If you live in the Midwest or the Southern United States, then the employee-owned Hy Vee supermarkets are probably a place that you’ve very familiar with.
This supermarket chain offers low prices on a wide range of goods, but loss prevention policies are an important part of keeping those prices low. So, what is the HY Vee Shoplifting policy and what do they cover?
Hy Vee helps to prevent employee theft and shoplifting with some fairly standard methods. Surveillance cameras are present in the stores, plus security tags may be affixed to electronics and other higher-end items, as well as oversized packaging.
Finally, Hy Vee actually has ARMED security guards as a final deterrent against shoplifters.
Today we’ll take a closer look at how all of these elements come together for the Hy Vee Shoplifting policy, so if you’re ready then let’s see how it works!
Hy Vee takes security seriously: Here’s what we know
Established in 1930 in Beaconsfield Iowa, Hy Vee has had just under 100 years of doing business in the midwest and southern United States, and these days they have over 285 stores.
As you can guess, they’ve had some time to think about loss prevention so that they can customize a solution that allows them to keep prices low while also keeping employee theft and shoplifting at a minimum.
In the sections below we’ll explain the basic elements that we are aware of so that you can see how all the pieces fit together.
Surveillance cameras
Cameras are everywhere these days, and Hy Vee is certainly no exception. During the day, these cameras will be monitored, either at random or more consistently, depending on the traffic and assessed risk of each individual store.
Surveillance footage will also be retained, as per Hy Vee’s corporate data retention policies, which generally means that footage may be kept anywhere from 90 days to a year, or even more – it really depends on the location.
Surveillance cams act as a sort of ‘double deterrant’, since they can catch you in the act and provide instant evidence for the police, but also because previous footage may be reviewed if someone has been seen coming in and out of the store a lot and not purchasing anything or only leaving with small items.
While this behavior won’t always create a scenario where a footage review is requested, if that person is caught shoplifting, then the security staff might well review past footage in order to establish a trend and build a larger case against shoplifters.
Security tagging
Security tags are fairly standard fare, as well, and as they are inexpensive to purchase and configure in bulk, they may be placed on just about any item, or some stores may simply utilize them for higher-end goods. We are not aware of Hy Vee using software with their surveillance to provide ‘real time’ movement of inventory, but the tags are still effective as an alarm will sound if a security arch is passed with an activated security tag still on it.
Oversized packaging
Hy Vee offers a variety of goods, including pharmaceuticals and electronics, which by nature are small items that are easily concealed.
To discourage theft of these items, a common industry practice is to utilize oversized packaging so that a small item is encased in 2 layers of hard plastic, rendering it much bulkier and harder to conceal.
Inside the plastic, a disposable security tag is often present as well, and this works out well since it may be deactivated at the counter without opening the packaging.
As far as the specialized packaging itself, if you recall opening such items when you get them home, it’s always quite difficult, even with a sharp knife or large scissors.
This is by design, of course, as it makes negotiating the packaging to get the smaller item inside much more difficult for shoplifters, because they have to make sure that the camera can’t see them.
Also, they must be wary that a security guard is not nearby to catch them using whatever sharp (and potentially dangerous) tool they need to open it.
Armed Security guards
Speaking of security guards, this is one area where Hy Vee really stands out from most retail stores. In January 2022, per an article in RetailWire, Hy Vee made the decision to create a new team of armed security staff in order to establish a more unified and public security solution.
These armed security guards may be 3rd party contractors, but often there are off-duty police officers as well, and this really is a very efficient deterrent.
While shoplifters won’t care much about an unarmed security guard or even a plain-clothed loss prevention manager waiting to confront the, outside of the store, armed guards – especially if they might be cops – are another story altogether.
The possibility of running into an off-duty officer exponentially raises the bar of risk, as they can arrest you immediately and level other charges if necessary, on the spot, such as evading arrest, resisting arrest, insulting an officer – or even suspicion.
While the last charge depends on the state, in most of the United States, a police officer may arrest and hold you for 72 hours based on suspicion alone and simply drop the charges when they let you out.
There is very little legal recourse for this, and it can cost someone their job, so needless to say shoplifters (and just about every else, really) tend to be on their best behavior when approached by a security guard at Hy Vee.
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What should I do if I am caught shoplifting at a Hy Vee?
If you are caught shoplifting at Hy Vee as you leave the store or simply approached and questioned while you are shopping, you should be polite and ask if you are being charged, and if so, be quiet until you can get a lawyer involved.
As you have no way of knowing if the guard is an off duty police officer or not, running at this point is really not in your best interest, and neither is being RUDE. ‘Insulting an officer’ is a real charge, and while you probably won’t get that (and definitely won’t if it’s a regular guard), you’ll be on surveillance acting that way and you can BET it will come up in trial.
Just be polite and retain a lawyer as soon as possible, so that you will know the exact charges and what you can do.
In some cases, they may let you go if you return the item and possibly they will ban you from the store, but if you are arrested then it gets a whole lot more complicated.
A lawyer will be familiar with local laws and will know if you can do volunteer service or take classes in exchange for a reduced sentence or fines and there might even be an option to complete a program and have the charges dropped completely.
If you don’t retain legal assistance, then you’ll never know, and the fines and potential jail time are substantial.
Some closing words
In this article, we’ve taken a closer look at the Hy Vee Shoplifting policy and while it’s similar to most stores, Hy Vee has taken the aggressive stance of introducing armed security staff, many of whom may be off-duty police officers.
As far as deterrents go, this is HUGE, and if you get caught shoplifting then the chances are extremely high that you will be charged, even for low-priced items.
While it seems a bit like overkill, Hy Vee takes loss prevention very seriously, and in all fairness, they have to.
American companies lose billions each year to employee theft and shoplifting, and by reducing those losses they are able to pass on the savings to their loyal customers.
It’s great news for shoppers, but shoplifters would be better off plying their trade somewhere else!
Reference Source
https://www.thegazette.com/news/security-added-to-hy-vee-leads-to-several-shoplifting-citations