State center focuses on retail crime

Members of the Delaware Information and Analysis Center attended the April 16 meeting of the Rehoboth Beach-Dewey Beach Chamber of Commerce to give a synopsis of how they track retail thefts.

The center was created after 9/11 to coordinate information sharing by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Department of Homeland Security and the Delaware State Police, and bring the process under one roof known as a fusion center, said Lt. William Harris, DIAC deputy director.

“We weren’t all on the same page before 9/11,” he told members gathered for a lunchtime meeting at Nicola Pizza on Route 1 near Lewes. “Now these fusion centers are information-sharing hubs that bring everybody together to collaborate.”

The network spreads across the country so all fusion centers have an understanding of threats that are occurring. For example, Harris said, if there is activity in California or Hawaii, the information is passed along the network so centers on the East Coast know about it.

The center works to identify school threats and potential terrorist activity, but on a local level, it also roots out retail theft.

A weekly Retail Theft Bulletin is circulated by email for businesses interested in loss prevention or curbing thefts. The bulletin identifies shoplifters using store photos, and provides a time, date and location without any identifying information of the business, along with a description of the items stolen.

Shoplifters who have been identified are also noted in the bulletin.

Since January, Harris said, there have been 1,500 shoplifting incidents across the state, with the bulk in New Castle County. In Sussex County, he said, there have been 241 incidents, mostly at Walmart, Acme, Wawa and Lowe’s.

DIAC works with private companies and businesses, including the outlets along Route 1, to help mitigate threats.

Businesses interested in receiving the weekly retail bulletin can contact DIAC and provide an email with a legitimate business address.