How Mobile Surveillance Changes the Game for Loss Prevention: Key Takeaways from an Expert Panel

Summary: 

• In a recent webinar, experts from LPRC, CVS Health, NYPD, and LVT discussed the 6D loss prevention framework.
• Mobile surveillance units support all six: deterrence, detection, disruption, documentation, data analysis, and diversion.
• Real-time video and integrations like Fusus help law enforcement respond faster and smarter.
• AI and forensic search simplify investigations, cut review time, and turn video into actionable insights.

Smash-and-grabs, organized retail crime rings, and violent crimes are daily challenges for retailers. Criminals are becoming increasingly clever and creative about their attacks, and traditional security measures like static cameras and “Smile, you’re being watched!” signs just aren’t enough anymore. 

In a recent webinar hosted by the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC), a panel of security experts came together to talk about the 6D loss prevention framework and explore how mobile surveillance, real-time video, and integrated technology are reshaping the fight against retail crime.

Below are some of the key takeaways from that discussion.

The 6D Loss Prevention Framework

The panel centered the conversation around six objectives every retailer should keep in mind: deterrence, detection, disruption, documentation, data analysis, and diversion. Together, these strategies help retailers prevent incidents, respond quickly when they happen, and build long-term solutions to combat crime.

1. Deterrence

Deterrence is one of the most powerful ways to reduce crime. When an offender sees a towering mobile surveillance unit in a parking lot, it changes the equation immediately. 

“The first thing an offender might see when they get on our property is that LVT Unit,” said Ben Dugan, Executive Director of Investigations at CVS Health. “That creates an environment of control, and it lets the offender know that potentially, it is a greater risk [to commit a crime] at that store with that unit there.”

Cory Lowe, Director of Research at LPRC, backed this up, noting that studies in cities like Gainesville and Paducah have shown significant reductions in incidents within 100 meters of a deployed unit. 

2. Detection

According to Lowe, if you can’t deter a crime, detecting it is the next best thing. “Once you detect a crime, you can begin mitigating the harm,” he explained. 

Thanks to developments in security technology, detection no longer means reviewing footage hours after an incident. Mobile surveillance units allow retailers and law enforcement to detect and respond to threats in real time.

Mike Ricupero, who recently retired as a lieutenant from the NYPD and former commander of its Real-Time Crime Center, emphasized the importance of real-time surveillance, “Having the ability to live-stream video in real time is tremendous to the officers responding to an incident.”

Lowe then went on to explain that solutions like Axon’s Fusus make this possible by feeding LVT video streams directly into law enforcement platforms, giving officers instant visibility into unfolding situations. That level of awareness changes everything—from how resources are deployed to how quickly threats are neutralized.

3. Disruption

Detection really only matters if it leads to action. “If it’s your job to disrupt serial crime of any kind—violence or theft—disruption should be your first and major goal,” said Dugan. “It is for us at CVS. When we gather intelligence on a pattern of criminal activity, we use systems like LVT to disrupt it.”

He shared an example involving a group that had been committing armed robberies and carjackings before targeting CVS stores for high-demand products. By leveraging their LVT® Units and their relationship with the local police department, they were able to set up a surveillance perimeter around the stores that were being targeted, catch the offenders in the act, and make 13 arrests.

4. Documentation

Accurate documentation—whether written or video—are what make investigations possible. Traditionally, this has been a manual and time-consuming process that requires teams to sift through hours of footage after an event. 

Technology is changing that. “We’re doing a lot in the realm of forensic search,” explained Matt Kelley, SVP of Business and Market Development at LVT. “Being able to package information quickly, gather it all, and make that haystack smaller—or remove it altogether—is really important so that you can focus on the events that matter.”

With AI-powered search tools like LVT’s forensic search, investigators can find specific moments in minutes instead of hours. That means faster case building, easier collaboration with law enforcement, and a big reduction in the time and resources tied up in post-event analysis.

5. Data Analysis

The information captured during incidents can do more than support investigations—it can guide better decisions. 

“At the end of the day,” explained Kelley, “all this data can be leveraged to teach, coach, and train your frontline associates and reinforce processes. You can take what you learned in the good and apply it to the bad.”

By analyzing trends and patterns—like where incidents occur, how often, and under what circumstances—retailers can allocate resources more effectively, minimize threats in their highest-risk areas, and avoid repeat incidents. 

6. Diversion

The final point of conversation centered on diversion, a strategy aimed at tackling crime at its source by steering people away from the behaviors and circumstances that lead to it.

The panel noted that some of the biggest risk factors for crime stem from community conditions like disorganization and a lack of trust among residents and stakeholders. When communities can’t work together effectively, crime is more likely to thrive. Building collective efficacy, as criminologists call it, is key to long-term prevention.

“The more intelligence we gather and share with one another, the better we can understand the root causes of retail crime. It empowers us to better support alternative sentencing for people that need drug and alcohol treatment or mental health treatment.” concluded Dugan.

Mobile Surveillance Units Pull It All Together

Mobile surveillance units make deterrence, detection, disruption, documentation, data analysis, and diversion easier than ever before:

• Their size and visibility make them the ultimate deterrent
• They detect crime and unwanted behaviors in real-time
• Real-time feeds help law enforcement disrupt crimes immediately
• Forensic search makes documentation quick and painless.
• AI-powered analytics turn raw video into actionable data-driven insights 
• Shared insights support diversion programs that address crime at its roots

→ Ready to take a deeper look at the tools, tactics, and technology shaping the future of loss prevention? Watch the full webinar.