The Role of the LP Executive is Changing

That is the title of an article in Security Director News on Wednesday.  The article was based on a speech by Paul Jones, VP of Asset Protection for the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA), at a Milestone Symposium in Las Vegas.

The article is quite short, but I thought this paragraph was important: 

Why? Budgets and staffing levels are being reduced yet shoplifting, employee theft and organized retail crime are problems that continue to proliferate retailers worldwide. These days, LP executives are being asked to not only control shrink but develop executive protection, brand protection and crisis management plans in addition to shrink reduction and control programs.

That is a pretty good summary of the role of Loss Prevention in any retail environment.  Its no different than any other role in any other company.  As organizations reduce staff, those that remain have to pick up the slack.  The problem for LP is that their job of controlling shrink is getting harder every day.  Just because people are buying less doesn’t mean they are stealing less too.

In fact, its the inverse that is true.  As sales go down, shrink goes up in a recession.