With the launch of Elevate, physical security leader Mike Lamb is hoping to evolve the conversation about crime and safety in our communities. Mike’s contributions to retail security are far-reaching, but now he’s focused on helping security professionals in other industries increase life safety, strengthen their defenses, and enhance their strategies.
We asked Mike for his analysis on the first issue and what he believes are the biggest challenges for retail AP/LP leaders at the moment.
Q: As budgets tighten and crime trends continue to creep upward, what can security leaders do to best protect their people and assets?
ML: One of the biggest gaps is in what I like to call “launch and leave.” Companies will advocate for security solutions without a plan to demonstrate the value or ROI. Executives need a monthly executive summary of value gained with attention to leading indicators and lagging indicators. This will help the C-suite better understand what the investment is and how to continue to support your efforts moving forward.
Q: Mike, what was the most eye-opening revelation you had while working on the first issue of Elevate?
ML: It has to be the sharp increase in violence we’re seeing among crime trends. You can view the statistics in this infographic, but an 81% increase in violence from ORC offenders and a 67% yearly jump in violence at retail locations is something to be concerned about. I’m sure other industries are also experiencing this, but I can tell you that I’ve reviewed far too many cases where retail workers were physically assaulted just for doing their jobs. And we’re talking about brutal attacks; clerks severely beaten oftentimes unprovoked. As security leaders, we have a duty to protect our workforce from violence and to create a safe environment for employees. The stakes are high. With many companies struggling to attract and retain workers, closing stores, or shuttering the business altogether—the cost of doing nothing is dire.
Q: Speaking of the data, what is the biggest point of contention among retail crime statistics?
ML: You’re going to get a lot of varying opinions around shrink. Looking at shrink rate gets funky because of the various methods of approach. For example, operators are going to have a different methodology than loss prevention leaders. When we see a published shrink rate from survey data, most of the time it’s meaningless. These figures need to be separated into three buckets: internal theft, external, and operational. I’d really like to hear from operations, AP and LP, and even executives on what their shrink values are and how they’ve changed in the past few years.
Q: One of the topics you addressed in Elevate was the concept of extreme stores. What is an extreme store?
ML: Almost every retailer has a few of these. It’s the 10% of stores that contribute to 90% of the problems. One retailer I was working with had a number of these extreme stores. During site visits, we noticed blatant theft and a disregard for safety happening right in front of our eyes. People were loading up bags and backpacks with product and just walking out. I plan on going more in depth about these stores and what retail leaders can do to reclaim them in an upcoming webinar. You can find that link here.
Q: Who are some of the most respected voices in retail security?
ML: When Ben Dugan walks into a room, people stop and listen. Ben is a trusted voice who is often called on by lawmakers to testify as to what is happening in our stores and how we can best address crime. I’m happy to share some of his insights in this issue of Elevate on how ORC is changing and what retailers can best do to prepare stores and employees that aren’t used to experiencing this problem. I’m also grateful for Dr. Read Hayes, Cory Lowe, and others at the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC). Dr. Hayes was studying retail crime at about the same time I began working in this industry. The LPRC has been instrumental in sharing the issues retailers are facing and focusing on solutions through innovative research. You can read more about their recent study with the ACCESS Taskforce here.
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