Retail chains like TJX, the parent company of TJ Maxx and Marshalls, are equipping some store employees with body cameras to deter shoplifting and improve safety. This is part of a growing trend in the retail industry, as stores respond to an increase in organized retail theft and violence against workers. However, some criminologists and worker advocates argue that body cameras are unlikely to be an effective deterrent and that retailers should focus on improving training, staffing, and other safety measures instead. There are also concerns that the body camera footage could be misused, such as to monitor and discourage union organizing. Overall, the implementation of body cameras in retail is a complex issue with pros and cons that retailers will need to carefully consider.
Summarized by Kagi Universal Summarizer
We had these where I worked, what a lot of people miss is these don’t actually record until the person wearing it presses a button, it doesn’t have the battery life to record, encode, then broadcast video for 8+ hours. No doubt when that becomes feasible they’ll give it a go though.
In the UK we have to announce to everyone it’s recording. The gangs and thieves know this and don’t care. They were happy to attack and rob us when we already had store wide CCTV.
The only deterrent that worked was a security guard we had for a short while, but the company withdrew them because we weren’t losing over 5% of our daily take to theft, ignoring that we got the guard because two people had been sent to hospital after being attacked by a gang of youths.
Businesses shouldn’t be run by people who never have to even step foot on the premises. The people making the decisions (and proceeds!) should be the ones that actually have to live with those decisions and implement them.
Wholeheartedly agree, best we can do is do business with local shops where possible.
Winco FTW