Cutsio Blog

How Multi-Location Loss Prevention Teams Search Video Across Stores

Multi-location loss prevention teams can search video across all their stores at once by uploading exported footage from each location into Cutsio Collections and searching for suspects, vehicles, or theft patterns across the entire portfolio.

How do multi-location loss prevention teams search video across stores?

Multi-location loss prevention teams search video across all their stores at once by uploading exported footage from each location into Cutsio Collections. A regional LP manager covering 15 stores receives a report that a white van was involved in a theft at store #247. The manager requests that each store export any footage of a white van in their parking lot from the previous week. Upload all exports into one Collection. Search "white van near entrance." In 30 seconds, the manager sees that the same van appeared at 4 different stores in 5 days — an organized retail crime pattern that would have been invisible with per-store manual review.

Multi-location loss prevention is fundamentally different from single-store LP. A single-store manager reviews incidents at one location. Their footage is local, their suspects are local, and their patterns are local. A multi-location manager covers 5 to 50 stores across a region. Organized retail crime groups specifically target multiple stores because they know that per-store LP teams rarely share information. Cutsio's cross-store search capability eliminates this blind spot.

What does a cross-store ORC investigation look like in Cutsio?

A regional LP manager suspects that an organized retail crime group is operating in the territory. Three stores have reported high-value beauty product thefts in the past two weeks. The manager needs to determine whether the same group is responsible.

Step one: collect. The manager sends a request to each affected store to export footage from the relevant cameras and time windows. The store managers export 2 to 4 hours per camera and upload to a shared Collection called "ORC Investigation — Beauty Products."

Step two: search. The manager searches across the entire Collection. "Person near beauty display taking multiple items." Cutsio returns matches from all three stores. The manager reviews the results and sees that the suspect in store #247 matches the suspect in store #312. Same clothing, same build, same method. The manager then searches for "white sedan parking lot" to find the getaway vehicle. The same white sedan appears in the parking lot footage from two of the three stores.

Step three: compile. The manager adds the clips from each store to a compiled timeline showing the suspect entering, approaching beauty, taking items, and exiting at each location. The compilation demonstrates the pattern of operation — same target, same method, same vehicle.

Step four: share. The compiled evidence is shared with local law enforcement through a secure link. The link includes all three incidents, providing probable cause for investigation. View tracking confirms when law enforcement has reviewed the evidence.

The total investigation time from report to evidence package is under 1 hour. The manual equivalent — calling each store, having each LP manager scrub their footage, compiling results via email — takes 4 to 8 hours and often results in incomplete evidence. For more on the search workflow, read our guide to searching security camera footage by description.

How do you identify repeat offenders across multiple locations?

Repeat offenders who target multiple stores are difficult to identify without cross-store video search. A suspect who steals from store #247 on Monday and store #312 on Thursday is two separate incidents in two separate systems. The connection is invisible unless someone manually compares the footage.

Cutsio's cross-store search makes repeat offender identification automatic. A regional manager searching for "person in blue hoodie and black backpack" across all store Collections returns every match from every location in seconds. If the same person appears at 3 stores over 2 weeks, the manager has identified a repeat offender with evidence from multiple locations.

For suspect-focused investigations, the manager can create a Collection called "Known Suspects" containing footage of identified individuals. When a new theft is reported, the manager searches the new footage against the suspect Collection. If a match is found, the manager knows immediately that a known offender is active again. For more on compiling cross-store case files, read our guide to creating an incident timeline from multi-camera footage.

How do you manage video collection across 50 stores without hiring a team?

The logistics of collecting video from 50 stores could be overwhelming. Each store has different camera systems, different export workflows, and different staff capabilities. Cutsio simplifies this with Collection upload links that store managers can use without needing their own account.

A regional LP manager creates a Collection for an ORC investigation and generates an upload link. The link is sent to each affected store manager. The store manager clicks the link, exports the relevant footage from their system, and uploads it to the Collection. No account needed, no training required. The footage appears in the Collection alongside footage from other stores.

For ongoing monitoring, each store can be assigned its own Collection with a permanent upload link. When an incident occurs, the store manager uploads the relevant footage to their store's Collection. The regional manager monitors all store Collections from a single dashboard and searches across them when patterns emerge.

How does per-minute pricing scale for multi-location LP teams?

Multi-location LP teams search more footage than single-store teams, but they also search less frequently. Most multi-location investigations involve targeted searches triggered by specific incidents or patterns. Cutsio's per-minute pricing scales naturally because LP teams export and search only the footage relevant to active investigations.

The Studio plan at $249 per month provides 150 hours of storage — enough for a regional LP manager to investigate 10 to 15 cross-store incidents per month. For large-scale ORC investigations involving dozens of stores, the Enterprise plan at $999 per month provides unlimited storage. No per-camera subscriptions, no per-store fees, no per-seat costs for additional LP staff.

FAQ

How do I get store managers to export footage without technical training?

Send them a Collection upload link. They click the link, export the footage from their camera system, and upload the file. No account or training required.

Can I search across different camera systems from different stores?

Yes. Cutsio indexes footage from any camera system. Uploads from Verkada, Avigilon, Hikvision, Dahua, and phone recordings are all indexed with the same visual intelligence.

How do I spot organized retail crime patterns across stores?

Search for the same suspect description, vehicle description, or method across all store Collections simultaneously. Matching results indicate cross-store activity.

How long should I keep cross-store investigation footage?

Keep footage for the duration of the investigation plus any legal proceedings. ORC investigations can take months. Cutsio's per-minute pricing makes extended retention affordable.

Can I share cross-store evidence with law enforcement agencies in different jurisdictions?

Yes. Secure share links with password protection can be sent to any agency. The recipient watches in a browser and does not need a Cutsio account.