The Loss Prevention Foundation’s Diversity Committee took some exciting steps forward in July 2015, with professionals from across the country participating in a telephone conference to discuss the needs within the loss prevention community and objectives of the committee.
“Attaining a more diverse and inclusive environment in the loss prevention industry is paramount,” says Paul Jones, LPC, former senior director of global asset protection for eBay and chairman of the diversity committee. “Our mission is to create an environment that supports and represents the communities where we work and live.”
Loss prevention leadership recognizes that both diversity and inclusion are critical assets of a successful program. This involves the ability to recognize the differences, characteristics, and ideologies that make all of us unique as individuals; accepting and respecting those differences that are a part of all of us and finding positive channels to understand and support one another in real ways for the benefit of all.
Increasing awareness regarding diversity and inclusion covers a broad spectrum of potential topics. While diversity may refer to all of the ways we differ, inclusion involves bringing all of those differences together and putting diversity into action. This should be a message and an objective that we all share; creating a culture and setting a tone that is productive and supportive. With nearly 70 LP professionals taking part in the conversation, the interest and the value of this message was clearly underscored.
All of us want to see our efforts progress into positive results, and your support is important. Our goal is to create content and dialogue to enhance discussions around diversity in LP. This requires both group support and individual participation to build learning experiences that are positive and meaningful. In the process, we hope to create nuggets of informative content—calling on your knowledge, experiences, and perspectives to create a truly exceptional result.
If you have an opinion or perspective that you would like to share, we would like to hear it. LP Magazine has agreed to provide us with a forum for these articles. “I’m excited about the energy and commitment we have from the LP community as it relates to the LPF Diversity committee,” says Jones. “We will make a difference in shaping our industry.”
This article was originally published in 2015 and was updated February 9, 2016.