How LVT and AXON Fusus Help Retailers and Police Detect, Deter, And Respond to Crime

SUMMARY: 

• Retail crime is fast and rising in severity. Shoplifting incidents can number in the hundreds per day, and violent, organized crews are creating higher stakes for retailers and law enforcement.
• Real‑time video is a game changer. Seeing incidents as they unfold gives retailers instant situational awareness, supports faster, safer decisions, and helps prevent loss.
• Retailers and law enforcement are often disconnected. Store teams may see crimes in real time, but police typically rely on delayed 911 calls or after‑the‑fact video, losing critical minutes.
• LVT and Axon Fusus close the gap. Sharing live LVT camera feeds through Fusus lets law enforcement respond with context, turning visibility into action—as seen in CVS’s real‑world success.

On average, U.S. retailers experience around 177 shoplifting incidents per day, and in some retail sectors, that number can reach over 1,000. On top of that, 73% of retailers report that shoplifters have become more aggressive and violent, raising the stakes for employees, asset protection teams, and law enforcement alike.

Compounding this growing challenge is the fact that retail crimes unfold quickly. A suspect can walk in, do serious damage—physically, emotionally, or financially—and be long gone in a matter of minutes, before anyone has even had time to call 911. 

And when it comes to police response, every minute matters. Research shows that if officers arrive in under five minutes, the chances of making an arrest are about 60%. After five minutes, that number drops to just 20%. 

Waiting hours—or days—to get video evidence just won’t cut it. Retailers and law enforcement teams need a shared, real-time view of incidents in order to respond quickly, protect people, and stop criminals before they get away.

Benefits of Real-Time Video

Traditional security cameras document incidents, but often, by the time footage is downloaded, shared, and reviewed, the golden window for stopping a crime or catching a suspect has vanished. In recent years, many retailers have adopted real-time video solutions because they enable: 

• Immediate situational awareness:  Live feeds give security teams a clear view of what’s happening: how many people are involved, which direction they’re moving, and whether the incident is escalating. 
• Faster, better-informed decisions: Retailers can act instantly—whether by calling law enforcement, triggering on-site deterrence measures like lights or audio, or getting employees out of harm’s way.
• Reduced uncertainty and risk: When teams know exactly what’s unfolding, they’re less likely to overreact, walk into danger, or miss a critical detail that could prevent further loss.

Here’s the catch: just because retailers can see an incident in real time doesn’t mean law enforcement can. Most of the time, store teams see the event first and only loop in police long after the critical first few minutes following the crime have passed. 

Axon Fusus Turns Real‑Time Video Into Real‑Time Collaboration

This is where Fusus by Axon comes in. Fusus is a real‑time intelligence and video‑sharing platform used by law enforcement, allowing them to view live feeds from enabled cameras.

In April 2025, we announced our integration with Axon Fusus. Our mobile, solar‑powered units and wall/pole mounted cameras are already widely used by retailers to monitor parking lots, storefronts, and high-risk areas. Thanks to this new integration:

• Live LVT camera feeds appear directly in the Fusus platform
• Authorized officers can view and control cameras as incidents unfold
• Clips can be retrieved immediately for investigations

Of course, retailers stay in full control, deciding which cameras to share and when.

Real‑World Impact: Turning Live Video Into Action

In a recent webinar hosted by the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC), a panel of retail and law enforcement experts shared how integrating LVT and Fusus transforms crime detection, deterrence, and response. 

Former NYPD Real‑Time Crime Center commander Mike Ricupero explained, “Having the ability to livestream video in real time is tremendous for the officers responding to an incident. Sometimes the 911 caller—or callers—will get it wrong. The ability to see exactly what’s going on allows us to send our officers to the right place, quickly, and make sure everyone is safe.”

Matt Kelley, SVP of Business and Market Development at LVT, built on that point, “Our ability to connect disparate systems together to give context to what's happening in real-time really gives a sense of comfort to the responding officer, knowing what situation they're walking into.” 

Ben Dugan, Executive Director of Investigations at CVS Health, shared a specific example of how the integration of LVT and Fusus helped shut down criminal activity. In the Washington, D.C., area, a violent organized retail crime crew was carjacking vehicles and robbing people at gunpoint before targeting CVS stores to steal high‑demand items like liquid Tide.

To counter the threat, CVS leveraged its LVT mobile surveillance units and partnership with law enforcement. The units provided real‑time visibility, and officers could act on that live intelligence instead of waiting for delayed 911 calls or exported footage.

That joint effort led to 13 arrests, and as the cherry on top, Dugan noted, “On a couple of occasions, the bad guys came to the store, saw the [LVT] Unit, we saw them discussing it, and they went on to a different store that wasn't equipped with the same technology. These units have been a really invaluable tool for us to disrupt crime on a lot of different levels.”

→ Real‑time video and collaboration with law enforcement give retailers the best chance to protect people and stop criminals before they get away. Want to learn more about how retailers are using live video, mobile surveillance units, and real‑time sharing with law enforcement to fight organized retail crime? Watch the full webinar.