LPRC in the
News
Retail crime makes the news every day all across the country. Here’s where you can find out how the Loss Prevention Research Council is progressing in our efforts to prevent, predict, and stop retail crime in its tracks.
If you’re a member of the media and wish to speak to one of our research scientists, please contact us through this online form.
Top Stories
Dr. Read Hayes of the LPRC Is Recognized as a Global Thought Leader
Loss Prevention Magazine - The Life Safety Alliance (LSA) has announced its Top 40 Global Thought Leaders in Security and Life Safety, recognizing professionals who have demonstrated significant...
Get Bricks quick: collectible Lego sets fuel growing black market
The Guardian - Discover how authorities are addressing the rise of a black market for valuable LEGO sets, and learn from Dr. Read Hayes about the crucial role of effective loss prevention in safeguarding businesses from theft, fraud, and operational errors. Read the...
Life Safety Alliance announces Top 40 Global Thought Leaders in Security and Life Safety
Security Info Watch - The Life Safety Alliance recently announced the leading experts in security and life safety, including Dr. Read Hayes of LPRC. Explore how their pioneering efforts are influencing the industry. Delve deeper for an insightful understanding of this...
Get Bricks quick: collectible Lego sets fuel growing black market
The Guardian - Discover how authorities are addressing the rise of a black market for valuable LEGO sets, and learn from Dr. Read Hayes about the...
Life Safety Alliance announces Top 40 Global Thought Leaders in Security and Life Safety
Security Info Watch - The Life Safety Alliance recently announced the leading experts in security and life safety, including Dr. Read Hayes of LPRC....
Older Posts
Oregon Police Make Surprising Sweep to Recover Stolen Lego
KissFM1053 - The Springfield Police Department has successfully recovered over $200,000 of stolen LEGO sets after conducting a thorough three-month investigation into a large-scale retail theft operation. Read the full article here.
Self-checkout’s ‘Enormous Issue’ Exposed in Alleged Pokémon Price Swaps at Local Targets
CBS12 NEWS - Self-checkout systems are quickly becoming the norm, yet their convenience has introduced a new array of theft-related challenges. Read the full article here.
Oregon Police Make Surprising Sweep to Recover Stolen Lego
KissFM1053 - The Springfield Police Department has successfully recovered over $200,000 of stolen LEGO sets after conducting a thorough three-month investigation into a...
Self-checkout’s ‘Enormous Issue’ Exposed in Alleged Pokémon Price Swaps at Local Targets
CBS12 NEWS - Self-checkout systems are quickly becoming the norm, yet their convenience has introduced a new array of theft-related challenges. Read the full article here.
Dozens of Burglars Storm LA Store as Other Retailers Use Body Cameras to Prevent Retail Theft
NBC NEWS - As shoplifters become more aggressive and inventory losses are primarily driven by theft, learn how retailers are using body cameras to prevent retail theft and...
The Science of Stealing: Researchers study shoplifting at UF’s ‘Safer Places Lab’
FOX35ORLANDO.COM (FOX35) - As worldwide shoplifting surges, especially organized crime (up 26%), retailers seek help from the LPRC by using innovative tech and tactics to...
Outsmarting Shoplifters
CBSNEWS.COM - As shoplifting costs retailers billions., correspondent Rita Braver explores the LPRC's efforts to help retailers fight theft with futuristic strategies. Read...
Private Investigators and Emerging Tech are Helping to Crack Down on Beauty’s Retail Crime
GLOSSY.CO - CHP's Organized Retail Crime Taskforce has seized over $41 million in stolen goods since 2019, exposing a surge in ORC and prompting a united...
Renowned Asset Protection Leader Mike Lamb Selected as LPRC’s INNOVATE Program Senior Advisor – PR | 4.1.24
Renowned Asset Protection Leader Mike Lamb Selected as LPRC’s INNOVATE Program Senior Advisor GAINESVILLE, April 1st, 2024- Retail crime victimization continues to create...
AI is Helping Retailers Fight Back Against Organized Theft
YAHOO!FINANCE - Learn how AI in retail stops theft as Target, Walmart, and Home Depot team up on tech like heat maps to predict and prevent major losses, keeping everyone...
Fighting the Growing Threat of Crime and Violence in Retail Spaces
University of Florida - At the LPRC INTEGRATE Summit, retail professionals tackle theft, fraud, and violence and discuss preventing active shooters, emphasizing...
UF Spearheads Nationwide Effort to Combat Retail Theft
ALLIGATOR.ORG - The University of Florida's SaferPlaces Lab tests 400+ retail anti-theft tech devices in a mock store, helping curb theft and protect businesses...
Stopping Shoplifting? Researchers at UF Lab Think Like a Shoplifter to Deter, Detect Costly Crime
News4JAX.com - The University of Florida's SaferPlaces Lab combats shoplifting by testing innovative technology to protect stores & shoppers, saving you money....
Butler Plaza opens Alachua County Sheriff’s Office Substation
MAINSTREETDAILYNEWS.COM - Alachua Sheriff partners with Butler Plaza for a new substation to boost security, shorten response times, and keep shoppers safe at a...
NVIDIA and Loss Prevention Retail Council Introduce AI Solution to Address Organized Retail Crime
NVIDIA.COM - NVIDIA & LPRC team up with AI firms to fight organized retail theft and provide real-time alerts on suspicious activity in stores that can revolutionize...
Schnucks Installs Anti-Theft Liquor Cabinets in at Least 40 Stores
STLTODAY.COM - Schnucks supermarket chain fights liquor theft with phone-accessed cabinets to deter shoplifters while offering a smooth experience for honest shoppers. Read...
NIRO Knowledge
NIRO Knowledge is a podcast for those looking to learn about crime analysis and evidence based policing from those within the community. Listen to the full podcast here.
Interviewing a Thief
Today we are joined by Read Hayes, PHD from The Loss Prevention Research Council to talk about his innovative method of interviewing thieves to better understand the key...
1on1 with Read Hayes of the Loss Prevention Research Council
The Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) at the University of Florida plays an important role in the retail loss prevention industry, providing evidence-based research...
Retail Risk – Podcast
Intelligence & insight from the world of retail risk. Hosted by Paul Bessant. Listen to the podcast here.
The One Retail AI Use Case That Stands Out Above the Rest
Retailers are increasingly leveraging self-checkout (SCO) systems to reduce customer friction, improve margins, and better compete with online shopping convenience....
Inside the University of Florida’s Anti-Shoplifting ‘Store’
GAINESVILLE, Fla. (FOX 13) - We see crazy robbery attempts caught on security camera all the time. But at a "store" in Gainesville, the crimes are on purpose, and the...
The Use of Autonomous Mobile Robots in Retail
You’re visiting the grocery store when the announcement “spill in aisle four” sounds off. Since you’re on aisle three, you take a peek to see if you might help out. As you...
Flash Mob Robberies Have Some South Florida Retail Stores On High Alert
"We've seen organized shoplifting. We've seen violent shoplifting. But we've never seen the type of organized shoplifting that we've seen lately," said Read Hayes, a...
Retailers ramp up security, cities reroute traffic to combat organized theft rings
“We will do what we need to do to put an end to this madness,” San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said after several high-end retailers were targeted in a wave of...
‘Put an End to This Madness’: Retailers Ramp Up Security After Wave of Robberies
Best Buy shoppers can expect to find more high-value merchandise behind locked shelves and a larger security presence in certain stores. Read the full article here.
The Science of Stealing
The four thieves swapped stories, comparing what and how they like to steal. One prefers to enlist the help of employees to tip him off when a delivery arrives. One heads...
Why Do People Steal Meat From Grocery Stores?
Shoplifting at grocery stores is pervasive. Thieves get away with more than $35 million worth of goods each day, according to the National Association for Shoplifting...
Group of Crimefighters Using VR, Help from Former Crooks to Cut Down Shoplifting
“It’s just a huge spike in theft when the sun goes down,” employee Cole Howard said. Howard says there’s been a major increase in theft since the start of the pandemic....
How Retailers Can Improve Self-Checkout
Cashier or self-checkout? That’s the difficult question consumers often face when they finish shopping. The self-checkout line may be shorter, but given all the things that...
Outsmarting Shoplifters
It is estimated that tens of billions of dollars' worth of merchandise is lost to shoplifters each year. And as shoplifters (working individually or as part of organized...
Retail Theft, Other Shrinkage Factors Drained $112B From Stores Last Year
A flash mob-style ransacking in Philadelphia Tuesday night and other incidents could have retailers on their way to another year of theft losses like the $112.1 billion lost...
Retail’s Day of Action United the Industry in Our Fight Against Rising Retail Crime
The surge in organized retail crime is significantly impacting consumers, retailers, workers and the communities they serve. In response to this crucial issue, NRF...
Florida Researchers Deploy Virtual Reality, AI to Combat Shoplifters
News 6 investigated and found out Florida ranks third in the nation when it comes to people stealing from stores, and it costs retailers here $4.5 billion each year. Read...
Danger In The Store: Retail Crime Makes Everyone A Potential Victim.
Retail crime tipped from a nagging problem to a full-blown national crisis on September 26, the last Tuesday of the month. Three unrelated events occurred that called...
A look at new tech tools that aim to protect retailers from theft.
From facial recognition to artificial intelligence and thermal imaging, retailers are looking for ways to deter and detain thieves with new anti-theft technology. NBC’s...
Did Internal Theft Get Better, Or Did Everything Else Get Worse?
To say there’s a lot on LP professionals’ minds in 2023 would be an understatement. Organized retail crime (ORC), civil unrest, labor shortages, changing laws, and violence...
Florida researchers deploy virtual reality, AI to combat shoplifters
The Loss Prevention Research Council, located at the University of Florida, has been working with big names, like Home Depot and Walmart, to thwart shoplifters. Read the...
UF to hold 19th annual, and largest, retail theft conference
UF’s Loss Prevention Research Council will welcome more than 470 attendees next week to its 19th annual Impact Conference, with plans to discuss retail theft and share...
How America’s biggest retailers plan to use technology to catch organized retail theft
Artificial intelligence is rapidly taking root in almost every field, and though the balance between theoretical potential and productivity will only become clear over time,...
Tech Tuesday: LPRC
WCJB.COM (ABC20) - The LPRC explores the use of advanced sensors and AI to fight retail crime. Learn more about our research and the IMPACT conference in this Tech Tuesday...
2023 NRSS Release| 9.26.23
Increasing Theft and Violence Continue to Harm Retailers, Retail Workers, and the Communities they Serve Gainesville, Florida, September 26, 2023 - According to the National...
LPRC & ISCPO Partnership Agreement – PR | 1.11.22
LPRC and ISCPO Partnership Press Release: With disruptions causing over $4 trillion dollars in profit loss according to Reuters, supply chain challenges continue to affect...
LPRC Partners with Lighthouse Consultants to Support Ongoing Retail Community Engagement
North American retailers experienced the highest average shrinkage - unexpected losses due to crime, administrative reporting, and exceptions to standard operating practice...
