Top Dog
EDITOR’S COMMENT
PREVENTING PEOPLE DOING BAD THINGS – LIKE STEALING –
IS LIKE PEELING AN ONION. IT IS MORE COMPLICATED THAN
IT LOOKS AND DONE BADLY CAN END IN TEARS
HERE is inevitable complexity retailers and the criminal justice system closer
T
dealing with fraudsters as it is more though his national crime co-ordinator role.
than a security issue. If staff All have had to engage in almost ‘Heath
members are stealing from you, Robinsonesque’ plans to get the simple task of
tracking, catching and dispatching preventing crime taking place in the retail
them impacts upon a number of environment.
departments – operations, HR and legal – Does it need to be so complex? In the process
each of which has to ensure that the right are we losing the simple message – business
checks and measures are in place before crime is not victimless? It impacts us all through
handing the matter over to the vagaries increased prices at the tills, something we can all
of the Criminal Justice System. do without as the economy struggles. More than
There are a number of examples of this any other employee, store staff are daily on the
complexity in issue 3 of Retail Fraud. Like receiving end of physical and verbal abuse at
the chaos theory of the Humming Bird huge personal cost, not to mention the financial
flapping its tiny wings in South America one, caused by being off work with stress, often
and causing a Tsunami on the other side never to return to front line retail.
of the world, all actions have Similarly guilty of over-complexity are the
consequences; those inevitable ripples vendors and the language they use to promote
caused when a dishonest pebble is cast their technologies. The English language is rich
into the water. and varied, but it becomes a blunt and
Those ripples start when someone incomprehensible tool in the hands of the
decides, for whatever reason, to change from a jargon-nauts and their PR machines who are
legitimate customer or member of staff to a over-complicating the descriptions of the
thief. It is the full impact of those consequences technology to point of silliness.
that should be remembered before they release I have had to jettison a number of probably
their pebble. They are likely to lose their job, good stories on re-entry into the real world
their standing in the community; gain a criminal because they crash and burn on the point of
record, be unable to get future employment; making any sense. It is not rocket science, it is an
Watch out for the next their children could be teased and bullied at every day application that should describe every
issue of Retail Fraud: school because of that decision. day benefits, not how many whistles and bells it
● Spotlight on CCTV In this issue, head of loss prevention at Boots has.
Focus on Retail Fraud Robert Jennings talks candidly about how his The message must be kept simple so that we
Show 2009 role has to impact every department because he all support it and get it across to Government
wants to bring about a culture of zero-tolerance that the time for talking is over and the time for
If you would like to to shrink across the business. concerted action is upon us. In the magazine, I
contribute news items, Similarly, the new Director General of the BRC refer to the old adage: When all is said and
feature ideas, letters or Stephen Robertson talks about his crime done, there is more said than done. Never a
have any comments, strategy and the layers of complexity involved in truer word was spoken.
contact engaging with police and Government. Andy John Wilson
john@retailevents.co.uk Pope at the Co-operative likewise wants to bring Editor
ISSUE 3 DECEMBER 2008 • 01
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