You’re wrong.
Once you pass the registers (or point of purchase), people are still subject to identifying themselves as being a purchaser. Just because you get past the registers doesn’t mean you are all of a sudden free from being questioned by employees.
If this were the case, robberies/thefts would be up exponentially just because you are past home base.
I understand your concept, but Walmart should back someone making 7.25 an hour for the preservation of the company’s goal- not getting ripped off.
I worked in the Loss Prevention business long enough to know the rules. Then I went to work in Law Enforcement for a number of years before I left that for Fire/EMS.
Fact of the matter is I tried to give the most simple explanation I could. But since your trying to call me out I will go a little further.
The only entity empowered to make a non-felony stop is law enforcement. A civilian may ask for permission to search but upon being denied there is no recourse.
As a civilian Loss Prevention employee I could ask people at the door all I wanted to see their receipts and check their bags. If they said no and I had no reason to believe they had actually stolen anything that was it. They were free to go, end of story. I had no law and no company policy to back me up on a search without cause. This was the same at every company I have ever worked for.
One exception is when there is confirmed theft/retail fraud/whatever you want to call it in your state. This is confirmed by visual observation of the theft via surveilance, not electronic tags beeping. At that point a potential thief may be stopped once they are past the last point where payment can be made. A civilian employee may only hold the suspect there. They may NOT search unless given permission. They may only detain until law enforcement arrives.
Another exception where a civilian (employee or otherwise) may hold a suspect is for a felony infraction. This is typically defined as a theft over $100. This could also apply to any other felony, say you witnessed a person in the store brutally beat someone up. Then you could attempt to intervene and stop the felonious act or at least hold the suspect until Law Enforcement arrives.
Keep in mind retailers have many years of experience in this and many attorneys and many dollars at stake. They did not put these non-aggression policies in place because they just didn’t want to deal with it/theft. It was done because it is very costly to trample on a citizens civil rights in the name of Loss Prevention. Moreover, it is expensive to pay for an elderly (or any other) employees medical bills and legal expenses when he decides to go Wyatt Earp. Even more so when the supposed thief/customer turns out to be innocent. Remember we have a saying in this country “Innocent until proven guilty.” Just as important “Don’t Tread on Me.”
Hmmm....newbie who didn’t cut muster in retail knows all about and use of force including deadly force. ‘Working’ in law enforcement, Fire/EMS could mean anything.
He does come across as clean and articulate, however.