We live in unsettling times. Besides the almost empty freeways, the most surreal scenes are at grocery stores. Shelves are empty of sought-after items. Tape is on the floor indicating where we should stand so we don’t get too close to one another in the checkout line. Glass now separates cashiers from customers. Shoppers wear masks and gloves. Employees are constantly wiping down surfaces. What’s also new at many stores are grocery store security guards.
Grocery Store Security Guards. Security guards have always had a presence at grocery stores. They are usually posted in stores experiencing high levels of shoplifting. As the COVID-19 lockdown continues and money grows tight, expect to see an increase in the number of store security guards as shoplifting surges. In fact, we may be already seeing shoplifting numbers on the rise.
Examples are beginning to appear. Shoplifters are even claiming they have the coronavirus as an excuse for stealing and keeping store employees at a distance as they leave the store. In one case, an Oakland man was observed taking $780 worth of energy drinks from a San Leandro Walmart. Wearing a medical mask to hide his face, the man said he had COVID-19. Walmart employees didn’t want to go near him. Fortunately, police were able to arrest the man as he was driving away.
Grocery store security guards are trained to observe shoppers and spot illegal behavior. It’s not the job of store employees to detain those who they believe have shoplifted. In a crowded Whole Foods, for example, employees are busy managing shoppers’ needs. While Whole Foods’ security is tighter than most stores (Whole Foods often employs undercover theft prevention staff), in today’s world, odds are good that a thief can walk out of a store with a shopping cart full of items without being stopped.
That’s where uniformed store security guards can be invaluable. Will they stop all small-item thieves from stealing? No, but their presence will discourage most. And if a thief is brazen enough to try to leave a store with a large number of goods, guards are trained to detain them until police arrive—no matter what kind of excuses they give.
Contact Access Patrol Services at 866-770-0004 for retail and property security needs in California and Arizona or click on https://accesspatrolservice.com.
