Retail Incident Report Template

What every incident report should capture

A good incident report does two things: it lets a manager understand the event without being there, and it holds up if you need it weeks later for insurance, law enforcement, or an employee discussion. Stick to facts, write in the order things happened, and avoid opinions or conclusions.

1. Incident basics

• Date and exact time of the incident.
• Store / location and specific area (aisle, register, back office).
• Reporting employee name and role.
• Incident type (shoplifting, internal, fraud, accident, other).
• Estimated loss value and item count.

2. Witnesses

Capture each witness separately. A second person's account is often what makes the report defensible.

• Full name and role (employee, customer, vendor).
• Contact info (phone or email).
• Where they were standing when they observed the event.
• What they personally saw — not what someone told them.

3. Suspect descriptors

Describe top to bottom. Stick to what was observed, not assumptions about identity.

• Approximate age, height, weight, build.
• Hair (color, length, style) and any facial hair.
• Skin tone and any visible distinguishing marks (tattoos, scars, glasses).
• Hat / hood / sunglasses.
• Top: color, type, logos, sleeve length.
• Bottom: color, type, length.
• Footwear: color and type.
• Bag, backpack, cart, or stroller (color, size, contents if visible).
• Vehicle (make, model, color, partial plate, direction of travel).
• Companions or accomplices.

4. Evidence checklist

• Video clip(s) — start and end timestamps, camera ID.
• Still photos of the suspect, vehicle, and recovered items.
• Receipts, voids, refunds, or transaction logs tied to the event.
• Discarded packaging, security tags, or tools left behind.
• Recovered merchandise (with SKU, quantity, retail value).
• Statements collected (written or recorded — note method).
• Law enforcement case number, if reported.

5. Narrative — writing tips

• Write in order. Start when you first noticed something, end when the scene was clear.
• Use past tense and active voice ("I observed", "the subject placed").
• Quote what was said in quotation marks; paraphrase otherwise.
• Avoid labels like "thief" or "criminal" — describe behavior, not conclusions.
• Note times whenever you can ("at approximately 6:42 PM…").
• Separate what you saw from what was reported to you.

6. Narrative box

7. Manager review & signoff

This template is a general-purpose tool. It is not legal advice. Always follow your local laws, your company's policies, and law enforcement guidance. Never confront a suspect — your safety is more important than any recovery.

Built into My LP Portal

Every field on this template — witnesses, descriptors, evidence, narrative, signoff — already exists inside My LP Portal as a structured case record, with photo uploads and law-enforcement contact tools.