Our world operates on a highly leveraged business model that depends on the belief in a civil society. A society of agreed upon values doesn’t require police presence in every store and stoplight. There are laws that are respected and adhered to by an engaged citizenry.

But what happens when this breaks down? Where there is intentionality in the crime, you have a mindset and a process that you can study, patterns you can document, and technology to help your drive predictability and post-event discovery.

Dr. Read Hayes is a research scientist at the University of Florida as well as the Director of the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC). The LPRC is made up of researchers, retailers, solution partners, manufacturers, law enforcement professionals and many more who believe developing a community will lead to a safer world.

The Loss Prevention Research Council was founded in 2000 by leading retailers and Dr. Read Hayes in an effort to support the evidence-based needs of loss prevention decision-makers. Founding retailers include Target, Walmart, OfficeMax, CVS, GAP, Home Depot, Beall’s, Barnes and Noble, and has grown to over 70 major retail chains today. To date the LPRC has conducted over 300 real-world loss prevention research projects for retailers and partners.

Dr. Hayes and I discuss the purpose and strategies of the ecosystem the LPRC has developed, its findings and impact, and his work in developing a framework for early detection. Although the focus is retail, he knows his research, findings, and the proof of concepts he is developing with leading technology providers will translate into the smart buildings and cities of the future.