retail convert on your own any point?

[IDS]

Started a new guarding job few days a week and from my previous post I mentioned that I have a free run to do what I please to catch thieves. I am thinking on going covert this week but thinking is there any point when on your own? I worked Store detective in the past with a uniformed guard but never alone so...

Any point?

[superstacker]

a store in my centre are single manned with a plain clothes guard. They mainly work cameras out of sight, and then do the stop after the person has left the store. Sometimes they will radio for backup on the door to assist them with the stop, sometimes they will do the stop alone.

It's critical if you are doing a plain clothes stop to identify yourself clearly and loudly as soon as you approach the suspect. IE

EXCUSE ME, STORE SECURITY, CAN YOU FOLLOW ME BACK INTO THE STORE PLEASE.

move them quickly and confidently back into the store, do not give them time to explain themselves on the street, get them to the holding room and then explain yourself. If you have a radio, carry it. Even if no one is there to back you up, pretend to use it. A simple "security to control, thats a stop, please monitor" will make the suspect think you have backup, and will prevent them thinking about running.

As for how to act as a store detective, I honestly have no clue lol!

[IDS]

I forgot to add that this store has no cctv at all, but it is a store within a shopping center. I will give going solo plain clothed tomorrow see my results thanks mate

[superstacker]

do you have a radio to centre security? Assuming they are actually any good?

[IDS]

It is a shop watch connected to center security and city cctv

[superstacker]

my advice is to explain to centre security what you are up to, and that you may want some back up for a stop, so if they can wait outside your door.

Just don't put them in a position where they are making false stops, they should be only assisting you ;)

[IDS]

They are all good lads most a door supervisors in town so worked with most of them thanks mate

[superstacker]

in which case, borrow beg and steal them to help you escort them back to your holding room, and to wait with you until the Police/PCSO's arrive. I've heard of people getting stabbed in holding rooms when a suspect is informed the police are coming.

Also, you are going to need some MG11 forms (witness statement) to hand to police later in the day after the arrest. So ensure your statement writing is top notch ;)

[parajack]

All this chasing round doing the wannabee copper bit....waste of fcuking time...if there theiving fcuk them off,tell em to drop the stuff and do one,and bar them....saves time,means you dont have to have any dealings with coppers and courts and you are straight back on the shop floor....saved stores thousands using these methods ...
managers were happy,b ut the regional managers hated me...

well they were all ex coppers justifying their salaries .......

[superstacker]

:shock: All this chasing round doing the wannabee copper bit....waste of fcuking time...if there theiving fcuk them off,tell em to drop the stuff and do one,and bar them....saves time,means you dont have to have any dealings with coppers and courts and you are straight back on the shop floor....saved stores thousands using these methods ...
managers were happy,b ut the regional managers hated me...

well they were all ex coppers justifying their salaries .......

I guess it depends whether the firm are after you to issue Civil Recovery Notices. Do bear in mind Para that my knowledge on this subject is from the view of the shopping centre security, as opposed to the in-store teams.

Some of the stores are pretty much the same as what you say here. We never hear from them, they deter all their thefts and have a quiet life for it. I have another store that do not deter, watch on camera and then catch them leaving, call the police, civil recovery and ban them. I have another two stores that are somewhere inbetween.

I do agree that there is a lot to be said for doing an obvious follow around with a great big "f**k OFF" look on your face. This is a method I employ to help out stores without their own security, and it works wonders. However I do not have to report to any area manager my figures for stock recovery, deters and arrests like other stores have to. I'm there to simply help them secure their store, however they choose to do it...

[outofmind12]

:shock: All this chasing round doing the wannabee copper bit....waste of fcuking time...if there theiving fcuk them off,tell em to drop the stuff and do one,and bar them....saves time,means you dont have to have any dealings with coppers and courts and you are straight back on the shop floor....saved stores thousands using these methods ...
managers were happy,b ut the regional managers hated me...

well they were all ex coppers justifying their salaries .......

with the state the country is in right now para, who cares whats a waste of time or not...

if somebody is willing to pay for you to attempt to catch these scumbags and help them push for arrests etc..., or even just provide a visual deterrent then your going to take it!

i agree that the legal system makes dealing with shoplifters a pain, but if there was no security at all then the theiving w***** would soon twig that there will be no consequences for their actions and shops will lose even more stock, pushing prices up for everyone else.

so if the store owners / managers want to push for court action against theives then you gotta do what u gotta do.


i do agree with what your saying tho. its much easier to take back the stolen property, ban them from the store, scare them, tell them you have their picture and if they come back into store the police will be called. i cannot stand writing statements for the police, and so far i am yet to go to court (thank god).

[Mike123]

I worked on my own for over a year as a SD. There were no other stores near by so i didn't really have any back up from other guards and what not, nor did we have a radio link to the Council's CCTV system, even though it was requested many times.

If it came down to it and i had a very violent offender or stopped 2 or more people, the store managers and other staff would always assist when ever they thought there would be a problem, great bunch of lads.

As said already, just make sure you identify yourself properly before doing anything and a quick flash of your SIA license too.

[karlbee]

in which case, borrow beg and steal them to help you escort them back to your holding room, and to wait with you until the Police/PCSO's arrive. I've heard of people getting stabbed in holding rooms when a suspect is informed the police are coming.

Also, you are going to need some MG11 forms (witness statement) to hand to police later in the day after the arrest. So ensure your statement writing is top notch ;)

I always stand by the door in the managers office where we hold shoplifters, I ask them to sit down and be comfortable. There are 2 CO2 fire extinguishers by the door, one with the catch off. If I believe they are going to attempt to stab me they would be getting CO2 to the face and I will be the other side of the door as they thaw out.

[parajack]

:shock: All this chasing round doing the wannabee copper bit....waste of fcuking time...if there theiving fcuk them off,tell em to drop the stuff and do one,and bar them....saves time,means you dont have to have any dealings with coppers and courts and you are straight back on the shop floor....saved stores thousands using these methods ...
managers were happy,b ut the regional managers hated me...

well they were all ex coppers justifying their salaries .......

with the state the country is in right now para, who cares whats a waste of time or not...

if somebody is willing to pay for you to attempt to catch these scumbags and help them push for arrests etc..., or even just provide a visual deterrent then your going to take it!

i agree that the legal system makes dealing with shoplifters a pain, but if there was no security at all then the theiving w***** would soon twig that there will be no consequences for their actions and shops will lose even more stock, pushing prices up for everyone else.

so if the store owners / managers want to push for court action against theives then you gotta do what u gotta do.


i do agree with what your saying tho. its much easier to take back the stolen property, ban them from the store, scare them, tell them you have their picture and if they come back into store the police will be called. i cannot stand writing statements for the police, and so far i am yet to go to court (thank god).

I just dont like coppers or courts,and as to civil recovery....these people dont have anything to start with.....i have no problem with people earning a living and of course the dreaded 'targets'
the stock loss figures speak for themselves to show the effectivness of the prevent entry/bar suspected ,identified theives....always works,and very easy to do...
Course.....eliminating the 'in house'shrinkage is much more difficult in my view....

[IDS]

tried covert today waste of time the staff are a bunch of mongs "why are you not wearing a uniform" ""Security to fitting rooms" me "please don't call me to the fitting rooms as it defeats the purpose "ok" 1 hour passes "Security to fitting rooms" Grrrr

So..

No more covert in this store unless manager clues up staff