Building a prevention network: How retail & law enforcement
are partnering to stop crime

Creating safer communities requires connection between retailers and law enforcement agencies. When these groups work together effectively, they can identify repeat offenders, share critical intelligence, and prevent retail crime before it escalates into more serious issues.

In our recent webinar, we brought together experts from both sides of this partnership to discuss how law enforcement and retailers can build stronger prevention networks. The conversation featured Chief Eric Clifford from Schenectady Police Department, Detective Sergeant Nicholas Ferrara from Gainesville Police Department, and Raul Aguilar, Senior Director of Law Enforcement Partnerships at Auror.

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The challenge of retail crime

Police departments across the country face similar challenges when it comes to addressing retail crime. With limited resources and staffing shortages, responding to every retail theft incident can be difficult.

Chief Clifford highlighted this reality in his community: "One of the strategies that we decided to really deploy here is [to] go in[to] partnership with Loss Prevention and see if they can team up to help solve that petty larceny problem, which sometimes was grand larceny."

The impact of these crimes extends far beyond the stores themselves. As retailers close locations due to persistent theft, communities lose access to essential services.

"We're losing our retail establishments, we're losing supermarkets... And what we saw is why the retailers were pulling out is that they were getting things stolen from them, but they weren't reporting it because we weren't responding to them." - Chief Eric Clifford

Building effective collaboration

Successful prevention networks depend on transparent information sharing and mutual respect between law enforcement and retail professionals. Detective Sergeant Ferrara explained how this approach transforms investigations:

"Loss Prevention officers are empowered to do more, because going back to we never would respond to the Loss Prevention calls. So they stopped writing the reports. But now that they know that we're responding to them because they're put on the platform, they're empowered to do more." - Chief Eric Clifford

Quality reporting from retailers plays a crucial role in this process. When retailers provide comprehensive documentation including clear images and detailed incident reports, law enforcement can act more efficiently.

Key takeaways

The webinar highlighted several important lessons for building effective prevention networks:
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1. Intelligence sharing is essential: Breaking down silos between agencies and retailers leads to faster case resolution and identification of repeat offenders.

2. Quality documentation matters: Detailed incident reports with clear images and complete information create "silver platter cases" that get solved first.

3. Technology enables connection: Digital platforms that facilitate secure information sharing between retailers and law enforcement create significant time savings.

4. Repeat offenders drive significant harm: A small percentage of individuals cause a disproportionate amount of retail crime, making identification and intervention critical.

5. Community impact extends beyond retail: Addressing retail crime has broader effects on neighborhood safety and economic health.

The future of crime prevention networks

Looking ahead, both law enforcement leaders expressed optimism about the potential for technology and connection to transform how communities address retail crime.

Detective Sergeant Ferrara envisioned a future where "every single person that comes in there, it's solved before it's even reported. Like you will not see unknown on a person's name again. They'll always be known because somebody knows who that person is."

Effective prevention networks require commitment from both retailers and law enforcement. By documenting incidents properly, sharing intelligence securely, and building trusted relationships, communities can work together to create safer environments for businesses and residents alike.

Watch the full webinar (video embedded at the top of this article) to hear more insights from these experienced law enforcement leaders and learn how to build more effective prevention networks in your community.