TJ Maxx-Mira Loma, CA- Reusable Bag Shoplifting

[storewanderer]

https://abc7.com/mira-loma-tj-maxx-thef ... /13200123/

This is something. Shoplifter 1 runs out with a ton of big purses (who knows if they stuffed other items into the purses). Shoplifter 2 tries to run out with reusable bags full of stuff. Customer attacks shoplifter 2. Shoplifter 2 uses reusable bags that are obviously stuffed with merchandise to try to hit person who attacks them. I am speechless regarding the customer who volunteers to act as store security. Absolutely speechless.

Where is security? Is there any security? Pretty pathetic.

Meanwhile out in Susanville, CA the Marshalls Store has all the purses locked up with security cords and you can't even remove them from the shelf without an employee. In a rural store with little traffic and hardly any theft. Yet in a busy big city store this stuff is not locked up and free to be taken by shoplifters.

These retailers need to get smarter in a lot of ways.

[ClownLoach]

https://abc7.com/mira-loma-tj-maxx-thef ... /13200123/

This is something. Shoplifter 1 runs out with a ton of big purses (who knows if they stuffed other items into the purses). Shoplifter 2 tries to run out with reusable bags full of stuff. Customer attacks shoplifter 2. Shoplifter 2 uses reusable bags that are obviously stuffed with merchandise to try to hit person who attacks them. I am speechless regarding the customer who volunteers to act as store security. Absolutely speechless.

Where is security? Is there any security? Pretty pathetic.

Meanwhile out in Susanville, CA the Marshalls Store has all the purses locked up with security cords and you can't even remove them from the shelf without an employee. In a rural store with little traffic and hardly any theft. Yet in a busy big city store this stuff is not locked up and free to be taken by shoplifters.

These retailers need to get smarter in a lot of ways.

Mira Loma is pretty much a semi-rural area too, with a similar population to Susanville. I haven't seen a TJX store where they didn't use the security cords for purses. I'm going to assume these shoplifters had a means to disable the alarm system such as a stolen key.

[storewanderer]

Mira Loma is pretty much a semi-rural area too, with a similar population to Susanville. I haven't seen a TJX store where they didn't use the security cords for purses. I'm going to assume these shoplifters had a means to disable the alarm system such as a stolen key.

Given the lack of security/management presence while the customer/volunteer was trying to physically stop Shoplifter 2, you do have to wonder if this was some kind of an inside job to assist the Shoplifters in getting the locked purses and conveniently not having anyone at the door to watch.

[ClownLoach]

Mira Loma is pretty much a semi-rural area too, with a similar population to Susanville. I haven't seen a TJX store where they didn't use the security cords for purses. I'm going to assume these shoplifters had a means to disable the alarm system such as a stolen key.

Given the lack of security/management presence while the customer/volunteer was trying to physically stop Shoplifter 2, you do have to wonder if this was some kind of an inside job to assist the Shoplifters in getting the locked purses and conveniently not having anyone at the door to watch.

Makes sense! Most of these ORC hits in my experience require overwhelming the staff. They know more about how each store operates than the VP of Operations. They figure out exactly what the staffing levels are, when they're at their lowest, and then they come in with team A who makes a distraction while team B loots the store. The distraction could be a combination of making a scene at the customer service counter, needing excessive help on the opposite side of the store from the desired products, and even deliberately flooding the bathroom. Sometimes Team A engages in theft too, and they're obvious about it in such a manner that they get a lot of attention (but knowingly take so little the police will laugh if they're called to make an arrest). But usually there are more people in the distraction Team A then there are employees and managers available on the floor, and that's exactly what the real theft team needs to get away with thousands of dollars in merchandise in a manner of minutes, completely undetected.

[storewanderer]

I just don't know what the solution is. We have these security cameras in stores that are so good, people can be identified. We have people all over social media, etc. practically bragging about what the are doing/getting away with. Yet it continues. I am afraid more and more people shoplift when they see others getting away with it and the problem just snowballs.

But the video shows exactly why I find the reusable bags to be such a problem. They fit too many items. They remain fully in form when swung around or jerked around or over-filled. The Shoplifter 2 used reusable bags to hit the customer/volunteer security. Basically using reusable bags as a weapon to hurt someone (who had no business having anything to do with the thief in my opinion).

The problem with this type of scenario is who gets blamed, does anyone get blamed? My first instinct when I see a video like this is that the store management has failed, but is it really their fault?

[mbz321]

I just don't know what the solution is. We have these security cameras in stores that are so good, people can be identified. We have people all over social media, etc. practically bragging about what the are doing/getting away with. Yet it continues. I am afraid more and more people shoplift when they see others getting away with it and the problem just snowballs.

The problem is poor law enforcement and retailers too afraid to employ actual security (or devote resources to LP in general) in sue-happy America instead of rent-a-cops that are pretty much for show. It's not about bags or carts or anything else. The end.

[storewanderer]

I just don't know what the solution is. We have these security cameras in stores that are so good, people can be identified. We have people all over social media, etc. practically bragging about what the are doing/getting away with. Yet it continues. I am afraid more and more people shoplift when they see others getting away with it and the problem just snowballs.

The problem is poor law enforcement and retailers too afraid to employ actual security (or devote resources to LP in general) in sue-happy America instead of rent-a-cops that are pretty much for show. It's not about bags or carts or anything else. The end.

I don't disagree with you about the poor law enforcement and a real security failure in this particular retail store.

However, if the reusable bag is being used as a weapon, it is absolutely about the bag. And in this video, that is what happened. The bags could have been used to hit loss prevention (who isn't armed and has no self defense) also, and seriously injure someone. Watching that video is enough to make me say those reusable bags cannot be present in the store period. Not only that you can't use them, but you can't even bring them in. They can stay outside. Or in your pocket.

The reusable bags are a major cause of theft, and in this case, violence. Granted the volunteer customer who decided to act as security had debatable business doing so and gets what they get for involving themself in something that was arguably none of their business. However at the end of the day the reusable bags enabled Shoplifter 2 to easily collect a lot of merchandise and get it out of the store very conveniently. A cart could have been stopped (wheels locked, someone grab it and move its path, etc.). Thin bags would have broken due to overfilling. Armfulls worth of merchandise would have resulted in at least some dropped merchandise when volunteer customer/security got involved. But the reusable bags enabled the Shoplifter 2 to get out of the store with EVERY SINGLE ITEM they intended to steal due to the strength of the reusable bags.

And this sort of thing is why you see some of those bad neighborhood Wal Marts over the years who try to set up lockers up front (right inside the doors, far from the entry to the actual sales floor and far from any merchandise) and demand people do not bring any backpacks, reusable bags, etc. into the store but must leave all of them in the lockers up front. The store in Reno with these lockers no longer uses them because they no longer consistently have someone watching the doors. Not sure if the lockers are still used elsewhere.