Covert Security

The art behind ‘undercover’

If an undercover loss prevention officer is going to succeed in today’s market, having the capability to adapt quickly and efficiently to their new environment is paramount. It’s often the difference the officer will set between the company he or she is representing and the last contractor that was hired by the client.

In other words, by gaining results quickly the loss prevention officer can secure new contracts for the company while at the same time benefiting on a personal level by way of promotions and pay rises.

Past experience suggests that there are two objectives to which any loss prevention officer must commit in order to make the successful transition from one retail environment to another. The first is to effectively represent the client. The second, meanwhile, centres on implementing research and analysis drills aimed at gaining results both quickly and in a professional manner.

Representing the client

On arrival at their new client’s premises, the loss prevention officer is representing the end user’s business. Acting professionally means catching and ‘processing’ thieves, but must also rest on an ability to promote the company.

The evolution of a more ‘retail aware’ security officer is taking place. These days, a covert loss prevention officer’s communication skills don’t just lie with how well they might deal with the local police, security officers and thieves. It also centres on an inherent ability to interact extremely well with the client on behalf of their employer.

When I began my career in the retail security sector I was taught by my first security manager to familiarise myself with the store by looking at all the products on display. Back then, the term ‘Know your environment’ meant knowing your location and the different types of customer who entered the space. Nowadays, there is a great deal more communication from the staff to the covert security officer. The staff want to know about new security initiatives that may be implemented. A result of the retail community’s heightened state of awareness.

Those loss prevention officers who take time out to prepare for their new working environment will separate themselves from the competition. First of all, they must learn their client’s language. They can do so by reading relevant publications. If assigned to work in a bookstore, for example, the officer needs to find out what’s important in the client’s eyes, and what the current security issues pertaining to that industry are – and will be – in the short term. A security officer might call a book a book, but many shop managers will refer to books as ‘product’ or ‘merchandise’.

Speaking the language of the client will help dissipate the apprehension and mistrust that staff often afford a new retail loss prevention specialist. Speaking the client’s language will impress the buyer, while making the officer far more confident over a shorter period of time.

Research and analysis

Gaining results rapidly is strategically important for the loss prevention officer and their employer. Gone are the days when four weeks would be allowed for assimilation. Many clients are now using short-term contracts until they find an appropriate security company for a long-term deal. Forward research and intelligence gathering initiatives are vital.

Methods that loss prevention officers can implement to break down the assimilation time to success can be instigated by finding out about the ‘general locations environment’. They should introduce themselves to – and exchange contact details with – the local police and security companies operational in the area. Build a rapport with like-minded colleagues.

Having gathered information on, for example, the movement of known thieves in the area, the focus then moves from the external to the internal environment. The loss prevention officer should start by asking to see a copy of the company’s/store’s Standard Operating Procedures Manual. This will outline the procedures for in-store covert security. They should also read staff policies on store security. Any loopholes can then be tightened.

Some stores, for example, do not allow customers to be bag-searched. Knowing this, the loss prevention officer might construe that local thieves could be in possession of such knowledge. A safe assumption would be that many of those thieves would use open bags to conceal stolen products instead of trying to hide them on their person. Suspicious-looking customers with open bags can be targeted.

Watching members of staff at work

By monitoring staff patterns, loss prevention officers can identify specific locations and times where and when thieves might strike. They should begin their analysis by asking themselves a series of questions. For example, do the members of staff regularly observe and monitor the retail floor? Do they linger in the same locations for long periods of time? If so, where? Do they tell each other (and the rest of their colleagues) important information (ie concerning their break times for meals, etc)?

Answers to questions such as these will allow the loss prevention officer to put themselves in the mind of the thieves, who are always looking to exploit failures in security awareness. This allows the officer concerned to be at the right place at the right time in order to prevent theft.