Albertsons Adopts Platform to Reduce Crime

Albertsons Cos. LLC is implementing a retail risk-management solution that ties its data with industry-wide resources to bridge the gap between retail, law enforcement and the judicial system to facilitate prosecution of repeat offenders and organized retail crime gangs.

Nearly seven out of 10 shoplifters are repeat offenders, according to Alto Alliance, a Miami-based firm providing the platform. Alto AllianceSM is said to be an effective deterrence marketing program that communicates directly to offenders so that they and their criminal network are aware that retailers using the program should be avoided. The result not only benefits the retailer by lowering losses, but also improves store safety for employees and customers while contributing to a reduction in crime in the community.

Here’s how it works: The Alto legal team receives an incident report in real time. The system connects the offender to previous incidents, prior criminal history and potential connection to organized retail crime, essentially building a “case in a box” for prosecution.

To increase the likelihood of conviction, Alto provides concierge service for prosecution and the retailer to coordinate the case, assisting in preparation of victim and witness statements, as well as communicating with the offender. The retailer has the ability to view not only the continually updated criminal case status, but also the Alliance dashboard, which provides data-rich link analysis and predictive analytics tools that share actionable insight into such items as identifying organized retail crime members and previously undetected criminal patterns.

“Retailers have struggled to find a solution to reduce shoplifting and manage risks in stores,” said Kathleen Smith, CFI, VP of loss prevention for Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. “The Alto program has designed a strategy that effectively brings law enforcement, prosecutors and retailers together, with a goal of not only reducing crime in stores, but also increasing sales and enhancing our shoppers’ experience.”