Introduction

We all have been to stores that utilize electronic surveillance or sensor tag techniques in hopes of staving off criminals. Some of us also have been the victim of a false alarm with regards to security sensors while exiting the store. If this has ever happened to you, you probably were motioned to return to the checkout counter where the clerk did “something” to your merchandise, and then you were free to go. This time when you walked back out, the alarm did not sound. Obviously, this technology is extremely vital to the survival of businesses and the stability of the economy. If there were no prevention practices to reduce shoplifting, shoplifting would occur so much that it would become the national pastime. Businesses, especially smaller ones, simply cannot lose money that way. In theory, if the damage is significant enough, the burden is put back on the shoulders of the consumers who have to pay higher prices to compensate for the store's financial loss.

Each year the average loss of stolen merchandise per incident has also increased. In 2002, it was $207.18 per incident, according to Florida's 2002 National Retail Security Survey. In 2003, the average loss increased to $265.30. An estimated $60 billion is lost anually worldwide from retailers due to shoplifting, with $10 billion being from the United States.

Obviously shoplifting is pretty high on the corporation's nightmare list. Shoplifting means tighter profit margins, increased inventory prices, and sales loss. If severe enough, these consequences can lead to workers being laid off. So the question is, how have companies cut back on shoplifting in a both effective and cost-efficient way?

The most popular form of security control is through the use of closed circuit television (CCTV). This involves multiple security cameras all connected a central location via direct, closed means such as cables. Having a host of security cameras with guards monitoring them can be a great theft deterrent if implemented properly. In the case of clandestine cameras, the thief will go about his or her usual business of stealing, but the potential thief could reason with himself to attempt to shoplift because there exists no threat. The best solution is to have conspicuous cameras, and ideally, a video display of in view of customers. This way, potential thieves will likely be dissuaded and leave for other easier, more vulnerable stores. The main purpose of these security camears is not to catch the thief in action, but rather to act as a general deterrent.

A huge influx of CCTV systems has caused a debate regarding security versus privacy. Are we compromising our privacy for the sake of security? The United Kingdom has more CCTV cameras than any other country, with roughly 1 camera for every 14 people.

Image of 3 year old James Bulger being
led away by his murderers in the UK

There are multiple ways businesses battle shrinkage, the business term for loss of merchandise through theft. In this article, we will focus on the slightly more involved means of shrinkage prevention and second most popular option: sensor systems. All the different varieties of these sensors systems are all referred to as Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) Systems . These systems involve gates at the entrances and exits of the stores, and on some, if not all merchandise, a special security tag.

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