Harris Teeter is a well-known supermarket chain with locations across the country. Aside from selling groceries, their locations also include prepared meals and pharmacies to cater to customer needs. Unfortunately, they, too, suffer from shoplifting and must find ways to deal with it.
Harris Teeter has a shoplifting policy in place, and it prioritizes safety over everything else. The policy doesn’t allow staff to pursue or confront shoplifters; they want to keep workers and customers safe. However, they hire security guards from outside security companies and sometimes hire off-duty police officers.
If you want to know more about Harris Teeter’s shoplifting policy, you’ve come to the right place. Read this guide to understand what happens when people shoplift from a Harris Teeter location and what staff can and can’t do.
What Is Harris Teeter’s Shoplifting Policy?
Harris Teeter’s shopping policy is quite similar to those of similar retailers and grocery stores. The policy tells employees that they cannot chase shoplifters, attempt to stop them, or harass them.
Harris Teeter employees are trained and instructed to let shoplifters leave the store. That applies to security or so-called ‘loss prevention’ employees whose powers are limited in shoplifting cases.
Generally speaking, security personnel in Harris Teeter outlets cannot intervene in a shoplifting situation unless an altercation occurs inside the store. As you read earlier, the shoplifter is beyond the security guard’s reach once they leave the store.
Despite those limitations, there are a few things that Harris Teeter workers can do when they see a shoplifter. They can:
- Observe the shoplifter from a distance
- Record details about the shoplifter, including the number plate on their vehicle
- Report the shoplifter to the police
Unfortunately, some former workers at Harris Teeter have found out the hard way that violating that shoplifting policy is a fireable offense.
For example, an employee can get fired if they follow the shoplifter out to the parking lot to try and retrieve the stolen items.
Understanding the shoplifting policy and possible punishments for violating it, employees at Harris Teeter take a very hands-off approach when it comes to shoplifters.
That’s true even if thieves blatantly walk out through the front entrance with baskets or trolleys full of unpaid items.
How Does Harris Teeter Fight Shoplifting?
Harris Teeter does invest effort and resources to fight to shoplift, despite its hands-off policy that tells workers to stand back. You’ll find several things around Harris Teeter stores to discourage shoplifting, such as:
- Security cameras: Like most stores, Harris Teeter locations use security cameras to monitor all areas. The footage from those cameras is often used as evidence to identify shoplifters and report them to local authorities.
- Warning signs: You’ll also find warning signs around the location that present warnings to customers and would-be shoplifters. For example, some signs notify customers that cameras are being used to record them. Besides that, there are also signs discouraging shoplifting specifically.
- Locked-up products: Some high-value products are locked up, making them a more significant challenge for shoplifters to steal. These are expensive items that are typically placed in showcases.
- Security tags: Lastly, some items also have magnetic security tags on them. These tags trigger alarms at the entrances and exits to alert security that a shoplifting situation is in progress.
As you can see, these tactics that Harris Teeter uses to deal with shoplifting either discourage them from happening or are used to pursue shoplifters after the fact.
That seems to align with their policy not to stop thieves while actively committing a criminal act.
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Does Harris Teeter Hire Security Guards?
Yes, Harris Teeter does hire security guards, but the arrangement can vary depending on the store. For example, some locations hire guards directly as part-time or full-time employees.
However, you’ll also find that some Harris Teeter locations outsource their security needs to third-party security companies.
Whether they hire guards in-house or through security companies, Harris Teeter security guards are still subject to the same shoplifting policy. That means they can’t detain shoplifters or chase them beyond the store.
Interestingly, many locations have also switched over to hiring off-duty police officers instead. This practice isn’t new; many retailers have also done the same.
There are no clear reasons why they’ve chosen to recruit law enforcement officers to work for them. Still, there are a few assumptions that you can make from that decision, including:
- Officers have a stronger understanding of the law.
- They also have more training and experience when it comes to spotting shoplifters.
- Being an off-duty police officer might help when arresting and charging shoplifters.
For now, the hiring of off-duty police is limited to some Harris Teeter locations only and is not necessarily a widely used strategy to fight theft.
Are Harris Teeter Security Guards Armed?
Yes, in some cases, Harris Teeter does rely on armed security guards. There is no clear information about why or when they use these guards.
However, it’s safe to assume that high-risk locations request armed guards to provide added security to staff and workers.
These might be Harris Teeter locations that have faced security risks or those that have crime occurring around them.
Are Shoplifters At Harris Teeter Arrested And Charged?
Yes, some shoplifters at Harris Teeter have been arrested and charged but only in some cases.
Typically, a shoplifter is reported to the police after committing the crime. Then, they might be told to pay a fine as punishment for what they did.
However, shoplifters are more likely to be arrested and charged if:
- The amount they steal is incredibly high or includes high-value items.
- They are serial shoplifters that have repeatedly targeted one or more Harris Teeter locations.
- They are part of an organized criminal group that targets stores like Harris Teeter.
- They threaten or hurt others while shoplifting.
- Their case receives public attention, such as being put online or in the news.
Again, there are no strict policies for when or if a shoplifter is arrested. Instead, whether or not to involve the police is up to store management.
Besides that, some shoplifting cases immediately became a police matter because officers witnessed the crime themselves. When that happens, the police officer’s powers precede the store’s policies.
What Items Are Often Stolen From Harris Teeter?
Harris Teeter is a supermarket chain that also includes pharmacies in some locations. So, shoplifters steal food items and household consumer goods from their stores.
Most of those items are relatively low-value compared to other retailers. However, there are still some high-value items that shoplifters target at their locations.
Naturally, the type of items stolen from Harris Teeter will differ by location. For example, some locations might lose more food items to theft, while shoplifters from others might target household consumer goods instead.
Final Thoughts
Harris Teeter’s shoplifting policy prioritizes keeping customers and staff members safe. That means staff aren’t allowed to confront or chase shoplifters and must let them go.
Some staff have been fired for breaking that policy and chasing shoplifters outside the store.
Despite that, Harris Teeter does invest in security to prevent and pursue shoplifting cases. They typically outsource their security to third-party security companies to protect their locations.
However, some have also moved towards hiring off-duty police officers instead.