Another Good Reason Not To Get Involved With Shop-Lifters

 As in-store security gets cut from more stores where UFCW 1518 members work, the union would like to remind members once again that it is not their job to intervene, prevent, or detain a shoplifter.

Here’s another reason why.

Last month, an employee at a souvenir shop in Richmond BC was taken to hospital for his injuries after an encounter with an armed robber. This employee was working alone, mid-day, when he was approached by a man with a knife who demanded money from the cash register. The employee then equipped himself with a ‘metal rod’ for his defense, and sustained non-life-threatening injuries during the altercation. The armed robber then fled on foot.

UFCW Local 1518 supports Corporal Sherrdean Turley, RCMP Media Relations Officer, when he says “we encourage employees who are faced with this type of situation to cooperate with the suspects involved. Your lives are worth much more than any amount of money found in a cash register.”

The risks taken by employees who act as security for their employer put themselves in a great deal of danger when confronting shop-lifters.

The union has fought for many years to establish good safety protections for members, and if retail companies want to do away with security guards, it is the company’s responsibility to come up with alternative measures to deal with shoplifters or robbers – measures that DO NOT put UFCW 1518 members in harm’s way.

It is more important than ever that members are not pressured to feel it is their responsibility to assume those duties. We’ve seen the serious consequences of what can happen when employees try to step in, and it’s just not worth your safety or your life to intervene.

If you have any concerns, or questions about this issue, please contact your Union Representative, or the UFCW 1518 Health & Safety Department!