A prosecutor, a veteran retail loss prevention executive who started as a security guard, and an LP team that helped stop an organized crime ring will be honored this week as the National Retail Federation holds its annual NRF PROTECT conference in Dallas.
“The loss prevention community rarely receives recognition for their behind-the-scenes work protecting retailers and their customers against crime,” NRF Vice President for Loss Prevention Bob Moraca said. “These brave men and women are leaders in their field and defenders of their communities, doing everything they can to keep people, merchandise and storefronts safe from the next attack.”
Ring of Excellence Award
This award recognizes pioneers in the retail LP community whose “honor, integrity and character serve as an example for the industry.”
This year’s recipient is the late Bob MacLea, who had more than 40 years of experience as a loss prevention expert. MacLea worked his way through the ranks at The TJX Companies Inc., beginning as a security guard at Marshalls in 1975 and eventually becoming senior vice president of loss prevention in 2010. MacLea, who will be honored on Wednesday, died in March after a battle with cancer but his compassion for others left a lasting impact on many in the loss prevention community.
Long an advocate for the profession, MacLea was a founding member of the Loss Prevention Foundation and the Loss Prevention Research Council as well as an active member of the NRF LP Council.
Law Enforcement Retail Partnership Award
This award acknowledges law enforcement officers or agencies that have gone “above and beyond the call of duty” to support the retail industry in combating fraud, protecting assets and reducing losses.
It will be presentedto Manhattan Assistant District Attorney Daniel Haier for his work in targeting and identifying a New York City organized retail crime crew that used false identities and stolen credit cards to steal high-value products.
Haier coordinated with retailers and law enforcement who used GPS tracking devices and digital evidence that led to the prosecution of 16 individuals. His efforts have led other asset protection teams and law enforcement to empty similar strategies in targeting organized retail crime.
Loss Prevention Case of the Year Award
This award recognizes investigators whose work has made a significant impact on their companies, communities and the industry.
This year’s winner is the Louis Vuitton Americas Asset Protection Team, which worked alongside law enforcement agencies in multiple states over a five-month span to identify theft patterns and likely targets. The investigation led to charges against two organized retail crime culprits with 22 known thefts that had cost Louis Vuitton more than $239,000 in losses.
