Building Safer Communities Through Retail Security and Collective Efficacy

SUMMARY: 

• Retail crime creates ripple effects that impact shoppers, employees, neighborhoods, and local economies.
• Crime often stems from root causes like poverty, addiction, mental illness, and housing instability—not just impulse or profit motives.
• Collective efficacy, or shared responsibility among retailers, law enforcement, and communities, strengthens safety and trust.
• Beyond enforcement, programs like diversion, housing support, and job training help break the cycle and prevent repeat offenses.
  

Retail security plays a massive role in building safer communities. A parking lot incident, a violent shoplifting offense, or visible loitering around stores makes people think twice about visiting that location. If these kinds of issues become a pattern at one store, nearby businesses might see a drop in traffic because customers choose to visit safer locations.

Over time, the sense of risk spreads outward. People start to avoid walking through the area, even in broad daylight. They stop taking their children to the park down the street and feel nervous using nearby public spaces like libraries or recreation centers. Local homeowners and renters begin questioning the safety of the neighborhood, which can influence property values and deter new investment.

But the good news is that together, retailers, law enforcement teams, and communities can tackle the root causes of criminal behavior and create safer places to shop, work, and live.

The Toll of Retail Crime on Retailers and Communities

According to the National Retail Federation, organized retail crime costs retailers more than $100 billion annually—but this isn’t just a financial problem. Between 2019 and 2023, reported incidents of shoplifting surged by 93%, and 73% of retailers report that shoplifters have become more aggressive over the past year.

As a result, nearly one-third of retail employees feel unsafe at work. To make matters worse, one in four say their workplace has minimal to no security, and 62% say their company hasn’t changed its level of security measures in the past 12 months. 

This fear doesn’t stay inside the store. It drives workers out of the industry and pushes shoppers online. One-third of consumers say they see retail crime as a major concern, and 58% say it makes them want to shop online instead of in stores. 

Visible security measures—like cameras, lighting, and patrol units—are critical for deterrence, but they’re not the full solution. If the underlying drivers of crime go unaddressed, the cycle will continue. 

What Causes Crime?

Crime often reflects deeper social, economic, and personal challenges. 

• Economic hardship and inequality: Crime is more likely to occur in low-resource communities. Financial strain can push people toward theft or other offenses as a means of survival.
• Substance abuse and addiction: According to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, 85% of prison populations have an active substance use disorder or were sent to jail for a crime involving drugs or drug use.
• Mental health challenges: Untreated mental illness can contribute to criminal behavior. Almost half of those incarcerated have a mental illness. 
• Homelessness and housing instability: Research shows links between homelessness and both victimization and offending. When people lack stable housing, their vulnerability and desperation increase the likelihood of criminal involvement.

Of course, not all crime comes from hardship; some people do act on impulse or take advantage of weak security for profit, just because. But for those trapped in cycles of poverty, addiction, or mental health struggles, arrest usually doesn’t solve the problem. 

Building Safer Communities Through Collective Efficacy

What is Collective Efficacy?

Collective efficacy is a concept from criminology that describes a community’s ability to maintain order through mutual trust and shared responsibility. In simpler terms, it means people—and institutions like retailers, police, and local organizations—work together to keep neighborhoods safe.

What’s the impact? 

• Improved resource allocation: When law enforcement and retailers share intelligence, they can better prioritize hotspots.
• Fewer repeat offenses: Detailed documentation and shared intelligence help law enforcement identify (and stop) patterns, build stronger cases, and increase accountability for offenders.
• Community trust: Transparent partnerships and open communication about why measures exist help people see security as protection, not intrusion.

Real-World Example: Port St. Lucie

The Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) partnered with a retailer and local law enforcement in Port St. Lucie, Florida, to try to improve community safety. Upon comparing some data, they realized that retailers were tracking significantly more store incidents than the local police department knew about. 

To help fix that, they deployed mobile security units and created a process for sharing real-time data between the retailer and the police department. The goal was to make sure everyone had the same information. Once those systems were in place, officers had a clearer picture of where crime was happening, response times improved, and high-risk areas became a shared priority.

Tackling Root Causes of Crime Together

Building strong partnerships between retailers, law enforcement, and community organizations is the first step. The next step is implementing solutions that address the root causes of criminal behavior, rather than just cycling them through the justice system. This could include: 

• Diversion programs: Instead of sending them to jail, direct people struggling with addiction or mental health issues into treatment programs.
• Housing support: Help individuals who are homeless or in unstable housing find safe, consistent shelter so they aren’t stealing for survival.
• Job training and workforce development: Provide employment opportunities for people reentering society after incarceration or dealing with long-term unemployment.
• Community-based initiatives: Retailers can partner with nonprofits and local agencies to connect at-risk individuals with food assistance, counseling, and family support services.

Creating safer neighborhoods takes a village. When retailers, law enforcement, local leaders, and community members all work toward the same goal, everyone wins. 

Learn More About Retail Loss Prevention

In a recent webinar, experts from the LPRC, CVS, the NYPD, and LVT talked about the LPRC’s framework for reducing retail crime, and how mobile surveillance technology, real-time data, and collaboration are changing the way retailers and law enforcement work together.

Watch the full webinar here.