Established in 1873 in Los Angeles, Ralph’s Marketplace now has over 185 stores and due to their longevity as a chain, you can BET they’ve serious loss prevention policies in place. So, what is Ralph’s Shoplifting Policy and what does it cover?
Well, Ralph’s uses surveillance cameras, along with an RFID tagging system that allows items to be ‘followed’ as they pass through the store. Some high-end items are also locked behind glass and security guards are present and more often they not, they are armed.
Ralph’s takes their security seriously, as preventing loss helps to keep prices low for their paying customers.
Stay with us and we’ll tell you a little more about Ralph’s Shoplifting policy so that you can see how all of these elements come together to help prevent shoplifting and employee theft.
Ralph’s Security Profile – What we know
When it comes to security, Ralph’s doesn’t mess around. It’s not surprising, really, as they’ve been in business for around 150 years now.
In the sections below, we’ll tell you a little about each of the facets of their security and how they work together to help prevent employee theft and shoplifting. Let’s take a look!
Surveillance cameras
Ralph’s has had security cameras for a longer time than most other businesses and that’s definitely not changed in these modern days.
In fact, due to the fact that they have implemented RFID technology, surveillance cameras may be used in conjunction with RFID software so that tagged items may be ‘followed’ all over the store. This helps to determine where you pick something up, and where you put it down, and working in conjunction with POS (point of sale) registers, they can also determine when that item was paid for (or wasn’t).
While this is pretty effective all on its own, security footage is also kept for a period of time determined by the corporate office in their data retention policy.
This means that security footage might be kept as little as 3 months or perhaps even retained for years – you never know, and that’s part of the deterrent.
While we are not aware of Ralph’s employing facial recognition with their surveillance cameras, their current setup is arguably quite effective just how it is.
RFID tagging
While standard security tags are used so that if an item is carried through the security arches of a retail store an alarm will sound, Ralph’s has actual RFID tagging in place.
These types of tags allow for real-time tracking of select tagged items throughout the store. By placing sensors around the store that can detect these transponders, security and loss prevention agents can essentially ‘see’ when you move something from its shelf and if you decide not to buy it, they know where you put it down.
An alarm is still going to sound if you try to pass through a security arch on the way out, but with RFID tracking, loss prevention agents may also determine if an employee or a suspected shoplifter is trying to ‘hide’ items for retrieval later.
Keep in mind that ‘concealing is stealing’ in some scenarios, so if you are shopping at a Ralphs and decide not to buy something you’ve picked up, it’s best to put it back where you got it or simply at the very front of the shelf where it is highly visible.
Sticking it in the back, behind a lot of other items, may be interpreted as concealing it for suspicious reasons and someone from loss prevention or one of the security guards may well ask you about it on your way out.
Some items are kept separately
As recently as February of this year, some Ralph’s locations have begun locking some items away or simply relocating them to areas away from the busy main aisles.
With the locked good, a customer must request assistance in order to obtain certain items that have a higher risk of leaving the store without being paid for first.
Armed Security guards
Ralph’s also employs security guards, much like other stores do, but while most retail outlets have unarmed guards, at Ralph’s they might well be armed.
Back in 2020, in fact, an armed security guard at a San Bernardino Ralph’s location made the news when they drew a pistol on a customer that wouldn’t leave the store when asked.
So, this is another confirmed fact about their security – guards may be armed. While we haven’t found evidence of a preference for hiring off-duty police officers for security, this is something that’s quite common in the United States, so there is certainly a possibility that some security employees may well be off-duty officers.
While it may seem a little scary, this definitely counts as an aggressive security deterrent to help reduce employee and shoplifter losses at Ralph’s locations.
Loss prevention associates and employees
The final facet to Ralph’s security is the loss prevention associates who are typically plain-clothed and wandering around the store, and also the employees who will be trained to watch for suspicious activity and to immediately contact loss prevention, security, or to even directly phone the police.
While employees will typically be advised NOT to confront a shoplifter, they may sometimes be instructed that they can ask if the person needs assistance, as a passive way of informing them that they are being watched.
Loss prevention associates, however, may confront a suspicious customer attempting to leave the store and may even ask them to come to a back office for further questioning in private.
Typically, a loss prevention officer will ask for security guard assistance in advance, but this may vary from location to location.
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Will Ralph’s press charges if I am caught shoplifting?
If you are caught shoplifting, then Ralph’s will very likely press charges. In some cases, there have been reports that loss prevention associates will sometimes let shoplifters go after signing documents and agreeing to pay a specific fine for security costs.
Failure to pay this fine will result in charges being filed and a warrant issued for that person’s arrest.
That said, there is no guarantee that this will be offered. Someone caught shoplifting may well be picked up by the police and booked directly into jail. If you are suspected of shoplifting at a Ralph’s then it is best that you contact an attorney to ensure that you know your rights and exactly what charges will be levied against you.
In some cases, you may be able to agree to a program of community service, classes, or other arrangements instead of jail and possibly even have the charges dropped if you are able to complete the program.
You’ll need a lawyer to know for sure what your rights will be in such a case, so be sure to retain one at the first sign of trouble.
Some closing words
Today we’ve taken a look at Ralph’s Shoplifting policy in order to give you a better idea of how they keep their costs so low by deterring employee theft and shoplifting.
As you can see, it’s a pretty aggressive setup, employing surveillance, RFID tagging and tracking, and even locking away expensive items and arming their security guards.
Needless to say, it’s a pretty effective strategy, especially when you consider that Ralph’s security policies have been considered aggressive enough to make the news on a number of occasions.
As the saying goes, ‘they’re not playing around’, and so potential shoplifters would be well-advised to keep all of their dealings legal when it comes to Ralph’s marketplace!
Reference Source
https://www.avvo.com/legal-answers/shoplifting-ralphs-2784013.html