Tips for loss prevention officer interviews.

Do you have any tips to help prepare for an upcoming loss prevention officer interview?

Are there common interview questions that come up again and again?

I have experience as a Public Safety Officer in South Park Mall, and worked with Loss Prevention. Can you give me tips of how to prepare for one.

yes! interview questions that always come up are as follows:

what are the six steps?
These six steps are a must for all loss prevention and anyone with the experience knows them and understands them. They are important for your safety as well as the subject and the company you are working for.

what is your availability? because in loss prevention you must wait to finish up paperwork and work not on your time but on the time of the police depts. another words if it is 5pm and you leave at 5pm and you make an apprehension at 4:50 then you must wait to do your paperwork for yourself and for the police officer picking up and transport or release the subject you apprehended.

"D" Security is a licensed Security Officer and their rules are different from Loss Prevention. For the most part "D" Security really are not physical with subjects especially in the malls. It actually depends are who they are and who they work for.
Loss Prevention is very physical and a license is not needed for the job.

What they don't want is someone who thinks the job is about violence its not a good thing to put anyone at risk neither you nor your partner or the company.

so if they ask you do you like to be a cowboy? say No, because it's meaning is you will take the risk and start any problem to control any subject, or to excite the negative of your ego.

Most LP wouldn't want to work with you, it is careless on the other hand, Most LP wouldn't want either to work with someone who runs and hides everytime an apprehension is going to take place.

it is really like a chess game being the smarter person without violence and making sure to play by the 6 steps.

its all about respect using your skills to detain and prevent theft it is not degrading someone else because they choose theft as a career.
Know what CCTV is and Floor observation is, know what shrinkage is and ways to deter theft and control shrinkage.

Good Luck!

It's not always 6 steps. It can be 5 or even 4. Each company is different in what they require. Steps are always needed though however many are mandated by the policies of the company you work for. Under Fl Statues (812) merchants have statutory rights to detain and question suspects of retail theft and are protected against civil or criminal actions if the apprehension is done according to the guide lines in the statutes. It's for that reason too that we use the steps. We need to assertain probable cause before apprehensions are made.
Having a D license or not is a personal choice. If you only want to work in-house it's currently not needed. However, if you want to be able to work for an agency then you do need it. Having the D increases the job market we can tap into.
Of all the apprehensions I've done I've only had to use physical retraint once. Demeanor, projection and the understanding of psychology to a certain extent are valuable tools. Before you ask I've only ever had 4 run-offs.
As for any interview understand the company you're applying to and understand the position. LP is involved and an understanding of many things is needed to perform the function well. It's not only about apprehensions and shoplifting it's about anything that can put pressure on the bottom line. Shrinkage through theft is one, regulatory issues, OSHA, ADA and such are others. As I said it's a large topic.
Hope this helps a little.