IndexReports on Organized Retail Crime OperationsTypes of ORCActive Shooter FindingsCharacteristics of an Active ShooterPolice ResponsePreventing Active Shooter IncidentsThreat PreventionResource protection has become one of the goals leaders of companies now more than ever. With the rate at which technology advances, it has made asset protection easier than it was years ago, but it is still flawless. Regardless of the various measures taken to reduce and eliminate theft, companies continue to lose billions of dollars every year to strangers and their own employees. Another issue that must be taken into consideration is the ever-increasing problem and unpredictability of active shooters. There are various efforts underway in both of these areas. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an Original EssayReports on Organized Retail CrimeTo combat organized retail crime (ORC), it is important to know what exactly it is and the ways in which people operated. ORC can be defined as “Theft and/or fraudulent activity conducted with the intent to convert illegally obtained merchandise, cargo, cash or cash equivalent into financial gain, typically through online or offline sales” (NRF, 2013 ). It is important not to confuse ORC with normal shoplifting. Shoplifting can be described as single events committed by one person. They usually steal for personal reasons, whether it's for something they need or simply for something they want. ORC is much more complex than shoplifting and the people involved who usually don't do it for immediate personal reasons. ORC has various parts and different goals that people try to achieve. ORC normally has various levels. When people are caught selling items in the store, it is usually at the lowest level within the organization. Even though they do all the hard work to actually get the goods, they get paid very little if anything. There are usually groups or bands that make up these ORC circuits. Operations Since almost all stores have some sort of security and/or surveillance system, it can sometimes be difficult to understand how people manage to get away with a certain amount of merchandise without being caught or at least noticed. Although cameras, security systems, security officers, etc. are all useful in deterring this time of crime, criminals still find ways to circumvent these security measures. While each group may vary in how they operate, there are a few main methods that are widely used. “ORC rings are intelligent, using designated roles such as driver, lookout, picker, packer and supervisor. They use hand signals, cell phones, GPS devices, online information to develop and broadcast "lists" of target commodities, and have "tools of the trade," which include shopping bags, purses, boxes, and aluminum-lined signal jammers to defeat the inventory control. tags. Some use computers to replicate fake receipts for the purpose of making cash returns, while others use false and/or fraudulent credit cards or checks to purchase gift cards and other expensive goods” (NRF, 2013). Another way that helps these networks become more efficient is that store employees are often recruited as well. An employee's role can range from something small, such as simply looking the other way and doing nothing to interfere with the boosters, or it can be more in-depth, such as completing returnsfraudulent or provide information about the store's security systems and procedures. .An item is successfully powered up, then it is brought to someone known as a fence. A fence is “someone who converts merchandise into money or drugs as part of a criminal enterprise” (NRF, 2013). This is when boosters usually get paid for stealing their items and that is usually the end of their duties, except to repeat the process over and over again. Types of ORCI It is important to note that ORC does not only take place inside retail stores. Thefts have begun to occur more and more before the goods even reach the shops. Goods theft is on the rise for various reasons. Criminals are able to obtain larger quantities of merchandise this way in a shorter period of time than it takes to obtain the same quantity of items from a brick-and-mortar store. One of the reasons this problem is becoming more and more common is due to staffing problems in companies. “The driver shortage is leaving trucks in less safe areas. When the loaded trailer is in the warehouses waiting to be picked up, production is stopped. These trailers are then moved to less safe areas so they can continue their operations” (NRF, 2016). Once moved to these less safe areas, trailers become a target for criminals. Access to these locations can easily be gained by stealing the identity of the carrier. Another reason could be the not-so-harsh consequences for stealing cargo. “Drug dealers are increasingly moving toward cargo theft because cargo theft does not carry a mandatory minimum sentence like drug crimes do” (NRF, 2016). If caught, first- and second-time offenders are usually released. Most are fined or placed on probation. A crime that yields a large amount of money with minimal consequences is truly unattractive to criminals, to say the least. A third reason why cargo theft is on the rise is due to budget cuts within police departments. “Cargo theft task forces are one of the first areas to receive cuts because it is seen as a victimless crime” (NRF, 2016). Priority is given to crimes where people are actually hurt or suffer in some way. While no one physically suffers from these crimes, cargo theft is far from a victimless crime. Aside from fencers selling items at pawn shops, flea markets, pop-up shops, etc., another way they sell stolen items that seems to be more efficient is online. With sites like Ebay and Amazon, where individuals can create profiles and list items, they are able to reach more people in different areas. This is a much quicker way to get rid of stolen goods without the risk of getting caught that comes with selling items on the street. This type of fencing has been labeled E-fencing. According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), “approximately 58% of businesses surveyed identified stolen merchandise on online auction sites” (NRF, 2016). Coupons and gift cards are another way fencers profit from stolen merchandise. They basically take the merchandise back to the stores they stole it from to get a refund for something they never purchased in the first place. Normally, most stores will issue a refund via store credit when a refund is made without a receipt. These gift/store credit cards are then resold to people, either in person or online. Cost According to a survey by the National Retail Federation (NRF), it was stated that "100% of companies surveyed believe they have beenvictim of ORC in the last 12 months" (NRF, 2016). Larger companies are usually the most affected simply because they have more stores, more merchandise, etc. Overall, it was found that "retailers retailed between 700 ,00 and $1 billion to ORC rings” (NRF, 2016). Furthermore, the survey continued to find only increases in ORC and no significant decreases. It was also noted that more than half of the retailers surveyed had stated that although it is a growing problem, they have not received any additional support from law enforcement in trying to combat the problem. It appears that theft from retailers is not considered a priority or is a crime is mostly overlooked. While people may think it doesn't affect them, it actually does. The more companies lose due to ORC, merchandise theft, gift card fraud, etc., they have to compensate for those losses somehow. . Trying to control these losses, stores often spend a large amount of money on updated security systems, hiring security officers, etc. Another way stores try to make up for these losses is by increasing the prices of their merchandise. This is how everyone else is affected. Consumers literally have to pay for what others choose to steal. This puts a strain on everyone. Active shooter findings Another alarming trend in the United States would be that of active shooters. An active shooter is defined as “An individual actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a confined, populated area” (Blair & Schweit, 2013). Active shooter incidents are nothing new, but it seems over the past decade or so they continue to happen more frequently each year. From 2000-2013, “The FBI identified 160 active shooter incidents that occurred in the United States” (Blair & Schweit, 2013). One of the things that complicates trying to prevent active shooter incidents is that they are essentially unpredictable, except for a few factors. “Approximately 70% of active shooter incidents occurred in commercial and educational settings” (Blair & Schweit, 2013). The rate at which accidents occur each year has more than doubled. “During the first seven years of 2000-2013, an average of 6.4 incidents occurred per year. Over the last seven years of this study, it increased to an average of 16.4 incidents per year” (Blair & Schweit, 2013). It is almost impossible to predict when and where these incidents will occur. Although research has attempted to show a correlation with the likelihood of an incident occurring by showing the number of shootings that occurred or specific days based on areas and the gender of the shooter, these incidents continue to occur. It only takes a few minutes for an accident to cause a large number of victims. Police often arrive quickly at these scenes, some of whom have actually exchanged gunfire with the shooter. There have been various hypotheses about how to prevent active shooter incidents from occurring. The issue of gun control has been pushed harder than ever and met with a lot of resistance. Most believe that gun control will only make the situation worse and hinder their Second Amendment rights, while others believe it is necessary to prevent these incidents from happening. Characteristics of an Active Shooter Becoming familiar with the characteristics of active shooters helps with how police are able to respond. This gives them an idea of ​​what they are faced with and which strategies will best suit the situation at hand. One characteristic is that “active shooters tend to engage in more than one target and theirthe intent is to kill as many randomly chosen people as possible” (PERF, 2014). This means that likely targets for active shooters are highly populated areas such as shopping malls, schools, universities, stores, highly populated areas within a city, etc. Other characteristics of active shooters is that they are usually motivated by anger or hatred towards something. Financial gain is not normally a motive for shootings, if at all. It is for this reason that police negotiation is an ineffective response to active shooter situations, but would be a better response to hostage situations. It is crucial to note that shooters often took time to plan their plans and how to carry them out. They have spent time and money preparing for the attack, which often makes them more armed than the police. While the area they choose to attack may seem like a random attack to everyone else, the shooter has spent time familiarizing themselves with the area by observing various security routines, when the area is busiest, etc. They also studied which routes would be the fastest. This is another advantage they tend to have over the police. Police Response In any active shooting incident, it is up to the police to monitor and ultimately put an end to the shooting.situation. There is great pressure on the police to be able to respond quickly and effectively to contain and put an end to these situations. In an effort to improve police response, it is important to know what types of weapons shooters tend to use. “In about 60% of cases, the most powerful weapon they had was a gun. In 27% of cases they used a rifle and in 9% of cases a hunting rifle” (PERF, 2014). Although active shooters tend to kill themselves, it is important that the police do not always rely on this and are ready and trained to fight. The police should not only receive extensive training for these situations, but they should also have the appropriate equipment for the various scenarios. In some situations, shooters tend to barricade themselves inside, making it more difficult and taking longer for police to reach them, especially when they are unprepared and don't have the proper equipment. In addition to having the right equipment and training, it often involves thinking and making life-or-death decisions in seconds. There are two main ways police respond: individual entry or contact teams. “If an office arrives at a scene where the offender is actively shooting or threatening victims, some policies provide that the lone officer can intervene and stop the threat without waiting for other officers to arrive” (PERF, 2014 ). When an officer moves alone, this is a dangerous method, but sometimes there is no other choice when there is no time and lives are at risk. Contact teams are another way police respond to these incidents. This is when a group of officers moves through an area looking for the killer. They are also often in different formations. “Rolling T- or diamond formations in which a point person determines the direction of the team, two “flanks” or “wings” cover threats to the left and right, and a rear guard faces backwards and makes radio transmissions” (PERF , 2014). By having a group of officers enter an area where a shooter is located, they have the advantage of outnumbering that individual. They are able to cover more ground and see more than just one officer entering an area. Training officers on first aid and how to stop victims from bleeding is another change that has/has been made to the training. The police will reach the.