---
title: Open a loss-prevention case
description: Open a case with a lawful basis, evidence references and a confidentiality level, advance it, and release an evidence packet to a named recipient.
order: 31
updated: 2026-09-16
keywords: case, loss prevention, evidence, custody, confidentiality, evidence release
---

A case gathers the evidence for a pattern that needs investigation. It can clear a person as readily as it flags one, and it never writes to HR, payroll or permissions.

**Before you start:** a loss-prevention manager or analyst role. Restricted cases are visible to loss-prevention managers only.

## Open the case

1. Open **Security › Cases** and choose **Open case**, or escalate from an exception.
2. Fill in: case kind, evidence references, the **lawful basis** and purpose, whether customer-area footage is involved and whether the CCTV notice is published, the subject, priority and a **confidentiality** level: standard, loss-prevention team or restricted.
3. Save. Every opening of a restricted case is logged as a read.

## Advance the case

Open the case and choose **Advance** to move it through investigation to a finding. Record the finding in neutral language: pattern, variance, associated with, confidence, sample size. A finding of _cleared_ is a normal outcome.

## Request footage

A footage request is a record: reason, camera label, time window and status. Footage itself stays in your camera system; ChowChirp does not play video.

## Release evidence

1. Open **Security › Evidence release**.
2. Choose the case, the **named recipient**, the lawful basis and the reason.
3. Export. The packet is watermarked and tracked with a custody sidecar. It cannot contain a raw footage file; the validator rejects one.

## Close

Close the case with its outcome. Any discipline or HR step happens outside ChowChirp; the case records only the finding.

## Related

- [Review a POS exception](/docs/how-to/review-a-pos-exception)
- [Data retention and privacy](/docs/reference/data-retention-and-privacy)