Shoplifting is the most common crime in the United States, with one out of every 11 Americans being a shoplifter. In 2020, the country’s average dollar loss per shoplifting incident was 460 U.S dollars. 158,158 shoplifters were apprehended in the same year, with over $49 million recovered.
Retail stores in the U.S have taken various measures to prevent shoplifting. An example of this is Kroger, which has incorporated an Artificial Intelligence System to avoid business losses.
Read on to find out more about Kroger’s shoplifting policy.
Contents
What is Kroger’s Shoplifting Policy?
Kroger has a strict “no-touch” or “no-chase” policy which means that the store employees cannot chase suspected shoplifters to avoid physical harm if the shoplifter fights back. This is to prevent lawsuits against Kroger. Instead, they will note your ID details and license number plates and report them to the police.
However, even though Kroger has a “no-touch” policy, some reports claim otherwise. This means that they may apprehend you in their office and make you fill out paperwork before being handed over to the police.
Kroger also has a Loss Prevention(LP) team to prevent and deal with shoplifting incidents at the store.
The Loss Prevention policy dictates that employees walk around and help suspected shoplifters to give them the impression that they are being watched, which will prevent them from stealing. However, the employee may ask you to return the items on the shelves and not alert the police on rare occasions.
Does Kroger Prosecute Shoplifting?
Once caught stealing, the items will be retrieved, and police will be called to apprehend you, whereby you may be fined some money for restitution.
Here, state laws and the value of goods stolen will dictate the next steps. For example, in most states, shoplifting goods below $400 is a class C minor misdemeanor; hence you will be given a $50-$1000 fine or spend up to six months in jail.
However, if the goods stolen exceed $400, then the shoplifter will be persecuted in court and may be charged with a felony. They could spend up to five years in jail or be fined up to $10,000.
The shoplifter will be put on the no-trespass lift, meaning they will be banned from visiting any of Kroger’s stores. If this is violated, the store will press criminal charges against them.
How Does Kroger Track Shoplifters?
Kroger tracks shoplifters through its CCTV cameras, Evergreen’s Visual AI camera solution, and the LP team.
The LP team walks around the store to monitor customer behavior, and CCTV cameras check on every activity at the store.
The Evergreen’s Visual AI cameras monitor the self-checkout stations and are connected to handheld devices to alert employees of suspected behavior. They also help track the Store Keeping Units(SKU) of products scanned by customers.
Does Kroger Posts Pictures of Shoplifters?
Yes. If you are caught and banned from the store, Kroger may put up your photo to remind the employees to call the police in case you come back. The images are usually of suspected but not prosecuted shoplifters.
FAQs
Were there instances of stealing from Kroger’s self-checkout?
Yes, there were numerous cases of people stealing from the store’s self-checkout.
However, the new Evergreen system cameras can detect if a shopper fails to scan an item and alerts a store employee. The employee then intervenes before the shopper leaves without paying for the item. This has helped reduce the store’s check-out losses.
Currently, around 2500 Kroger stores have implemented the Evergreen camera system.
What is Kroger’s loss prevention phone number?
You can call Kroger’s team at (1-800-576-4377).
How long does Kroger keep security footage?
Kroger keeps CCTV security footage for 30 days and deletes it afterward to create more space for new videos.
Can you get caught shoplifting months after?
You may shoplift and successfully exit the store without being caught. However, this should not be good news as you may still get caught.
If Kroger has proof that you shoplifted on video, and have your name, you may be charged up to one year later after committing the crime.
How often are shoplifters caught?
Statistics show that shoplifters are caught only once every 48 times they steal, which is 2% of the time. Once captured, the stores contact the police, and they are arrested 50% of the time.
Conclusion
Shoplifting is a serious crime that could land you in jail. Kroger has stepped up its game in dealing with shoplifters; hence it is advised to refrain from doing it. Its Loss Prevention(LP) team monitors and deters any shoplifting activities. They are always watching and can quickly tell when one is shoplifting. Their CCTV cameras and Evergreen Visual AI Solution comes in handy to discover shoplifters.
