Local stores are using artificial intelligence to detect and deter shoplifting in real time, as retail theft costs continue to climb nationwide.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":249,"featured_media":169865,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"apple_news_api_created_at":"2025-07-26T13:29:59Z","apple_news_api_id":"030ba40a-f724-4e36-8564-2e6250c5f54b","apple_news_api_modified_at":"2025-07-26T19:10:47Z","apple_news_api_revision":"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAQ==","apple_news_api_share_url":"https:\/\/apple.news\/AAwukCvckTjaFZC5iUMX1Sw","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"middle","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":[],"apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"subheadline":"","_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[71,86,83,84,85],"tags":[24457],"feature":[],"location":[344,342,223],"type-of-work":[],"coauthors":[26737],"class_list":["post-11580393","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-business","category-crime-public-safety","category-latest-headlines","category-local-news","category-news","tag-social","location-columbia","location-howard-county","location-maryland"],"post_status":"","edit_last":0,"edit_lock":0,"highlights":"","original_byline":"","original_canonical":"","original_category":"","original_email":"","original_id":0,"original_pubdate":"","original_source":"","primary_section":"86","primary_tag":0,"print_workflow_body":{"deck_headline":"","print_title":"Maryland store turns to AI technology to catch potential shoplifters","print_subheadline":"","print_priority":"","print_placement":"cover","print_planned_ready":"","print_pub_date":"","print_slug":"TBS-L-AI-0726","print_budget_line":"","print_excerpt":"Local stores are using artificial intelligence to detect and deter shoplifting in real time, as retail theft costs continue to climb nationwide.","print_notes":"","photo_limits":"Photo limits are: 1 featured image, 5 featured gallery images, 5 embedded gallery images and 5 in-article embedded images. Articles that exceed these limits will not export. Please adjust images to reflect these limits.","print_featured_gallery_richtext":"","print_inline_galleries_richtext":"","print_inline_images_richtext":"","print_content":"
Some local stores are turning to artificial intelligence to tackle the recent rise in shoplifting.<\/p>
The issue of retail theft has led to empty shelves, large retailers closing shop in some neighborhoods and common items being locked away from customers.<\/p>
The latest technology may be the solution for retailers.<\/p>
Movements like slipping a bottle into a jacket or a backpack can be identified in seconds and sent in a digital alert.<\/p>
\"The technology was very intriguing,\" said KJ Singh, who owns Kings Contrivance Liquor & Smoke Shop in Columbia, Maryland, and another shop in Washington, D.C.<\/p>
Singh was one of the first to adopt the AI surveillance system created by French company\u00a0Veesion.<\/p>
\"We were losing around $50 to $100 a day,\" said Singh. \"People would pick up expensive bottles, and that's a loss of $30 to $40, and it adds up.\"<\/p>
\"Shrinkage has a huge impact that is getting worse since the pandemic,\" said Benoit Koenig, general manager of Veesion.<\/p>
With AI surveillance software, Singh's camera system isn't just watching for thieves to provide proof after the fact; it is intervening in real time.<\/p>
\"It generates a short videoclip of about five to 10 seconds focused on the suspicious behavior that was detected by our technology,\" said Koenig. \"You receive that on a mobile phone, desktop or tablet at the cash register, so you can intervene before the shoplifter leaves the store.\"<\/p>
Koenig said that while most stores have cameras, they don't always have the labor to monitor them.<\/p>
\"Having this layer of AI is as if you have a video man monitoring the cameras for you 24\/7, without a break, without holidays,\" he said.<\/p>
The National Retail Federation reports that retail shrinkage, as seen in the Greater Washington area, accounted for over $112 billion in losses nationwide in 2022. Some estimates project losses could reach $140 billion by the end of 2025.<\/p>
\"We're talking about businesses that have low margins, tight margins,\" said Koenig.<\/p>
Singh said he is already seeing a difference.<\/p>
\"If someone was trying to put it in their pocket, trying to put it in the bag or their pants, I was able to figure that out, and we were able to catch a lot of thieves,\" said Singh.<\/p>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.baltimoresun.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/migration\/2022\/11\/21\/IHYNE4V4TBCJ62EE64YDI3YTLA.jpg\")
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