Off Topic... My Brush with Haiti

A few short years ago I spent a week in the Dominican Republic. We stayed at an all-inclusive resort complete with waterfall pools, swim up bars, all you can eat breakfasts, sunsets and sunrises you can't even imagine. we were told it was probably a good idea to just stay on the resort property, but that would be so unlike us. So, we took two tours that I can recall the best. One was a horseback tour through the mountains guided by spanish speaking guides who would ocassionally yell "Andele! Andele!" If you weren't hanging on tight to the, well the thing you hang on to on a horse, you might fall off because these horses were definitely Spanish speaking. Off they went usually up an unpaved rocky hill, or through a wooded trail and finally reached the bar at the top of the mountain before returning back down the other side. Honestly I can't remember what we learned or saw during that tour, I was too nervous on my first horse, to really take it all in.

The second tour was the Safari Tour. This was done in an old military personnel carrier. A small ladder dropped off the back and passengers had to climb up into the vehicle. There were maybe fifteen or so people aboard this tour with us, which travelled the paved streets to the Rum Factory, the rocky back roads to small villages, and of course off road through streams and rivers. All the while, the tour guide/bartender, passed out free Rum and Cokes, or just Cokes to those young enough to know better.
It was during this tour, through the small poor villages, that became a real eye opener. Initially we stopped at a Dominican school. It was small of course, but the kids wore uniforms. If the kids families' couldnt afford the uniform they didn't go to school. The kids in the small rooms were amazed to see one of our fellow tourists showing off his Camcorder. When these kids saw themselves on the small screen they lit up with bright smiles and laughter, and comments that would probably be memorable had I known more Spanish than "Cervesa." We then piled back on to our roving bar, and stopped at a small hut which was the home of a lady who apparently was the elite of the village, since she had something that resembled a fireplace inside her mud and stone hut. After the village stop, we travelled off road, across a waterway sending high plumes of water cascading to our sides. Half the passengers were buzzed by now and some screams were let out as we splashed through to the other side. It was during this leg of the tour when we met up with yet another country. As we travelled up a dirt road, children would come out of the trees and line the road as we approached. Some of these kids were shirtless, all were shoeless.. As the vehicle approached, the kids began to run alongside reaching upward to both sides of us. The tour guide in front explained these were children who crossed the border from Haiti and would walk for miles to get to this back road. The kids simply held hopes that they could get atleast a piece of candy to eat. At home in Haiti, they had nothing, the guide explained. These kids were all skin and bones, all smiling, all arms raised begging for anything any of us could spare. It didn't take long for most of the tourists to start digging into their bags, looking for any spare food or snacks. Anything found was quickly tossed overboard into the awaiting hands of the hungry children. With every piece of candy, or crumb dropped to them, huge smiles and waves came bounding back to us as we slowly pulled away. That evening we spent a good portion of time talking about how we can get home and dig out our unused shoes or extra clothes to donate to these kids, or even supplies or uniforms to donate to the school children. I don't know about anyone else on that trip, but that day has stuck with me. How one small piece of candy lit up these kids' lives for even just a little while. The smiles and joyful waves were the most sincere thank you's I have ever witnessed.

As the news reports come in daily from the earthquake damaged Haiti, I wonder about these children. As I look at the news footage, the smiles are gone. A country which had so little, that young shoeless children walked for miles for pieces of candy, now has even less. Unfortunately, I am not in a position to help physically or financially at this time. However, my thoughts and prayers are with these people and with the rescuers we have sent to their assistance.

Another Learning Experience

When this occurred all I wanted to do was grab a snack and head to my office for a break. I strolled through the pantry and turned toward the Health and Beauty Department. As I walked closer to the aspirin, tylenol aisle, I heard young voices from the other side of the shelf. I stopped, took two steps back and peeked up into the mirror above. There I saw a guy and a girl, maybe high school age, standing face to face, the guy looking down the aisle over the girl's shoulder. Within thirty seconds, I observe the girl reach into the shelf and retrieve a box of Advil, pull the bottle out of the box, throw the box back on the shelf, and nonchalantly drop the bottle into her open handbag before they both slowly walk away. As they left the aisle, I entered it from the opposite end. I located and collected the empty box of Advil and stuffed it into my back pocket. My other hand was already dialing the front desk.

"Send the manager to the Health aisle for me please...i'm following someone."

A minute later the Assistant Manager approached. She was a middle aged woman who stood all of five feet tall. I pulled the Advil box out of my pocket and handed it to her as I kept one eye on the mirrors above. I advised her in shorthand that I had this girl dropping Advil inot her bag and I was still following them. The Assistant Manager then hustled off to wait by the front door to asssist me as a witness.


I then began the cat and mouse game that following a shoplifter really is, by mirroring their every move. If they are walking up an aisle, I am in the aisle next to them walking down. If they turn left at the end of the aisle, I turn right at the opposite end. All the while, keeping them in my sights by using the ceiling tiles. More importantly, staying out of their sights. Only occasionally will I need to be seen before I actually approach them at the front door.

This game goes on seemingly forever, which is typical for the regular shoplifter. They become so nervous and anxious, they take forever to actually leave the store. Some times it's just because they aren't sure they re going to do it, other times they want to make certain they are not being followed.

These kids were a little of both. They slowly meandered throughout the store walking through many different departments. It has been my experience as a former high school kid, if I went to a store to get something, I went to that department, then left that department and paid for it. I couldn't get out of the store fast enough. These kids seemed to be without a true plan. They were just walking around aimlessly. This was beginning to bug me, and my empty stomach. However, since she was able to drop merchandise into her open handbag so easily, I didn't want to let her out of my sight in case she got another urge.

After this young couple found their way to the patio furniture display, and spent some time test riding the swing seat, they wound their way toward the front door. I tried to keep up with their movements but lost them in the middle of the store. I then switched aisles and ran right into them, with the girl looking right at me. Two minutes later she turns the corner and heads toward the front of the store, but suddenly looked behind her as I was crossing her aisle. Spotted once again. Just before leaving the store they met up with a second young lady who might have been about a minute older than the one I was following.

I waved for the Assistant Manager to come back to me, as I saw the trio hovering around the displays near the service desk.

"Not sure if they made me or not..."

"Can I ask her to show me what's in her bag?" she was short but aggressive! I saw them start for the exit as my mind raced.

"Yeah go do that! See what she says...just ask her!"

The trio was walking through the vestibule as the Assistant Manager hustled out behind them. I walked to the doors to watch while keeping my distance. I watched as the manager approached the three kids walking across the lot. I saw the girl take her bag off her shoulder and the manager pulled it open. Immediately she turned back toward the door, and had her hand on the girl's forearm, guiding her back inside. Just then, the guy grabbed the manager's arm and I see a brief push and pull between the two.

"Hey! Don't you touch her!" I yelled loudly bounding out the doors. I wanted to make it sound like I was closer than I really was. He jumped back away hearing my voice. As I crossed the lot, the manager broke away from the boy and pulled the girl toward the store.

"You take her inside!" I yelled passing the manager as I continued to walk up to the boy, "you, don't you ever touch one of my employees again," when I took ownership of the store employees I'm not sure, but it was working for me, "and never put your hands on a female like that, do you understand?" I was still yelling but I was now close enough to count how many cavities he had in his gaping mouth. The second girl now came around from the other side of her car.

"What the hell is going on here?" she said with her arms wide open.

"I work here in Loss Prevention, are you related to her?" I asked pointing to the manager escorting the female bandit back through the doors.

"We're sisters! What's wrong?"

"Are you eighteen?" I give no time of day to anyone not responsible for the shoplifter.

"I am 19, what's going on?"

"Then you can come in with her, you stay out here," I said pointing to the guy.

We walked back toward the store and the boy just wouldn't shut up. He thought I wanted to hear what his opinion was about what was going on. He was wrong.

"Listen, keep your mouth shut for a few minutes or you really will be inside with her." He turned away finally, shaking his head.

I stopped half way to the office and explained what I had seen the sister do. I asked if she had any idea what the other couple was up to and she said no. I had no reason not to believe her so we moved on.

Inside the office, the tears had already begun. I heard how she had never done anything like this before, how stupid it was, how she will pay for everything she took, etc etc. Finally she began apologizing for "her friend" outside.

Taking a look inside the handbag, I realized I had just caught the end of her shopping spree. Besides Advil, I found several cosmetics, fragrances and candy. All items well worth risking a criminal record for. I had the older sister call home so I could notify the parents of their daughter's day at the store. As so often happens with a juvenile shoplifter, the "parents didn't pick up." Not a problem, they soon will learn, the parents picking up was the better option. I then pick up my phone and call someone else who will be glad to give them a ride...the police department.

Minutes later I have two police officers standing at my office door, and the tears begin all over again. I jump up and step out to talk to the officers before they talk to my crying bandit. I explained quickly about the boyfriend and his grabbing and shoving outside as we apprehended the girl.

"Really?" the Sergeant asked. "where is he, we'll take care of him first if he's here."

I started wlaking them back to the front door when we turned the corner and were face to face with the boy walking through the store looking for his girl.

"Oh, this is him right here."

"Dude, turn around, hands out of your pockets, spread your legs, hands behind your head..." the Sergeant rattled off orders to the boy who tried to keep up with each one. "Right now you're under arrest for Robbery..."

I was shocked to hear the words coming from the officer's mouth. Robbery? This kid? Did the officer misunderstand something I said? Just then the officer added, as if reading my mind...

"Any time there is any show of force in the commission of a theft, it automatically becomes Robbery... did you grab somebody, or push somebody?"

"I didn't know what was going on!" That was interpreted as "yes" and the boy was led off in cuffs to an awaiting police car.

A few minutes later the crying girl was also led through the store in handcuffs. For her efforts she was handed a Retail Theft charge and eventually the boyfriend was charged with only Disorderly Conduct.

If nothing else it was quite the learning experience, for all of us. The boy learned what it feels like to be so close to being jailed for Robbery; the crying bandit learned not to listen to everything the boyfriend wants her to do; I learned how easy it will be to upgrade the charges on those who want to get physical on their way out the door and the Assistant Manager learned to think before she approaches a shoplifter for me the next time.

A Peek at Mission Control

I have two offices actually. One is for the public to see, it's the interrogation office, detention office, or whatever else I decide to call it at the time. It contains very little. A desk sits at one end, and two chairs sit against the wall opposite of the desk. The cinder block walls are bare, but for a reason. Since there is no telling what kind of criminal histories I become acquainted with, we don't offer any items which may be used as a weapon against me. This is where I bring shoplifters to interrogate, or interview them and fill out the reports. I am only in there when I make an apprehension, and leave it when the police arrive to cuff them for their walk of shame out of the store.
Most of my office time is done in the camera room with the lights out and work by the glow of the monitors above. But to give you a better shot of my hole in the wall, I offer you this enlightened version below...

Ok, had to remove the enlightened verssion...i'll work on that.

Retail Theft Tip o' The Day...

When you walk in to the store empty handed, don't bring a bag of Tylenol, Dayquil and Robitussin to the desk and try to return it five minutes later.

DENIED.

Next?

Another Day of Good Video!

I was sitting in my office thanking all that is holy that it was finally Friday, with two days off to follow. That doesn't happen often and it's worth all of the thanking I could muster.

I had just begun reviewing some video of the day before, when of course I was off, because of some empty MP3 packages found on the shelf, when the phone rang. It was the LP down the road from me advising me he just had a guy walk into his store, accidnetally ran into the same aisle as the LP, and he immediately turned and walked right out of the store. Now to the untrained eye...suspicious ya think? Is that normal shopper behavior? No, we didn't think so either. He provided me a description of the young man, the vehicle he got into, which happened to be waiting outside the front door, and even gave me the license plate on that vehicle. And to think, he left the store totally oblivious to the activity he has stirred up behind the scenes. Who do you think you're stealing from buddy...rookies?

I hung up, grabbed my coat and keys, and strolled out onto the salesfloor. No, the salesfloor isn't cold, but when it's 29 degrees outside, anyone without a coat must be an employee...get it? All part of that stealth undercover plan.

I strolled out toward the front window looking for the vehicle I was told about. After a few minutes, plenty of time for them to arrive if that was their plan, I did a lap around the store, and returned to my office with a mild sweat created under the coat.

Back to the video. Fortunately, due to some recent MP3 player thefts,I had recently repositioned a camera in the Electronics Department which would give me a better view of the MP3 aisle. I was really hoping this move would pay off with our empty package findings. With the help of an attentive employee, I could tell it occurred on Thursday, but the time was anyone's guess. I found out that the employee left the store at the end of his shift at 6pm...so that narrowed it down by four hours. The employee thought he located the packages about an hour or so before he left....okay, two more hours eliminated. Investigation is fun!

I brought up the camera on the MP3 aisle and just hit fast forward as I stared at the screen. Any time I saw movement, I stopped and reviewed. Sometimes it was an innocent shopper being watched, sometimes an employee stocking shelves. Finally, as the clock on the screen scrolled toward 1510...another person is spotted hanging around the aisle. I stop and review. It's a black male, leather jacket and hood sticking out of the collar. He is carrying a hand basket and pacing back and forth. "Ha!" I said sort of to myself...and sort of out loud.

I scrolled back to see the front door and to trace his steps once he arrived. He strolls through the front door, starts to walk by the stack of baskets, steps back and takes one, then stops by at the stack of sale papers and decides to take one of those as well. How "shopper-like" of him, I thought.

He is then seen in the MP3 aisle looking around, ducking down behind the counter, looking around and reaching up toward the players hanging on the hooks. I am certain, I have found my criminal. He then walks out of the aisle, with basket in hand, and strolls along TV's and the CD's. As I focus my attention on another camera to follow his path, something catches my eye on one of the other 24 camera angles I have before me. I rewound the video a bit, and found it was another person popping out of the MP3 aisle and glancing up and down.

"Wow, play look out much?" I actually said out loud. Again, I went through the paces of rewinding until this young man arrived at the store. This time I was watching a large white guy wearing shorts, (still 29 degrees out) and flip flops. Right behind him is a white guy wearing a white baseball cap and long blue coat. After I see them enter, I then see them walk into the MP3 aisle. Could it be possible that we had two or three shoplifters at the same time, in the same aisle? When I am not in the store...of course we could! That is exactly how my luck is! I continue to watch.

(I will have to label these guys now so you can maybe follow along. Black guy = Perp 1, Large white guy in shorts = Perp 2, Small white guy in white baseball cap = Perp 3)

Perp 1 continues his shopping in the far corner of the department, fingering DVD movies and video games. I am suspecting he will take something in his basket and walk to a secluded part of the store to conceal them. We will then find the empty basket later at the scene of the crime. With one eye on that camera, I keep my other eye on the two guys near the MP3's. Perp 2 stands at the end of the aisle where it intersects with the main aisle, keeping an eye out for employees. Perp 3 is then seen with two hands up on the hooks holding the MP3's. He needs both hands because he is holding the package on the locked hook, and using a razor blade to cut the player out of the package. He spends some time doing this then moves on. He turns and finds a DVD Player sitting on a shelf on the opposite side of the aisle. He picks it up and strolls up and down the aisle as he tries to get the box open. He fails, and leaves the ripped box and pieces of cardboard on the shelf. Perp 2 eventually wanders away and begins perusing other aisles in the department. Perp 1 is eventually seen strolling away from the department in the main aisle, as Perp 3 enters the Cell Phone aisle. He first walks end to end checking for people in the area. He turns and walks back to the Cell Phones, also securely locked on the hooks. On his next pass, he bends over, pulls a knife out of his pocket and cuts the plastic from the top of the package, then stands and walks away. He makes a circle, lapping the department to get an overview of where the employees are, then again, like a fighter pilot swooping over Pearl Harbor, he comes in again, pulls the same package off the hook and begins to cut the package open. I wasn't sure why at first, but after a number of reviews of the video, he stops trying to get the phone out of the package. I widened the view and discovered Perp 1 strolling by the end of the aisle and suddenly he looks back behind him down the main aisle. He glances back toward Perp 3 and instantly Perp 3 stands up and begins "shopping" in another area of the aisle. Five seconds later, an employee walks by the aisle. I don't have audio, but my money is on the fact that Perp 1 was the lookout and signalled Perp 3 that an employee was approaching. This is the first time I begin to think all three guys are together.

Perp 3 circles the department a few more times and finally turns and walks toward the front door. I bring up the camera on the door and see Perp 1 and Perp 2 together asking a question of the employee at the service desk , before they stroll out together. So there ya have it. All three were working in concert.

For their efforts, they walked out with two $20.00 MP3 players, and failed attempts at two more, and almost a $100.00 cell phone.

I have several good photographs from the time they spent with us, and look forward to their next visit with us. I won't even have to wait for the theft next time...I intend to have the Police Department in the Electronics Department within minutes of their arrival.

Steal from me one time, shame on me. Steal from me again....shame on you! C'mon back boys! The water is fine!

A Retail Theft of a Different Color

As I entered the store finally after a day long stay at the District Court, the employee behind the service desk flags me down. Any time a coworker seeks me out, it is sure to be an interesting story. She begins her story by pulling out a receipt with a handwritten note stapled to it. I fear its going to involve math, but fortunately my fear was unfounded.

The receipt is a return that was done for a customer who wanted to return a comforter. The employee was for some reason suspicious of the customer. She had no receipt, but that isn't too unusual after the holidays. She could only add that it "just didn't seem right." So, I am always up for a little investigation, so I take the information and receipt, and disappear behind my office door, and proceed with my own episode of Retail CSI.

I check the time of the receipt and punch that into my DVR. On the video I see the petite white girl with long brown hair at the counter, with a package almost as big as her. With a click of a few other buttons, I review the front door activity within the hour and see the same petite customer entering the store. However, one would think that if you were returning a comforter, you would walk into the store with it. Well, not the case this time. The small girl enters the store clearly empty handed, with a small pocketbook over her shoulder. Within five minutes, she is seen approaching the service desk from the opposite direction, hands full of comforter.

As it turns out, she takes the comforter right off the shelf, takes it to the desk where she claims she lost the receipt. In return she is handed store credit for the amount of the comforter.

Sort of like walking into the bank and making a withdraw.

Hey, let's keep this method between you and I...deal?

Real Life Training

On January 15 I posted a blog in reference to an LP employee killed while trying to stop a shoplifter. Let's revisit this for a moment.

Of course the first thing that pops into everyone's mind is....

"There is nothing in that store worth risking your life for."

And this statement is true. Can't argue that point.

On the other side of this coin is the fact that when those of us who agree to take this position, complete with all the associated risks, we have a level of expectation that someday you may be faced with some sort of danger. And yet, we still sign on for it. The key, in my mind, is how we will respond at that particular moment.

One day I was attempting to stop a shoplifter in the vestibule of the store and in return I was bathed in mace. Exactly one week later, in the same vestibule, a shoplifter decided he wanted to shove me and run...and well I don't take kindly to anyone shoving me, so we ended up wrestling through the vestibule until he broke free. (Both later arrested...again, win/win.)

Now fast forward to the news of this LP in Michigan getting killed. Does it cause me to pause and think about the how's, why's and what I am doing? Absolutely. I have heard in my circles, people putting this guy down for doing what he was doing. Honestly, I don't think he was too far out of line, and can almost see how it happened, and what he was thinking.

First, as stated, it's our job to go after the guy stealing merchandise. That should be a given for those in this position. To some outsiders, that alone is too much. So this guy sees a man loading up $400.00 worth of CD's. Think about that for a moment. That IS alot of merchandise to take. That alone gets the adrenaline in any LP flowing. I know when a guy pockets a wristwatch at my store, my heart starts racing and I start planning how I am grabbing him when we hit the front door.

This LP in Michigan, for whatever reason, made a call to 9-1-1 before the thief ever hit the front door. Sometimes you just know when to get the PD moving, some times they can wait. After the call is made, this thief heads out the door. If this is my store, I am either right behind him, or if I got a jump on him, I am in front of him blocking his exit. As the story goes in Michigan, a getaway SUV is parked in the fire lane, within ten or fifteen feet of the front door. Alot can happen within that space. And more importantly, alot can happen in that space, in a matter of seconds. His adrenaline is pumping, and he's intent on stopping the thief or atleast recovering merchandise, because that is what we do. That is our purpose for being there. Seconds later he is being drug across the lot into several poles until he drops and dies.

Looking back at my wrestling match, I can absolutely see if someone made it out the door as I approached them, then they decide to shove me, well, that puts me right at the fire lane where this tragedy occurred. What really occurred we may never know. Was there a struggle from the door to the vehicle, again, just ten feet or so? Was he grabbing the merchandise from him? Was he really grabbing the vehicle or did he get caught on the mirror or door somehow? The questions could go on. But one thing is clear to me, it is not for me to judge this LP or his actions. I would rather try to learn from this tragedy and hope if presented with the same scenario, the experience will help me react appropriately.

I have had guys do an end run around me, and break for their cars. Am I chasing him across the lot, hell no. I do however, casually walk into the lot just close enough to read the license plate as the bad guy speeds away. Once the license plate is read, I turn and go back to the store. And in many cases, I can position myself so the car is being either backed up toward me, or they have to drive by me. Either way I can safely read the tags.

There have been guys who got out of the store without knowing I was even watching. In this case, I go into my customer mode, take out my cell phone and casually walk into the lot "talking to someone" as I walk to ...."my car." Many times I can get to the car right behind the thief's car, and act like I am having trouble getting the keys in the lock. Meanwhile, they get in their car and back up toward me. From there, I have the guy's description, the car description, the tags, and the direction of travel when they leave the lot. This has worked for me on more than a few occassions. All the while...I am safe and sound. The last time I did this was when two homeless guys teamed up and I really didn't trust their reactions had I approached them alone. I called for the PD and let them know which way they went and in what car. Minutes later they were face down on the pavement while the PD was emptying their trunk filled with stolen merchandise from several stores in the area.

So, looking back to Michigan, it's not plain and simple. The man was there to stop shoplifters. He was doing his job, something went horribly wrong, and he lost his life. Fortunatley the two shoplifters involved were followed and caught, and charged.

I will try to chalk this up to an unfortunate form of training, and hope that this is exactly what I will fall back on should I find myself in similar conditions.

El Unemployed-O...Comprende?

So I am now working on about 4 hours sleep, thanks to the overnight thief. Of course since I needed to be up way before the sunrise, I sat in bed staring at the ceiling for what seemeed like forever. Then...just as I slowly drifted asleep......BEEEP BEEEEP BEEEP!!!!!! Rise and Shine!!! It's 2:45am!!!!



In a semi-comatose state, I drove across the valley into the retail capitol of the area, and I think I passed one other car, obviously driving home from a night out. Me? I am just pulling into the lot I had left just a handfull of hours ago. there are two cars in the lot when i arrive. I know one is the opening manager's vehicle, the other I hope is the cleaner's SUV. I park and walk across the lot through the silent, but damned cold, early, morning air, to the brightly lit entrance. I peek in from the side and see no one. Trying to avoid a scene, I dial the inside phone number. Like the diligent employee she is, she ignores the phone while the store is closed. I stand peeking into the store like a kid staring at the Red Ryder BB Gun inside, just looking for any signs of life at this point, so I can be permitted inside. Finally, after seeing no evidence of people near the front, I gave the doorbell a short blast. Within a minute, the manager appears and opens the door for me.



"Good morning... do we have two guys here cleaning tonight?"



"No, just one guy so far." The words came out of the manager's mouth and bounced through my ears. I had to get her to repeat it. I thought to myself, "If this guy isn't here today, and I am at work at 4:00 am...there will be hell to pay, and he will be going down!"



I rummage through my pockets for my camera and produce a still shot of the guy I am looking for. With a large sigh, the manager said "Yes, hes the one who is here."

I sort of serpentine my way to my office in an effort to stay hidden from the cleaner. I make a few notes about what I will need to ask this guy to get him to confess. So far, every employee apprehension has ended with a confession of more items taken that I had been aware of. I want this to happen again. I had already spoken to the on duty Sergeant from the police department, mainly because he is fluent in Spanish, so i make the call to get him to respond over to the store. Little does this cleaner know...the clock is ticking on his career pushing the broom, and pocketing merchandise.

Within minutes, two officers are at the door. The Spanish speaking Sergeant couldn't possibly have been any more cooperative and friendly. Me, still dazed from lack of sleep.

"So, where is he?" Ah! good question. We then had to search the store for the cleaner. It was the strangest feeling. Here we were looking for a suspected thief, could be behind any corner, in any bathroom or backroom, but I was the one in the lead! Whenever I watched COPS or Dallas SWAT, the unarmed plain clothesed guy was the LAST one in the door. Well not tonight! I led the way as the two uniformed officers fell behind me. When I found the cart with all of the cleaning supplies at the bottom of the stairs leading to the employee rest rooms, Iknew we found him. I stepped back out of the hallway and looked at the cops behind me chatting about what flavor donut they liked best.

"He's upstairs in the bathroom..." I waited for their response.

"Ok. You going to get him or are we waiting for him to come down..." I listened closely and it was fairly clear that "cops going upstairs to get him" wasn't an option.

"Nope, I'll get'em." I said as I walked the cleaning cart and headed up the stairs. When I reached the top and pushed open the door, I wasn't sure who was more startled, me or the hispanic male who jumped back into the lockers behind him.

"Hi." I started simple.

"Speak English?" Now I was just getting to the point. He responded with a smile and said..

"A leetle..." (I heard that, you all just said it out loud...)

I pointd to myself and said... "Manager....comprende?" He nodded yes. Thank God.

"Come with me , uno momento.." as I motioned for him to follow me. He dropped the roll of paper towels and followed. He didn't know there were two police officers waiting for him in the Toy Department as we walked back down the stairs. As I pulled him down the hall out onto the sales floor the Sergeant yells out...

"Hola Senor!" My work here was done.

After some Spanish pleasantries, the Sergeant asked if I wanted to go to my office. On my desk were the notes I had prepared. I wnated to ask specific questions, but never did it with an interpreter before. Do I look at bad guy, do I look at the Sergeant...do I ask the question or just tell the Sergeant what I want to ask...oh the trials and tribulations....atleast in my head . Once we got settled, the Sergeant explained why we were here. I could tell it was going to be fun when the guy was already shaking his head no.... to something being said. Finally the Sergean paused and looked at me for direction.

"Have you ever taken anything from here without paying for it since you started working here?"

In severely broken English I made out the words Soda and Chips. As expected, the cleaners do eat while they are in the store....on us. By the time the back and forth interview came to a close, he had admitted to several Cokes and several Chips. He added one other thing.

"Oh too I took Pinnysoul."

The Sergeant and I looked at each other puzzled, mouthing the word...."pinnysoul."

(I will let you figure that out. It took me a while, I am not just giving you that one!)

"How about any movies?"

He shook his head no.

"How about the movie, "Low Riders?"

He shook his head no.

"Do you know we have cameras all over the store and we see what you take and not take?"

He shook his head yes.

"Do you understand that I saw a video of you taking a movie called Low Riders?"

He sat up in his chair and explained quite animated,

"I peeked it up....look....put down....sweep floor..."

Knowing I have a viddeo and photographs of him pocketing the DVD I asked...

"Ever put that DVD in your pocket...ever?"

He looked at the Sergeant and insisted "No."

Well, this went on for longer than it should have, so I finally pulled out photographs, which were still shots of the video.

"Is this you?" I showed the hispanic male the picture. He studied it and replied, "Si."

"Is this you holding the DVD?" Again with the "Si."

"Is this one you putting the DVD in your pocket?"

He sits back in his chair and replies... "No."

I looked up at the Sergeant who is just smiling and shrugging.

We wrapped up the interview with a stalemate. I was never going to get him to admit the movie, although all three of us were looking at it. I didnt need him to tell me what I was seeing, so we moved on.

"Ok, you are no longer employed here, understand that?" With a little help from the interpreter he understood he was no longer a working man.

We stood up to escort him from the store and I said in plain English,

"Do you need to get anything from the back room or do you have everything?"

He looked at me and pulled out his keys saying "No."

I followed him out of the office thinking...so, once again, a hispanic male knows more English than he led us to believe. Shocking.

In another minute or two, I was thanking the officers, locking the door, and looking around at a partially lit, empty salesfloor. I was only at work for 45 minutes, I had fired an employee, racked up another point on my quota of apprehensions...but I just wanted to go back to bed.

"Pinnysoul"...think about it.

Quite the Day...

So today was a sort of round up of past apprehensions. It was hearing day at the local court and I had five folders under my arm as I walked in rubbing shoulders with the Assistant District Attorney as well as the Public Defenders. Three employees and two felonies. All in all it was a good productive day from the beginning to the end.

By 9:00am I was in a meeting with the ADA discussing the upcoming cases. Obviously this is the part not shown on Law and Order. Here I thought the attorneys show up and they already have all the details of each case embedded in their minds. Not so! I spend almost 30 minutes educating the prosecutor about store policy, camera and video operations and how I caught two felons. You'd think after repeating my last name five times, and writing it down phonetically, she would have called me to the stand appropriately. Not so!

This time on the stand I was faced with quite the aggressive Public Defender. He felt the need to argue almost every point of my testimony during his cross examination. No worries, I liked the challenge. When I am right, I am right. Ask me any way you want, the sky is always blue. I was dismissed from the first felony case with the guilty, sorry... the accused, being held for trial. And by held, I mean IN JAIL. He came and went from the courtroom in shackles and cuffs. I can't deny I enjoy seeing that when I am the one who caught the idiots.

Next felony case was called within a half hour. Again, a brief discussion about how I caught the guy, what I saw him do, etc etc. After I take the stand, and repeat my name and spell it yet again for the record, the prosecutor reviews her notes and tries to form intelligent questions of them. She could have been speaking jibberish...I knew what she wanted to hear, all she had to do is get the question out and I would take it from there.

And again with the Public Defender attacking my testimony. This brave soul decided to object right from the gate. He wanted all charges dismissed because this case was based soley on a video. Apparently it didn't matter that I was the one who apprehended his little felon, then reviewed the tape two days prior to find him doing the same thing before. The judge decided to hear the case then decide. Then out came the Law and Order. After the prosecutor led off, followed by a barrage of defensive shots at my testimony by the public defender, the judge recessed and asked both attorneys to produce case law for cases using only video to prove their case. Long story short.... second felon was led off to the cell with his shackles securely fastened. See ya at trial boys!

Three employees charged with Retail Theft plead guilty, was fined and told to pay restitution.

All in a days work. But, the day had just begun.

Little did I know I had a shoplifter at work in the store while I was playing Perry Mason. Twenty minutes before I returned to the store, this young man decided to remove an XBOX additive of some sort, from its locked peg hook. On video he is seen ripping it it off the security device, then gently placing it in his cart. He then peruses the store as if nothing happened. In the furniture department he selects an entertainment center, hoists it up onto the cart, then uses it as a blockade between him and the camera, or so he thinks. I have a perfect view of this guy removing the items from the XBOX box, sliding it into his pants pockets, then tossing the empty box onto a shelf between two pieces of furniture. Twenty minutes later, I find the empty box.

In an effort to enter the Dumbest Criminal file, he proceeds to pick up a few items, then reports to Register 8. At Register 8 he decided to use his Mastercard... silly boy. I pull the drawer for Register 8, locate the receipt where the man signed it, and tomorrow morning I will investigate the owner of the Credit Card. If it was his, he's mine for a $70.00 Retail Theft. If it's not, I have good footage of a suspect for using stolen credit cards.

I'm thinking win win here.

Have I mentioned that I am heading in to work at 4am tomorrow to apprehend one of our overnight cleaners for retail theft? Never a dull moment! Not even when the store is closed.

Stay tuned...

Funny Thing Happened...

So, funny thing happened to me on the way to work....

I found myself testifying at an Unemployment Hearing, for an employee I had fired for stealing mechandise! Is it just me, or is the possibility of this guy being eligible for unemployment benefits simply ridiculous?

I was notified a few weeks ago that this guy, one of the employees removing PSP Game Systems from the display case, was applying for unemployment. the management fortunately agreed with me, and decided to appeal. The manager turned the case over to me.

I was handed all of the papers sent to us from the Unemployment Office. I added that to the file I had created on the employee after we caught him stealing. I thought it to be quite ironice that these two files were even related. Fired for stealing, applying for unemployment.

Last night before I left the office, I reviewed the papers about today's hearing. I have testified almost twenty times in criminal court, so I figured how hard could this be? A list of requirements lined the left side of the "Notice of Hearing."

Arrive fifteen minutes early. Check.
Wear professional attire. Check.
Bring any supporting documents. Check.
Make three copies of each document. Check, check, check.
Bring any video that supports the case. Check.

The rest of the sheet explained how to act while testifying. Speak up, state yes or no when possible, just answer the question do not offer further information unless asked to, etc etc.

Off I went with my folder in hand, containing three copies of everything and a DVD containing the video of the theft. I would have been fifteen minutes early, but of course I had to stop for coffee. I figured the Judge at the criminal court never starts on time, and doesn't really care when you are running late. That, and the fact that I hadn't eaten or drank anything before leaving my house, I really needed the coffee before I tried to act professional. So I was ten minutes early, no harm done.

I walked across the crowded parking lot, making me reconsider the coffee break decision. I couldnt get a parking space near the building, and I was wondering just how crowded my waiting room would be now that I am behind schedule. I climbed the stairs to the second floor office. Opening the door which read "Unemployment Referree's Office," I smiled thinking of the image of a man wearing a zebra striped shirt and a white baseball cap sitting at the head of the table, while I sat across the table from the fired employee. The man at the head of the table would have the whistle handing out of his mouth, and flip a large coin to start the debate.

My mind cleared of all nonsense as soon as the door opened into an almost empty waiting room. Next to the door was the ex-employee sitting laid back in the chair with a NY baseball cap pulled down almost to his eyelids. At the far corner of the long rectangular waiting room, was the store manager, almost hiding behind a magazine he was sort of reading. Not only was the horrible body language screaming out across the room, it was made worse by the fact that I was the only one in a shirt and tie. There sat the store manager in jeans and a colorful patchwork polo shirt I wouldn't wear to a family barbecue let alone an official hearing. I signed in at the window, which separated me from an older lady who apparently hated her job, and took a seat next to the manager. The lovely lady at the window offered the case documents to me to review. In retrospect, I wonder if she thought I was an attorney representing my store. I did, afterall, wear my power tie.

I had just enough time to pick up a magazine when the referree, minus the zebra stripes, came into the waiting room calling for us to follow him. We took our seats, laid out much like how I imagined it a few minutes earlier. The referree rattled off a dissertation about how this hearing would be handled and within seconds we were on the roller coaster ride of unemployment benefits. I sat quietly tucked behind my overstuffed manila folder until it was my turn to speak. The most anti-climatic part of the day was when it was announced that this employee had been terminated for stealing from the store. It felt alot like that feeling you get when your car comes to a screeching halt at the end of the ride. Your hair is amuck, you're out of breath and for a second or two, you can't move. For a split second you could almost hear the air being sucked out of the room. The man at the head of the table was none too pleased. He rapidly thumbed through his papers looking for anywhere it was mentioned that the guy requesting unemployment benefits had been fired for Retail Theft. He found it nowhere.

It was funny to see how quickly things began to wrap up after we had let that cat out of the bag. Everyone's statments were made, ONE document was requested from my folder, and next thing we know, we are back in the waiting room wondering what just happened.

We were left with a brief statement from the ref explaining that we would not get a ruling today, we would have to wait until the decision was made over the next two weeks. I'm sorry, we have to wait two weeks to hear if this thief was going to be paid unemployment?

I am going to think positive. Afterall, I will see the ex-employee again next week in Criminal Court at his Preliminary Hearing. I will be winning that one, the decision will be made that day and oh yeah... I am stopping for coffee on the way.

Get away with it the first time, shame on me. Try it again, shame on you!

Much like the bald guy saga, my Monday morning started with a tip from an employee. Apparently, again, when I was off during the weekend, they suspected a guy of stealing a CD player. As frustrating as it may be, I am the only one permitted to stop suspected shoplifters. In turn, even after they watcheed this guy walk into the bathroom, heard plastic cracking inside the stall, then found an empty package on the bathroom floor, they had to let him go. The only thing they can do in that case was get a good look at him and notify me, just in case they are dumb enough to return and try it again when I am working. I listened to the story, noted the approxmate time and filed it in the back of my mind. Later in the day I remembered the theft story and decided to wade through hours of video. Sure enough, there he is on my screen. Black male, wool hat, leather coat and black back pack.....check.

On video I see him enter the electronics department in the same aisle as the CD players. I see him walk out of the aisle with merchandise in his hand. I see him walk toward the men's room. I see him walk to the front desk, ask for his back pack and leave the store. It's a frustrating feeling when you watch a shoplifter doing his thing, and nobody is doing anything about it.

So, the day came and went and sure enough, no sign of the thief.

Tuesday rolls around and the morning is filled with paperwork, setting up a new computer work station in my office, and plenty of coffee. Early afternoon and I am thinking about taking my mandatory hour lunch. I take my walk around the store to see how busy we are before I leave the salesfloor, and just before I finish my lap and clock out, I glance over toward the front door just in time. Almost making me rub my eyes in disbelief, I see a black male walking through the door who looks awfully familiar. He had a black wool hat, three quarter length leather coat and sure enough, had a black back pack slung over one shoulder. I couldn't believe my eyes. Two idiots in a row decide to come back to the scene of the crime and try their luck against me again! I'm thinking this could be one hell of a technique, let one item go free, grab him up when he returns, charge them with both!


I watch from behind a jewelry display case as the man stops at the desk and drops off his back pack. What an honest shopper he must be?! I instantly go into my "undercover zone" as my coworkers call it. I watched the man's movements from a few aisles behind. I could predict his actions, and he was playing right into my hand. As he disappeared into the hardware aisle, to obtain a utility knife for opening plastic packages, I dropped back and motioned to a nearby employee.

"I am about to have a guy in a leather coat steal something from Electronics, and he's going to use the bathroom." the employee smiled as if he wasn't sure to believe me. "Just hang out by the men's room and check it when he comes out for me." I was barely done speaking when I darted off down a side aisle to get into a good position to observe the theft before he came back out and saw me.

Seconds later, the leather coat breezed by the end of my aisle and turned into the electronics department two aisles down. Like a good game of hide and seek, I shot out of my aisle and quietly snuck into the aisle next to his to get a good overhead look at what he was up to. And, as predicted, he removed the CD player from the hook and walked back out of the aisle toward the men's room. I glanced down the main aisle and nodded to the employee waiting to help. I repositioned myself to the mirror which allows me to see the mens room hallway. Within minutes, we were all playing cat and mouse again. The man emerged from the bathroom, this time with his hands in his pockets as he walked. He calmly but steadily moved from the back of the store toward the front, and little did he know, I was shadowing his every move in the aisle paralelling his. I glanced behind me and saw my helper approaching quickly and carrying my evidence, the empty CD player package he had found on the bathroom floor...as predicted. I grabbed it from his hand, quickly blurted out "Call the front desk!" and broke into a sprint down a side aisle that would get me to the front door, hopefully ahead of or at the same time as the thief. As I cleared the last shelf I saw him approaching the front desk asking for his back pack he had left there. With his attention on the employee at the desk, I snuck up next to him so i could pass by him as he turned toward the door. We met shoulder to shoulder at the exit...

"Oh sorry, but I do need to talk to you about the CD player you had in the bathroom." He stepped back in shock. The confusing look on his face as he eyed me up and down was priceless. "I work here and we've been watching you since you got here, can we step over here for just a minute and talk about this?"

As we stepped slowly to the side of the door I tossed y cell phone to the employee at the desk and said "Finish that call for me." She glanced down to the screen on my phone and realized the phone was already ringing at the 9-1-1 Center. I glanced left and right and saw two employees nearby keeping an eye on us. As I began to go through a series of questions, some important ones, as well as some bullshit to keep him talking, I could smell the beer on his breath. He tossed the back pack on the floor, unzipped it and offered me to search it. However, he never had the back pack with him past the service desk, so that would be useless. I continued gathering slow information, explaining that I would cooperate with him if he cooperated with me. He staggered slightly to the side and he speech became slurred.

Within five minutes, two police officers hustled through the door, and none too soon. I was running out of things to say that may be of interest to a shoplifter.

The mood changed,as it usually does when two officers take over the interrrogation. I introduced my new friend to the officers and quickly summarized the trip from the electronics department to the mens room, to where we were now. They picked up the back pack and rummaged through it thouroughly. They frisked him and went through his leather jacket and finally made the discovery. Inside the front right of the coat, burined deep inside a pocket was the newly stolen CD player. With that discovery, the cuffs came out and my buddy was then introduced to the walk of shame. The last I saw of him was the side of his face as the police car pulled away, just like a popporazzi shot of a cuffed celeb.

An hour later I received a phone call from the police station. An officer was advising me that it was his tenth arrest, five of which had been for shoplifting. Once again, I have made a difference in someone's life. A differencce, as in, he now has three square meals a day, a bed, a roof and a brand new address!

Arrived at work today and greeted with breaking news from a Regional Conference Call already in progress.... A Loss Prevention Employee was killed at a store outside Pontiac Michigan.

Yes, that slowed me down a bit. I went right to the internet and looked up as much information on it as I could. Turns out, the 36 year old LP had called 9-1-1 to report a retail theft in progress, then followed the guy out the door of the store. Once outside, the thief walked up to an SUV parked in the fire lane with a driver sitting inside. Of course, with most incidents being broadcast across the country, the details now become sketchy. Somehow a scuffle ensues as the bad guy tried to get into the passenger side of the SUV. As a result, the LP gets caught in either the door or the window of the vehicle, as the vehicle starts to leave. Witnesses report that it appeared as if the driver of the SUV, intentionally swerved into several poles in order to get the LP off the vehicle. The LP was found lying face down in the lot by arriving police officers, and pronounced dead a short time later. Witnesses followwed the SUV and contacted 9-1-1 with its location. Shortly thereafter, the two actors were in custody.

What started out as a normal work day for the LP, turned out to be his last. What started out as a Retail Theft, suddenly became Robbery and Murder.

And what was so important that it would cost this man his life? $400.00 worth of CD's.

My thoughts and Prayers are with this man's family and friends.

Another Date for the Bald Guy

Overall it was the best court appearance i've had, thanks to a Public Defender who apparently watched too many Law and Order episodes. As I walked into the courtroom, three police officers I have worked with before, stood to shake hands with me. No real reason for this, I just think the courtroom environment brings out the professionalism in them. I walked across the back of the room looking for an empty seat to hang my coat, and to show the Sergeant my file on the defendant, who I will call, "the bald guy."

While reviewing video of the previous weeekend, I observed this bald guy entering my store three separate times and stealing atleast twice. Problem being, I was home enjoying my weeekend off when this was happening. Unfortunately for the bald guy, he became greedy and came back on Monday, when I was working. As a result, I caught him stealing a DVD Player. I quickly explained what I had seen on the video to the Sergeant in the back of the courtroom before the hearing started. He quickly gathered the Public Defender and Assistant District Attorney and asked if they wanted to combine the thefts and include it in ttoday's hearing, or should they file an additional complaint for the weekend thefts. The answer was, file an additional complaint.

The hearing began with the bald guy being led into the courtroom by a constable. He walked slowly with his wrists still in hadcuffs and his ankles shackled. He never once lifted his head to see me, the judge, the attorney...nobody. He spent the entire hearing staring down at the table he sat behind.

I was called to the stand, sworn in by the judge, and the fun began. First the Assistant District Attorney started his "direct." He asked all of the important questions which exposed the root of the matter...I observed bald guy enter the store, enter the electronics department, conceal the merchandise, and leave the store without paying. At this point, many Defense Attorneys stand and announce, "No questions your honor." But not this time.

The young Irish looking girl stood and began her "cross examination."

"What was he wearing when you saw him?"

"How far away from him were you when he put the box in his back pack?"

"Did you follow him into the bathroom?"

And then she sort of went astray, if you ask me the rookie Law and Order fan.

"What size was the box you saw him put in his back pack?" Hmmm...I wondered why on Earth is she asking this?

"About the size of that book in front of you," I said pointing to the large law book on the defense table. She slid the book across the table looking at it.

"So would you say 12 inches by, say.... 8 inches?"

I really couldnt belive this line of questioning and even glanced back to the Asst. District Attorney, waiting for him to object for irrelevance.

"Sure, that's about right. My mind drifted to the courtroom scene in a Few Good Men. I wanted to say...

"This bald guy is facing felony charges, please tell me his lawyer hasn't pinned his hopes on the exact size of the box I saw him steal!"

The rest of the hearing was a volley of questions and objections. Some were overruled, some were sustained. It was the longest I had ever testified on the stand. I became comfortable with the questioning to the point I started giving only yes and no answers, and made the Public Defender work for every inch. She couldn't understand how I could be five feet away from the bald guy when he concealed the merchandise, but not be in the same aisle as him. Then again, she never asked it correctly. She never once asked how I could see him, answer being the mirror on the ceiling above him. It would be simple if she knew what to ask.

In the end, he was held for trial on the felony charges due to so many priors. As a result of my video findings, we will all meet up again in the courtoom next weeek to play this game again. This time, the bald guy will be facing up to five years in jail and $5,000 fine.

Stay tuned...

It's the thought that counts...

I just received a phone call from the District Court where I have three Preliminary Hearings scheduled tomorrow. They were calling to advise me the two for the coworkers have been continued, which is a fancy word for postponed. I have been told that this can be due to a variety of reasons, including not being able to afford a lawyer, the public defender refuses to represent the defendant due to the circumstances of the case, or the defendant conveniently admits themselves into a rehab...not only too busy for the hearing, but providing a defense for their case at the same time.

Last month, I arrived for court ten minutes early. I then have to sign in with the secretary, then take a seat in the waiting room until a police officer comes out and rescues me from the room filled with defendants....some there because of me. This isn't the most comfortable situation to be in, trust me. You not only have the defendant looking at you, you also have their families looking at you. At the very least, they are studying me for the next time they arrive in my store, to .... shop of course. So, this certain day I arrived early, hoped for an early rescue from the waiting room, but instead, sat in my chair from 850am until 130pm. I would say every 15 to 20 minutes I waved, smiled, nodded or shook hands with various police officers as they moved through the room, and disappeared behind the "Authorized Personnel" door. Not one thought to invite me behind the door.

During this stay in the court waiting room, I observed some of the world's not-so-elite, and the Defense Attorneys who thought they were the world's elite. What a brief education that became. By the third or fourth hour, I didn't want to leave. It was rivetting stuff. The details of this experience will have to wait for a later entry, but trust me when I say, I seriously considered writing a script for a sitcom centered around those folks.

Anyway, when the full waiting room dwindled down to four of us, and through my time with them I had learned that two of the four were codefendants in a fraudulent prescription hearing, and the other man was a witness against them, I finally walked back to the counter to inquire about the status of my hearing. The same lady who signed me in and checked my name next to the hearing time walked back to the window. It took her ten seconds to realize she forgot to tell me my hearing was continued. In other words, my hearing wasn't going to happen today, and in fact, was resecheduled the day before! I didn't have to be there at all...

So, today I get a phone call. A courtesy call if you will. Very friendly outgoing female voice on the other end of the phone thinking she is doing us all a favor. "Saving me a trip" as she put it.

Unfortunately, the day they decide to notify me of a continuance, I have to be there for a third case anyway. Bald guy with the back pack gets his day in court tomorrow as well, and I am scheduled to be in that waiting room again anyway.

That is, until he decides he needs rehab as well.
No wonder no officer rescued me, none of them knew why I was there!

Your Day in Court

This week I have three Preliminary Hearings. For me, it will be three of about twenty appearances on the witness stand, testifying as to what I had witnessed in the store. This week, however, will be a little different.



The first hearing is for one of three coworkers I had arrested for stealing merchandise after they had helped stock the Electronics Department shelves.



On a recent Monday morning, while making my daily rounds of the shoplifter dumping areas, the Electronics Manager stopped me to advise me he thought we were missing a few PSP Game Systems from the locked display case behind the register. A few questions later and I had learned the merchandise was just delivered over the weekend. As we talked over a cup of coffee on the glass showcase next to the register, a third employee walked right up and started asking if we were talking about the PSP Game Systems. He explained that he and another part timer unloaded the warehouse truck and placed the game systems in the display case on Saturday morning.



"I went right to the manager and told him they needed to be locked up right away before these young dudes started shopping for stuff..." until this day this employee had always had a good eye for the suspicious customer, and was always quick to call for me if he thought somehing was going to happen.



If you're keeping track, that was two red flags. This guy had come from nowhere and guessed immediately what we were talking about, missing merchandise. Secondly, he tried to sway the attention to the newer, younger employees and actually claim responsibility for securing the merchandise. Well, for me it sounded too good to be true, so I retired to my study. And by "study" I mean the small closet-sized office with the antiquated camera system inside.



After a short time of figuring out when and where to look, the video was rewound to Saturday at approximately 9:00am. According to the schedule, this is when the employee was due to arrive at work. Sure enough, there he was...



The video was pretty clear. The two employees showed up on time with a flatbed of merchandise right from the loading dock. Some items were placed on the shelves, and sure enough, others were placed behind lock and key in the display cases. As it would happen, an hour after the warehouse delivery was nestled into its proper display cases and shelves, the stock boy would reappear on my video, removing keys from the register. Funny thing I noticed that morning was the lack of any customer within fifty feet of this employee.



I watched curiously as he opened the register, removed keys, checked once up and down the main aisle, then turned to the Video Game System display cases. Minutes later he was returning the keys, and walking away with a brand new PSP Game System, and disappearing into the back room, off camera.



Later, just after the dinner rush the same day, I noticed two more employees hanging around the Electronics Department register. Neither of these employees work in that department, and I was wondering what they were doing. just so happens, they too were admiring the new PSP game Systems. (Not a big video game guy, but apparently these were the new big thing in video games. However, I think stocking the shelves then returning to the shelf before any customers have a chance to shop for them, is cheating, gamers.)



I watched the video and was amazed to see these two employees plotting, then carrying out quite the caper...or attempted caper. The female employee left the department and returned with a roll of Mentos and placed it on the counter. The male employee opened the register, unlocked the display case and placed a game system on the counter and began ringing up the sale. He scanned both the PSP and the Mentos, took her money, bagged the items and replaced the keys in the register. On video, looked good. However, when I checked the Register Journal, a a database which records every keystroke and motion the cashier makes, it seems he forgot something during the transaction. The only item scanned and rung up, were the Mentos, for less than a dollar. As a result, the female employee/customer walked out with a new PSP game System, for the price of Mentos.



The next day the male employee arrived for work, we brought him in for an interview. At the end of the meeting, he was in tears, had written a statement admitting to the "freebagging" and using a "friend" to take it out of the store for him. In addition to upset, he was also unemployed, and arrested for Retail Theft. This week will be the first time we se each other since.



I can't wait to hear what they have to say in front of the judge. Hard to argue with video.



Other than the employee's hearings, I also have the hearing for the bald guy who was just apprehended for taking the DVD Player in his back pack. Unlike the employees involved in thefts, this will not be the first time he is in front of a judge. According to his criminal history, or rap sheet, this will be his tenth arrest for Retail Theft since 2005.



You'd think he would be better at it by now...

2010...One and Done

Today was my first day to work in 2010. I returned from a five day hiatus which was the result of a holiday, three regular days off and a sick day. I arranged them just right to equal a nice break to round out my first year. So, I was really dragging a bit trying to get back into the swing of things. It actually took most of the day.





Throughout the day, I took various degrees of abuse from those employees who hadn't seen me for the past five days, and eventually some reviewed stories from the days I was off. One of these stories, or complaints, came from two salesgirls who had been bothered by the repeated sounding of the door alarm. They said it would go off any time this "guy in a big white hoodie wearing a back pack came and went." Well, one had to wonder what, if anything, was being done by the employees witnessing this, apparently more than once. I made a mental note to check into the video of the previous day to see what I could of this hoodied guy.





Before I could get to that, the Office Manager came to me about a cash register shortage which occurred several days ago. Again, I would have to check the video, compare it to the transaction record and see if there was any obvious misconduct...or theft.





On my way to the office to begin the video reviews, I was stopped by another employee explaining he suspected a guy who came into the store the other day to buy two PSP3's, might have beeen using a stolen credit card. Again, another video to look at.




I didn't mind any of this. It was better than the monthly audits and other paperwork I thought I would fall back on today. So the video reviews began and helped pass the time. It was already 3:30pm by the time I thought about punching out for lunch .



After my lunch hour expired, I noticed the number of customer just about equalled the number of employees. I shook my head wondering why they pay someone to watch customers when there aren't any. So, I retreated into the main office where I can access a computer program which allows me to investigate transactions made throughout the day, month or past few months. I use this to oversee our newer employees to make sure all of their transactions are legitimate. This is also the data base I use to investigate register shortages. The problem with sitting back here and getting some computer work done, is that I must forfeit the camera work and hope an employee notices someone acting suspicious and then calls for me. If not, its kind of a free for all, like I'm not even there.



I was sitting at the computer for about fifteen minutes when the front desk called and spoke to the Store Manager. The girl at the desk was reporting that she thought a guy in the store was intoxicated. It was somehting to do so I stood right up and headed for the salesfloor. After two laps around the store, I still had no sign of the drunk customer. I headed for the front desk so she could tell me maybe what he was wearing, where he went, what was he doing etc. While standing back away from those in line for returns, something caught my eye at the front door.



Coming in through the automatic door was a guy wearing a light blue hoodie with the hood up over his head, blue jeans, brown timbaland boots and a black back pack strapped over his shoulders. He glanced up toward the desk only once and kept his pace heading toward the back of the store. I looked at him once and then returned to my cell phone as to not attratct his attention. After he ducked behind the shelves out of sight, I headed back to my office to observe his actions by camera. As expected, I found him wandering about the rows of music CD's, and slowly moving to the next aisle, then the next. At one point I saw that he was standing at the end of one of the aisles and not looking at mechandise, he was simply observing other people. With that, I decided to join him on the salesfloor. I located him in the Electronics Department pacing between TV's and DVD players. A minute after I began my direct observation, using the mirrored ceiling tiles above him, the Electronics Employee arrived and asked if she could help him with anything. He asked a generic question about the televisions, then asked what the straps were around the DVD Player boxes. The employee offered a classic response...



"They are on there so it will activate the alarm at the door, and it prevents people from stuffing them into their backpacks and walking out..."



When I heard that, I thought that would blow any attempt to steal anything, or would he be stupid enough to try anyway. My curiosity was settled when in the next minute I see him ducking down behind a counter, unzipping his backpack, picking up an identical DVD Player and stuffing it into the backpack, security straps and all.



I pulled my cell phone out and dialed 9-1-1 right then and there. I pictured this guy going through the doors and the alarms sounding causing quite the scene. Something told me he would either run from me, or run through me, so the quick decision to contact the police at this point was made. I had just brought the phone up to my ear when I noticed he wasn't walking in the opposite direction as they usually do, he turned and was heading right toward me. Realizing quickly that I was standing in the vacuum cleaner aisle, once again, I threw together a conversation...



"I don't know what kind you want, you do the cleaning, I have no idea!"



With this one sided conversation seemingly going strong, the hooded thief turned into my aisle and passed behind me, perusing the cleaners. As he left the aisle I turned to watch him make his way through the toy department and into the bathroom. Many people will take merchandise to the bathroom to remove it from their containers and walk out, leaving the security devices behind. I quickly grabbed the store manager and a stock boy and had them hide nearby. They were directed to go into the bathroom as soon as the man walked out, and search for empty packages or evidence of what I knew was happening in there.



While I waited for the man to reappear, I finished my call to the police. I was hoping by the time the man came out and headed for the door, the police might be present. I positioned myself near the front registers where I could see both the front door and straight back to the bathroom hallway. While explaining the situation to the 9-1-1 dispatcher, time slowed to a crawl. I was wondering where the guy was and what was holding him up, and at the same time I was glad because I had no back up there yet.



Suddenly, my eye caught a glimpse of a dark figure moving quickly across the front of the store. I looked over the registers and made out a police officer jogging through the store starting to head toward the back of the store. I yelled to hold him up and explained I needed this guy to take the merchandise past the sales point before I can stop him, and call it stealing. The officer immediately returned to the front doors and called off his back up officers as well.



Now I felt bad that the officers were called too soon, and were standing around doing nothing. Suddenly, the bald headed hooded thief appeared just a few aisles away from me. Again, back to my fake shopping, quickly turning away from him. His paced seemed to quicken as he approached the exits. I slid in behind him as he made his way up to the door. A second later, two police officers were backing him up into the vestibule, padding him down, searching pockets and the back pack. My chin, and heart, dropped when they opened the entire back pack with no sign of the box I saw him stuff inside.



"Sir can you then tell me where you put the DVD player I saw you put in there?"



The man just kept shaking his head telling the officers he didn't take anything. As we kept searching and asking, I could hear the Store manager paging me over the store speakers.



"Can someone call him and tell him I am with the Police Department!"

I turned my attention back to this man, very curious about what he had done with the box. The officers continued digging, and even once glanced up at me like "Now what?" Just then, they pulled out a nice leather DVD Player case, which I almost claimed as ours as well, opened it and pulled out a DVD player still wrapped on plastic. Even with this now out of the bag, he still refused to admit he had stolen it, until moments later, when I saw the manager walking up the aisle toward us smiling. He was carrying what used to be the DVD Player box, with security strap still intact. The cardboard box however had been destroyed. Torn from each end, and the contents removed. I took the box and pulled out another DVD player, but not nicely wrapped, and not the same model as advertised on the outside of the wrinkled box.



"He threw it in the trash in the bathroom!" the manager said almost childlike.



Instantly the mood changed. It went from a seriously shocked and appalled young man, to a hard ass carefree cocky son of a bitch. As we exchanged information, and the cuffs were snugly fitted to his wrists, he admitted that he had been arrested before a few times for shoplifting.



For his efforts, he not only didn't get a free DVD Player, he did earn himself a stay in prison, and earned me my first apprehension on my first day at work in 2010.



Happy New Year!



(Apprehension 21 and counting...)

"Juwanna Man" - The Shoplifter

http://www.imdb.com/video/screenplay/vi4086497561/

The link provided here is for reference purposes. This story is about a regular shoplifter, or booster, who we've not-so-affectionately nicknamed, Juwanna Man. The link will take you to a movie trailer for those of you who have not seen the movie. This will help you picture the person I was dealing with because he acts and looks very similar to the star of this movie.

This story begins well before I was employed at this store. This "Juwanna Man" was like Retail Legend when I arrived. The story was told to me by several different employees. He was described as a thin, tall, feminine black man who was quite the flambouyant homosexual. He would dress with eyecatching accessories including a large flashy handbag, flowery bandanas, necklaces, etc etc. He would always come into the store accompanied by one or two shorter and heavier black females, also carrying the handbags. His M.O. according not only to the employees who work in this store, but other stores I know as well, is that he will arrive and walk around catching the eye of the employees, and quite often the customers as well. While all of the attention was on the flashy guy "shopper" his female partners would remove items from racks and fill their handbags. Since this store didn't have a Loss Prevention person for so long, the employees would witness this, but could do very little to stop them, short of making fake security pages.

Employees would explain these incidents and leave it with a laugh and a shake of their head as they return to work, or changing the subject. I would walk away thinking, "Why can't I have such an obvious shoplifter who everyone sees or knows?"

I would work for over six months hearing an occasional Juwanna Man story, but would never have a Juwanna Man sighting. Then again, I didn't know what he looked like and never even saw the movie or trailer until I just posted it on this blog.

Finally, when I least expected it, this would change.

I was sitting in the office finishing a monthly audit when my phone rang.

"Loss Prevention can I help you?" I answered looking up at the video monitors. It was a female voice on the other end, but at the time I couldn't place who it was because they were half whispering into the phone.

"Hey do you know hwo Juwanna Man is?" the girl asked.

"I know of him, never seen him before..."

"He is in the Children's Apparel Department right now..."

"What color clothes is he wearing?" I tried to get a quick description so I follow the right person especially since I never saw this character.

"He's got a white wife beater on, blue jeans and a red scarf around his head or something..."

"Thank you!" I stood hanging up and heading for the door as quick as I could without drawing attention to myself crossing the store.

As I approached the Kids' Department I slowed down, and grabbed some pants off a rack to throw over my shoulder. If he was as regular a shoplifter as they say, he probably keeps an eye out pretty good for people coming close to them. I wanted to come across as a shopper right away if he happened to see me enter the area.

As I got into the same department, I didn't even look up. I searched through racks of jeans, and cute little outfits, listening as hard as I could for any noise he would be making, and finally I ran my hand through my hair in fake frustration, and glanced up across the racks.

I caught a glimpse of the guy with the red wrap around his head along the side wall filled with kids' underwear. Within thirty seconds, he pulled the straps of a handbag up over his shoulder and began walking for the front desk. I followed his path at a distance. At this point, I didn't see him do anything, I had no reason to stop him, but did want to get a good look at him for future reference. He stopped at the front desk, asked a question, then walked straight out the front doors. I hustled up to the glass doors to try and see what kind of car he travelled in. As expected, he got into the passenger side of a car parked close to the door, and as they pulled out, he stared back at the door. To me, thats a look to make sure nobody followed him out of the store, which also means, he probably just took something in that handbag of his.

I turned from the door back to the front desk and saw the girl there looking at me smiling...

"So did Juwanna man take anything this time?"

"Not while I was watching, but he was already in the racks when I got to him, so yeah probably."

For the next half hour I reviewed the video to see if I could get a look at what he did, if anything, and atleast get a good snapshot of him coming or going. An hour later, Juwanna man had been just a quick hit and run and my mind was on to bigger and better things.

Less than a week later, the girl at the desk called my office.

"Juwanna Man just walked in with a girl and headed toward apparel..."

"Thanks, got'em" and I was out the door.

I walked quickly down the back aisle of the store, expecting them to be close to the front of the store, and walked through Menswear to get behind them. I glanced across the racks as I crept uip the back wall and saw them still in Kids' Apparel. I snuck up behind the stacks of blue jeans and escaped into the stockroom without them ever noticing.

Inside the stockroom I climbed up into the observation tower which was a small booth that was at ceiling height and had a two way mirored window overseeing the salesfloor. The tower came equipped with a stool and binoculars, which both had a layer of dust on them Apparently whoever preceeded me never thought to use this resource. And in this case, since I wasn't hunting deer, I didn't use the binoculars either.

I could see my prey just fine about twenty feet away. To the untrained eye, they looked like a couple shopping for their children's clothes. But what I saw was a guy and a girl nervous, and antsy. They would touch almost every item on the round rack, and wouldnt pick one out until they made it to the back of the rack, where they had a good look at the front desk.Their back was to me, but they didn't expect anyone behind them to watch. As a result, almost as if they were taking turns, they manuevered between racks to where they thought they were hidden, bend over quickly and stuff merchandise into their large handbags. Zipping them up quickly, they would stand up and nonchalantly peek around to see if anyone saw what they had done.

I pulled my cell phone out of my pants pocket as I watched the concealment.

"Hey it's me, I will be stopping them, they are filling their handbags...tell the manager for me." I notified the front desk, let them know what I have and intend to do, and let them notify my witness and the store manager. While they do that, I stay in visual contact with the "perps." Sometimes the time betweeen my notification phone call and the actual stop at the door can be quite long, maybe an hour. On the other hand, they may have all they came for and head right for the door...I never can tell. Either way, I need someone to know whats about to happen.

Unfortunately, this was one of the extended periods. I hid in the tower for what came close to 45 minutes after making my phone call. This becomes an issue because the "help" I asked for at the door may not only become bored waiting, they may get curious and start walking around looking for me or the shoplifter themselves, or need to get back to whatever work they were previously doing. The other thing that happens during this time, is employees talk. By the time I approached the door, still following Juwanna Man, it seemed most if not all employees knew what I was about to do, and what he had done. Now, not only do I havee to remain hidden and undiscovered, the girl at the desk has to act like normal, the girl at the jewelry counter has to act like she knows nothing, the stock boys who have gathered at the front desk have to act like they are on lunch...

I am the only trained in apprehensions, and nobody else should even be around with the exception of my one witness. When I looked around and saw the crowd, I was very concerned. After watching this guy for this long, I didn't want anyone eelse blowing it and scaring him off.

I was perched behind a wall of fake jewelry as he slowly approached the front doors. In front of him about six feet was the girl who also held her handbag tightly under her arm. I didn't want to come out of hiding until he was going through the doors with his bag, and hopefully nab both of them. My witness was pacing around in the vestibule, and I am fairly certain this made Juwanna man nervous too.

Finally, the girl made for the exit, made it through without any alarms, and no employee made a move. Juwanna man took one more lap around a clothing rack nearby, scanned the area one more time and started for the door, swinging his hips back and forth,his large overstuffed handbag tightly under his right arm. As he reached for the glass door, I stood straight up and ran the twenty feet from the Jewelry counter to the vestibule, brushing past curious employees and entering customers.
He was just starting to push open the second door leading outside when I reached out and grabbed his right arm, clenched tight on the bag. I got one syllable out of the phrase..

"Excuse me hold up a second..." the wrods were only formed in my mind and never got a chance to be vocalized. As soon as this guy felt my hand on his arm, he spun toward me, throwing his right arm back, and his left hand toward my face. I spun my head to the right, thinking in a split second he was trying to hit me, when I felt cold liquid running down my face, ear and neck. With that, he pulled his right arm out of my grip and began his sprint across the parking lot, alongside the female who had walked out ahead of him.

I grabbed my face, bent over and turned to see where my witness was. As I wiped my face, and watched the two thieves running for their lives, my not-so-handy witness walked out the exit.

"He just fucking maced me! Watch where they go!" I picked up my cell phone and dialed 9-1-1, not realizing a customer ran into the front desk and told them to call for me already. I walked out to the main road and looked down the block trying to see if I could see where they ran. The dispatcher asked if I needed an ambulance, since I kept repeating... "I can't believe he fucking maced me!" While we talked at the beginning of the call, the mace just felt wet on my skin. By the time I had provided all the descriptions and the details of the incident...the mace felt like it was burning right through my face. I asked to get off the phone so I could go back inside to start rinsing off with cold water. As I walked by the front desk, chins dropped.

"That was you?" "I heard someone got maced, I didn't know it was you!"

I walked straight into the mens room and made a mess as I splashed the water on the left side of my face. For the moment I was in the bathroom, my face felt so much better. I knew I neeeded to meet the police department outside, so I headed back out. Within ten feet of the bathroom door, my face was on fire again! I found I couldn't leave the water source. As soon as it dried and hit the air....the burning would reignite!

The third time I tried to leave the bathroom I was met by a police officer. He looked at my face and called for an ambulance. As I stood with three officers awaiting the ambulance arrival, I reviewed the events that led to this burning situation. It didn't take long as I described the look and mannerisms of the guy who maced me, for the officers to recognize him as a person they knew from prior arrests.

Within the hour an officer returned to the store with a photo line up in one hand, and information on the person they suspected in his other hand. After a quick look at the line up, I selected the right suspect and they went to work. By the end of the night a warrant was drawn up for Retail Theft, Robbery, Assault and related charges.

As of this date, Juwanna Man had a Preliminary Hearing where the charges were held up for a Criminal Trial.

While being interrogated by the Police Detective, he was asked if he had ever maced anyone when he tried to leave the store. His response...

"I don't even carry mace on my keychain!"