Roughly two weeks ago I was terminated from my LP position in a burlington because I was hands on, something corporate was against. The manager and supervisor was fighting to lower my punishment because in their own words I was a valuable employee. As bummed out as I was it felt....great. I hated doing nothing but applying to places (especially trying to find non retail jobs) but i finally had me time. Ive been working with Burlington for nearly 5 years just as covid was hitting. First as a sales associate but then as LP when the original employee got terminated for something similar. I was doing a good job they promoted me to a lead and gave me an actual team to run and our region/district managers were very impressed that shrinkage numbers were decreasing. Then my position got axed so i went back to part time, had to transfer to a store that was farther away and they were too lenient for my liking. Great people but the closing manager wouldnt make known theft reports and saw them as useless.

I just applied to work for a Macy's(hopefully I get the position) and heard better things about them. When you work in this position, being hands off is very frustrating and I genuinely dont regret that being the reason I got fired.

Hey there!

I could really use some advice. I feel very burnt out from being in role for almost two years. I just don’t have the same drive and energy as when I first started as AP and it makes me feel like I’m failing. There aren’t a lot of huge crimes that happen at my store, just petty small stuff. I just wanna be able to do my job without dreading it.

Thanks for reading!

Hi LP “people”

I went to macys today, stole about 450$ of merch there

Then I hit a nordstrom and stole about 500$ of merch there

Then a dillards where I hit big—stole about $800 of merch loll

Nobody even came out or anything because of the sheer number of people…

Anyways i appreciate how shit at your job you guys are

I might hit up some more depends on how im feeling idk

Loss Prevention and Asset Protection have both became an absolute joke over the last decade. Why do we do what we do? Why are we constantly risking ourselves on every approach for a companies that care more about the suspected shoplifter more than their own employees. This isn't about me, it is something I woke up deeply thinking about....

I personally can say the suspected shoplifter is safer than we are. There are no policy against their reactions. They aren't charged taxes on thefts, and their life isn't enslaved to a company who in the long run will end up terminating us due to a "liability" concern. We get paid to "protect assets" but in turn aren't we the actual asset??

This isn't talking about (Hands-on) policy at all. This is we can do our jobs 100%, over achieve and be the first to volunteer to help out with no hesitation and still get terminated.

Hell I just noticed my company taxes the crap out of AP payroll bonuses . Why in the hell am I ate up in taxes for being rewarded for doing my job. But the $3,000 apprehended suspect wasn't taxed even with damaged merchandise. The U.S. needs to do better. Companies need to do better. But for some reason there are some like us who hope for a change and for whatever reason love what we do. The world is weird.

Is the store opening of black friday or black friday in general theft - pretty bad?

Pretty much stories where you thought you had a sure thing, but then the subject paid for everything and left without impact?

Last night we had a lady come in, start throwing random Legos in her cart. Boss with to observe. Lady paid for them all.

The other night, lady started coming up to self check with two full carts of clothes. Front end lead asked if they were willing to use a lane or guest service due to the amount they had. Lady stayed near the front for a few minutes. Sent her kids outside. I stayed up by the doors, watching from a distance. She kept looking over at me hard. After a full five minutes, goes to service desk, pays for everything. I'm still expecting her to end up returning it all.

Any crazy stories that ended up being nothing?

Was surprised they stopped this person in the middle of the store and didn’t wait for them to exit? Why was that? Something specific to Florida?

https://youtu.be/qDC9b3oh2zs?si=XtpKLebl7Ffobbxf

My store uses Genetec Security Desk and I am curious about what PC and specs do you all have, because I have seen locations run all their cameras at once on top of reviewing footage with no lag.... My stores PC runs a few cameras and will immediately bottle-neck with out having other programs running in the background . The specs we are using are as follows:

HP Z-2 Workstation G5

16 GB Ram (15.8 GB usable) Intel (R) 1250 CPU @3.30GHz Windows 10 NVIDIA T-100

4 or 5 Cameras on x2 50inch monitors shouldn't be maxing out performance I wouldn't think

…when literally everyone that enters appears to be dressed extremely suspiciously

lord save me from the amount of people casually wearing balaclavas

A lot of stuff sold on amazon is stolen from retail stores. Walmart has adopted the same type of merchant selling. Where most of the products listed online are fullfilled by 3rd parties.

Begs the question of how common is it for items stolen from walmart make their way into the hands of a 3rd party walmart supplier. Its bit harder to get approved to supply walmart though, so probably not that common. Amazon anyone can sell things.

Slick operation, get money from insurance for shrink, then a 50% cut from subsequent online sale. 25% profit margin when other stores have higher prices and 4% margin? Maybe why corporate is way more concerned with employees stealing straight cash

I’ve been having a dry spell lately. What are some of your best tips for finding cases?

For instance, are you not allowed to recover stashed items while the suspect is still in the store? Can you not recover items from their shopping bags if they leave it outside the bathroom while they go in? Are you not allowed to have employees apply pressure while they're in certain departments? Is your role/AP not allowed access to the cameras without manager approval? Just upset you're not hands-on? Can you not make apprehensions without a supervisor present?

Does anyone here work AP for JcPenney corporate?

I recently applied to an API job and have an interview soon. I currently work at Target as a Security Specialist, basically door greeter not able to do much. Is API a good job and what is everyone’s experience working in the role? What mainly interested me was the fact I’d be doing more investigations and apprehensions. How’s the camera cctv quality, and the technology for AP?

In New York, we are but now I’m in in Pennsylvania and I’m curious if the laws are different here

As I’ve shared before, using anti-theft hangers like Coat-Lock significantly benefited my store. Reflecting on my experience, I want to share how they balanced theft prevention with customer satisfaction.

For instance, when a customer visited my store and wanted to try on a jacket, they needed to reach out to an associate, as the jacket was securely locked on the hanger.

Here’s what I discovered: this process didn’t just enhance security—it also improved engagement. In high-value retail settings, especially for luxury or outdoor apparel, this extra step gave my associates an opportunity to deliver personalized service. They suggested complementary items, offered styling advice, and created a more premium shopping experience for the customer.

Not only did this approach help prevent theft, but it also added an upscale touch to our service, which paying customers truly appreciated.

While it may not work for every store, I found it to be an effective solution in settings where both customer service and security were equally important.

Anyone here work for home depot as an orc investigator? Or know anyone thats in role? They have an opening near me and i am interested but wanted to get some insight

Just became an APTL for a hybrid store and learned how to set up analogs.

Unfortunately, I have a whole basket of analog coverts and connectors but have no idea how to hook them up.

I'll be looking on Workday next week when I get in, but was wondering if anyone knew the the make and model of these so I can do some research this weekend to get an idea.

TIA.

BLUF: I just applied for a part-time Asset Protection Detective position, and I have questions I couldn't quite find answers to.

I see that Macy's has a UOF policy and actually allows apprehension with cuffs, which is a plus.

What other techniques /equipment do they use?

What's the dress code / appearance and grooming standards?

Do Part-Time employees get health or education benefits like the Full-Time employees do?

Anything else you guus wanna throw in?

I mainly applied because I want the discount, and it sounded like fun.

Background: Security Specialist for Uncle Sam Former DOD Antiterrorism Officer Volunteer EMT Reserve Police Officer Retail (RIP Lord & Taylor) Other stuff.

I’m a DLPM for a multinational retailer and need a detective in Northern Virginia. Send me a message for details.

Not sure if it’s ok to recruit on here but just wanted to mention it. Thanks!

Hello, I figured you all would be the best to help me here.

I was shopping at Aldi today, and I wasn’t getting a lot of things so I just bring in reuseable bags, including a cold bag. The store was super crowded, I couldn’t find things, and I got really, really anxious, so I started going through my list as fast as possible so I could get out of there.

My Aldi doesn’t have self check out, so I went to the register. I unload my bags, drop them to the ground, and pull out my card to pay. The cashier looks down at my bags and says “oh, put them in the cart I’ll bag them for you”. I grab the bags, and my cold bag was still full. I completely forgot to empty it.

I felt sick. Like, I was going to throw up right there. I unloaded it onto the belt and gave her the bags. She rings everything up like normal. I gave her a pathetic “sorry I’ve got it all now” and she’s like “hey, it happens”. She rings me up, and I pay for everything, take the receipt, and leave.

The store does not have LP on site. Nobody asked for my name or ID. No manager talked to me. No ban, nothing. I paid for my stuff and left

However, I’ve been consumed with panic ever since. Am I going to get a citation in the mail? Is a cop going to show up? In my state, concealment is considered guilt, even though it was the bags they want us to use and I paid.

From this Reddit, I’ve deduced that this is just being aggressively customer serviced and a deterrent, but I can’t shake the anxiety. Am I overreacting?

My DLPM is pressuring the hell out of me and my team to find internals. Of course, him being the DLPM and having all the resources, he made sure that he hit his quota before anyone else. I don't get it. Why would you put a quota on internals? Not that many people want to get a job, get caught, and have that follow them for the rest of their life. Externals are different, i can understand having a quota there.

The internal shit is burning me out. I could have 10 internals, callout 3 days a week, 0 shoplifters, have all the managers hate me, and I'd be the best employee of my company. But i could (real numbers, slightly exaggerated just in case) 132 shoplifters, 3 internals, excellent rapport with the stores, come to work on time everyday, and get a "Meet expectations" on my review.

Just a small rant. But I'm pretty sure experienced LP can accurately guess the company.

As someone who has worked in Luxury retail, I’ve seen how challenging it can be to prevent theft, especially with high-value coats and apparel during winter season. Traditional tagging systems didn't always work for us, and extra staff was getting way out of hand.

Through a friend of mine who is a manager at Sports Experts, I came across a solution that uses anti-theft hangers by a company called Coat-Lock, to lock the coats in place discreetly—it’s made a noticeable difference. Curious—what theft prevention methods have worked for your stores? Always looking for ideas that balance security and customer experience!

As someone who has worked in retail, I’ve seen how challenging it can be to prevent theft, especially with high-value coats and apparel during busy seasons. Traditional tagging systems don’t always work, and extra staff isn’t always feasible.

I recently came across a solution that uses anti-theft hangers by a company called Coat-Lock, to lock the coats in place discreetly—it’s made a noticeable difference. Curious—what theft prevention methods have worked for your stores? Always looking for ideas that balance security and customer experience!

What do you all want to do after AP/LP? Or is this the endgame for you? If you no longer work in LP, what job did you do next that you felt your skills prepared you for?

So I was a TSS at target for about a year then switched over to a hands-on LP job at a grocery store all floor work no cameras whatsoever. With that in mind would a supervisor role in Macy's or Kohl's as an LP be a good step-up considering my experience?