Home Depot fires man for stopping thieves
posted at 12:44 pm on June 7, 2007 by Bryan
Giving literal meaning to the cliche that “no good deed goes unpunished.”
MIDWEST CITY, Okla. — A former Home Depot employee said the company fired him and three other workers because they helped police catch several suspected shoplifters in May.
Midwest City police said the men helped officers catch suspected shoplifters as they tried to run from a store with lawn equipment.
An internal memo from Home Depot outlines that associates cannot accuse, detain, chase or call the police on any customer for shoplifting. However, one of the fired employees said the company is selective in enforcing that policy.
“The loss-prevention guy at our Shields (Boulevard) store turned around and told me all we need to do is tell the shoplifter to have a good day as they leave the store. I said that just doesn’t make sense.”
Somebody here needs firing. Just not the guy who stopped the crooks.
Letting criminals just get away it when stopping them makes more sense. This reminds me of a burning political issue. I just can’t think of which one at the moment…
(h/t Moonbattery)
Blowback
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Paris Hilton?
Alex K on June 7, 2007 at 12:46 PM
Hey, at least the shoplifter got an Orange Vested One to actually pay attention to him.
Slublog on June 7, 2007 at 12:46 PM
Blame the liability lawyers, not some pansy politics of the brass. It’s less expensive to make up for what’s stolen by the thieves than by the lawyers.
BJ* on June 7, 2007 at 12:51 PM
If we were the wrong sort of crowd, wouldn’t this be an open invitation to free shopping at home depot?
Will they help you load it in your car as well?
Lowe’s should grab some free advertising by hiring this guy in a very public fashion.
WTG, home depot.
TexasDan on June 7, 2007 at 12:54 PM
Home Depot is GOD awful.
They have forced an almost necessary evil upon us.
It’s the Wall-Mart of the Right.
Don’t get me started.
HOME CHEAPO
186k on June 7, 2007 at 12:55 PM
I’m guessing they do this for insurance/lawsuit reasons, they don’t want their people to get shot or stabbed or whatever by some thief. The various Kwik-E-Marts have the same basic policy. Its stupid, of course, but there you go.
See, we don’t even have a Home Depot. We have a Lowe’s, where you’re better off NOT asking for assistance. Bunch of morons.
Bad Candy on June 7, 2007 at 12:57 PM
What the heck…..I’m going to go to my nearest store with a Uhaul and load up!
Any chance I can have an associate help me push a cart or two to my car?
VikingGoneWild on June 7, 2007 at 12:57 PM
My wife is a manager at Gap, and their loss prevention policies are crazy. They must ask the person if they would like to pay for whatever it is that they have in their shirt/bag, and then tell them they must pay for it, and if the person makes a break for the door, they can’t do anything. There are like 5 steps that the employees must go through before anything substantial can be done.
And BJ* has it right – it is a liability issue. It is cheaper for the store to take the loss than to risk a lawsuit from either the shoplifter, or accept the liability that comes with an employee that gets hurt in chasing down a shoplifter.
Stupid? I think so.
nailinmyeye on June 7, 2007 at 12:58 PM
I’m a Merchandising Executive for a large Regional retailer. We had a similar situation where a Loss Prevention officer helped the Police catch a shoplifter. The officer in question got an award from the police and a promotion from our company.
These Home Depot guys have a severe case of Cranial Rectal Syndrome
JayHaw Phrenzie on June 7, 2007 at 1:01 PM
Wow! It looks like Home Depot just announced that paying for their merchandise is optional.
MarkM on June 7, 2007 at 1:02 PM
I missed it the first time… How can you have a policy that submits you to firing if you report a crime to police?
186k on June 7, 2007 at 1:02 PM
This is one of the reason I shop at Lowes.
So as long as you wear a burka to fool the cameras, you can build a new addition to your home for free?
Do they have inground pools?
BelchSpeak on June 7, 2007 at 1:05 PM
Sorry, can’t comment. I’m building a new house or two.
- The Cat
P.S. Anyone else want anything while I’m out?
MirCat on June 7, 2007 at 1:05 PM
Home Depot sounds like the Senators who voted against enforcing the current immigration laws. Is this a new wave?
Wade on June 7, 2007 at 1:06 PM
Oh, you can report it, but you can’t do a damn thing to stop the thief yourself.
Bad Candy on June 7, 2007 at 1:06 PM
I’ve gotta go to Home Depot…to, um, “buy” a new kitchen.
I hear the price is right and the service great!
Good Lt on June 7, 2007 at 1:14 PM
I’ve worked for two chain retail stores. The loss prevention policy for both was that once a shoplifter made it out the door, we couldn’t pursue them. The best we could do is get a description of the person and file a police report.
However, we were to also make it “uncomfortable” for anyone suspected of trying to shoplift: lots of associates hovering around pretending to straighten merchandise, check a price, etc. We couldn’t confront the person or try to apprehend them, but we could always ask, very sweetly, “Is there anything I can help you find?”
Gottafang on June 7, 2007 at 1:15 PM
No, according to the article, it’s against store rules to call the police. Contrast this with, say, Macy’s, which was accused of not only calling police, but illegally detaining suspected shoplifters. (They later settled.) Somehow a healthy medium seems possible….
calbear on June 7, 2007 at 1:17 PM
You know what this means?
FREE LAWN EQUIPMENT AT HOME DEPOT!!!
They better reevaluate that stance on not stopping shoplifters…..at least in their Southern California stores…
unamused on June 7, 2007 at 1:22 PM
When I want something at a fairly reasonable price I go to HD or Lowes. When I want advice I go to my local hardware store.
dalewalt on June 7, 2007 at 1:25 PM
heh.
If I need to return anything do I just dump it by the front door?
BacaDog on June 7, 2007 at 1:26 PM
Dang it, hit submit too soon.
Or, do I just take it in, put it back where it was and get what I need?
BacaDog on June 7, 2007 at 1:28 PM
Oh you’re just saying that because
immigrationshoplifting laws are un-enforceable and its just easier to let allillegal immigrantsshoplifters have amnesty and hope no one new tries toclimb over the non-fenceshoplift.BohicaTwentyTwo on June 7, 2007 at 1:28 PM
Its just the logical conclusion of their self-check out lanes.
Iblis on June 7, 2007 at 1:30 PM
Now that many know what HD’s policy is on shoplifters I predict there will be an increase on shoplifting activities seeing how they can take advantage of HD’s utter idiocy.
Kokonut on June 7, 2007 at 1:31 PM
I had a friend that used to work at a Home Depot and she told me that they NEVER prosecute their shoplifters.
heatherrc77 on June 7, 2007 at 1:38 PM
please don’t worry about paying for the merchandise, if you decide not to, the other customers will pay for it for you.
VTWaldrup on June 7, 2007 at 1:39 PM
sweet! I just started excavation. this will do wonders for my budget.
Editor on June 7, 2007 at 1:39 PM
“katrina shoppin”
VTWaldrup on June 7, 2007 at 1:41 PM
I guess I’ll just bypass the checkstand next time I shop at Home Depot.
infidel4life on June 7, 2007 at 1:42 PM
One of my best friends was a LP officer for TJ Maxx for several years. They had cameras and observation towers in his store. He would chase shoplifters out the door, tackle them if necessary, cuff them and wait for the police in his office.
Never heard him talk about a single liability problem.
Now excuse me, I’m heading over to HD to peruse the tool dept.
karatecon on June 7, 2007 at 1:54 PM
When I was in college, I was told never to stop them. Sure I did, but my manager for most of the time working there was originally hired as the night shift, so she gave us extremely wide berth for our actions. She’d even “lose” the tape when the cops asked for a copy.
That being said, the company fired all sorts of people for stopping shop lifters.
BBY does physically stop shoplifters.
Tim Burton on June 7, 2007 at 1:54 PM
So that explains why Home Depot is more expensive than Lowes…Lowes has more selection anyway, and apparently is not run by the functionally retarded.
JustTruth101 on June 7, 2007 at 2:07 PM
Lots of stores in Ontario have no-chase policies. The security guards at stores are mostly for deterrence. Actually, they’re ONLY there for deterrence.
The reason is that when chasing a guy you might end up hurting or even killing him accidentally, as has happened before (which put the whole security industry in the spotlight). This causes lawsuits and bad publicity for the store. They figure they’d just treat the theft as just another cost of doing business and raise the prices to recover what they’d lost.
But it is just ridiculous that you can’t even call the cops on a guy that has stolen things and has never left your sight from the moment he put the items in his pocket up until he left the store.
AlexB on June 7, 2007 at 2:15 PM
It’s liability protection gone wrong.
Hurt the robber, get sued. Hurt the employee, worker’s comp claim, possibly sued again for inadequite security, ect…
So, it’s “let it hapen, he’s on camera, turn it over to the police, they’ll get him.”
I see a Judge Dredd society coming some day.
Mazztek on June 7, 2007 at 2:17 PM
I will shop at Home Depot as a last resort or if their prices are significantly lower, but if I actually have to ask a question, I buy my stuff at Durst Lumber, a family owned lumber yard and ACE franchisee in Berkley, Michigan, and if Durst doesn’t have it, Fraentz Hardware in Royal Oak will.
Besides, I do embroidery. I at least have a shot at selling a locally owned business some logo apparel. Home Depot probably sources their logowear from China, like most of their wares. Lowes, on the other hand, exploits the illegal immigrant problem. All the signs in the Lowes are bilingual, and it’s clear from their vendor’s displays that they require it of their suppliers as well.
rokemronnie on June 7, 2007 at 2:19 PM
Me at Home Depot:
“Come on, man – I waited fifteen minutes and now you’re helping the police chase that shoplifter??”
John from WuzzaDem on June 7, 2007 at 2:20 PM
I can’t put my finger on it either. I has to do with ignoring the laws on the books. . . “Im. . .” something.
Troy Rasmussen on June 7, 2007 at 2:34 PM
So, can somebody please explain why I always have to show my receipt to the half-senile, non-English-speaking old man by the exit?
SWLiP on June 7, 2007 at 3:25 PM
I say have a bunch of people walk in at some idiot Home Despot, and take everything they can carry!
Confederate on June 7, 2007 at 3:25 PM
as our senate debates which laws don’t really matter , and what to write for new laws so they can ignore those as well.
Lawless country in …4….3…..2….
shooter on June 7, 2007 at 3:27 PM
Selective enforcement of the laws, I’d day.
Too bad they can’t be as equal on gun and immigration laws.
Kini on June 7, 2007 at 3:37 PM
How bout, The Flying Imams…? Punishing the employees for doing the right thing. Reminds me of the Imams turning around and suing the passengers on the plane for doing the same. Our laws are being ignored on all levels. Help us!
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I just learned where I can get some new tools really cheaply and easily! …… Just kidding, even knowing that fact I could never do that! But I do think I will stop shopping there, the prices are bound to be higher to compensate. Plus the help does suck.
4shoes on June 7, 2007 at 3:44 PM
I stopped shopping there when they started with the signs all in Spanish and English. I pay more to go to True Value and deal with people that only speak English and like it that way.
Hening on June 7, 2007 at 3:49 PM
I rarely have a good experience at Home Depot. Once I had a lot of trouble getting waited on, and it wasn’t a particularly busy day. I stood up on the counter at “customer service” and threatened to do a tap dance. I got help very quickly. Fortunately no one called the police. Probably because I wasn’t trying to stop a shoplifter.
All of this is to say, that I am in no position to defend Home Depot. BUT… the policy of non-engagement with shoplifters is probably a safety measure to avoid employees being injured and the ensuing liability, with security being left to other measures, either security guards, electronic tags, and/or hidden cameras.
I haven’t read the story, but this line of reasoning wouldn’t surprise me.
Then again, maybe they really are just idiots.
manwithblackhat on June 7, 2007 at 4:12 PM
please stop the pop ups!
I’m removing you from my RSS…
Maybe later. After you’ve stopped the opo-ups for drivecleaner or whatever from adfarm…
lostinfrance on June 7, 2007 at 4:34 PM
There’s something really wrong with the legal profession. I can see why a company policy would be that no employee can be compelled to chase and tackle thieves, but why forbid it?
This is the kind of thing that kills people’s spirits, their natural senses of right and wrong. Perverse directives designed to smother initiative and pride in one’s work.
Meanwhile, Virginia is about to enact $1000. civil fines above/in addition to normal court fees and fines, for crimes such as “wrong signals” when driving. Failure to pay will result in revoked license. Purpose of the fines is to “help pay for road improvements” in Virginia. Guess the Democrats have come up with a way to force carpools – there will be so many people without licenses.
naliaka on June 7, 2007 at 6:11 PM
Hmmm. I bought a compressor from them 2 weeks ago. Then the next week it was $10 cheaper. So I took my receipt in and they backed out the original charge and charged it at the cheaper price.
I think I’ll take the receipt back, ask them to back out the 2nd charge and tell them I decided to just shoplift it instead.
There’s a concept.
TheSev on June 7, 2007 at 8:50 PM
Well, I know where I’ll be doing my Christmas shopping this year!
Five Finger Discounts at Home Depot for the win!
SilverStar830 on June 7, 2007 at 10:06 PM
i do not get pop ups from the RSS feed. you must have a spyware RSS reader.
doggod on June 8, 2007 at 12:04 PM