Opinion (Rogério COPETO / Official GNR): The THEFT IN SUPERMARKETS.
Last week an online newspaper article "Cash Money", with the title "Thefts in trade equals 16 Portuguese euros", realized, that in the ranking of countries where less shirk trade, Portugal occupied the 6th place.
Rogério COPETO
Lieutenant Colonel of the GNR, Master in Law and Security and Homeland Security Auditor
Head of the Education Division / Command Doctrine and Training
The author of that article was based on the announcement made by "Global Retail Theft Barometer" (Global Theft Barometer in Retail), which informed the report prepared by "The Smart Clube", designed by the investigator Ernie Deyle, with the support of "Checkpoint Systems", which states that the losses for unknown reasons reported by the Portuguese retail companies, match 0,9% Sales, this being lower than the European average, which is 1,05%.
Said 0,9% Sales, refers to loss, match 301 M€, wherein 52% this loss corresponds to thefts, that their customers perform in domestic trade, making 157 M€, the author concludes that each Portuguese have so stolen items worth 16 €, and the remainder of the losses comes from the thefts perpetrated by the employees themselves (29%), fraud by suppliers (13%) and administrative losses (6%).
But despite the allusion to the title of the article is, the fact that we've all terms stolen something from supermarket shelves in the amount of € 16, seems to me that neste-case or that Portugal occupies 6th place, in the ranking of countries in the world where less shirk trade, that the accounts involves sales of 33.444 M€, and that the first places in the ranking are occupied by Norway, Switzerland and France, It is a source of pride for all Portuguese.
This fact is not unconnected with the work that the GNR and PSP have developed under the "Safe Trade" program, especially in partnership with Portuguese Association of Distribution Companies (APED), in compliance with the protocol formalized between the Ministry of Internal Affairs (MAY) and APED dated 4 May 2010.
The program "Safe Trade" Mai initiative is based on a community policing philosophy, We want to increase the protection and safety conditions merchants. The GNR ensures such protection using the strengthening of policing through apeadas patrols and the establishment, the general safety rules and procedures.
The development of this program has yet to allow the promotion of awareness-raising and the adoption of measures that best meet the needs and specific conditions of the different kinds of trade, the levels of both the prevention of criminal offenses suffered by citizens circulating in commercial areas, as in relation to thefts and robberies of commercial establishments.
GNR for the objectives of the program "Safe Trade" are: Present position of traders in its action zone; Intensify the proximity to merchants; Adequately sensitize traders to the different types of crime that focus on them more often; Ensure the conditions for traders feel protected; Be diligent in personal or telephone service; Support traders in their needs.
It is with these objectives that the GNR loops every year "Operation Safe Commerce", always height of the Christmas period, conducting awareness-raising merchants, through personal contacts and room stock, in order to inform them of safety procedures to be followed in situations assaults, in order to maximize the feeling of security among the population affected by this type of crime.
For the success of the "Safe Commerce" much also has contributed the aforementioned protocol formalized between MAI and APED, one of the most relevant factors, the existence of interlocutors in GNR, belonging to the Sections of Special Programs, It has the responsibility to contact all traders of its action zone, as well as coordinate and plan with them, any action traders request, as are the first to receive complaints and denunciations, the same.
Also following the protocol signed between APED and MAI, It was set as a priority the deepening of cooperation in the training of members of APED on security, in order to inform and enlighten those associated, in terms of good security practices, It has therefore been carried out various training activities, using trainers from the GNR and PSP, on various subjects, such as: Type of crimes, their penalty bands and classification regarding the exercise of criminal proceedings; Conflict management, namely, the approach to conflict, steps to take and the adoption of behaviors; Applicable law the Private Security, including the respective regulatory framework, the exercise of private security activities, the duty of cooperation and supervision, por parte da GNR e da PSP.
The importance of this protocol also allowed expedite contacts between the security forces and APED, not only through the aforementioned parties, but also in developing expedient parts for use by traders, such as "Auto Delivery Summary", prepared in accordance with article 381 of the Criminal Procedure Code, which allows the head of a business establishment, to deliver to law enforcement of a theft suspect, without further legal formalities.
Finalized, back to the report at the outset, it also tells us that at the other end of the rankings, are the US dominating the losses, followed by China and Japan, verifying that all regions of the world, except Europe, recorded increased losses, so we should all be proud in 6th place that occupies Portugal, this ranking of the least steal in supermarkets.
