Just like the final 20 yards can determine the outcome of a football game, store safety often hinges on effectively pushing retail crime through the red zone. This is the critical final stage where incident management efforts culminate, converting arrests and investigations into accountability. Without this follow-through, offenders can evade consequences, leaving retailers and their communities vulnerable to repeat offenses and escalating safety risks.
This is where ALTO steps into the game. As the red zone specialist, ALTO transforms investigations and apprehensions into proactive outcomes that secure proper accountability and long-term safety. With expertise in criminal justice, community collaboration, and data-driven solutions, ALTO pushes retail crime cases across the goal line to achieve safer stores and stronger communities.
Esther Alcaraz, Esq., a South Florida native, brings exceptional legal expertise to ALTO’s Client Services and Business Development team. A magna cum laude graduate of St. Thomas University School of Law, Esther has built a strong career as a state prosecutor, criminal defense attorney, and adjunct professor of criminal justice since 2014. Dedicated to client advocacy, she helps leading companies achieve impactful, results-driven outcomes.
“The investigation or arrest is only the beginning, not the end,” she explains. “The offender is deterred when there is a sentence, and ALTO ensures that cases reach this conclusion.”
The Retail Crime Challenge
Retail crime is becoming both more frequent and increasingly sophisticated. Today’s offenders are more aggressive and coordinated, creating significant challenges that not only disrupt operations but also compromise the safety of both employees and customers.
While many businesses currently rely on specialized teams, technologies, and other security solutions, the growing complexity of such crimes often stretches these teams thin—leaving many cases unresolved past arrests, and accountability elusive.
“Retailers often lack the bandwidth to track cases toward accountability in the court system. Their focus should remain on providing exceptional customer service and prioritizing employee safety—not on handling these disruptions,” says Alcaraz. “That’s where ALTO steps in, like a red zone specialist on a football team, with one goal: pushing cases forward and through to the end zone.”
The ALTO Playbook
ALTO steps in to close the loop and tackle the red zone, ensuring crime deterrence doesn’t stop at the point of arrest. Instead, ALTO goes further by implementing measures to prevent offenders from returning to the store, driving meaningful outcomes through appropriate consequences. Our strategy delivers accountability by executing the critical final plays—bridging the gap between arrest and resolution.
1. The Game Plan: Analyzing Incidents
ALTO starts by analyzing in-store incidents, focusing on identifying patterns, offender behavior, and underlying risk factors. This approach ensures that arrests result in meaningful outcomes for retail crime, empowering retailers to move beyond temporary fixes and implement lasting, effective solutions. By doing so, ALTO fosters safer environments for both employees and customers alike.
Alcaraz explains: “ALTO turns retail investigations into impactful cases with meaningful consequences. We offer a comprehensive view of a repeat offender’s criminal activities while ensuring thorough case follow-up. “
2. Team Coordination: Engaging With Community Stakeholders
Retailers often face the challenge of managing comprehensive safety issues alongside daily business operations. ALTO bridges this gap by fostering partnerships, enhancing case attention, and building lasting relationships to support long-term safety strategies even after cases are resolved.
“Collaboration with the community and criminal justice stakeholders gives us valuable insight,” says Alcaraz. “The trust we’ve built ensures cases aren’t dismissed, working toward a shared goal: a safer community and better future.”
3. The Big Play: Pursuing Consequences
ALTO ensures arrests lead to meaningful outcomes that deter repeat offenses and promote safety, enforcing measures like stay-away orders and probation when needed. Additionally, ALTO supports alternative sentences such as supervised probation, drug treatment, or mental health programs to address root causes. Over 30% of ALTO cases result in alternative sentencing, fostering accountability and driving lasting change.
“With over 13 years in criminal justice, I’ve witnessed remarkable transformations through court-sponsored programs,” shares Alcaraz. “The right outcome won’t always be one-size-fits-all, but it leads to long-term change while protecting stores from future offenses.”
Proven Results: The ALTO Impact
ALTO’s effectiveness lies in its expansive network of partnerships with over 700 law enforcement agencies and 500 district attorney offices. These alliances enable seamless cross-jurisdiction collaboration, ensuring offenders are held accountable no matter where they operate.
This collaborative approach has delivered measurable results for retailers. ALTO’s expertise has led to a 92% favorable case outcome rate and a 97% reduction in recidivism among offenders held accountable. Nearly 80% of employees in ALTO-supported stores report feeling safer on the job, which not only boosts morale but also improves retention.
Alcaraz reflects on her experience with ALTO’s legal team and how it has shaped her advocacy for clients today. Store employees, who once felt frustrated and helpless with unresolved reports, now feel empowered and reassured with ALTO’s dedicated team advocating for their safety and community well-being.
“With ALTO by their side, they now feel empowered and confident, knowing their concerns are taken seriously and supported by a reliable partner,” she explains.
Partnering with ALTO is The Winning Move
Deterring retail crime isn’t just about arrests—it’s about real consequences. ALTO’s red zone strategy unites retailers, law enforcement, and communities to create safer stores and stronger neighborhoods, so retailers can focus on their business with confidence.
Like a well-coached football team seizing red zone opportunities, ALTO empowers retailers to break through barriers and achieve lasting safety and accountability. Don’t stay stuck in the red zone—reach the end zone with ALTO. Score big against retail crime and join the winning team.
