European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - December 16, 1992, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Tis the season to look for shoplifters ily Kevin Robinson staff writer a smaller number of americans in Europe Are flooding the military exchanges during the years prime shopping period from late november through january. Despite the draw Down of . Forces from Europe there Are still enough customers who define a bargain As a compact disc hidden in a coat pocket or a pair of earrings slipped into a purse or a shirt pocket. No Price tag no sales clerk no receipt. No problem not necessarily. Thais the assessment of it. Col. William Dunn chief of safety and Security for the army and air Force Exchange service in Europe. Quot we show an 8.8 percent decrease in shoplifting since 1990,�?� Dunn said. Quot but when you consider that we be lost 50 percent of the . Population in Europe it really shows an increase in  military Security experts said the percentage of Holiday shoplifting increases with the volume of shoppers. However Dunn said the Odds Are loaded in favor of the exchanges with their roving store detectives and their employees armed with electronic scanners hidden cameras and two Way mirrors. A we Are catching a much higher percentage of shoplifters a Dunn said in part because of the cameras a state of the Art models that can zoom in on customers from virtually any Angle and follow them through a store. These measures contributed to cafes personnel so a. Show an 8.8 percent decrease in shoplifting since 1990. But when you consider that we be Loet 50 percent of the . Population in Europe it really show an increase in shoplifting a it. Col. William Dunn catching 1,679 people trying to shoplift from european exchanges from january to october Dunn said. That san average of about 167 shoplifters caught monthly. During the Holiday season the average increases by about 15 percent or 25 people. Some of the most Quot vulnerable items for theft in cafes exchanges Are expensive jewelry that can be easily hidden compact discs Small electronic items cosmetics and clothing Dunn said. Over the past couple of years cafes stores in Europe have lost $750,000 a year through shoplifting. That a part of the $16 million cafes loses to theft annually worldwide. At Nas Simonella Sicily Joe Box Security manager at the Navy Exchange said Navy stores Are concentrating on customer service to counter shoplifting during the Holiday shopping season. A Security can to do everything. We have cameras and two Way mirrors but customer service has been found to be More effective a Box said. A a that a a key  Navy exchanges Hope to Stop potential shoplifters before they Start. Box said that a done by having salespeople focus on loitering customers with a Standard comment of a Chi can i help you a a nine out of 10 times this should Stop someone from shoplifting a he said. Before the Peak shopping period began Box said employees received additional training on customer service and Security. Although Nas Simonella grew from 5,000 people in 1989 to More than 7,000 now shoplifting at the Navy Exchange there has decreased Box said. In 1989, the Navy Exchange at Nas Simonella lost $140,000 from shoplifting that dropped to $60,000 for fiscal 1991. Box credited the decrease to the increased Security awareness of store employees. The Exchange does no to have an electronic scanner that alerts store personnel when items leave the store Box said because of budget restraints. So they concentrate on vulnerable items like compact discs Cologne and clothing he said. Though the stores focus is on customer shoplifting during the holidays store Security personnel also must watch for employee theft Box said. Employee theft usually involves phony markdowns on items Cash fraud and refund fraud. A we Check the checker by monitoring vouchers and conducting Register and Cash audits a Box  can get High insurance at Low Cost by Kevin Dougherty Kaiserslautern Bureau military officials in Europe say they have a Deal. Military personnel who participate in the servicemen a group life insurance program can now double their maximum coverage for what amounts to about 26 cents More a Day. A you Are talking about a $200,000 life insurance policy for $16 a month a said army maj. Walter Turner a division chief with the 1st personnel come Headquarters in Schwet Zingen Germany under the plan that started dec. 1, service members can increase coverage in $10,000 increments from $100,000 up to $200,000, the monthly Premium would increase by 80 cents per increment from $8 to a maximum of $ 16. The increase in coverage comes under the veterans benefits act of 1992, soldiers assigned to . Army Europe can Complete the necessary insurance form at local personnel offices. . Air forces in Europe personnel can Contact either their consolidated base personnel office or military personnel flight for assistance. Naval forces Europe service members can Contact their local personnel support detachments. The Relief Mission unfolding in Somalia is proof Turner said that service members live a precarious life. A was Long As one is in the army it is reasonable to expect that you could be Here today and in harms Way the next a he said. However that sense of urgency is lost on Many Young service members who think they Are indestructible said senior master sgt. Rickey Farrin chief of personal affairs for Safe. A that scares the hell out of people because they done to think they Are going to die a Farrin said. A it does  on the average three to five usar eur soldiers die each month Turner said. Farrin said the insurance program which is run by Prudential insurance co., is the Best buy for service members. For current policyholders additional coverage is not automatic. Those entering the service will continue to be offered coverage in increments of $10,000. However about 99 percent of those eligible take part in the insurance program according to a Pentagon official. The new form also requires the beneficiary a social Security number. The additional coverage takes effect from the time service members Complete their applications and submit them even if they die before the first Premium is deducted from their paycheck Farrin said. Policies Are honoured in All deaths except those involving criminal activity. Service members have until March 31 to increase coverage during an open enrolment period. After that Date service members must Complete an additional form that serves As proof of insurability to increase coverage. The form requires a unit commanders signature. Regardless of whether an airman is making any changes in his insurance coverage air Force officials ask that they visit their personnel office to re certify their coverage and beneficiaries by the end of March. Outdated insurance forms could cause delays for beneficiaries if the service member Dies. A there Are a lot of them outdated forms out there that Are awfully old a said master sgt. Fred Klock of the Safe personal affairs office. The 1992 act also resulted in adjustments involving death benefits Farrin said. The death Benefit is for surviving spouses and some other dependents of service personnel or veterans who die from service related causes. Currently the monthly annuity paid to surviving spouses is based on the service Mem cry a rank. However beginning next year the annuity will be paid at a rate of $750 a month regardless of rank. The change will result in a decrease in the monthly annuities for surviving spouses of officer and senior enlisted personnel 93 grads May but less Money Evanston Iii. Up Job prospects for 1993 College graduates Are slightly better than last year but salaries have not kept up with inflation Northwestern University specialists said. T he 47th annual Lindquist Endicott report found the nations business and Industrial companies a relatively optimistic compared with last year a the worst Job Market for graduates in two decades. Victor r. Lindquist associate Dean and director of placement at Northwestern said his Survey of 258 mid to Large size companies indicates 78 percent expect business to improve or at least to stay even with 1992. A but hundreds even thousands of salary and hourly personnel have been terminated and layoffs already announced for the coming year will be devastating in Many communities a find More jobs than last year Lindquist said. A the Hope is that the loss of jobs will end with changes promised by our newly elected officials reversing the trend hopefully in time to help the class of 1993.�?� Lindquist cautioned that the optimism will not necessarily translate into jobs a students will have to Market themselves More effectively and have More flexibility a he said. Lindquist said students also should realize that they Are competing with experienced personnel who were Laid off during the recession. In addition some corporations have switched to hiring contract personnel to fill professional positions to hold Down costs. All these factors combined to hold Down salaries in most Fields and in some cases drop them below average salary offers last year Lindquist said. . Gets closer to requiring front seat vehicle air bags Washington a the government has moved a step closer to requiring motor vehicles to Nave front seat air bags by 1999, but car Industry officials say they re Well ahead of the timetable. Manufacturers Are Likely to beat by three years the requirement for 1998 Model passenger cars and by two years the requirement for 1999 Light duty trucks said Vann Wilber director for safety and International affairs for the motor vehicle manufacturers association. The National Highway traffic safety administration proposed the change monday. T he current Standard says automakers must provide an automatic Protection system to shield front seat occupants in a 30-Mph crash test but it is flexible in allowing automatic seat Bells air bags or other devices. By announcing the proposed Rule the Agency opened a 60-Dav Public comment period. After that a final Rule will be written. However the air bag requirement was set in a 1991 transportation Law so automakers have had time to plan. I really think the Law and the Regula no of Orts Are behind the markets a said Philip Hutchinson president of the association of International automobile manufacturers a the markets Are pushing even faster Quot for the bags. In 1990, nearly half of the 6 million passenger cars produced were equipped with Driver Side bags Wilber said. By the end of this year up to 9 million vehicles on the Road will be equipped with them he estimated. Most vehicles with air bags have them Only on the Drivers Side. N ans a oration Secretary Andrew h. Lard said air bags have been highly effective in reducing deaths and injuries in head on collisions. Card and Wilber emphasized that occupants also must Wear Lap and shoulder belts for the utmost safety