I was not sure what to think about this...
At the beginning of the week two of my boys went to our local Walmart here in Waseca to buy an energy bar before they headed to the weight room at the school. One of my boys had his backpack on his back that carried his basketball, his wallet and a few random things.
After the boys chose the energy bars they wanted to buy, my son took off his backpack (while he was still in the energy bar isle) to get his wallet. My other son reached down and took off his shoe to get his money. He hid his money in the bottom of his shoe 'cause his shorts did not have pockets. They proceeded to the checkout and payed for their things.
They then stopped in the entryway of Walmart to look at the gumballs in the gumball machines. There a man who said he was from The Asset Protection Team at Walmart approached them. He demanded his merchandise back. The kids were confused. The man looked through the back pack and (of course) found nothing except for my son's personal property.
The kids came home and told me this and I was SO SO SO mad!!!!!!! At Walmart!! The very Walmart we give thousands of dollars to every month (well ok not thousands but a little over $1,500) to feed our large family and to keep our home provided with toothpaste, toilet paper, garbage bags, socks, underwear...you get the idea. I have always been fond of Walmart since moving to Waseca.
I called Walmart that night and spoke with whom I think was the night shift assistant manager. He could not help me with the specific issue but he took my name, promised me the store manager would get back to me in the next day or so. We also discussed Walmart's policy of backpacks being brought into in the store. He said customers are allowed to carry backpacks in the store. He said at one time they required customers to drop their backpacks off at customer service but there was trouble with theft. He said that the theft was partly caused by dishonest employees taking things from the customers backpacks. Interesting. So now it is easier to let the customers keep their backpacks with them.
I told my boys next time just keep your backpacks at home when you go to Walmart just to be safe. And please if you do happen to have a backpack do not open it up until you get to the checkout.
The very next day, those same two boys along with a younger brother went to Walmart to look at shorts. One of the boys has a birthday coming up and wanted to make a list of potential birthday gifts.
They left their backpacks at home this time!!!
Once again Asset protection was following them around!!!!!!
I was SO mad!!!!
When I heard this I called up Walmart and asked to talk to the store manager but he left for the day. I then asked for whomever was in charge of Asset Protection. I was very mad. I talked with him. He told me his side of both days events. He said that the video from the first day showed one of the boys holding something, opening up the backpack and both boys reaching in to the backpack (or hands went out of view) and then when their hands came out of the backpack (back in view) he saw nothing in their hands. If I understood right HE NEVER SAW THE BOYS ACTUALLY PUT SOMETHING IN THE BACKPACK!!!! He just saw their hands were empty when their hands were back in view. It would be interesting to see the video and what was actually seen and what part were the 'fill-in-the-blank' parts of the video.
Mr Asset Protection said while the boys were paying for their items (yes he saw them actually pay for things!) he replayed the security video again and then made the decision to approach the boys with the intent of getting his merchandise back. He made sure I knew that the boys gave him permission to look in the backpack because (of course) it is illegal to have searched my son's backpack. He said he also apologize to them when he found none of his merchandise in their bag. Later checking with my boys, they said the Asset Protection guy did indeed apologise and the boys gave him permission to look in the bag.
Why was Asset Protection following the kids on the second day? He said one of the associates called him letting him know there were three boys acting suspicious in the clothing isle. He went to check it out and saw it was the same boys from the day before. He said he backed off a little and watched them from farther away. He noticed they did not have their backpacks with them that day. A side note: Funny how it was the same Walmart associate that lingering around the boys both days.
I do admit my boys act like...well...boys. Yes, sometimes weird, suspicious, crazy, goofy and usually have no sense of embarrassment or what is proper public edict. Yes my boys knowing they were being followed by security the second day started dodging around corners to 'shake security' and avoid being followed. They were being total weird clowns. But not with the intention to steal. Just stupidity. (Can I say that about my kids?)
But now I feel like my kids are marked or singled out at Walmart thanks to an over zealous associate, an Asset Protection manager who's adrenalin runs high, and kids who should be acting more mature in public. The two boys in question are 15 and 14. Their younger brother who was with them the second day is 12.
I worked retail for many years before I was married and we employees got reward money for alerting loss prevention about suspicions characters that lead to merchandise recovery. Could that be the Walmart associate's motivation in calling on my kids? Could it be that one of the children in question is black? Or is it solely based on the weird behavior of my kids?
****Sigh****
On the other hand, I did enjoy my talk with the Asset Protection Manager. I bet we talked for maybe 15 minutes. He made no promises that my kids would not be watched in the future. He said it is his job to watch and be suspicious. And of course, if my kids actually did steal something I would want to know. He was a nice guy. I have respect for him and his job. It made me miss my downtown Minneapolis Carson Pierre Scott days of long ago.
What about this...
Warmly,A Patchwork Mommy
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