LPRC KICKOFF never feels like a typical trade show, and this year was no exception. As the first LPRC event of the year, it carries a different tone. Coming off the momentum of NRF’s Big Show, this crowd at KICKOFF was the biggest turnout yet, yet everyone was still familiar with one another. People greet each other like old friends and quickly dive into real operational challenges. The focus remains: moving faster, communicating better, and reducing risk through intelligence. The clearest takeaway for leaders heading into 2026 is not a new device. It is intelligence.

 

Why Intelligence Is Now the Most Critical Technology in Loss Prevention

 

At LPRC KICKOFF, industry leaders emphasized that intelligence has become the most important driver of effective loss prevention. Intelligence that can be verified, gathered, understood, and shared quickly enough to influence outcomes.

Traditionally, loss prevention is reactive. Evidence is collected, reviewed later, and stored across multiple systems that don’t communicate with one another. This method can limit how quickly teams can respond and how effectively law enforcement can act. The inability of systems to relay seamlessly not only causes technical headaches but also has real-world consequences. For frontline staff, this can mean facing preventable theft incidents, leading to frustration and increased stress. For victims, delayed responses can result in prolonged exposure to harm and loss. By addressing these gaps, we can better protect and support both our employees and our real-time intelligence in retail community.

KICKOFF 2026 made it clear that leaders are asking for change. Real-time awareness and communication that enables retailers to prevent incidents, intervene during active events, and facilitate immediate apprehension directly with law enforcement. Not just to document what happened, but to change the outcome. Prevent when possible. Or a priority pipeline to law enforcement response when neither of those options are available.

 

Closing Response Gaps by Leveraging Existing Tools

 

One of the more candid discussions at KICKOFF centered on the bowtie model and the reality that gaps still exist across its five zones. Everyone in the room understood the ideal scenario. In a perfect world, systems would integrate cleanly, intelligence would flow without barriers, and law enforcement platforms would seamlessly share data, but that is still not the case as we enter 2026.

While broader data sharing would benefit the ecosystem, loss prevention teams need solutions that work today.

There was a shared acknowledgment that waiting for full interoperability across agencies and vendors is not realistic, at least not in the near term. The more practical question became: how can organizations still close response gaps right now, using the tools they already have?

DirectToDispatch™ emerged as a practical answer to this challenge.

DirectToDispatch™ (DTD™) enables verified intelligence to reach dispatch in real time, without requiring any integration. Using 3Si’s proven priority pathway to 10,300 agencies enables retailers to elevate felony-level crime activations as they unfold. If your security professionals can see it on their screens, they can share it, using a simple browser-based sharing platform.

 

How Retail Leaders Are Rethinking Crime Prevention

 

One of the most talked-about sessions featured a speaker from a high-end retailer, who walked through how their team approaches retail crime by intentionally working backwards through the five zones.

Rather than starting at the point of theft, the retailer begins with early awareness and community activation. Social media, in particular, can help identify emerging patterns or potential risks in the areas surrounding stores.

This approach reframes prevention as occurring long before a suspect enters a location.

As activity moves closer to Zone 1, tools like RFID become essential in protecting products as they exit the store. But the emphasis was never on the technology itself. It was on discipline. Using the technology fully, consistently, and with purpose.

The takeaway was important. Many organizations already own capable tools. You can create the difference by using these tools intentionally and ensuring that intelligence moves smoothly from one zone to the next. This proactive approach empowers teams to effectively address challenges and drive results.

 

Bridging the Retail and Law Enforcement Gap

 

We saw a second central question at LPRC KICKOFF around how retail and law enforcement can close the communication gap during active incidents. Attendees acknowledged that while integrated data sharing would be ideal, waiting for universal adoption is not a viable strategy for loss prevention leaders who need solutions today.

DirectToDispatch™ resonated strongly in these discussions because it directly addresses this gap. By delivering verified, real-time intelligence (like video, images, floor plans, or other multimedia) to dispatch, DTD reduces friction, improves officer safety, and provides a priority pipeline for loss prevention to elevate felony-level events.

Providing dispatch with accurate, timely intelligence can change the quality of the response. We’ve seen several police agencies even publish that they will not respond to a regular alarm without video verification.

For many attendees, this represented a shift from aspirational technology to solutions that operate effectively within existing systems (and without any integration).

 

What LPRC KICKOFF and INTEGRATE Signals About the Future of Loss Prevention

 

Thanks to our leadership team for their perspectives and alignment on the industry’s direction: intelligence-driven models that prioritize speed, clarity, and action. Not everyone agreed on how quickly that shift would happen. But no one questioned that it is already underway.

As the industry looks toward 2026, the direction is becoming harder to ignore. The next evolution of loss prevention will not be defined by the next device on the market, but by how effectively intelligence is gathered, moved, and acted upon in the moments that matter most.

Explore how verified intelligence can be shared with law enforcement in real time. Learn more about DirecttoDispatch™.