The parent company of major retailer T.J. Maxx is giving its workers body cameras to try to stop shoplifting incidents, which are plaguing businesses across the nation.
TJX Companies, which is over stores such T.J. Maxx, Marshalls, and HomeGoods, began using body cameras in some locations over the past year to crack down on crime and to show its employees and customers that it takes the issue of safety seriously, Fox Business reported on Wednesday.
A TJX Companies spokesperson said loss prevention associates wear the cameras after being trained to use them, and the videos are “only shared upon request by law enforcement or in response to a subpoena.”
The Fox article continued:
“When somebody comes in, it’s sort of — it’s almost like a de-escalation where people are less likely to do something when they’re being videotaped,” TJX finance chief John Klinger told analysts during an earnings call in May.
He made it clear that the company is “still highly focused on shrink,” which is an industry term for lost or stolen merchandise. But the cameras are just one way the company is seeking to tackle the problem, which accounted for $112.1 billion in losses in 2022, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF).
According to CBS Boston, in 2022, retailers lost over $112 billion in gross revenue as a result of theft. The outlet also noted that in Massachusetts, “Unless items add up to a certain cost shoplifting is considered only a misdemeanor.”
A security analyst told the outlet that the amounts of money are so high that a person can steal numerous items before they will be slapped with a felony charge.
“If there are no ramifications to bad conduct, people will just take the things that they want,” Ed Davis explained:
Walmart, Target, Best Buy, and other major retailers began shutting down stores across America in April 2023 because theft incidents were on the rise, Breitbart News reported.
A recent incident involved a Target worker who thwarted alleged thieves outside the store in Gloucester Township, New Jersey, the outlet reported on April 26.
Per the recent Fox report, Klinger said TJX Companies is working hard to make sure customers can continue to shop while also being safe inside the stores.
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