As retailers both large and small across the country grapple with significant losses stemming from theft and organized retail crime, one scholar is on a mission to combat this alarming trend that not only hurts businesses and their bottom line, but also poses a significant threat to the safety of individuals and their communities. Read Hayes, Ph.D., Research Scientist and Criminologist at the Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering, also the recipient of the National Retail Foundation Ring of Excellence Award, combines advanced AI technology with crime science to sense, track, predict and prevent retail crimes before they happen. His pioneering work helped lay the foundation for improving the overall safety of shoppers and retail staff alike. Beyond the mere transactions of goods and services, retail establishments serve as vibrant hubs where communities gather, connect and recreate together. They are also an important source of employment and income for many communities. Often, where retail crimes prevail, communities as a whole languish. It comes as no surprise that Dr. Hayes and the Loss Prevention Research Council at UF Innovate under his leadership have emerged as highly sought after authorities in this space. Dr. Hayes has been tireless in demonstrating the proven impact of his research and what can be done to solve the problem of retail crime through national and international media engagements.
- CNN: Why retail theft is soaring: inflation, the economy – and opportunity
- Financial Times: US retailers count the cost of surging shopping crime
- China Daily: US retailers face huge costs on theft
- CNBC: How America’s biggest retailers plan to use technology to catch organized retail theft
- Loss Prevention Magazine: Did Internal Theft Get Better, Or Did Everything Else Get Worse?