Over a weekend, several JB Hi-Fi and Bing Lee stores were raided, having lots and lots of electronics and appliances stolen. Smartphones, laptops, watches, you know - the things you’d probably steal too.

An insider, whose store had been targeted and raided had said that they came back to a ‘store devoid of Apple products, and all of the security chains were cut’. Well I mean, it’s Apple, the theives are doing the stores a favour getting rid of their Apple stock.

What went wrong

  • Security Guards - Security guards are those enforcers of shoplifters.
    But what can you do when overwhelmed with a mob of people?
    You can stop one or two of them, but you can’t stop them all.

  • Security cameras - Security cameras are active devices, useful for surveillance and historical record. But when it comes to active situation response, they are flawed - (especially if the surveillant is dozing off)

  • Security locks… read on!

Read more: How do shops ‘prevent’ theft?

Products within the stores have security tags, which raise an alarm if brought near the security gates (you know, those poles at the entrace of stores).
But the flaw with these tags is that they do not prevent the products they’re ‘protecting’ from being stolen - they only cause attention.

If you were planning a mass theft, a security tag won’t do any good.

So that’s where security chains come in!
Physically tethered to products, they are designed to stop you from walking out with the product.

Unless of course you come prepared with a bolt cutter or something…
In any case, if you want to do anything, you probably can…

Another issue are with the security locks.
These locks operate by sounding an alarm if a spring contact within them gets disengaged. As the contacts disengage, the alarm goes off.
But with enough vibration and movement (for example, from people touching the product and moving them) - the locks will start losing their efficiency, and become loose.

Type 1 errors (false alarms) cause alarm fatigue, and with the constant loosening of the security alarms, this issue cascades

For electronics, security tags and locks are commonly used. Protection for clothing theft has these ink vials that will rupture if not removed properly - hence ruining the clothing and making it ‘unwearable’. But there’s no security measure like that for laptops

What now?

  • More store guards - physical force
  • Police signalling - get the real security
  • Destructive methods - a security device that damages the product if not removed properly
  • Lockdown - drop a security curtain to stop the theives from leaving the store.

There are of course, implications and issues that would have to be considered…

For example with the security curtain, if it drops down at a fast rate, it might knock into someone who is below the curtain and injure them. Additionally, if the thief was armed with a weapon, is it a good idea to trap people inside with them? Probably not…

Considerations

On a bigger scale, there remains a lingering question.
Why do thefts occur in the first place!

I’ll just leave that there, and not get too philosophical nor political.

Good day :)

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