Strengthen Retail Security & Enhance Workplace Safety with
Off-Duty Law Enforcement

Discover how off-duty law enforcement enhances safety and deters crime while protecting employees and assets.

Retailers are under more pressure than ever to prevent theft, ensure employee safety and maintain business continuity across stores. Criminal activities are on the rise, and they can severely disrupt operations, leading to financial losses and a tarnished reputation. Workplace security not only safeguards assets and sensitive information but also protects employees and visitors, fostering a safe and productive environment.

Hiring off-duty law enforcement is a proven way to level up your retail security strategy. Off-duty personnel are uniquely positioned to deter criminal activities, respond swiftly in emergencies and provide an added layer of protection. By integrating off-duty law enforcement into your security strategy, you can create a safer, more secure workplace environment.

Protos Security's workplace security blog explores ways that off-duty law enforcement can benefit retailers and increase workplace safety.

Read more here
 

Are Your Stores Ready for Holiday Crime?
Balancing vigilance with customer experience remains a key challenge

Holiday Surge: Retailers Brace for Seasonal Spike in Organized Theft

By the D&D Daily staff

As holiday shopping ramps up, retailers across the country are preparing for more than just long lines and crowded parking lots — they’re bracing for a seasonal surge in organized retail crime (ORC).

The National Retail Federation and other industry groups have long reported that theft incidents — from grab-and-run shoplifting to coordinated multi-store operations — tend to climb in November and December. The increase is partly tied to higher store traffic and product volume, creating ideal cover for criminal groups to operate more aggressively and blend in with legitimate shoppers.

While many retailers bolster staffing and security during the holidays, experts say professional crime rings are adapting just as quickly. They often target high-demand, easy-to-resell products like electronics, fragrances, designer apparel, and over-the-counter medications. These stolen goods frequently end up on online marketplaces or in informal resale networks, where they’re difficult to trace.

The rise of self-checkout and curbside pickup has added new layers of complexity. Retail security teams now monitor not just the sales floor but digital order systems and parking-lot handoffs. “The challenge isn’t just physical theft anymore — it’s the hybrid tactics that combine online deception with in-person execution,” said one industry security consultant.

At the same time, law enforcement partnerships are expanding. Local police, retail alliances, and national ORC task forces have stepped up intelligence sharing ahead of the peak shopping weeks. Many retailers are also investing in analytics platforms that flag suspicious patterns across multiple stores in real time.

Still, balancing vigilance with customer experience remains a key challenge. Overly aggressive anti-theft tactics can alienate legitimate shoppers at the very moment stores rely most on strong holiday sales.

Industry leaders agree that prevention hinges on collaboration — between retailers, law enforcement, and technology partners — and on maintaining consistent deterrence, even after the decorations come down. As one asset protection executive put it, “Criminals treat the holidays like an opportunity. We have to treat them like a test.”


'Tis the Season for Increased Shoplifting
How East of England Co-op’s security business targets retail crime at Christmas

Security business Secure Response works to combat higher levels of shoplifting and other forms of retail crime at Christmas.

The East of England Co-op’s security business manages the security of its food stores and other clients in retail as well as solar farms, warehouses, and historic sites.

The rise in retail crime at Christmas is partly due to money being tighter for those wishing to commit shop theft in the build-up to the festive season, higher value items being available on shelves and because of an increased demand for shoplifted items from nefarious re-sellers, organised gangs or individuals.

Spirits, meat and boxed chocolates are primary targets for shoplifters over the festive period.

Secure Response said it is vigilant all year round, but at Christmas there is an increase in high level patrols, which involves having more uniformed colleagues working on the ground to deter serious crime in or around stores.

Security colleagues use point to point radios to ensure that they can communicate with one another effectively and wear body cams to collect evidence while on patrol.

All of its food stores have body cameras, along with monitored CCTV and alarm systems, to allow its ARC to respond to incidents as they occur.

Secure Response work closely with the police service to deal with repeat, organised offenders. The proactive partnership with the police service has led to Secure Response helping to commit offenders to prison for a combined sentence of over 46 years in 2024.

Trade union Usdaw’s Freedom From Fear report found 77% of shopworkers have experienced verbal abuse and 53% were threatened by a customer. Abuse against store colleagues is likely to increase when shoplifting activity spikes during busy shopping periods such as Christmas.  talkingretail.com


Another Mall Opens Police Substation
Santa Monica police deploy enhanced patrols from new mall substation

The Santa Monica Police Department (SMPD) is opening a new 863-square-foot substation on the ground floor of the Santa Monica Place Mall.

The city of Santa Monica and Santa Monica Place on Thursday announced the upcoming opening of a new Santa Monica Police Department substation. It's part of the city's newly adopted realignment plan, which prioritizes public safety and downtown revitalization.

Both city and police officials emphasized that the move is a visible commitment to safety and proactive policing. The new substation is the central component of a revised and expanded deployment strategy for the downtown area, specifically designed to provide continuous high-visibility coverage.

The 863-square-foot facility is on the ground level of Santa Monica Place, anchoring a visible law enforcement presence in a busy commercial corridor.

It will serve as a hub for officers to coordinate operations, respond quickly to incidents, and maintain close partnership with downtown stakeholders.

The plan aims to place public safety and downtown revitalization at the forefront of Santa Monica’s recovery efforts. foxla.com


The Great Debate Over Sending Troops Into Cities
OPINION: Trump right to call in troops when big cities falter
ederal officials take an oath to support and defend the Constitution “against all enemies, foreign and domestic.” The federal government exists, in part, to "insure domestic tranquility,” according to the first sentence of the Constitution. The federal government retains tools to act when local systems fail.

President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in the nation's capital and his federalizing of the city's police force are not overreach. Those actions are in keeping with the Founders' promise of domestic tranquility. That promise is not theoretical — it’s textual and enduring.

Federal involvement is not categorically “militarized policing.” The Posse Comitatus Act limits the use of federal troops in civilian law enforcement. Still, Congress created exceptions, most notably the Insurrection Act, precisely for moments when ordinary mechanisms break down.

Narrow, lawful federal support to protect federal functions, reinforce overwhelmed federal and state law enforcement agencies, or stabilize a spiraling situation is not only permissible. In Washington, it is a federal responsibility. tucson.com


Oakland Fruitvale merchants seek help from city to address crime concerns
Merchants of Oakland’s Fruitvale neighborhood are crying out for help as more and more businesses say they are being force to shut their doors and fold.

Seattle crime survey reveals a decade of shifting safety concerns
 

Did Retail Security Budgets Increase or Decrease in 2025?
The 2025 Security Benchmark Report

This year’s report offers security leaders insights into how they and their peers have matured their programs’ role, technology, training and budget over the last year.

Sector Report: Agriculture, Food & Beverage, Retail, Pharma & Biotech

This sector includes those organizations reporting agriculture, farming, food production & processing, retail, food & beverage services, restaurant, pharmaceuticals or biotechnology as their primary market sector of business.

Download the full report here