Arresting shoplifters is a common activity for retail loss prevention personnel. What are some key ...

In order to avoid civil claims related to false arrest, false imprisonment, excessive force, and defamation, retailers have strict policies for an arrest. At a minimum, these policies require loss prevention personnel to observe the suspect (1) approach; (2) select; (3) conceal; and (4) carry away (and perhaps convert it by eating it or removing it from its original packaging) the merchandise before an arrest can occur. Staff must also maintain continuous surveillance of the suspect to ensure that the suspect did not dispose of the item. The suspect should also be apprehended past the last possible POS and outside the store in order to validate that the person did not intend to pay for the item(s). The actual arrest, meanwhile, must be reasonable, conducted in a professional manner, be as discreet as possible, and not cause any undue stress on the suspect. All information regarding the arrest must also be confidential.