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Back when I was still working for S-Mart this happened.
It is about 30 minutes to closing time - for some reason this is seen as a prime theft opportunity for some people. I see a group of 4 teens with large coats and hoods walking up and down aisles in the tool deparment. I also hear the unmistakable sound of ripping packaging. I call for loss prevention describe what they look like and start following them.
One of them is rubbernecking as I am walking up behind him very obviously trying to cover his buddies holding his jacket open. His buddies spook and start moving down the aisle one over from where I am. I ask him if I can help him find anything - he sputters stammers and slinks off. 1 down 3 to go, I hear something clatter on the ground in the next aisle.
Heading down the aisle the group has just vacated I see some toys on the floor and an aluminum baseball bat on top of the electric tools. I pick up the toys and the bat and follow them down the next aisle as well. They turn the corner and I see one of them has a long screwdriver in his hand, out of the packaging - holding it like a weapon. I put down the toys I was going to return and hold onto the baseball bat. Coming around the next corner, I am approaching the guy holding the screwdriver from behind.
Following ensues :
SG : screwdriver guy
NB : 2 nervous buddies
SG : ...guy keeps following us I'll ram this into his eye
NB : nervous giggling
ME : I slam the bat into the palm of my hand and glare at his back. It makes a nice meaty smack.
SG : half turns around - looks at me (in all my 6'4" overweight splendor), drops the srewdriver and bolts for the front of the store
NB : squealing in fright they turn and bolt - a few items fall out of their coats as they flee
I put down the bat, collect the items and head for the customer service desk. It is in front by the doors - I am quite happy to see the would be thieves in custody of security awaiting the police.
Seriously some dude was going to try and kill me over the inconvenience I caused him by interupting his theft? I'm hoping it was just stupid bravado but you never know.
SG did accuse me of attempted battery with a bat it almost got me fired. Only managers and loss prevention are allowed to touch or try to apprehend would be thieves.
Luckily for me when I explained it was just one of a few items I found discarded in the tool section and was planning to return to sports and toys, they dropped it.
After all they guy didn't have a scratch on him and he did threaten to seriously harm me, when that came to light he got to stay in jail when his buds got picked up by their mommies later that night. I don't know what finally happened to him but I would hope he got sent to a correctional boys home.
We have a tough gal working in loss prevention she it a foot smaller than me, I couldn't believe it when she told me some guy had given her a black eye and attempted to strangle her when she confronted him about stealing some things. She dropped him like a bad habbit and he got put away for a long time after the security camera footage showed what had happened. So you never know what someone will do.
It is about 30 minutes to closing time - for some reason this is seen as a prime theft opportunity for some people. I see a group of 4 teens with large coats and hoods walking up and down aisles in the tool deparment. I also hear the unmistakable sound of ripping packaging. I call for loss prevention describe what they look like and start following them.
One of them is rubbernecking as I am walking up behind him very obviously trying to cover his buddies holding his jacket open. His buddies spook and start moving down the aisle one over from where I am. I ask him if I can help him find anything - he sputters stammers and slinks off. 1 down 3 to go, I hear something clatter on the ground in the next aisle.
Heading down the aisle the group has just vacated I see some toys on the floor and an aluminum baseball bat on top of the electric tools. I pick up the toys and the bat and follow them down the next aisle as well. They turn the corner and I see one of them has a long screwdriver in his hand, out of the packaging - holding it like a weapon. I put down the toys I was going to return and hold onto the baseball bat. Coming around the next corner, I am approaching the guy holding the screwdriver from behind.
Following ensues :
SG : screwdriver guy
NB : 2 nervous buddies
SG : ...guy keeps following us I'll ram this into his eye
NB : nervous giggling
ME : I slam the bat into the palm of my hand and glare at his back. It makes a nice meaty smack.
SG : half turns around - looks at me (in all my 6'4" overweight splendor), drops the srewdriver and bolts for the front of the store
NB : squealing in fright they turn and bolt - a few items fall out of their coats as they flee
I put down the bat, collect the items and head for the customer service desk. It is in front by the doors - I am quite happy to see the would be thieves in custody of security awaiting the police.
Seriously some dude was going to try and kill me over the inconvenience I caused him by interupting his theft? I'm hoping it was just stupid bravado but you never know.
SG did accuse me of attempted battery with a bat it almost got me fired. Only managers and loss prevention are allowed to touch or try to apprehend would be thieves.
Luckily for me when I explained it was just one of a few items I found discarded in the tool section and was planning to return to sports and toys, they dropped it.
After all they guy didn't have a scratch on him and he did threaten to seriously harm me, when that came to light he got to stay in jail when his buds got picked up by their mommies later that night. I don't know what finally happened to him but I would hope he got sent to a correctional boys home.
We have a tough gal working in loss prevention she it a foot smaller than me, I couldn't believe it when she told me some guy had given her a black eye and attempted to strangle her when she confronted him about stealing some things. She dropped him like a bad habbit and he got put away for a long time after the security camera footage showed what had happened. So you never know what someone will do.
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