Because that would help
If you skimmed this story, you’d think a Wal-mart security guard drew a gun and killed a shoplifter. Only not. Seems the thief was armed and drew his gun which was wrestled away from him. But you have to read quite a few paragraphs in. And the employee wound up quitting over it. So why, then, is this the issue:
The shooting has put a spotlight on Wal-Mart’s policies regarding its loss-prevention officers, and it comes on the heels of another shooting four weeks earlier at a North Austin Wal-Mart that claimed the life of an Austin police officer.
Also, there have been 16 shootings at Wal-Mart properties in 6 months. They have just north of 10,000 stores.
May 30th, 2012 at 10:01 am
Sound to me like shootings at Walmart aren’t much of a problem.
With only 16 shootings in 10,000 stores they’re safer than just about any city in the nation.
May 30th, 2012 at 10:41 am
For years, Walmart avoided urban areas, but the last decade they’ve moved into urban areas… I’m surprised it’s only 16…
Dann in Ohio
May 30th, 2012 at 11:03 am
I have shopped at both these stores, in College Station and in Austin. I live about 10 miles from the Austin store.
Both Walmarts are in reasonably decent areas of their towns.
I suspect there is a Willie Sutton effect going on here, where criminals who steal shopping carts of goods and drunken a$$holes who want to be a public nuisance go to wherever the Walmart is. Because of the low, low prices, I guess.
May 30th, 2012 at 11:12 am
How many of those 10,000 stores are outside the U.S.?
That might change the expected number of shootings, but it depends on where outside the U.S.
(Kind of like the comments about rural/suburban/urban stores that Dann mentioned.)
May 30th, 2012 at 11:56 am
The officer took the gun away form the thief and the their then drew a knife and continued the attack. That is when the LPO fired the thief’s gun a single time hitting the goober in the chest killing him.
The LPO the quit claiming he was forced to. This is the second time he has quit Wallyworld claiming he was forced to. Something smells. Not sure what.
May 30th, 2012 at 12:00 pm
I want to know why the “thoughts and prayers” are being directed towards the family of the shoplifter. He was the one who was stealing, who started the fight, who pulled the gun, who then pulled the knife, and got himself shot. The thoughts and prayers should be going to the LPO who was forced to defend himself.
May 31st, 2012 at 1:46 am
Where I am located, Wal-Marts are like pox marks on crime maps. They have a tendency to bring not only shoplifters but various other felonies to the areas where they have stores. All of the stores here have roving exterior “security” guards, but they do little to deter the bad guys. It’s bad enough here that I try not to go to Walmart after dark.
Based on the article, they had already initiated the detainment procedures when the suspect started to fight\resist. Depending on the company, some do not allow LPO’s to use handcuffs to restrain suspects, I don’t know if Walmart has that policy or not. I can say that if I felt like a suspect might get squirrelly when I worked, I would cuff them as soon as I could, it could make us both safer. That’s not to say someone couldn’t do something dangerous or stupid while they are cuffed, but it would give you a little warning. I would also prefer a very non invasive pat down, just to make sure the common and easy to conceal areas were weapons free (i.e. small of the back, around the waist band and the ankles).
LPO’s have a tough job. They are tasked by their companies to stop everything from teenage thrill seekers to professional organized retail crime rings and everything in between. The most volatile people are drug addicts, and they typically do the dumbest things. The other tough part is that retailers will hang LPO’s out to dry at the first hint of a problem. Most retailers have very restrictive policies for initiating stops, so much so that LPO’s almost feel like they can’t be successful without breaking the policies. LPO’s are typically judged on the number of stops that they make and the dollar amount that they recover, and the pressure from the higher ups can be pretty intense. As long as everything is going ok, bosses will look the other way at policy violations, but as soon as something goes sideways, they start looking to place the blame and avoid culpability.
I feel bad for that LPO because he was put in a position by someone who had made very poor choices, and would have probably just gotten a slap on the wrist when the police arrived.
My prayers go out to all involved.
May 31st, 2012 at 10:34 am
I work as an overnight stocker at a walmart in kentucky. It certainly isn’t safe for the employees. Most walmarts have no security at nights. The amount of crime occurring in even the most peaceful walmart is appalling. The company policy on weapons is NO. The policy however explicitly states, however, that managers cannot forbid weapons being kept in our vehicles in certain states, heh.
June 4th, 2012 at 3:54 pm
I don’t go there often, but Wal-Mart is definitely one of the places where I feel better if I’m armed. Mmmm…kinda like all of the other places I go.