The Flock Business Network: A Force Multiplier Against Organized Retail Crime

Organized retail crime (ORC) is a growing threat, with sophisticated groups targeting retailers across multiple states. These crimes aren’t one-off incidents; they’re carefully coordinated operations that often involve fraudulent returns, large-scale theft, and resale networks. For law enforcement, investigating ORC can be resource-intensive because suspects move quickly, cross jurisdictions, and repeatedly hit different businesses.

The Flock Business Network helps close those gaps. It’s a collaborative industry hub designed to give retailers visibility into potential threats identified by trusted peers. By surfacing relevant vehicle activity across participating organizations, the network empowers Asset Protection teams to recognize patterns faster, coordinate responses, and reduce organized crime, all while protecting employee safety. Importantly, this optional reciprocal feature allows commercial customers to share limited license plate detection data within industry-specific groups. Participation is voluntary, controlled, and requires no additional infrastructure.

A Coordinated Fraud Scheme

Consider a case where known suspects are executing a return fraud scheme across several states. The group buys expensive televisions, returns the boxes filled with broken units for cash, and keeps the original TVs for resale.

At one store, employees capture video footage of the suspects leaving with merchandise. Staff describe the getaway vehicle as a large, light-colored SUV with a Cowboys sticker, but no visible plate.

From Visual Clues to Actionable Leads

Using Freeform Search, a loss prevention (LP) officer enters those visual descriptors, such as vehicle type, color, and sticker. The system surfaces results, including the suspect’s plate number.

From there, the officer runs a Standard Search and builds a Hot List, ensuring the vehicle is automatically flagged for future sightings. Now, every detection of that SUV is tied back to the ongoing investigation.

Turning One Case Into a Networked Investigation

Here’s where the Flock Business Network makes the difference. Once the plate is entered, the LP officer sees that other nearby retailers have already flagged the same vehicle for similar activity. Instead of each store running isolated investigations, the network connects the dots across businesses.

By clicking into the suspect’s Vehicle of Interest Activity, the officer can access contact information for other LP professionals working the same case. This opens the door to immediate retailer-to-retailer coordination, with evidence and insights shared in real time.

Delivering Stronger Cases to Law Enforcement

With the Business Network, retailers consolidate evidence into a comprehensive case file: video clips, detection histories, timestamps, and cross-store activity. Instead of isolated theft reports, law enforcement receives a cohesive package that demonstrates an organized, multi-state crime pattern.

These shared case files don’t just save investigative time. They also strengthen the likelihood of prosecution. District Attorneys benefit from clear documentation that links repeat offenders to multiple incidents, making it easier to dismantle organized crime rings.

The Value for Law Enforcement 

The Flock Business Network gives law enforcement data, context, and collaboration. Retailers can proactively align with peers, identify organized offenders earlier, and deliver law enforcement richer intelligence to act on.

For police departments tasked with protecting communities and reducing repeat offenses, the value is clear: stronger leads, fewer blind spots, and cases that hold up in court.

Technology like the Flock Business Network acts as a force multiplier, enabling businesses and law enforcement to work together in disrupting organized retail crime before it escalates further.

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