Retail Loss Prevention Course: Lessons 2026

Lesson 1: What loss prevention does

Loss prevention protects a store's goods, cash and people. Stores call missing stock shrink. It comes from outside theft by shoplifters, internal theft by employees, paperwork errors and vendor fraud. Loss prevention staff may wear a uniform at the door or work in plain clothes on the floor.

Deterrence comes first

• Greet customers and make eye contact. People who plan to steal avoid staff who notice them.
• Be visible at entrances and in high-theft areas.
• Report broken cameras, missing tags and blind spots.
• Watch for internal theft, such as a cashier who rings in only some items for a friend (often called sweethearting) or fake refunds.

Watch behaviour, not people. Concealing items, removing tags or watching staff instead of the products are behaviours. Race, age, clothing, religion or disability are not. Profiling is unfair and can break human rights laws.

Lesson 2: The law on theft and arrest

The Criminal Code, section 322, says theft is taking something without colour of right (an honest belief that you have a right to it) and with intent to deprive the owner of it, even for a short time. Section 334 sets the line between "theft under" and "theft over" at $5,000.

Searching

Security staff have no general power to search a person or their bag. A search needs real consent or another lawful basis. If a person says no, you cannot force it. Follow your store policy and let police decide.

Provincial trespass laws let stores ban people. In Ontario, an occupier or an authorized person can prohibit entry by notice, and a banned person who returns commits an offence under the Trespass to Property Act.

Lesson 3: Making a safe stop

Many retailers require staff to see several things before they stop a suspected shoplifter. This helps make sure an offence really happened.

1. Selection: you see the person pick up the item.
2. Concealment: you see where they hide it.
3. Continuous observation: you keep watching them the whole time.
4. Failure to pay: you see them pass the last point of sale without paying.
5. Approach: you stop them as your store policy says, usually with a partner.

If you lose sight of the person, even briefly, do not make the stop. They may have dropped the item or put it back.

When to let go

• The person shows or mentions a weapon.
• The person becomes violent or the crowd turns against you.
• The person runs and your store has a no-chase policy.
• You or anyone else could be hurt.

In these cases, step back, call 911, and note the description, vehicle and direction of travel. No merchandise is worth an injury.

After an arrest

• Tell the person they are under arrest and why.
• Move to a private office with a second staff member as a witness, if your policy allows.
• Call police and stay with the person until officers arrive.
• Watch for signs of a medical problem, and call 911 for help if needed.
• Do not question the person to get a confession or ask them to sign anything your policy does not require.

Lesson 4: Talking to people

How you speak decides how a stop goes. Identify yourself, stay calm and keep your voice low. Talk in private where possible, never in a way that shames the person in front of others.

• Use plain words: "I need to talk to you about the items in your bag."
• Do not accuse, insult or threaten.
• If a customer complains you are following them, stay polite and offer help.
• A person who seems confused, such as an older adult, may need help, not an arrest. Involve a manager.
• Follow your store's policy for young people, which often means calling a parent or guardian.

Lesson 5: Cameras, evidence and reports

Stores collect personal information when they record video. Federal privacy guidelines for businesses say:

• Post a clear notice before people enter an area with cameras, with a contact for questions.
• Do not aim cameras at places with a heightened expectation of privacy, such as washrooms.
• Keep recordings only as long as needed, then destroy them securely.
• Store recordings in a secure place, and let only a few authorized staff view them.
• People have a right to access images of themselves; protect others in the video, for example by masking.

Evidence and notes

• Keep recovered items secure and record who handled them.
• Save and label any video your policy allows you to keep.
• Write your notes as soon as possible: times, descriptions, what you saw and what you did.
• Give police the evidence they ask for, following your store's policy.