Ex-detective Turns To Helping Retailers

The Age

Sunday June 16, 1996

RENATA Ringin was a detective senior constable in the Victoria Police. She left the force to work in clothing stores in the loss-prevention field.

Her background, combined with a reported rising rate of fraud and shop theft, led her to believe there was an opening for a consultancy specialising in advising retail clients on loss prevention and security. With this in mind, she formed Proactive Strategies last August.

Ms Ringin says most retailers regard external threats as the most prevalent cause of loss, but studies show that it is more likely to come from within.

Clients come to her and say they have a suspicion about their business and want it investigated.

The question, Ms Ringin says, is whether to have a reactive or proactive approach to crime. As the name of her business suggests, she believes the latter is preferable.

``It's not cost-effective to be reactive . . . to let people commit frauds and then investigate them. It's severely damaging to the business."

Ms Ringin advises clients on how to gather evidence correctly and then decide whether they want to proceed with a police prosecution or civil case.

Her background as a police officer is invaluable here because the whole process can be fast-tracked.

``It gives them (clients) some options. It speeds up the process, which they're very interested in doing," Ms Ringin says. ``It gives them control."

Ms Ringin says retailers' awareness of their exposure to financial loss through fraud and theft is increasing. ``They're much more comfortable talking about it . . . the fact that they are is a really good sign."

Retailers are particularly aware of the risks they face, says Ms Ringin. The ones that take measures to prevent it are at a significant advantage in the long-term.

Loss prevention can be a question of changing the culture of a business. Ms Ringin is conscious of the negative connotations internal security procedures can evoke.

With larger companies becoming leaner and shedding whole departments, Ms Ringin sees her business as the start of a blossoming industry.

Mr Ringin believes employing outside loss-prevention consultants has a number of advantages. It is more cost-effective to have experts brought in on a needs basis to investigate or implement loss-prevention programs.

It also saves senior management playing amateur sleuth and being distracted from their responsibilities running the company.

However, she believes the process can be positive if all staff are trained and involved in the loss-prevention programs, as well as made accountable for their actions.

Management needs to get beyond viewing security as an ``us and them" situation, Ms Ringin says. To exclude employees below a certain level from training can be disastrous. ``If the staff aren't aware of it . . . then they won't be effective, " she says.

``They have to be accountable," she says. ``I don't use the process of watching, I use the process of working with them. That's where I've had results."

OFFICE THEFT: What to do.

* AVOID knee jerk reactions. Consider the long term implications and courses of action available.

* DON'T panic. Assess the situation fairly and rationally.

* GET expert advice.

* DON'T play super sleuth * BE aware of industrial relations ramifications before dismissing an employee suspected of the offence.

* LEARN from the experience. Don't assume if it has been stopped once that it won't happen again.