Security experts shared insights at the NACS Show.

October 31, 2024

Kelly Harrington, director of asset protection at RaceTrac Inc., and Wes Pate, senior director of loss prevention and risk management at Refuel Operating Company, shared their experiences enhancing store safety at an Education Session at the NACS Show last month.

[NACS is hosting the Loss Prevention and Safety Symposium December 3 and 4 in Dallas, Texas. Register today for the event.]

The duo offered five pillars to store safety. While every store is different, the pillars can be a framework for thinking about the safety and developing a plan.

Understand store risk: Multilocation retailers should give each of their stores a grade or a ranking: One through three, for example, or one through five, with the higher number indicating more risk. These rankings can be built using a combination of the retailer’s own experiences and external data sources (make sure you find an unbiased source). As part of this process, it’s critical that store leadership documents what’s happening in and around the locations. And don’t forget to think about risk holistically—do you have stores in locations where there might be weather events, for example?

Enhance physical security: The ranking system will lead you to which stores need the most investment. CPTED—crime prevention through environmental design—is one way to think about a location’s physical security. Something as simple as a row of bushes instead of grass can impact a store’s risk—even better if the bushes have thorns. Your local law enforcement agency may be happy to do a CPTED walk-through. More concretely, continue to invest in your camera system, Harrington and Pate agreed.

Train your people: De-escalation techniques don’t have to be complex. BLAST—believe, listen, apologize, satisfy, thank—is a simple framework. Harrington shared that RaceTrac has a full training program that centers on empathy. “It’s about treating folks how we want to be treated,” he said.

When it comes to when and whom to call for help, keep it simple. Don’t overwhelm store workers with a flowchart. Also, give them training about what to say on the phone to a dispatcher. That conversation can have a huge impact on the speed of the response.

Understand community resources and local government: Calling the police can’t be your only option, particularly in areas where the police struggle to keep up with the volume of calls. Are there other government agencies that can help? Who in the city has funding to help with homeless people or drug abuse? Are there local charities or other organizations that can assist?

Your store isn’t an island. Are there other nearby businesses you can partner with?

Build relationships with law enforcement: This one might be hard, but it’s simple: Build relationships now. Finding ways to support and help law enforcement also happens to be the right thing to do for your community.

Click here to learn more about the NACS Loss Prevention and Safety Symposium, including the agenda and speakers.