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.

At LPRC KICKOFF 2026, conversations around loss prevention intelligence centered on a common challenge: retailers already have powerful security tools and valuable information, but the opportunity lies in turning that information into intelligence that can support decisions and action.
 

Why Intelligence Is Now the Most Critical Technology in Loss Prevention

 
Loss prevention intelligence is the information security teams gather and use to understand theft, organized retail crime, and other security incidents. It can bring together information from existing security tools and sources to help teams identify patterns, evaluate incidents, and make more informed decisions.
 
At LPRC KICKOFF, industry leaders emphasized that intelligence is becoming increasingly important for making informed decisions. Its value depends on the ability to verify, understand, and share information appropriately.
 
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. These challenges helped frame a larger conversation at KICKOFF about how retailers can get more value from the intelligence their security tools already generate.

KICKOFF 2026 made it clear that leaders are asking for change. The conversation is moving beyond simply collecting evidence after an event toward finding ways to make security intelligence more useful throughout an incident.
 

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™) provides a pathway for verified, felony-level incident intelligence to reach police dispatch while working alongside existing security and public safety workflows. Organizations maintain control over what intelligence they share, and law enforcement does not receive access to their private security systems.

For retailers, this creates a way to get more from existing security tools by making relevant intelligence available when a qualifying incident requires escalation, without replacing the systems they already use.
 

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. What stood out at KICKOFF was the opportunity to use these tools intentionally and make the intelligence they produce more useful across different stages of an incident.
 

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.

This discussion also highlighted the growing importance of business collaboration with law enforcement during active retail crime incidents. The challenge is not simply collecting intelligence, but determining how verified and relevant information can reach public safety partners while preserving existing roles and authority.

DirectToDispatch™ resonated strongly in these discussions because it directly addresses this gap. During a verified, qualifying incident, DTD provides a pathway for relevant intelligence-such as video, images, location information, floor plans, or other available context-to be shared with police dispatch.

This supports situational awareness while preserving dispatcher discretion and law enforcement authority over the response.

For retailers considering how companies respond to theft incidents in real time, the broader takeaway from KICKOFF was that effective crime intelligence depends on more than detection. Information must also be understood, verified when appropriate, and made useful to the people responsible for determining the next step.
 

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 clarity, context, and more effective use of existing security technology. 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 while maintaining organizational control. Learn more about DirecttoDispatch™.
 
 

FAQ

 

What is loss prevention intelligence?

Loss prevention intelligence is information security teams use to understand theft, organized retail crime, and other security incidents. It can bring together information from security technologies and other sources to help teams identify patterns, evaluate incidents, and make more informed decisions.

What were the key loss prevention trends at LPRC KICKOFF 2026?

A major theme at LPRC KICKOFF 2026 was the growing importance of intelligence and how retailers can get more value from their existing security tools. Discussions focused on connecting information, closing gaps between systems, and making intelligence more useful throughout an incident.

How can retailers get more value from existing loss prevention technology?

One takeaway from KICKOFF was the importance of using existing technologies consistently and connecting the information they produce. Rather than viewing each technology as a separate tool, retailers can consider how the information generated across their security environment can provide greater context for understanding risks and evaluating incidents.

How can businesses collaborate with law enforcement during retail crime incidents?

During qualifying incidents, businesses can share relevant, verified intelligence with police dispatch while maintaining control over their own security systems and information. Law enforcement retains authority over how that information is used and how officers respond.