  They are carried out at great speed to avoid the effects of the alarm.  Most are over within a minute.

Opportunists:  These burglaries lack obvious planning.  Burglars usually enter through the most vulnerable points:  through a roof-light or air unit,  forcing a window or an insecure door.  Sometimes they smash a window and steal from the window display. They seldom try to overcome the alarm system although they may take steps to avoid setting it off.  Usually they take relatively little--typically only what  can easily be carried off.  'Soft' targets who do not carry high value stock and do not go great lengths to protect their stores are often the most vulnerable.

In these incidents, burglars overcome alarm systems in various ways.  They may cut the signaling of the alarms system, fill exterior bells/horns with foam to stop them sounding, and smash strobe lights.   In some cases, the burglars avoid the alarm system either as a result of careful observation or through inside information.  In others a common ploy is to set the alarm off repeatedly and wait until the police and key holders stop responding to it.  

With the alarm disabled the burglars have more time. to act and will unusually enter unobtrusively, forcing side of back doors or windows. Their usual target is high value stock and sometimes the safe (which is often removed entirely).  Often their exit route is different from that used for entry.   Once they have control of the building, burglars have been known to open up loading bays and bring vehicles in.

What can you do about it:

Slow them Down:  Time is a key factor in most burglaries.  Burglars will put themselves at risk of being caught for as little time as possible.  For them, the risks are highest when they are conspicuous to passers-by or in the short time they have to complete their burglary after an alarm has gone off.  To prevent burglaries effectively, you should delay burglars at these times for as long as possible in order to make the risk seem unacceptable.   The best way to do this is to put your resources into more than one of the types or levels of physical protection--the more barriers you create, the more you will slow them down.

Train your employees:   You need full support from your employees.  Teach them about the burglary prevention measures you have taken, and the correct use of any equipment you have installed.

Protect stock and cash:

Physically protect the target:

If it happens to you:

Watching and deterring intruders: