USE OF FORCE/PURSUITS

THIS ENTIRE ISSUE HAS BECOME A MAJOR CONCERN WITH LOSS PREVENTION DEPARTMENTS OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS. THIS IS BECAUSE OF SEVERAL REASONS....TOO MANY STORE DETECTIVES THAT THINK THEY ARE JOE COOL AND USE UNNECESSARY FORCE ON SHOPLIFTERS, SHOPLIFTERS WHO WANT TO GET AWAY WITH MERCHANDISE SO BAD THAT THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM SHOOTING A GUARD TO DO IT AND THE OVERALL CONCERN OF CIVIL LITIGATION. SEVERAL YEARS AGO A MAJOR DEPARTMENT STORE CHAIN FACED A VERY HEAVY LAW SUIT ON USE OF FORCE. THE STORY GOES THAT 5 GUARDS APPROACHED A 15 YEAR OLD GIRL AT A CAR OVER A $2.00 BRACELET. THE FATHER ALLEGEDLY EXITED THE VEHICLE AND PUNCHED ONE OF THE GUARDS. THE FATHER ENDED UP DEAD DUE TO A CHOKE HOLD THAT WAS ADMINISTERED BY A SECURITY GUARD. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF UNNECESSARY FORCE. THIS COMPANY FACED A MAJOR LAW SUIT, 2 GUARDS WERE CHARGED WITH MURDER 1 (THE CHARGES WERE LATER DROPPED DUE TO DO LACK OF EVIDENCE) AND THERE WERE HUGE RALLIES AT THE STORES ALL OVER THE COUNTRY. THE STORE'S REPUTATION WAS HEAVILLY DAMAGED AND 2 GUARDS WILL HAVE TO LIVE FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE KNOWING THAT THEY EXECUTED A MAN OVER A $2.00 BRACELET. THIS LAWSUIT CAUSED A LOT OF COMPANIES TO TAKE A SERIOUS LOOK AT THEIR LOSS PREVENTION DEPARTMENTS. A COMPANY THAT I WAS WORKING FOR AT THAT TIME MADE US TURN IN OUR HANDCUFFS AND SIGN STATEMENTS OF NO TOUCH/NO PURSUITS OR IMMEDIATE TERMINATION OF EMPLOYMENT WOULD TAKE PLACE. THIS CAUSED MAJOR CHANGES THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRY. MOST COMPANIES NOW HAVE EITHER ESTABLISHED A SIMILAR POLICY OR HAVE PUT SOME RESTRICTIONS ON THEIR LOSS PREVENTION DEPARTMENTS.

WHAT THE LAW SAYS

IN ILLINOIS, THE LAW SAYS THAT A MERCHANT WHO IS STOPPING A SHOPLIFTER MAY USE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE TO DETAIN A SHOPLIFTER EITHER ON OR OFF THE PREMISES. WHAT THIS BREAKS DOWN TO IS THAT AS A STORE DETECTIVE, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO PROTECT YOURSELF FROM HARM BY USING AN EQUAL AMOUNT OF FORCE, AND ALSO IF THE SHOPLIFTER TRIES TO RUN, YOU MAY USE A REASONABLE AMOUNT OF FORCE TO DETAIN THEM. THAT DOES NOT MEAN PUNCH THEM, THAT DOES NOT MEAN THROW THEM IN A CHOKE HOLD AND KILL THEM, THAT MEANS SOMETHING MORE LIKE TACKLE THEM AND HOLD THEM DOWN UNTIL THE POLICE ARRIVE. ALSO, IF THE SHOPLIFTER RUNS, YOU MAY CHASE THAT PERSON EITHER ON OR OFF THE PREMISES IN ORDER TO DETAIN THEM.
THE MOST IMPORTANT THING TO REMMBER HERE IS THAT THE POLICIES OF THE COMPANY THAT YOU WORK FOR SUPERSEDE THE EXTENT OF THE LAW. IF THE COMPANY SAYS NO TOUCH/NO PURSUIT, THAT MEANS NO TOUCH/NO PURSUIT. IT IS TRUE THAT LEGALLY YOU ARE ALLOWED TO USE FORCE AND CHASE THEM. BUT IF YOU WANT TO KEEP YOUR JOB, YOU BETTER FOLLOW THEIR POLICIES.

ANOTHER MAJOR CONCERN WITH COMPANIES IS THE SAFETY OF THEIR EMPLOYEES. THE STREETS ARE A LOT MORE DANGEROUS THAN THEY USE TO BE. WHAT THE AVERAGE PERSON DOES NOT REALIZE IS THAT LOSS PREVENTION DEPARTMENTS ARE NO LONGER DEALING WITH GRANNIES WHO FORGOT TO PAY FOR A STICK OF BUTTER AT LUNCH TIME. THEY ARE NOW DEALING WITH MAJOR SHOPLIFTING RINGS, GYPSIES AND CRACK HEADS WHO ARE TRYING TO SUPPORT THEIR HABITS. A LOT OF THESE PEOPLE WILL GET AWAY OR DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO GET AWAY. IF THEY HAVE NO PROBLEM SHOOTING AT THE POLICE OVER SHOPLIFTED MERCHANDISE, THEN THEY DEFINITELY DON'T HAVE A PROBLEM KNOCKING OFF A STORE DETECTIVE OR BEATING THEM SEVERELY. THERE WAS A STORY THAT FLOATED AROUND ONE OF MY OLD STORES THAT SECURITY HAD ONCE CHASED A SHOPLIFTER OUTSIDE, ONLY TO BE HIT IN THE FACE BY A BASEBALL BAT FROM AN ACCOMPLICE. COMPANIES ARE AFRAID OF INCIDENTS THAT DEPLEAT THEIR REPUTATION AS A QUALITY RETAILER, BUT MOST IMPORTANTLY, ARE AFRAID OF CIVIL LITIGATION AND WITH VERY GOOD REASONING.