Curious about shoplifting at Target? We’ll answer your questions about Target Shoplifting: all you need to know!
Target employees may not chase or try to apprehend a shoplifter, but they are capable of asking the shoplifter questions and involving the police to press charges when the amount of merchandise stolen is significant.
In this article, we will go over all the information you’ll need to understand instances of Target shoplifting. We’ll go over what Target’s policy is on shoplifting, how cases of shoplifting from Target have been handled in the past, and some frequently asked questions on the topic.
What is Target?
Target, or the “Target Corporation,” is a retail corporation in North America, though its headquarters is in the state of Minnesota, in the city of Minneapolis.
Target is hugely popular among most Americans, being the seventh biggest retail company in the entire country. It is American-owned and was originally a discount branch of the department store, Dayton’s.
Target has been around since the 1960s. The simply-named “Target” stores are still considered “discount stores,” but there are a few locations known as “SuperTarget” which are hypermarkets, which are larger and offer more expensive selections of goods.
Target’s values are associated with prioritizing diversity and care for the environment. They are also known for competing with retailers like Wal-Mart, but with apparently slightly more expensive products.
Target sells food items, pharmaceuticals, health and body care products, furniture, clothing, toys, games, technological devices, and appliances. Many Target locations partner with Starbucks and CVS Pharmacy, as well.
What Counts as Shoplifting?
Now that we know a bit about the company being shoplifted from, let’s talk about what actually counts as shoplifting.
There can be some confusion surrounding the term; is it the same as stealing? What are the legal ramifications usually associated with shoplifting?
According to criminal defense law experts, shoplifting is usually defined as removing merchandise, unauthorized, from a store without actually purchasing that merchandise. That said, shoplifting is actually fairly common, and sometimes, people can shoplift without intending to.
This may sound strange, but it is because some courts of law consider “intent to steal” as shoplifting, itself. You can also be charged for shoplifting if you change a price tag, hide an item on your person, such as in your pocket, while in the store, or take merchandise out of its package.
You can be convicted of shoplifting even if you don’t leave the store with the merchandise. Basically, if you do anything with the property that the owner of the property does not find consistent with their expectations, you can be charged with shoplifting.
For example, someone running a Target may totally expect a shopper to put several pairs of pants in their cart and then take those pants to a different part of the store.
They may even expect a shopper to try merchandise like clothing on. But if they don’t expect the merchandise to be carried in a backpack, or removed from its package, you can be charged with shoplifting.
Let’s examine Target’s specific policies when it comes to shoplifting to find out more.
What is Target’s Policy on Shoplifting?
Not every shopkeeper’s expectations are the same, as we discussed above. This means that you might be charged with shopkeeping unnecessarily, and it is best to be aware of any given shop, like Target’s, shoplifting policy before you go into your shopping experience!
Target has a pretty strict set of rules that they adhere to to prevent shoplifting and deal with it when it occurs.
Let’s examine these below.
Target’s Preventative Policies
- Security Camera System – Target uses a pretty substantial amount of security cameras in each of their locations. These are constantly surveying the store and monitoring customer activity; many times, the cameras survey the parking lot of the property, too. The footage is not erased; it is recorded and used as evidence in shoplifting trials.
- Radio Frequency ID Tags – Items that are very valuable, like smart devices or video games, often have RFID tags attached to them so that shoplifters won’t be able to get away with the merchandise and cost Target money. They will transmit a signal that triggers an alarm if removed from the store; only cashiers can get them off at checkout.
- Face Recognition – Each of those cameras we talked about is outfitted with software that is designed to store the faces of known shoplifters in a database, then alert Target stores to the presence of a criminal shoplifter when the cameras detect them. Again, this data is often used as evidence against the shoplifter in court.
- Asset Protection – Many retail stores have asset protection employees, and Target is no exception. AP employees are trained security officers who actively walk around Target locations and are trained to notice specific behaviors of shoplifters. They are authorized to confront shoplifters and ask them whether they’ve paid for merchandise.
- Target Employees – The employees of Target are put through a specific training course during their orientation to recognize the behaviors of shoplifters, too. They are taught how to make sure a potential thief knows they are being watched and therefore deter the crime without being too confrontational.
Target’s Response to Shoplifting
- Filing Police Reports – Target cannot actually press charges against shoplifters. However, they are allowed to file a police report, which allows the company to demand that the shoplifter provide money in place of the items stolen.
- Police Involvement – Beyond filing reports, some Target managers are capable of calling the police and having an officer of the law come and handle the situation of shoplifting directly as it is happening. This does come with a lot of paperwork for the manager, and usually only happens when a highly expensive item is shoplifted.
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What Happens When Someone Shoplifts From Target?
So, now that we understand the policy of Target when it comes to shoplifters, as well as what shoplifting actually is, we can accurately answer the question: “What happens when someone shoplifts from Target?”
Remember, shoplifting does not always necessarily mean that a shopper took something out of the store without paying for it (though this is considered shoplifting.) Instead, you can be accused of shoplifting if you do anything with the merchandise that Target did not reasonably expect you to do.
This can include changing a price tag, removing merchandise from its box, hiding the merchandise inside of other items of merchandise, or concealing that merchandise somewhere on your person.
If an employee or manager of Target sees this activity going on before the shoplifter leaves the store, they will usually ask the person questions and try to keep the item from being removed from the store without confronting the person.
However, the use of their security cameras and facial recognition technology will probably be used to flag the shoplifter in the future.
If a member of the Asset Protection security officer finds someone shoplifting on the property, they can actually detain the shoplifter.
They are authorized by law and policy to do so as long as they saw the theft with their own eyes. Target often has a designated space for an investigation to be conducted.
Target Asset Protection officers and employees alike may ask a suspected shoplifter if they can search their bag and will do so if given permission.
Shoplifters can refuse to give permission and leave the store with the merchandise because Target does not allow either their own employees or hired Asset Protection officers to chase the suspect or physically interact with them.
That said, because of the information gathered by the security cameras and eyewitness accounts, all a Target manager needs to do is prove that enough merchandise has been stolen to amount to a felony-level loss of money by the store, and then the store manager can get the police involved and the company can press charges.
In fact, according to a report done by DailyDot.com, Target has been known to build cases against shoplifters who think they are getting away with their theft for months.
Once those shoplifters have stolen enough, Target can press charges and fine them large, overwhelming amounts.
Frequently Asked Questions
Maybe all of the above information has only piqued your curiosity about Target and shoplifting, and sparked more questions! If that is the case, not worry; we’ve got answers in our FAQ section below:
What happens if Target catches you shoplifting?
If Target catches you shoplifting, the employee, manager, or AP officer will often question you, ask to search your bag and follow you around the property from a safe distance. They will not usually touch or chase you.
If the amount of monetary value of the merchandise you’re shoplifting is high enough to be a felony charge, Target will often immediately contact the police. The police can enforce a ban on a particular person from Target and can enforce the pressing of charges by Target. This can lead to jail time or the paying of a substantial fine, for you.
Does Target Keep Track of Shoplifters?
Target does keep track of shoplifters using their facial recognition technology, installed in their many cameras. When an employee notice shoplifting, they can also specifically monitor their camera recordings for that person in the future.
In Conclusion
To sum up everything that we’ve learned, Target Shoplifting is a pretty dangerous game to play given their shoplifting policy.
Not only can Asset Protection officers make things very uncomfortable and even detain shoplifters, but managers of a Target can involve the police and catch shoplifters through facial recognition technology in their cameras.
This can lead to jail time or a huge fine. Though Target cannot chase down or get into altercations with shoplifters, they will protect their assets from being lost through shoplifting.
Reference Sources
https://www.dailydot.com/news/target-builds-monthslong-case-against-shoplifter/