Cargo theft involves the manipulation of data and identities to gain access to freight under false pretenses.

Cargo theft involves the manipulation of data and identities to gain access to freight under false pretenses.

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Organized retail crime (ORC) has been the buzzword in the retail loss prevention world for well over the past decade. During that time, the lack of support from the criminal justice system has certainly negated most of those efforts.

Criminals will establish fake trucking and brokerage companies with the sole intention of stealing cargo. They go through the same process as legitimate carrier information, registration, obtaining insurance, and operating authority. These companies then start completing legitimate jobs to establish a history of work performed. Once established, the thieves target high-value loads within their customer network to steal.

Insist on placing disposable GPS trackers inside your high-value loads. These cost-effective devices eliminate reverse logistics and device management while providing complete visibility of your freight, in real-time, from anywhere around the world. If and when a theft were to occur, you could follow the load in real-time from your phone to assist law enforcement in finding its exact location.

As of now, there is no silver bullet that will stop these thefts from occurring. But understanding the problem, training your staff, and installing protective measures will certainly act as a shield to help fend off these criminals.

SOURCE: 

Tabor, J. Strategic Cargo Theft: What It Is, How It Started, and What You Can Do to Stop It, Loss Prevention Magazine, 10/01/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

Shrink From Theft Significantly Impacts Small-To Medium-Sized Retailers

Shrink From Theft Significantly Impacts Small-To Medium-Sized Retailers

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

SMB retailers operate on narrow profit margins, they typically don’t have the budget or resources to invest in the training, security systems, and personnel to combat theft like larger retailers do. Offenders might also be more familiar with SMB retailers’ store layouts and know they lack specific security measures. If smaller stores with weaker security are located near larger stores with more robust protection, there might be an issue of displacement in which offenders pass by the big box shop for the mom-and-pop.

A low cost solution to theft prevention for SMB retailers is partnerships. Many law enforcement organizations have community policing units, where officers are specially trained to interact with local businesses and citizens to help them solve problems. SMB retailers can connect with this unit or a liaison and invite them to the store to dispense free crime prevention advice.

 

SOURCE: 

Fritsky, L. For Small- to Medium-Sized Business Retailers, Thwarting Theft Needn’t Come with High Effort or Costs, Loss Prevention Magazine, 10/09/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

A Security Management Platform Must Manage Events In Real Time To Manage Crisis.

A Security Management Platform Must Manage Events In Real Time To Manage Crisis.

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

The security sector has  adopted cloud-based artificial intelligence or machine learning resulting in revolutionary changes in access control, video surveillance and emerging areas like threat detection and drone identification.

A security management platform must provide clarity and control to act for greater efficiency and serve as the foundation for continuously improving security. It should optimize security operations, streamline services with real-time status updates, and manage events and team responses in real time to enable efficient management of sites, systems, events, users and data.

 

SOURCE: 

Byerly, T. Optimizing Security and Business Performance with Clarity and Control

The Essential Role of Digital Platforms in Security Management, Security Today, 09/10/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

An Effective Physical Security Plan Starts with Deterrence, Detection, Delay, & Response.

An Effective Physical Security Plan Starts with Deterrence, Detection, Delay, & Response.

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Deterrence, Detection, Delay, & Response.

Physical security technology helps to control access, monitor behavior, and respond to potential threats, thus enhancing overall security posture. It involves securing organizational assets from harm due to physical events, including natural disasters like fires and floods, and human-inflicted dangers like theft and vandalism.

Elements of an effective physical security plan–

  1. Deterrence: Deterrence can encompass various equipment such as signage, security cameras and door access systems. It also includes physical barriers such as doors, locks and walls.  
  2. Detection: Technologies used for physical security detection measures are sensors, alarms and automatic notifications via video management software. 
  3. Delay: Simple security measures such as additional doors, locks and security guards can help delay incidents. More advanced physical security technology, such as key card access and mobile credentials, can make it more difficult for unauthorized users trying to enter a building.  
  4. Response: A response strategy such as building lockdowns or automatically notifying emergency services is critical. 

Successful and effective plans should include these technologies to ensure that a facility can prevent physical threats and take necessary action if a security breach occurs.

 

SOURCE: 

Berg, D. Playing a Crucial Role, Security Today, 09/1672024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

Artificial Intelligence Technology Delivers Proactive Security

Artificial Intelligence Technology Delivers Proactive Security and Efficient Crisis Response.

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

The early days of artificial intelligence technology (AI) and facial recognition in video surveillance were often inaccurate and prone to false positives, limiting their effectiveness. Continuous advancements in AI algorithms and processing power have significantly improved the accuracy and reliability of these technologies.

Artificial intelligence and cloud technologies have become mainstream in the video surveillance industry.  Cloud-based solutions offer scalable, flexible storage and processing capabilities, reducing the need for on-prem infrastructure. 

True artificial intelligence will enable even more sophisticated analytics, predictive capabilities and autonomous decision-making. As technology continues to evolve, the possibilities for enhancing security and operational efficiency are limitless.

 

SOURCE: 

Hile, R. Teaching Old Dogs, New Tricks: 21st Century Video and Video Integration, Security Today, 09/16/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

License Plate Recognition Technology

License Plate Recognition Technology Is A Powerful Tool To Track Individuals Movements Through Vehicles.

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

License plate recognition technology, also known as Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) or LPR (License Plate Recognition), is a surveillance system that captures vehicles’ images and identifies their license number. It uses optical character recognition on images to read vehicle license plates. 

The technology provides the ability to capture an image of a license plate code, convert the code into readable text, and compare it to a registration database for identification. License plate recognition technology is used for vehicle management operations such as ticketless parking, tolling, ITS, stolen vehicles detection, smart billing, and many other applications.

Many police departments tout them as tools to enhance community security, reduce crime, and make communities safer. The technology collects data about neighborhood crimes, including burglary, home theft, vandalism. 

Civil rights groups have cautioned ALPRs pose a potential violation of privacy. ALPRs collect and store data on the cars they scan, and this data is often kept for years with few or no restrictions to protect privacy rights.

 

SOURCE: 

Wolfe, C. WHITEPAPER: Building Robust ORC Cases with License Plate Recognition Technology. Loss Prevention Magazine, 04/01/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

 

Body Cameras Deliver Enhanced Security and Accountability

Body Cameras Deliver Enhanced Security and Accountability

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Retailers seek effective solutions to the growing issues of theft and violence, the adoption of body cameras has emerged as a promising way to enhance security and accountability. This technology offers not just a way to record events as they unfold but it also serves as a preventive measure by visibly demonstrating that customer behavior is being monitored.

Body cameras can be strategically implemented to address these challenges, providing both immediate and long-term benefits to retailers. The operational, technological, and strategic advantages of integrating body cameras must be carefully considered. It’s important to ensure that all stakeholders are equipped with the knowledge to make informed decisions.

SOURCE: 

Wolfe, C. WHITEPAPER: Top 10 Points for Retailers to Consider Before Purchasing Body Cameras. Loss Prevention Magazine, 06/21/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

Retailers' Concern for Safety and Security have heightened

Retailers’ Concern for Safety and Security have heightened due to the Growing Threats.

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

Break-ins and break-in attempts are always a concern for retailers for safety and security reasons, and these concerns have heightened due to the growing threats faced in recent years.

Before the pandemic, physical security’s role in business intelligence and operations was already growing, but over the last few years, it has proven to be a strategic asset in coping with a variety of challenges.

Security measures need to be integrated to manage potential threats to create the safest, most secure environments. 

SOURCE: 

Wolfe, C. LPM Survey: Storefront Security and Emergency Response 2024. Loss Prevention Magazine, 07/09/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

Organized Crime and Shrinkage are on The Rise

Organized Crime and Shrinkage are on The Rise, Security Protection Is Essential to Offset Losses.

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

The final stage of the supply chain process in retail, is getting products off trucks and into stores. Retailers face rising security threats, such as theft, shoplifting, internal fraud, vandalism, and even violence. Matters are intensified by self-checkout systems and the complexities of post-pandemic retail environments. 

Whether managing day-to-day retail operations or responding to disasters and large-scale events, retailers must be prepared for the unexpected. Nexgen Security offers scalable solutions to meet these challenges head-on, enabling businesses to enhance security, reduce losses, and maintain operational integrity.

 

SOURCE: 

Wolfe, C. WHITEPAPER: The End-of-Sale Process in the Retail Supply Chain. Loss Prevention Magazine, 10/20/2024.
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats

Businesses should partner with law enforcement officers to develop safeguards for their businesses to prevent criminal activity.

Businesses Must Partner with Law Enforcement to Develop Safeguards

Frank Costa, President Nexgen Protection Services – 

 

Small businesses typically don’t have the budget or resources to invest in the training, security systems, and personnel to combat theft like larger organizations.

Businesses should partner with law enforcement officers to develop safeguards for their businesses to prevent criminal activity. Helping businesses reduce and prevent crime is both a police and community effort.

Given limited resources, critically assess problem areas with solutions that will have the greatest impact on your bottom line. 

 

SOURCE: 

Fritsky, L. For Small- to Medium-Sized Business Retailers, Thwarting Theft Needn’t Come with High Effort or Costs. Loss Prevention Magazine, 08/01/2024
#protectionservices #securitystandards #publicsaftey  #mobilesecurity #securitythreats