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.