​We all know the holiday season is very busy with a lot more people out shopping than usual. So how are you going to maintain your security and safety programs during this busy time?

Since the cannabis holiday season operates differently from the rest of the year, you need to understand exactly how your current programs handle security and safety. After you understand your current programs, you need to plan what would be an efficient way to manage these programs when there are a lot more people in your store. You cannot indifferently rely on the same security and safety procedures you have all year, but instead, need a more dynamic program when it comes to these busy days. Your security and safety programs give your employees concise instructions, which are not only clear but easy to follow.

For the Customers/Patients:

During the holiday season, most people are more stressed and distracted. That’s why it’s even more important for you to be comfortable and trust your normal security policies and procedures before the season even starts. This trust will make it much easier to implement additional security and safety procedures during the holiday’s season. You will need to make sure in advance that every security measure is working properly i.e.: video systems, door locks, alarms system, safe, etc.

If there is something that isn't working properly, you should fix it now – not during the holiday season. Don’t block any cameras or alarms with holiday displays. Anything you put up at the store should be stationary and not interfere with your security infrastructure. Always ensure that vulnerable areas are properly locked or taken care of at all times, i.e. high dollar showcases.

For Potential Robbers:

Unfortunately, during the holiday season, external theft such as armed robberies, burglaries, and shoplifters also increase. Just as it is throughout the rest of the year, proper training of your theft awareness programs for all employees is extremely important. Every employee should be aware of how to react during these incidents.

What is an example of a good robbery prevention program?

• Good customer service and attention to detail are the simplest and number one point to a robbery prevention program.
• Greeting every customer when they come in the door doesn’t just help with sales, but it also helps with acknowledging a potential thief. Robbers don’t want to be acknowledged.
• The greeting gives you an opportunity to identify what the customer looks like and to begin a conversation.
• Proper lighting in and outside the store communicates to the possible thief that the stores have taken efforts to prevent and monitor losses.
• Have a store security code phrase to warn other employees that something is not right.

Employees should be instructed to try not to panic in an event of a robbery and always cooperate with the robber(s). The employee should be instructed to give the robber what they want and be calm to them. Never be aggressive or defensive, because that puts not only you but also everyone inside the store in more danger.

For Your Staff:

Another important policy to discuss with your staff is store opening and closing procedures. A 20-minute meeting before Thanksgiving may be sufficient to review your Holiday security and safety programs. Having a daily security/safety checklist with reminders for your employees is important to the security and safety of your location.

You should never open or close your store alone and there should always be at least two employees in the store at all times. When opening and closing the store, an employee should always be looking for any unusual activities in the parking lot. This will ensure a more safe and secure environment and also deter robbers.

One of the most important aspects of security is trust in your team. Security and safety at your dispensary should never rely only on one person. Remember, it is a team effort, where every single member of a company knows security and safety policies and procedure and its limitations.

For Yourself:

Remember that we work to live, not live to work, so take time to enjoy and appreciate the Holiday Season.

• Make sure to spend holiday time with family and friends while still operating your business.
• If offered, use your employee discount to take advantage of your store’s bargains.
• If possible, get involved in the community to help others.
• Smile! A smile uses fewer muscles than a frown, so relax and enjoy the Holiday Season.

In conclusion, being proactive vs. reactive with your security and safety programs can make all the difference in your holiday season.

Best wishes for a very safe and prosperous Holiday Season!

Jose Alarcon is the Operations Manager at Sapphire Risk Advisory Group. Jose has a degree in Business Administration from Universidad San Francisco de Quito in Ecuador. He comes from three generations of worldwide physical security designers.

Imagine a retailer in your town...This retailer has a structural hierarchy just like yours. There are managers who oversee operations and train new employees. There are employees who obtain the product. There are employees who price, merchandise, and sell the product. There are even employees marketing the business in the community. Imagine this retailer was selling the same product as you. They are rapidly growing, attracting new customers and employees every day, have multiple locations, and most of their competition is completely unaware they even exist.

Now imagine this retailer is selling your product for fifty percent less than what you do, has an astronomical profit margin, and is generating more money than your business. Sounds pretty hard to compete with, right? Well, you’re probably breathing a sigh of relief that this is an imaginary scenario. But, it’s not. There’s probably a retailer just like this in your town that you didn’t even know existed. What’s worse is that product they are selling for so much less than you might have come directly from your store. 

Who Are They?

​They are organized retail crime (ORC), and they cost the retail industry 30 billion dollars a year. They are highly efficient groups who professionally shoplift, and then sell that stolen product out of flea markets, apartments, or online websites for significantly less than the retail price. While you may have heard the term ORC before, you probably have never heard them referred to as a retailer or business. But in every sense, that is just what they are. Think of them as having every characteristic of your business. Structure, training, employees, and bottom lines. They know their business as well as you know yours, and they are very good at it. 

How Do They Operate?​

The lifeblood of any ORC group is stolen merchandise. These organizations know what product is selling at what times and usually seek to exploit that. Typically, they will send a group of two to four individuals with a list of product, who will work for eight to ten hours a day shoplifting merchandise from various stores. They can typically hit ten to twenty stores a day for thousands of dollars each. Remember, these aren’t your typical shoplifters. They are specially trained to use group tactics and get the most merchandise in the least amount of time possible. It’s very possible for them to have hit your store and you not even know it. Remember, this is their profession, and they are skilled at it.
After the merchandise is stolen and sold, the money is used to pay the shoplifters, and to grow the group. Often these groups are using that cash for other ventures such as dealing in illegal drugs or stolen weapons.  

How Do We Compare?

The key to protecting your business and beating organized retail crime is preparation, procedure, and communication. You want to make your business a hard target for these groups. The goal is to make them feel like their exposure is too high in your store so they go somewhere else. Here are a few tips to make that happen:

1. A culture of customer service can cure almost anything in business. It’s no different here. These people don’t want to be seen because they don’t want to be identified later. My rule for dealing with suspected shoplifters is to have each associate customer service them five times. Almost every time they will dump the merchandise and leave.
2. Utilize your camera system the very best way you can. Where your cameras are pointed is critical. Install public view monitors at your entrance, and over high-value merchandise. This will ensure these groups know their image is being captured. As a bonus, it will make your regular customers feel safer.
3. Know your product and utilize the best product protection possible. As added security for clothing, you can criss-cross the hangers of your high-value product. This will keep them from being able to take an entire rack of clothing all at once. Remember, these shoplifters want to spend as little time as possible in your store. It’s all about exposure; If they feel like stealing the merchandise will take too long, they will go somewhere else. 
4. Lastly, try to network with other retailers in your area. Knowledge is power, and the more we communicate, the better we can all be one step ahead of these groups. 

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So, are you competing against organized retail crime?​Well, yes, in reality we all are. It’s not a question of whether you have been affected by ORC, it’s a question of WHEN you will be affected. Remember, with proper preparation, procedures, and communication, we can win against organized retail crime.

DO YOU HAVE A WRITTEN POLICY TO ADDRESS ANY OF THESE SCENARIOS?

• Your manager decides to come in to your store alone early on a Sunday morning to catch up on some paperwork. He is approached as he enters the store and forced to empty the safe of all the cash.
• You find out that a trusted employee has taken home a lawnmower, Xbox, and a pair of diamond earrings without getting approval from anyone. She said she was borrowing them and planned to put them back next week.
• A person grabs a gold chain from your employee and runs out the door. Your employee pulls out his handgun and shoots at the person running away. The bullet misses and strikes an innocent person in the parking lot.

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As a business owner, it’s very important to have written policies and procedures to grow and protect your business.
If you take a look at any successful business, you will see they all have a “road map for success”. This road map was developed over time by identifying and correcting business mistakes.  ​