[ Yet Target wonders why it's losing millions... ]

From: https://tinyurl.com/2s4ktrmv (theepochtimes.com)

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California Sheriff Alleges Target Blocked Deputies From Arresting Shoplifters

By Jack Phillips
11/12/2023
Updated:
11/13/2023

A California sheriff accused retailer Target of preventing deputies from
apprehending shoplifters despite Target stores requesting help to curb a
rise in retail crime.

"We don't tell big retail how to do their jobs, they shouldn't tell us how
to do ours," Sacramento County Sheriff Jim Cooper wrote on X in a post
last week.

Elaborating, he wrote that "recently, we tried to help Target," according
to the post. "Our Property Crimes detectives and sergeant were contacted
numerous times by Target to help them with shoplifters, mostly who were
known transients. We coordinated with them and set up an operation with
detectives."

But he alleged that Target's head of regional security told the sheriff's
office that deputies can't contact suspects in the Target store or could
not handcuff them inside the store. Target then allegedly told deputies
that if they arrested a perpetrator, they had to be processed outside
behind the store and "in the rain."

"We were told they didn't want to create a scene inside the store and have
people film it and put it on social media. They didn't want negative
press. Unbelievable," Mr. Cooper added.

Deputies, he said, saw a woman on camera bring in her own bags and "go
down the body wash isle" before grabbing "Native body washes." After that,
the woman "went to customer service to return them," he wrote.

"Target chose to do nothing and simply let it happen," the sheriff
continued. "Yet somehow, locking up deodorant and raising prices on
everyday items we need to survive is their best answer."

The Epoch Times contacted Target for comment Sunday. The Minneapolis,
Minnesota-based retail giant has not publicly commented on Mr. Cooper's
post.

The sheriff's complaints about the firm's shoplifting policies comes as a
number of retailers, including Target, have been locking up more items
behind glass or using other means to prevent shoplifting. Over the past
several years, there have been a rash of social media videos of large
groups of people rushing into stories before taking items and running out.

In some areas like San Francisco and Chicago, some major U.S. chains have
opted to close stores due to concerns about theft and the safety of
employees.

As for Sacramento, the California capital city was ranked No. 7 among the
top cities and metropolitan areas that were impacted by organized gangs of
shoplifters in 2022, according to a National Retailers Federation survey.
Los Angeles and San Francisco-Oakland were ranked as No. 1 and No. 2,
respectively, in the survey.

Other cities in the top 10 include New York City, Houston, Miami, Chicago,
Seattle, Atlanta, and Dallas-Fort Worth. The organization has estimated
that retail theft accounted for more than $113 billion in industry losses
across the United States last year.

In late September, Target's leadership announced it would shut down nine
stores in four states, including one in New York City's East Harlem, three
in the San Francisco Bay Area, and three stores in Portland, Oregon.

The Minneapolis retailer said the decision to close the stores was
difficult. "We know that our stores serve an important role in their
communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping
environment is safe for all," Target said in a statement at the time.

Target said it has invested heavily in strategies to prevent theft, such
as adding more security workers, using third-party guard services, and
installing theft-deterrent tools, like locking up merchandise. It also
says it has trained store leaders and security-team members to protect
themselves and de-escalate potential safety issues.

But it noted that it still faced "fundamental challenges" to operate the
stores safely-and the business performance at the locations slated for
closure was unsustainable.

In August, Target CEO Brian Cornell told analysts violent incidents
targeting workers at its stores increased 120 percent for the first five
months of 2023, as compared with last year.

"Our team continues to face an unacceptable amount of retail theft and
organized retail crime," he told analysts at the time, according to
reports. "Unfortunately, safety incidents associated with theft are moving
in the wrong direction."

The sheriff's criticism against Target also comes as the retail giant
faced a boycott over LGBT items that were featured during its "pride
month" sales event in June. Some conservatives said that the firm was
selling items deemed inappropriate for children.
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-- Sean

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