The R.E.A.C.T Personal Safety & Security Library

There is a famous quotation made by the 14th Dalai Lama – “know the rules well, so you can break them efficiently”, and it is undeniable that many people believe that Rules are made to be broken, but is that prudent?

Although we may not all agree with, or even like, all the laws, rules, instructions, commands, directives, advice and information that surrounds our daily lives, actually most Rules are there to help keep us, our family, friends and work colleagues safe and secure.

There are risks in all walks of life, in fact everything we do has an element of risk to it, but we tend to manage those risks sub-consciously and don’t always associate our thoughts with following rules. However, when people blatantly disregard the Rules, that is when they can become a news story and even a tragic statistic.

The Rules you’ll read in our ‘R.E.A.C.T Personal Safety & Security Library’ books are based on years of understanding the risks associated with violent crime and if followed will help to keep your business, colleagues and customers safe, should the worst happen. And that is why we decided to title our books  ‘RULES for dealing with...’.
The Rules are there to help and guide. Try not to break them but feel free to bend them to suit your needs. It is common knowledge that a vast number of retailers sustain enormous losses every year as a direct result of theft in one form or another, and problems for Risk Managers continue to increase.  

Retail crime comes in many guises, from plain shoplifting to palming, skimming, distraction, deception, to the full blown horror of a life threatening armed robbery, whether in a static location or a vehicle. Add to this the minefield of Age Related Sales and there is little wonder that the cost of retail crime has risen to in excess of £1.5 billion a year, in the UK alone.

Furthermore, retail crime does not only impact on its direct victims but also on the wider community. It damages the reputation of the shops as well as the local area. To add insult to injury, it is also becoming more and more common for retail workers to suffer both verbal and physical assault at the hands of aggressive thieves, not to mention disgruntled and unhappy customers.

It is the men and women that man the front line of the retail sector that are expected to deal with these situations, as and when they occur. And, although some retailers continue to invest significantly, in order to protect their staff, businesses and customers, against crime and anti-social behaviour, the fact is that there are still many workers who haven’t been provided with enough training or information.

There is absolutely no doubt that staff should be trained to deal with retail crime and all forms of aggressive and violent behaviour. Furthermore, retail staff should have confidence in the knowledge that if they do report a crime or anti-social behaviour that action will be taken against those responsible for it, which sadly is not always the case.

This set of six books addresses many of the concerns of the retail sector and I would welcome comments on the concept of the R.E.A.C.T Personal Safety & Security Library.

Book 1. Rules for Dealing with an Armed Robbery

This book takes the reader step-by-step through 10 simple-to-follow stages of what they should do if an armed robbery is in progress and what the best and most appropriate actions are after the robbery.

The primary goal of this book is to keep people safe. It explains how situations can deteriorate rapidly, but by being observant whilst staying calm and compliant can be amongst your most powerful survival tools.

Book 2. Rules for Dealing with Verbal & Physical Confrontation

All too often retail staff have to deal with the problems of verbal abuse and physical assault at the hands of disgruntled and aggressive customers. This book provides retail staff with the best options on how to deal with these types of situations.

Dealing with verbal abuse follows a simple formula that we call Verbal Interaction Control (VIC).
Dealing with physical abuse is handled by the R.E.A.C.T formula.

Book 3. Rules for Dealing with Age Related Sales

Legislation states that many goods may not be sold to children and minors. Both the individual seller and the company they work for are liable for prosecution if they do. The penalties for getting it wrong either by accident or design are harsh and expensive.

It’s a minefield but ignorance of the law is no excuse and no defence in the magistrate’s court. The aim of this book is to guide you step-by-step through that minefield.

Book 4. Rules for Dealing with an Armed Robbery (Vehicle Edition)

Book 1 explained our ‘RULES’ for those encountering an armed robbery in a static location, i.e. stores, supermarkets, building societies, banks etc.

Although many aspects of book 4 are very similar to Book 1 the guidelines in this book have been written specifically for drivers and couriers that may find their vehicle, or themselves under armed attack or the threat of vehicle hijack or the robbery of its contents.

Book 5. Rules for Dealing with an Armed Robbery (for Risk Managers)

Risk managers have an extremely difficult job at the best of times. The aftermath of an armed robbery or dealing with a member of staff who has experienced a violent confrontation is always a difficult and stressful time.

It is the responsibility of the risk manager to deal with the situation in a sympathetic and appropriate manner. This book has been created to assist in that process.

Book 6. Rules for Dealing with Retail Crime

Profit protection is crucial to retailers. It is estimated that the cost of Retail Crime is continuously rising and is said to be in excess of £1.5 billion per year in the UK alone.

This book looks at the many different aspects of retail crime and the ways that it can be committed. It also gives clear and precise guidelines and information on how  loss prevention managers and staff can combat retail crime and help to reduce it.