by Steve Longo – CRO & EVP
How LP Leaders Prioritize When Everyone Wants More Security
Retail loss prevention teams are under growing pressure to balance requests for increased protection with tighter budgets and greater scrutiny of security spending. Objective crime risk data can bring clarity to these decisions, helping leaders prioritize the locations that need support most and confidently justify how resources are allocated.
“What do you do when every store is yelling for more security?”
That’s what a retail loss prevention director asked me at our booth last week during RILA AP 2025. He’d just come from a regional meeting where store managers were all saying the same thing:
“We need more help out here — more guards, more eyes, more support.”
He shook his head and said, “I want to support my store teams—but I need data to guide those decisions, not just give in to whoever yells the loudest.”
Balancing Demands with Data
It’s a challenge we’re hearing more and more: every store wants more protection, but not every location needs the same level — and most LP teams don’t have the budget to meet every ask.
Later that day, I spoke with a VP of Asset Protection from a specialty retailer. Their situation was different — but just as familiar.
“We’re being asked to pull back on security in some stores,” she said. “But without a clear way to show where the real risk is, those cuts feel like guesswork. That’s what keeps me up at night — not knowing if we’re leaving the wrong store unprotected.”
When Every Decision Gets Scrutinized
Both conversations pointed to the same issue: how to make smarter, risk-informed guarding decisions when the pressure is on, resources are stretched, and the stakes keep rising.
With today’s economic uncertainty, rising shrink, and more executive scrutiny, LP and AP leaders can’t just react. They need to explain, justify, and defend their strategies — with data.
That means being able to show:
- Where the highest-risk locations actually are
- Which stores should be prioritized for more security based on higher risk, and which can operate with reduced coverage due to lower risk potential
- And how those decisions are grounded in objective insight — the kind that can be defended in the boardroom and the courtroom
Smarter Strategies with Clarity
We’re fortunate to work with retailers who are thinking this way — not just reacting, but planning with clarity and confidence.
Because when store teams are asking for more, and leadership is asking for less, clarity is your most valuable asset.
Want to talk about how you’re prioritizing risk in 2025? We’d be happy to share what we’re seeing — and what’s working.
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