By some estimates, shoplifting is on the rise, though it isn’t totally clear how fast the trend is growing. Shoplifting has always been a problem in retail stores, and accounts for around a third of the shrinkage that happens in retail stores nationwide.
So, what is Academy shoplifting Policy? Academy Sports uses a host of electronic surveillance to prevent shoplifting, though if employees see a shoplifter they are instructed to contact management rather than pursue or confront the shoplifter directly. Academy Sports will contact law enforcement if shoplifting is suspected.
This article discusses shoplifting generally, but it does not provide any legal advice. If you have been caught shoplifting and require legal advice, make sure to contact a local attorney.
What is the Academy Sports + Outdoors Shoplifting Policy?
All suspected shoplifting is handled by management, and Academy Sports will contact law enforcement if shoplifting is suspected.
Employees are not expected to pursue shoplifters, but are expected to notify management of any suspected activity. Employees report that they are instructed not to touch suspected shoplifters, due to safety concerns.
Academy sports and other retailers use electronic and other means to identify shoplifters, though in recent years Academy Sports managers have pursued shoplifting suspects out of the store and been punished for violating store policy.
Does Academy Sports chase shoplifters?
It is not the policy of Academy Sports (or most retailers) to have their employees chase shoplifters out of a store. This can result in injury to the employee, the shoplifter, and any bystanders or customers.
If the store employee were to harm the shoplifter, or falsely accuse that person, this could mean liability for the store. This is why most policies do not require employees to pursue or confront shoplifters.
However, electronic means are now used to substitute for pursuit. Academy Sports has cameras 24/7–many of which you don’t know about.
Depending on the store, there may also be loss prevention agents or plain clothes security. Just because you can’t be pursued as a shoplifter doesn’t mean you can’t be caught later.
Read also >> Stop And Shop Shoplifting Policy (What´s Covered + More)
What does Academy Sports do with shoplifters?
Academy Sports doesn’t hesitate to call law enforcement when necessary to detain shoplifters. In addition, if Academy Sports is on notice that a person has shoplifted, that person will not be allowed to shop in the store.
Recent videos have surfaced showing Academy Sports managers pursuing shoplifting suspects into the parking lot, and being disciplined after due to the fact that Academy doesn’t want to risk liability that might arise from pursuing suspects.
In one case, a shoplifter stole a gun and was pursued, and the manager felt the better course of action was to prevent a gun theft and potential crime in his community, so he chose to risk the liability. The manager was fired but later reinstated.
In the case of firearms, there are higher stakes, but for most products that are stolen–diapers, detergent, formula, white strips, meat, alcohol, and cosmetics–the stakes aren’t as high.
These items are likely used by the thief or resold online or to other retailers.
What is a no stop, no touch policy?
A “no stop, no touch” policy requires that employees of a retail establishment do not confront, stop or chase a suspected shoplifter.
The purpose of these policies is to protect the people involved over the merchandise. If anyone were to be injured during one of these confrontations, the store could incur liability.
According to Loss Prevention specialists, companies are now using electronic means to prevent shoplifting rather than pursuit, which could be dangerous for everyone involved.
Some shoppers are frustrated by this, however, and are annoyed that they have to pay higher prices when people get away with shoplifting.
Should employees pursue a shoplifter?
If you are a retail employee, make sure you fully understand the shoplifting policy of your store. It may state that you are not even supposed to confront a shoplifter, but to bring the issue to management. This may depend on the store location that you work at as well as the general corporate policy.
Some stores are training employees in how to confront shoplifters in order to reduce the risk that the situation will escalate.
All stores have security in place, and many stores will require that employees defer to management, security or law enforcement.
Don’t assume that you know the policy and then go confront shoplifters–you could lose your job or be reprimanded, even if you think that is the right thing to do.
Make sure you follow the policy to keep people safe so you don’t interfere with a law enforcement investigation. If you don’t know the policy, ask your manager.
Are no stop, no touch policies common?
According to a recent survey by Loss Prevention magazine, 78 percent of retailers have some sort of no chase policy, 45 don’t allow any kind of touch, and 18 percent don’t allow any type of apprehension by store employees.
At the time that Academy Sports managers were punished for pursuing suspects, they had a strict no touch policy.
How do stores prevent shoplifting?
So, does that mean it is easy to get away with shoplifting? Companies are doing everything they can to prevent it, including implementing a lot of technology you might not even see.
You can see some of the security cameras, but not all of them. Many stores have cameras that see everything, from angles you might not even be expecting. Are you standing on a rug? That might be monitoring you, too.
In addition, there may be sensors monitoring your movements, watching how long you stand in a given place, or how many products you touch.
Facial recognition is used by both law enforcement and retailers to prevent shoplifting. In many cases, facial recognition is used to establish a pattern of shoplifting, or to associate a person with an organized shoplifting ring.
Retailers are hiring loss prevention specialists that help companies determine what their policies should be and what anti-theft services might be the most advantageous for them.
What is source tagging?
In addition, stores like Academy and others are using source tagging, where electronic tags are placed in the merchandise as anti-theft labels.
In some cases, these tags will beep or chime when a theft is occurring. Thieves repeatedly try to disable the tags, but this means companies just develop better tags in a kind of anti-theft arms race.
Do stores post pictures of shoplifters?
Yes, and people shoplifting at Academy Sports have been posted on social media and on local news stations. In some cases, this publicity has resulted in the shoplifter being caught.
Keep in mind that security camera footage lasts forever, and stores can use it to determine whether a person is a repeat offender or if there is a history of shoplifting at their stores.
In addition, you can bet that stores provide security camera footage to the local police department, so your photo may be on file in several places.
If someone is caught stealing on the camera footage after leaving the store, do they still get arrested?
You can be arrested after leaving the store, even months or years after, so long as the Statute of Limitations hasn’t expired. In some states, this may be years after the store discovers that you stole something.
So just because you got out of the store, that doesn’t mean you are scot-free. Your picture is definitely on security camera footage, and the store can still press charges.
It is up to the store whether to press charges against shoplifters. If you were caught shoplifting, and law enforcement was involved, you may want to contact an attorney.
Penalties for shoplifting may include fines or jail time and probably depend on the dollar amount of the goods stolen.
Conclusion
Shoplifting continues to be a problem, though it is possible that it is coming down from the serious highs it hit during 2020.
Companies are doing all they can to combat shoplifting using electronic means rather than having employees confront, chase, or stop potential shoplifters.
All different types of people shoplift, so it’s hard to identify a would-be shoplifter, and with the rise of organized shoplifting rings, it has become a thorny problem that requires more solutions than employees chasing down suspects.
If you have shoplifted and think you need legal advice, contact an attorney.
Reference Sources
https://www.audacy.com/wwl/news/local/disabled-veteran-fired-by-academy-sports-trying-stop-theft
https://www.wctv.tv/content/news/Team-researches-strategies-to-stop-shoplifting—488677491.html