New Wal-Mart policy could reduce number of thefts there
State police said a new policy enacted by Wal-Mart could reduce the number of thefts handled at the discount retailer by the Uniontown barracks, but will not change the role of law enforcement when it comes to shoplifting. Earlier this month, internal Wal-Mart documents obtained by the New York Times reported that the mega-retail chain would begin loosening its strict shoplifting policy.
The policy change constitutes a shift from the retailer’s zero-tolerance shoplifting policy, which prosecuted anyone caught shoplifting merchandise worth more than $3.
Under the new policy, the company now will forgo prosecution for first-time shoplifters who steal merchandise worth less than $25.
Wal-Mart national spokesman John Simley told the Associated Press that the company has decided to focus its resources on stopping larger thefts and organized crime in its stores.
“We’re concentrating our resources on organized theft rings and high-dollar losses,” Simley said. “It simply is not efficient to prosecute most petty shoplifters at the expense of those high-dollar items.”
State police Cpl. Gregg Keefer said troopers are called to the two Wal-Mart retail centers in Fayette County – one located on Matthews Drive in South Union Township, the other on Route 119 in Dunbar Township – every day.
“I can say that we are called to Wal-Mart for shoplifting at least once a day,” Keefer said. “But they do have good security staffs that help.”
Keefer said that while the policy change might mean fewer trips by troopers to the chain’s local stores, the new policy could result in a “snowball effect.”
“Sometimes it is like drugs,” Keefer said of shoplifting, noting that the new rule could lead to larger thefts. “A person starts out trying marijuana and soon enough they are addicted to heroin. It doesn’t always happen like that but it can.”
Keefer said the reports of thefts at the stores can reach three per day at each store, especially in the summer months when thefts increase because of the nice weather.
Simley said that despite the fact that the information about internal policy now is public knowledge, shoplifters still will have a hard time marking Wal-Mart for theft.
“Our stores are hard targets for theft and we intend to keep it that way. Don’t test it,” Simley said.
Local Wal-Mart representatives declined to comment on the new policy.