How Stores Catch Shoplifters:
In 2005 a major leap in shoplifting prevention technology appeared leading to a major decrease in what stores call shrinkage. The system is called RFID and it was combined with CCTV and High Definition Video. This new anti shoplifting technology is so sophisticated that it can zoom in and start recording the second you first touch an item. (CCTV prior to this would only record a large area in low resolution) With RFID a loss prevention officer can zoom in and present a very clear and vivid picture of the act of shoplifting. RFID short for Radio-frequency Identification is the use of an object (typically referred to as an RFID tag) attached to or incorporated into a product, for the purpose of identification and tracking using radio waves. Some tags can be read from several hundred meters away and beyond the line of sight of the reader camera or tracking system.
Most RFID tags contain at least two parts. One is an integrated circuit for storing and processing information, modulating and demodulating a radio-frequency (RF) signal, and other specialized functions. The second is an antenna for receiving and transmitting the signal. These devices are usually built into a small printed circuit board on the label of a clothing article or a tag attached to the item. These RFID devices can be as thin as a piece of paper and as small as a childs finger nail. Thus, they are practically invisible to the average shoplifter. Once you touch the item an alert is triggered by the system and a camera starts recording by zooming in on the action until you leave the store. The system will record and track whether you have or have not paid for an item. A store employee is alerted by the system to track and stop you once you leave the store without paying. Some privacy experts have argued that these systems could violate your rights if the store continued to track you once you left the immediate area of the store, but most stores have limited the range of the RFID systems to no more than a few hundred meters outside of the store. These devices started to commonly appear in high end items about 5 years ago and today can even be found in items that sell for as little as a few dollars due to the fact that the price for an RFID tag now costs retailers between 5 to 7 cents each.
When you were stopped by the loss prevention officer did the officer make you sign an agreement not to come back to the store? If yes your store may have the latest and technology: facial recognition software. The software is based on 3D modeling and machine learning to help identify who may be most likely to shoplift. The technology can determine a persons sex, age range, race and or even a specific identity. It is used mostly to identify people who have shoplifted from the store before to make sure that they do not return to the store and are stopped immediately.
