Losses due to return fraud, including returning stolen merchandise, merchandise purchased with counterfeit money or used merchandise, may creep up on you throughout the year. Require customers seeking a return for cash to produce a receipt for the item(s). If they don't have a receipt, offer store credit or an exchange instead. Be sure to enforce this policy 100 per cent of the time to reduce return fraud.

Installing security cameras is a good deterrent for employees who may be considering fraud and theft. Knowing they are being filmed makes these individuals less likely to steal. Set up the cameras in areas where thieves might commit their crimes, such as stockrooms, break rooms or storage areas. Be sure to avoid putting them in bathrooms, dressing rooms or other areas with reasonable expectations of privacy, as this is illegal. Review your CCTV footage regularly to spot unusual activity and boost loss prevention efforts.

If raises aren't an option, boost employee morale in other ways, such as recognizing achievements, offering workplace perks and providing mentoring and feedback. Employees who are happy at their jobs are less likely to risk losing them over criminal behavior.

In this video, Robert Carlson from Brave Defender Training Group explains the critical skill of self-applying a tourniquet for law enforcement officers. This essential technique can mean the difference between life and death, as arterial bleeding can lead to fatal blood loss within minutes.

The basics of loss prevention involve implementing various measures such as developing policies, using security cameras, conducting surprise audits, encouraging hotline tips, and establishing checks and balances to detect and prevent theft and fraud in the workplace.

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If you suspect employee theft is responsible for losses in your organization, download this cheat sheet. You'll learn six things you need to do when you have reasonable grounds to suspect an employee of stealing.

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Every officer knows the importance of reliable ammunition. That’s why we’ve put together an essential guide and video on how to properly inspect your duty ammo. Ensuring your rounds are in top condition is crucial for your safety and effectiveness.

Case IQ staff is available 24-7 for customer support and technical assistance. For other inquiries our regular office hours are from 9am to 5pm EST, Monday to Friday.

Back-up weapon: Assume you need to use deadly force and for whatever reason, you cannot use your primary weapon (e.g. your strong arm is injured or your firearm has a mechanical failure), what do you do? A backup weapon can be a lifesaver. I suggest you orient it to your weak hand (for most of us, the left) so if your strong hand is injured, you still have a plausible threat of deadly force against your target.

Using a case management system to track your loss prevention investigations and incidents helps you spot trends and hot spots. Create graphs and charts or overlay reports on maps to instantly visualize incident patterns. Whether you are experiencing issues with employee theft, fraud, shoplifting or supply chain losses, loss prevention software offers valuable insight into your company's vulnerabilities so you can focus your program.

A system of checks and balances keeps employees accountable and reduces the chance that they will successfully pull off fraud. Make sure that one employee is never tasked with sales and reconciling the till.

Register for our webinar with Meric Bloch to learn how to handle and prevent retaliation claims after workplace incidents.

Extra ammo: Ammo is cheap; life is not. Extra rounds for anything you carry, preferably in a magazine so it’s quick to reload.

Bring in an accountant from the outside to analyze your company's financial records. A fresh set of eyes (and an objective perspective) may be able to catch inconsistencies an internal accountant missed. Have them examine bank statements, ledgers and checks, including verifying that vendor payments match inventory receipts.

Check incoming merchandise against invoices and outgoing products against shipping documents or other sales data. Doing this every day can boost your loss prevention efforts, as things gone missing won't go undetected for long.

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Security tools are some of the most common and effective loss prevention methods. Cameras, mirrors, security tags, sensors and guards both detect shoplifting and deter criminals. Lock up small, expensive or frequently stolen items. Lock dressing rooms and require large bags to be left at the checkout counter to obstruct common ways that thieves hide their stolen goods.

For anything higher in value than regular office supplies, installing inventory controls can boost your loss prevention efforts. Lock up cash, electronics and other expensive supplies and only give access as needed. Carefully monitor and track the inventory of these items. Industries that work with especially dangerous or pricey items, such as the technology and medical fields, should take extra precautions.

If you’re a single parent, or both you and your spouse are cops, have you planned for your children if something should happen? If the answer is “Mom and Dad will take care of the kids,” do Mom and Dad know that? Have you discussed this with them? Do they have (or can obtain) your kids’ medical and education records? Have you given them a power of attorney for this matter? Have you planned for switching schools, or if you are in a hospital for long-term recovery, will one parent move into your house?

This is not intended as an exhaustive list. Adapt it to how you work on the street. Remember you don’t have to buy everything at once. Observe how others do the job and use their knowledge and experience to ensure you accomplish your greatest goal: Go home at the end of the watch.

Author’s note: The statements, opinions, beliefs, and viewpoints expressed herein are solely those of the author and not in any official capacity as an employee of the Houston Police Department and do not necessarily reflect the viewpoints or official policies of the Houston Police Department.

Encourage tips by setting up a secure, private loss prevention hotline that offers employees a range of reporting options. Include a dedicated email address, phone number and webform and allow whistleblowers to remain anonymous. Emphasize that tips will be kept in confidence and that your company is committed to avoiding retaliation.

One of the easiest forms of loss prevention is not hiring thieves in the first place. Pre-screen applicants when hiring by conducting criminal records checks, checking references and, if it's legal in your state, performing credit checks. If any red flags pop up during this process, investigate further or take that applicant out of the pool.

I spent years training new officers as a field training officer. A question I was often asked was, “What equipment do I really need on the street?” I’ve usually answered that there is no one way to do this job and the equipment needed varies. I’ve also suggested that as new cops see other cops working, that they should adopt what works for them. Good ideas are best shared.

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CEOs and senior management should follow the same rules as the lowest-level employees at the company. If you don't want people to steal money or supplies, don't let the C-suite take things for free, either.

Businesses need to take loss prevention measures in order to thrive. By making a few easy changes to your workplace, you can considerably reduce your risk of theft.

When scheduling employees, be strategic. Never let anyone work alone, especially those performing money-handling tasks including running the cash registers. Employees who are tempted to steal will have fewer opportunities to do it if someone else is there to hold them accountable. Potential shoplifters will also be under better surveillance if there are multiple employees in the store.

Print out this loss prevention tips cheat sheet and hang it in the break room to remind employees to do their part to stop theft.

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Another way to eliminate low-visibility areas is to post staff members around the store, from the main aisles to dark corners. They should greet customers and offer help as well as keep an eye out for shady behavior. Not only will this improve your customer service, it may also deter potential thieves by reminding them that the store has eyes everywhere.

The biggest deterrent to loss is creating a work environment where employees feel valued, supported, and adequately compensated, as this reduces the likelihood of employees resorting to theft or fraud to address financial gaps or grievances.

Employers can show that they value their employees by paying them an adequate wage. Underpaid employees may turn to stealing to fill financial gaps or because they feel they deserve to be paid more. In fact, higher wages are actually tied to lower employee theft.

A loss prevention example is implementing security cameras in a retail store to deter theft and fraud by employees and customers alike.

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Why do people steal? Whether it's an employee or a customer, the reasons that people commit fraud and theft are the same. Reasons for theft fall into three main categories:

Questions like this should be answered before you get on the streets. LegalZoom offers online services and many police unions or agencies offer assistance in this. Also, if you have a “change of life” such as divorce, marriage or birth of a child, make sure things like insurance policies and pension benefits are updated.

Personal affairs in order: Congratulations, you are in a profession where death or serious bodily injury is a distinct possibility. Is your family ready? Have you set up a will, living will, medical power of attorney and final directives? Does your family know where they are? Even if you’re single, you need to plan for the worst because someone may have to decide for you.

Each year, inventory shrinkage costs the U.S. retail industry over $45 billion. The largest contributors to this loss are shoplifting and other external theft (36 per cent) and internal theft and fraud (33 per cent).

I recommend something small without an exposed hammer (have faith, it will catch on something when you desperately need it) so you can get it out easily. I carry a snub-nose .357 Ruger LCR in my left cargo pocket. No exposed hammer and no parts to jam. If I yank the trigger, it will fire. Even if you don’t hit your target, you may scare the person enough that he or she runs or you can back off and reassess. Again, whatever works for you.

Create and post policies outlining acceptable use of company property. This informs employees with good intentions and may deter those who might be tempted to commit theft or fraud. Make sure the policy plainly describes the disciplinary actions that will occur if an employee is caught stealing from the company.

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Tips from other employees are the number-one way that employers find out about internal fraud and theft. Most employees are honest and loyal to their workplace and would not appreciate other employees committing theft or fraud.

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That being said, here is a list of some basics for every cop on the street. This is a list organized by the “must-haves” (don’t go out without them), the “should-haves” (not war-stoppers, but highly recommended) and the “good-to-haves” (not necessarily needed, but they make life easier), in no particular order. Is it complete? Not really. Everyone has a different situation, but here are some requirements and suggestions.

A poorly organized store makes it easy for thieves to make off with your merchandise. The store layout should force customers to pass the checkout in order to leave, making it harder for them to slip out with stolen products undetected. Eliminate hiding spots for thieves by replacing tall displays with lower fixtures.

Conducting regularly scheduled audits can help you find anomalies in your books, but also give employees time to prepare. Carry out some random checks of financial records and supply inventory at different times of day on different days of the week. You may catch a fraud or theft scheme you never would have noticed.

A long-term method for loss prevention is to ask customers for a piece of identification when they make a return or exchange. This helps you spot patterns of frequent or unusual return behavior. You're less likely to fall victim to a return fraud scheme and you can alert other locations of your store about suspicious individuals.

Simply being aware that all of these crimes could be occurring can help companies prepare and protect themselves from theft and fraud.

Messy or cluttered shelves, displays and aisles make it harder to notice if merchandise is missing. Keep shelves well-stocked and pull items to the front, making a solid wall of product. The more organized your displays are, the easier it is to keep track of your inventory.

Michael A. Thiac is a Houston Police patrol sergeant and field training supervisor with over 18 years of experience. He is retired from the Army Reserve, after spending 23 years in intelligence. When not on patrol, he can be found at A Cop’s Watch.

After installing security cameras, remind customers that they are being watched using signage throughout the store. Mention that you can and will prosecute shoplifters. These reminders may spark a fear of being caught strong enough to deter potential criminals.