GA_Eagle 595 Posted March 3, 2014 Another thing about having an SRO in a school is that it speeds up response of other units. Procedure has changed in the response that these situations get. Police don't set up a perimeter before entering like they used to. They are trained to enter immediately to try and put a swift end to it. The radio contact with someone on scene saves minutes. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
oochymp 2,393 Posted March 11, 2014 Armed officers / guards may help keep some of the borderline folks in line, but I don't think it will stop the mentally crazed folks. It's kind of like having cameras / signs in a store telling you not to steal. 98% of the time, those ar ejust there to keep people honest. Stores like Lowes, Wal-Mart, etc... They don't give a shit if you shoplift, lol. I've mentioned this story before, but... I had a friend working at Lowes who actually got reprimanded for stopping a shoplifter walking out the door without paying. Takes them way too much effort to actually go after shoplifters -- it usually isn't worth their time and their policies reflect that. Granted, very different situations but the point stands. I don't think armed guards will stop it... Although I guess I like the solution more than these no gun zones or whatever the hell they are which absolutely invites violence. I worked at Target for a year and am now working in a prosecutor's office, I can tell you from both experiences that retail establishments do give a shit if you shoplift Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Phailadelphia Posted March 12, 2014 Definitely. Back when we were in high school some of my friends were banned form life from WalMart for stealing some $20 of underwear. They may not chase you out of the store, but to think they don't care if you're stealing from them? Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
southgadawg 52 Posted March 12, 2014 Oh the big retailers care about theft...but they don't want the employees who are not trained on proper procedure to make the stop...too much risk and liability abound on it. The percentage that gets caught it extremely small but they will prosecute those caught to the maximum they can. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
blotsfan 2,112 Posted March 12, 2014 Yeah, I was a cashier at Walmart. The only anti-theft measures we could take was checking containers that were being purchased to make sure nothing was inside. Even then, we weren't allowed to accuse the customer of anything. Theoretically we could tell the undercover security person (every Walmart has a few I think) but they were never close to the register. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Favre4Ever+ 4,476 Posted March 12, 2014 (edited) Definitely. Back when we were in high school some of my friends were banned form life from WalMart for stealing some $20 of underwear. They may not chase you out of the store, but to think they don't care if you're stealing from them? Last year all but one Wal-Mart had 100 or fewer cases of shoplifting. Do you really think this is accurate? Maybe in some of the stores in less populated areas -- or are the shoplifters just really THAT GOOD at what they do? Wal-Mart has been accused before of falsely changing inventory data in order to cover up losses and make it appear that it isn't a problem to the public and stock holders. Was 'don't care' a poorly thought out phrase? absolutely on my part. But the point was that it wasn't worth it to them to chase after every shoplifter for a variety of reasons. In most cases, it's going to cost the stores a lot more to actually prosecute shoplifters than the total they are or have taken. And as ga as mentioned, libaility issues alone could cost them millions if a shoplifting goes wrong. Most of the time these days if Wal-Mart does catch you, they will issue some BS civil demand letter that scares people absolutely shitless. lmao. That's about as tough as it gets unless you are a real hard core and organized shoplifter. Those civil demands, IIRC, can go up to $500. They can't force you to pay that demand unless they successfully sue you, which, again in most cases... Just isn't worth it to them. The chances that you steal $50...$100 dollars worth of stuff, get caught, issued a civil demand, fail to pay and then they actually pursue you in court is so astronomically small. It's not worth it to them to chase you down over it. It's going to cost them more to actually pursue you than whatever it was you stole. Edited March 12, 2014 by Favre4Ever Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
southgadawg 52 Posted March 12, 2014 I can't speak about what walmart's corporate policy is now I have long since been out of touch with it. I do know that at one time only a trained person could make a stop and only then after what the company termed the four elements were ALL in play (a hard feat to accomplish). It was walmart's corporate policy at one time that anyone making a bad stop (one that did not result in a shoplifter having the goods but instead dumping them) would be subject to termination. It was also standard corporate practice that where the law allowed for the shoplifter to be trespassed from all walmart inc properties within the US (although that is difficult to prove at times when someone sneaks in and out). TBH those are very small deterrents to most shoplifters who may get away with literally 1000's of dollars of stuff before getting caught. Those 'professionals' who work in groups of 3 or more and plan out their attack are almost impossible to catch. The ones most often caught are the casual ones who don't really plan out their stuff ahead of time. Most large non metro stores would probably have 2-3 asset protection individuals who do more than just look for shoplifters. By the time you figure up all their duties and court time etc then 20 stops in a month for one person would be very very good. Word gets out among the community and undercovers lose their effectiveness over time as those not caught improve and change habits. Probably the biggest deterrent to the common shoplifter would be stiffer fines by the local court and public humiliation. The local system in this county was $625 dollar fine, 3 days in jail AND 8 hours on a public sidewalk (in front of the jail) walking back and forth carrying a sign saying I was caught shoplifting in this county for FIRST offense. I can't remember second offense but i do recall the fine was in excess of $1000 dollars. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
