Retail Loss Prevention Officer
What the work is
Detects and investigates shoplifting, fraud and other unlawful acts of employees or customers of a retail establishment.
Would you enjoy the work?
These are the main tasks in the official description. Mark how each one sounds to you.
- Monitors and patrols retail premises to detect and prevent theft and other unlawful activities
- Observes and identifies suspicious behaviour or activities of employees or customers, and detains individuals suspected of theft or other unlawful acts
- Conducts investigations into incidents of theft, fraud or other unlawful activities, and collects and preserves evidence, including interviewing witnesses
- Collaborates with law enforcement agencies to report and provide evidence of criminal activities
- Implements security measures, such as CCTV surveillance and alarm systems
- May conduct audits and inspections to identify vulnerabilities, and recommend security improvements
- May provide training and education to retail staff on loss prevention strategies and procedures
Try it
A simulation and a case study from this kind of work, set in a fictional football stadium on match day, and the shopping centre next door. They are fictional.
The kind of days you could have
Good days
- A crowd of thousands files out calmly and every gate runs the way it should
- You spot a problem on the cameras before anyone else even knows it is there
- A lost child is back with their family within minutes of you finding them
Hard days
- Standing at a gate in the rain for hours while people are rude to you
- Telling someone they cannot come in, and having them take it out on you
- A night shift alone in a quiet building where every noise makes you look up
Written by Career Calling as a general guide. Real roles vary by employer and place.
Work a mission
Step into a simulated workplace in this field, with a brief from your manager.
Description and tasks: Australian Bureau of Statistics, Occupation Standard Classification for Australia, 2024, Version 1.0 (opens another site), occupation 452236, used under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. The skill guide above is our plain English summary.