All of central Florida was charged by the energy and enthusiasm shared when the Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail (CLEAR), the Florida Law Enforcement Property Recovery Unit (FLEPRU), and the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) joined forces for an electric event at the Rosen Plaza in Orlando. While the 2025 conference marked the first time the team from LPRC joined in hosting the event, common goals, collaborative partners, and collective messaging made the transition seamless for all in attendance.
This national event unites top retail loss prevention investigators, law enforcement officers, lawmakers, and others for educational excellence, solutions-based discussions, and networking opportunities in the fight against organized retail crime. As has come to be the norm, the conference featured a number of outstanding general sessions with presentations on many of the top ORC-related issues facing our communities today. Leaders and subject matter experts from across the country hosted sessions on current trends, investigative tactics, and legislative topics. The event once again offered essential and diverse perspectives on the topics discussed, with additional sessions featuring district attorneys serving as subject matter experts and providing their critical insights on topics specific to the attendees. Audience participation was encouraged throughout the event, taking full advantage of the spectrum of expertise that took part in the conference to keep learning opportunities at a premium.
This year’s event marked LPRC’s inaugural participation in the annual event, with a series of insightful presentations from Dr. Read Hayes, Dr. Cory Lowe, and the LPRC research team. The evidence-based research and collaboration efforts of the LPRC have been focused on detecting and preventing theft, fraud, and violence in the retail setting using scientific methods to identify and develop effective solutions to enhance loss prevention strategies. Celebrating 25 years of research excellence in 2025, the LPRC hosts several events every year. They also employ field experiments, data analysis, and a robust working group focused on understanding and combatting organized retail crime.
The conference also featured a Vendor Showcase and Retail Fusion Center to support networking opportunities between law enforcement and retailers. This allowed all involved to see and experience the latest tools in the fight against organized retail crime while sharing the prospects to explore new strategies, meet new partners, and build on our ongoing relationships.
Our hosts do an excellent job in building bridges and encouraging interactive participation for all involved, welcoming new ideas and creative counsel between retailers, law enforcement, prosecutors, and solution providers. This approach has been a hallmark of the conference, creating an atmosphere of humility and cooperation that can lead to genuine partnerships and long-term solutions.
Old Friends and New Leaders
Ben Dugan and John Clark (Courtesy Moments by Mel)
There was a changing of the guard as part of this year’s event, with Ben Dugan stepping down as president, and John Clark stepping in, being named as the new president at CLEAR. We would like to congratulate Ben for another outstanding job over the past year. He leaves CLEAR in very good hands with John “JC” Clark. JC has served on the board at CLEAR since early in the organization’s history and is already planning for big things that will guide CLEAR for years to come.
Rich Rossman and Diane Wantuck (Courtesy of Moments by Mel)
Rich Rossman, a long-time veteran of the Broward County, Florida Sheriff’s Office, will also be stepping down as president at FLEPRU and will be followed by Detective Diane Wantuck with the Coral Springs Police Department. Diane is an exceptional leader who previously served as vice president at FLEPRU prior to her new role, leaving the organization in strong and capable hands.
We would like to once again thank both Ben and Rich for their service to these important organizations and look forward to what JC and Diane can accomplish in the years to come.
The primary mission of CLEAR is to build and support public-private sector partnerships focused on improving the safety of our communities. Mutual cooperation between all law enforcement agencies, businesses, and private sector organizations is seen as a mission imperative. But while training and education remains critical, CLEAR also serves as an essential advocate of public-private partnerships, providing information of interest to all organizations and agencies in the battle against organized retail crime, supports both state and national legislation concerning ORC-related issues, and promotes other state and regional associations that share similar goals. By working and learning together we can all benefit, creating strong partnerships that make our communities safer.
Look for more from CLEAR and FLEPRU in the coming months, and join us next year at the 2026 annual conference when CLEAR teams with the Western States ORC Conference from Las Vegas!