[ 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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