(Richard) Read Hayes, PhD
Read Hayes, PhD is a Research Scientist at the University of Florida, and Director of the Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC). The UF Crime Prevention Research Team conducts research to provide organizations with evidence-based crime and loss control methods.

Today, the LPRC includes over 180 major corporate members working together year-round in the field and in 6 labs with scientists via 7 working groups to reduce theft, fraud, and violence. The LPRC also conducts six annual conferences including hosting 400 top AP/LP leaders at IMPACT, provides monthly webinars, a weekly eNewsletter, a Knowledge Center app with over 350 LP research report summaries, and regularly hosts members in its extensive R&D lab complex leveraging AI, IoT, VR, and almost 150 developing security technologies.

LPRC members include Bloomingdales, Home Depot, Target, Walgreens, Big Lots, P&G, Kroger, Publix, Walmart, Verizon, Macy’s, Best Buy, Kroger, Lowes, Wayfair, Amazon, and AutoZone.

Dr. Hayes started as a store detective in retail loss prevention co-founded the University of Florida’s globally used National Retail Security Survey, has published over 400 articles and 25 peer-reviewed articles, and has been quoted/featured in hundreds of news stories including Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, NPR, BBC, NYT, USA Today, Oprah, Chicago Tribune, CNN, FoxNews, LP Magazine, Security Management, CBS, NBC, and ABC.

Read and can be contacted at rrhayes@ufl.edu or rhayes@lpresearch.org.