Reduce Employee Theft with Business Video Surveillance

• July 15, 2018
• by Carlos Lopez

A recent report by the National Retail Federation (NRF) pegs annual retail inventory shrinkage at 1.44 percent. As with any other business statistic, your mileage may vary, but there’s no such thing as “good” shrink. After all, most retail businesses operate on tight margins, so any loss hurts. A business video surveillance system installed by Security Doctors can help you reduce or eliminate shrink in the forms of shoplifting and employee theft.

Why Security Cameras?

A good remote-monitored camera system protects more than your physical inventory. In areas prone to high theft, property crimes, or potential crimes against your employees, high-definition security cameras watching your registers and sales floor can not only act as a deterrent (thereby keeping your employees safer), but can also aid in the capture and prosecution of criminals. If your store has blind spots, cameras can be your eyes on the places where thieves like to squirrel away merchandise and fill up backpacks or booster bags.

How Our Security Systems Work

Broadly speaking, you can either opt for cameras that are hidden, or those that are highly visible. Each serves a purpose. In the former instance, the visibility of a camera puts potential thieves — customers or employees alike — on notice. Other times, it helps to monitor areas like your stockroom with cameras that aren’t as easy to detect. After all, a visible camera will often keep honest people honest, but a hidden camera can be key for capturing and prosecuting bad behavior when the perpetrators think nobody’s looking.

Look Beyond the Monitor

There’s something else that deserves a passing mention: non-inventory shrink. Earlier, we mentioned the value of monitoring your cash wrap with a high-def camera. However, if you’re using a modern POS system, you should also be monitoring your daily reports for signs that employees are tapping the till. Assign registers whenever possible, and make sure your terminals are equipped for XBR (Exception Based Reporting).

Other Uses for Remote Monitoring

Up to this point, we’ve primarily concerned ourselves with using video surveillance in a retail setting as part of a comprehensive loss-prevention strategy. And while it’s true that video surveillance has a proven worth when dealing with shoplifting and employee theft, there are uses for these systems besides their role in reducing shrink. If, for instance, you employ a night cleaning crew in your office building, or if you’re having maintenance done off-hours, it helps to have eyes on those activities so that employees’ belongings or your business’s critical assets don’t go missing.

Pay Attention to the Fundamentals

There’s another thing to remember in addition to any monitoring systems you put in place: the human systems you put in place to prevent theft in any business. That means conducting reference and background checks, setting out clear expectations by means of clear written policies, and — especially — knowing and engaging with your employees, since those relationships can be the single biggest deterrent to workplace theft.

Do you need help with Chicago business security? Contact Security Doctors Illinois at 847-386-8838 today for a free business security consultation. Our 35 years’ experience, 24/7 security monitoring, and extensive expertise can help you identify and solve your security problems.

Take the Steps to Reduce Employee Theft

Request a consultation with Security Doctors, Chicago’s Best Home and Business Security Company

Back to view all blog posts

Comments

Name (required) Email (will not be published, required) Comment