In recent years, terror attacks seem to have targeted highly populated commercial venues rather than government facilities or symbolic sites. Kenya in 2013, Paris in 2015—these are only two examples of a worrisome trend. The terrorist threat has begun to garner renewed attention from retailers—and the loss prevention agents responsible for dealing with retail security, workplace violence, threats and emergencies.
But what level of security is appropriate for such an unlikely event as a terrorist attack? It’s hard to say. Some retailers conduct risk assessments to focus anti-terrorism efforts where they’re most effective.
In the May-June 2016 issue of LP Magazine, Garett Sievold, contributing writer, examines ways by which retailers can maximize their value from anti-terrorism measures. From the article:
“Risk assessment is the most assured way to minimize costs as it focuses anti-terrorism where it’s most needed. Risk assessments serve as the foundation to mitigation and prevention, which makes it critical that they be accurate, detailed, and frequently updated. They should encompass external factors—country and city terror risk ratings, average emergency response times, the government’s capacity to disrupt terror plots—as well as store-specific factors, such as its proximity to high-value targets, standoff, and foot traffic.”
Sievold goes on to explore possible counterterrorism solutions at the executive and store levels. A case study about the Mall of America’s Risk Assessment and Mitigation (RAM) unit provides a practical illustration of a model of counterterrorism known as behavior detection and assessment. In the article’s conclusion, Sievold shares best practices and program obstacles for retailers that may be interested in implementing a behavior detection and interviewing program.
Read the full article, “Readying Retail for Terrorism’s New Battleground,” or check out the other articles in the May-June 2016 issue. Not subscribed yet? No problem – register here.
