BestBuy fires security guard after he assisted police.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/best-buy...ect-who-fled-knocked-down-california-cop

I suspect lots of stores have that policy because they do not want to open themselves up to lawsuits by the criminal who may be hurt by the store employee or to the potential for workman's comp claims on the part of an employee who may be hurt when physically confronting a potential criminal.

Wait, BestBuy is still around?

I know they do, I just hate to see a guy get hammered for being a Good Samaritan. There are details not covered in the article but, if there had not been earlier policy violations or other issues, termination seems pretty harsh.

I agree. Seems like a write up would have been warranted first.

I suspect that that portion of the handbook is "Zero Tolerance".

Lots of big retailers don't even prosecute shop-lifters because the liability outweighs the loss of merchandise.

Almost every major retailer has that in their HR policy.

When I was moonlighting at WalMart one of their security guys got attacked when he confronted a shoplifter. I got involved and it was quite the tussle. The loss prevention guy almost got fired, and probably would have if myself and the other moonlighting officers would not have spoken up on his behalf. He is the one that got attacked and did not do anything but help me get handcuffs on the guy when I got there.

Another long time Loss Prevention Manager was fired after she was assaulted trying to stop a shoplifter and she defended herself, only half heartedly I might add, as clear as day on a videotape.

Like many big retailers their CYA Policies often don't follow common sense. For example, one night we caught and arrested one of the employees wheeling out a computer in the garbage cart. The manager on duty fired him. Corporate then fired the manger because he didn't get their approval first before firing the guy, even though they fired people all the time without going through corporate first. I do know the manger appealed the situation and was reinstated and about twelve years later, he is still working there.

Jawbone, as I understand it, Wal-Mart went to the DA in Selma years ago and threatened to close the store down if they didn't prosecute shop lifters caught in the store. The were losing money due to all of the merchandise walking out and folks got away with a wrist slap when caught.

Almost all retail store loss prevention people are forbidden from physical contact these days. If the person resist or doesn’t stop, they are suppose to let them go. Most people actual don’t know what and stop when they are confronted leaving the store.

If you ever want to be amazed, watch a Walmart sureillance video. Their facial recognition software is fantastic.

So why hire loss prevention people if the policy is strictly hands off? Seems counterintuitive

They watch cameras and catch most people. Very few people try to put up a resistance.

Exactly what I was going to ask. Why even hire security guards to begin with? It sounds like all they can do is call the cops and any employee can do that.

They can detain them, they simply can’t physically restrain them. They are not security guards. Security guards don’t have those same restrictions.

How can you detain someone with restraining them? Oh, you can’t touch me? Bye!

I just read on Fox that Best Buy rehired the guy.

Great news.

I'm all for indiscriminate bans. I haven't bought anything there since a washer/dryer 20 years ago. Doesn't affect this curmudgeon.