T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods, and Marshalls workers will now wear body cameras to combat rising retail theft in some locations.
The parent company of the chains, TJX Companies, has been rolling out the cameras in higher crime areas for the last year.
A TJX Companies spokesperson told Fox Business that the cameras are being used to "de-escalate incidents, deter crime, and demonstrate to our Associates and customers that we take safety in our stores seriously."
The spokesperson explained that the cameras are worn by loss prevention associates who are trained to use them and footage is "only shared upon request by law enforcement or in response to a subpoena."
“One of the things that we've added, we started to do last year, late toward the year, were body cameras on our [loss prevention] associates,” TJX finance chief John Klinger told analysts during an earnings call in May. “And when somebody comes in, it's almost like a de-escalation where people are less likely to do something when they're being videotaped. So, we definitely feel that that's playing a role.”
The Washington Examiner reports, "This comes after Axon, owner of Taser, released its own body-worn camera, which it refers to as its Body Workforce system, in January. While the camera is also intended for medical workers, it cited that one of its retailers saw a net 53% reduction in incidents since using the cameras."
"The new Axon Body Workforce body-worn camera is not only useful for promoting frontline workers' safety, but also aids law enforcement agencies responding to the recent rise in violence in healthcare, retail and other commercial settings by providing easily accessible digital evidence," former Dallas Police Chief Renee Hall said in a press release, according to the report.
The report adds:Other retailers have responded to loss prevention differently. Best Buy claimed that it resolved most incidents by putting more employees on the floor, locking up high-priced items, offering only a few self-checkout counters, and maintaining a single exit and entrance.
Safeway, Target, and Walmart have resorted to closing down their self-checkout stations entirely in some stores.
According to the National Retail Federation, shoplifting accounted for $112.1 billion in industry losses in 2022.
