Posted on 06/06/2007 10:53:36 AM PDT by Cagey
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. -- A former Home Depot employee said the company fired him and three other workers because they helped police catch several suspected shoplifters in May.
Midwest City Police said the men helped officers catch suspected shoplifters as they tried to run from a store with lawn equipment.
An internal memo from Home Depot outlines that associates cannot accuse, detain, chase or call the police on any customer for shoplifting. However, one of the fired employees said the company is selective in enforcing that policy.
"The loss-prevention guy at our Shields (Boulevard) store turned around and told me all we need to do is tell the shoplifter to have a good day as they leave the store. I said that just doesn't make sense," former employee Bob Stewart said.
Stewart said what really doesn't make sense is a termination letter Home Depot gave him and three other employees after they helped police catch the shoplifters.
"We saw them with the merchandise. We saw them run out of the store. I never kept my eyes off of them," Stewart said. "Then when we asked them for a receipt, and that's when they dropped the merchandise and they kept running. One guy still had a chainsaw while he was running, and that's when the cops tackled him."
The letter said Stewart and the others were fired because they "pursued and assisted in the apprehension of suspected shoplifters."
Stewart said all he did was call police, something he's done before. Less than eight months ago, he said that he received a letter -- a commendation letter -- for helping police catch a thief trying to steal $2,500 worth of wire.
On the top of the letter, written in bold letters was "Great job, Bob."
Home Depot officials said in an e-mail to Oklahoma City TV station KOCO that they have "standard operating procedures in place for situations like this," and that "from time to time, we find inconsistent execution in our stores."
However, they added that they do not discuss personnel matters and will not comment on this specific case.
Midwest City Police Chief Brandon Clabes said he won't comment on the store policy, but said they would probably not have caught the suspects or recovered the property or the stolen car they drove if it had not been for the help of these four employees.
Clabes said he is considering giving the four men letters of appreciation for helping catch the suspects.
The Home Depot by me is poorly stocked and poorly staffed...and has been for awhile. The store looks like a Big Lots the day before Christmas - clutter everywhere, shelves unstocked, etc . That's why they lost my business to Lowe's.
There's no way that I'd own THD stock. Maybe having a store in a state like this for a bit of time, say, during inventory, is understandable. But, to maintain a store like this for several years, is inconceivable, IMHO.
A Home Depot employee was murdered in Irvine, CA recently while getting involved in a robbery at the store. Home Depot just may be looking out for the best interests of their employees.
Just load it up on the orange cart and walk out the front door. Ignore the RFID chip that will activate the alarm.
Lowes is killing them.
Is that a separate event or the one at Tustin that was mentioned earlier??? Tustin and Irvine are really close together.
“The local Walmart had a shoplifter detained. Associates held him to the asphalt parking lot so hard it prevented him from breathing and he died.”
Life is tough
It’s tougher when you’re stupid.
Welcome to "John Edwards' America". (Can't believe we might elect a bottom-feeding injury attorney as president.)
See the article “Ex-police officer helps subdue two men aboard NWA flight”
The young “men” aboard the plane averted their eyes when the Ex-policeman requested their help.
Right you are about HD turning to carrying only the cheap merchandise. It used to be you could at least special order some of the higher end products, but now even that is no longer the case.
Exactly.
You are probably right.
lol
Those jobs you get by playing golf with the right guys or haggling in a Synagogue. They usually ride to the top following their mentor’s footsteps and are groomed. Education, experience, character, only take you so far for the most part. Even in the Army while I was in this was the case. You had the inside club of guys that were being groomed and usually at about captain or so they start bubbling to the top and get noticed. They end up with positions like Aide de Camp for a general and they get looked out after and put into those jobs that line them up for the next promotion. You’re railroaded to the top based on someone’s perception (You’re liked by the right guy for whatever reason), not an objective assessment and the higher you go, the more subjective it becomes.
Without going into detail, I don’t want any trouble. But the CEO of our IT firm (21,000 employees/multi billion dollar business) was more or less picked by the former owner who simply “liked” the guy. He’s a layer with little to no experience in consulting, IT, or project management etc. (You know, all those minor things we do to make money!). But the boss decided this guy was right for the job. It’s a decision that was his to make, and the rest of the company felt the consequences for a long time, although the older boss wanted to hear nothing of it.
Often, you climb to the top by riding on others who pull you up with them. Find yourself a mentor.
Ah, but per Home Depot policy there is no need to hide the stuff. Just go in and pick up whatever you want -- say, a pressure washer -- and stroll out the front door with it in plain sight. If you see any security cameras on your way out, smile, point to the merchandise & give it a big thumbs-up.
Is that the Peter Principle????
Note to the light fingered reader (an errant non-Freeper visiter to this site, of course), don't try the 100% discount at my local. They'll bust your a$$!
I can only assume your calling the Walmart associate stupid. Shoplifting is not a punishable crime by death.
HOUSTON — Investigators are trying to determine what caused a shoplifting suspect’s death while in the custody of Wal-Mart’s store security, Local 2 reported Monday.
Stacy Driver, 30, was chased into the parking lot on F.M. 1960 East near Atascocita Road and detained Sunday at about 2 p.m.
Officials said he struggled with security guards and then stopped breathing.
“I had been told that he had been laying on the ground in the parking lot there as they called for us to take him into custody. Before we arrived, they noticed he was either not breathing or having some type of distress,” said Lt. John Martin, with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office.
There are conflicting reports on whether anyone performed CPR.
“I do know that the Wal-Mart employees said they did administer CPR while waiting for EMS to arrive,” Martin said.
Atascocita EMS supervisor Royce Worrell believes it was not done based on what his crew found when they arrived at the store.
“Given the fact that he was found in a face-down position with handcuffs still on him, it would be highly unlikely that chest compressions had been done at that point and time,” he said.
Witnesses also said that the security guards did not perform CPR and left Driver face-down on the pavement.
Sheriff’s deputies said Driver stole a BB gun, BBs, a pair of sunglasses and diapers.
“He was a good boy. He really, really was a good boy,” friend Bonnie Coe said. “I’m deeply sorry, very deeply sorry. His stepmother and daddy are really taking it hard. They really are.”
She has known Driver and his family most of his life.
Driver’s family has hired an attorney to help determine what happened.
“All they’ve authorized us to do at this point is to help them get the process demystified for them so they are assured that answers will be provided,” attorney Jim Lindeman said.
Lindeman said the family is not talking about suing Wal-Mart.
An autopsy will be performed to determine the cause of death.
Wal-Mart did not comment on the case.
Investigators are asking for any witnesses to call them at (713) 967-5810.
Yes it would.
That's just not right. Under the common law, a "shopkeeper's privilege" exists to detain suspected shoplifters for the purpose of conducting an investigation; further, most states have statutes that broaden this power considerably.
THX
Good post.
Basically, if it’ hidden out of sight on their person or in their bag, they have to let it go. Even if they saw them stick it under their shirt or whatever.
She once told me about one very sad incident when she worked for a children’s clothing store. This was in a mall located in an mostly white community. Now lots of black people used to drive about 15 miles or so from a predominately black area to “shop” there. They rarely bought anything, but often shoplifted. In one instance a mother and her kid, about 5 years old, came in and started looking around, focusing on the belts. The mother kept pointing to one, and telling him, “That one”. Then she turned her back and looked at some clothes while the kid took the belt off and fastented it around his waist (not through the belt loops). The mother then turns around, grabs his hand and starts to lead him out of the store. My wife stops her and says I think your son put on one of our belts. The woman takes the belt off, throws it on the floor and says “I DIDN’T KNOW HE HAD IT! YOU BETTER NOT BE ACCUSIN’ ME OF STEALING BECAUSE I’M BLACK!”, and storms out of the store. Of course Mre. Hugibn was disgusted with the mother, but mostly she just felt sorry for the kid.
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