Retail stores are a vital part of any community. They conveniently and quickly provide the goods local people want and need. Shops are places where residents work and build their careers. Finally, stores also provide entertainment and can be a welcome diversion for busy, stressed citizens.

However, ongoing thefts and looting intimidates workers, shoppers, and their loved ones while boosting fear of criminal victimization. Store thefts can result in Injury and worse, as well as strip stores of desirable goods local citizens seek. This forces the local shopper to look elsewhere for better, safer shopping options.

Partnerships

No individual store or even chain can flourish alone in this climate of increasing crime victimization and lower consequences for those that harm others. Retailers are working together to build stronger, science-based, cross-company, local policymaker, and law enforcement partnerships at the individual retail center and market levels in part via the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC).

Over 70 US retail companies work together with 80 protective solution companies and PhD-level research scientists on anti-crime community engagement and technological solutions via Gainesville, FL based Loss Prevention Research Council. LPRC’s Director and University of Florida Research Scientist/Criminologist Read Hayes, PhD works with a team of eight to support retailers as they deal with theft, fraud, and violence across their stores and supply chain using data analytics, randomized field experiments, offender interviews, a series of simulated retail environment labs, and other scientific methods.

What and How

Through the cross-company communication and engagement of senior executives, investigators, and other individuals within the LPRC’s member organizations, research is being conducted to assist in evidence-based decision making. With over 200 past research projects, the LPRC, through its multiple partners, is one of the leading research organizations involved in studying crime in the retail space.

The LPRC team is available to discuss retail crime dynamics, and group and individual crime reduction strategies and tactics!