| What's the most amount of effort you've put into catching someone? | For the most part, I don't bear any ill will towards shoplifters. The economy fucking sucks, and I need people to keep stealing so I can keep getting paid to catch them. |
| But one time, a couple of guys snatched $600 off the customer service desk as a lady was trying to send it to her family in the Philippines. I got real deep in that research, found their Facebook and home. Turned out they were involved in a bigger theft ring, and we caught them a while later. |
| Do you know if the theft ring taken down? if everyone involved with it was caught? | We were able to charge the 3 who were present when we actually caught them with our merchandise. One of the others was charged with sale of stolen merchandise, and the last one was in jail for a drug charge at the time the three were caught, and no one ratted on him so he was never able to be charged. |
| Unfortunately for us, the 3 who were charged ended up getting probation and nothing else. |
| Did you know your user name is swedish for "walmart monkey"? | No I didn't. For WAL-MART, it means Asset Protection Associate. |
| I much prefer thinking of you as a member of the Acolytes Protection Agency. | Lmao.. nowni do too. |
| When did they change it from "Loss Prevention"? Gotta love them euphemisms. | Wal-Mart apparently changed shortly before I started, so about 2005-6? |
| What's the funniest thing you've busted someone for trying to shoplift? | Turkey baster and a pregnancy test. Still trying to figure that one out. |
| Do you strength train to help you subdue people? if so what kind of program? | I have a pretty regular workout schedule based on video games and drinking. |
| How often do you catch teenagers stealing cough syrup? | Not that often, but do you wanna guess what I'm going to be looking at more often now? |
| What do you typically do with someone once you catch them? Just have them give the stuff they stole back and be on their way? Or do you turn them over to the police? | Depends on the particulars of that situation. For example, a 19 year old with ID who stole a $5 movie will be on his way 15 minutes later as long as he doesn't fight me and hasn't been caught before. |
| If you fight me. |
| If you have been caught before. |
| If you are trespassed. |
| If you steal more than $25. |
| If you have no ID. |
| If you are a minor and won't give me a number to contact your parents. |
| If you are my ex wife. |
| Serious question, always wondered thinking about the LP guy in my store (not Walmart). I think I could kick that guys ass and knock him out easily and quickly. Could I get away with stealing, one time, if I was smart about it? BTW I would never do this. I'm not that kind of guy. | Must people don't go for the knock out punch, they just wanna gtfo. But if you work there, and you do it once, then chances are if you aren't on camera, you vould get away easy. Even if they noticed rhe item missing, if you don't do it again then they won't believe it is you. At least, not enough to fire you. Maybe. |
| I'm a bit late to this, but I have a question because a couple days ago I got caught stealing a $6 tube of toothpaste. Cops didn't get involved and the apa guys just told me I just might get a small fine in the mail. What's that like? | To be honest, I don't know. To this day, 7 years in, I just tell the suspect "upward of $250". That way I'm not wrong if I'm higher, and they are happier if it is lower. |
| Whats is the biggest haul you have caught someone trying to shoplift? | Two ways to answer that. |
| 1- Most I've caught at a single time was about $6,000. |
| 2- Most I've caught from a continuous, repeat offender after weeks of research, following and documenting was about $30,000. |
| Can you go into some detail in regards to the 30k? What kind of items did it involve? Did the people in the ring work within the store? | It was a group of 5 who were stealing video games. But (and this isn't typical of such a large case) they had no one on the inside. |
| How confident are you that they really didn't have someone? Compared to: you just never found the insider? | I'm 100% confident. They went to too many different stores, and different companies. Only the NSA has that kind of network. |
| 600 $50 video games? Do you know if they craigslisted them or traded them for a buckkfifty at gamestop? | They had an Oxy Dealer who would trade with them. |
| When working a job like this, are you ever baited or otherwise misdirected? | Never baited them but I have some some tricks. Once a kid had stolen some head phones but we couldn't tell if he had them when he left the store. I walked up to him and asked him what he had stolen (pretending I was a customer) and I acted like the stuff I had just bought was stolen. He believed me, shows me the headphones and my partner came and got the kid, I walked away like I was scared. |
| I mean in the way that a guy will steal something almost valueless inorder for you to come after him while his buddy pockets something of greater value? Im not sure how the rules are in the US, but here it is unlikely that the police would care if a person stole for example a stick of gum. | But I proud of the one time I realized it early enough on that we caught both guys. When they were aat down next to eachother in my office, you could see the "well THAT Didnt work" all over their faces. |
| Have you ever faced a life threatening situation in this job? It seems like you would mainly bust small time offenders, but there's bound to be at least one nutjob out there that wouldn't want to be cooperative. | I've had a few. You are right though, most of them aren't looking to hurt me. Most of those who tried to had much bigger problems than a shoplift as well. |
| The most dangerous was a guy who pulled a gun on me when I stopped him for stealing popcorn chicken. I was literally right next to him so my instinct was to get it out of his hands. Policy says I should have backed down and let him go, and I would tell anyone else the same thing. But for me, at that time, all I could think was "I didn't survive two years I'm Iraq to get shit over Popcorn Chicken"". |
| Edit: I didn't want to get shot. For once, my autocorrect spelled shit. Figures. |
| Is it true that when you, and you're lp co-workers, aren't on duty, that there is no actual stoppage of shoplifting? | Not sure, I wasn't working that day. |
| Do you ever find yourself feeling bad for people? These people are in some cases throwing their lives away work wise for nothing. | I'm actually pretty aware of the fucked up social/econominal state in this country. What I mean is, I do feel bad and have (on occasion) bought them something to eat after catching them stealing food. |
| What do you do with people like this, like, what is the consequence you hand out for the people whom you afterwards take out for food? | Well I should clarify that this is almost exclusively a "I'm buying what you stole so you can eat today" kind of situation. And I'm not the only one, there are a lot of others in my job and managers who do the same. Just because we work for evil doesn't make us evil. (Then again, the same thing could be said about all of the innocents killed on the Death Stars) |
| Do you ever just think "fuck it"? | More often than I'd care to admit. |
| If someone decides to just run out the door when you catch him, are you obligated to try and chase him down? If not, would it just be company policy to let the police handle it? | I'm not obligated to put myself at risk- I do it because I love catching people. But if I don't want to get hurt, calling the police is always an option. |
| How often do you see little kids shoplift because their parents wouldn't buy them something they want? | Little kids are rare. Maybe 3 in 7 years. But I don't really watch for them either. |
| Ever catch teenage girls stealing pregnancy tests? | And YES. Many many times. |
| Do you ever try to deter people by engaging them in small talk? I remember this one time, I was shopping for headphones and I was taking a long time, just looking at headphones. I didn't have much cash, but I didn't want to buy the cheapest available. I probably looked shady in that I was just staring at the wall of headphones for a while, and to make things worse, I found one package that had been opened from the back. Anyway, random strange guy just came up to me and started making small talk. Being the socially awkward guy I was at the time, I just picked a pair I had considered buying and went to pay. But, before I left, the guy shook my hand. Either really friendly stranger, or LP steering me away from life of assumed crime? | I will deter people on occasion, but when I talk to people it is usually because I love catching someone who just talked with me about video games, music, whatever. The looks on their faces. . Lol. |
| Have you ever had anyone try and hide something inside their body? | Yeah. Some try and fail. Others are surprisingly successful. Usually women.. |
| What is the most un-usual/creative way someone has tried to steal something? | Not a lot of finesse, but when some one breaks into a locked case without just smashing it, I give them points for creativity. |
| Arhh:( I was hoping for some internal body stories. | It's not as good as it sounds. Trust me. |
| There was another loss prevention post here the other day. The guy gave a pro tip to shoplifters. What's your take on this? | Depending on a few things, this is pretty good SPT (Shoplift Pro Tip- see what I did there? ) |
| "Go to the bathroom before you leave, every company I worked for had a policy against stopping someone who went in the bathroom first. Because you lose sight of them and they have a chance to dump the merch." | There are some times when that won't work though. I mean, if you take a tv in the bathroom, I'm still gonna get you. |
| My friend went into the bathroom after stealing and LP still stopped him and asked what he stole. | There are a lot of ways to get around the bathroom rule. And if I'm motivated enough, I'll find the loophole I need to get you. |
| Whenever I go to walmart or target I notice a bunch of people pocketing the travel sample size stuff out of the baskets. is it just my area or is this everywhere? | Maybe you need to be working with me, most people don't see theft. |
| What's the most popular stolen item? | That generally changes with the season (ex: calculators right now) but condoms are popular year round. |
| You can get condoms free at most clinics, people who steal them are fucking stupid. | I tell them that every time I catch them. |
| My friend FILLED an electronic cart with energy drinks and baked chicken then drove it out the front at 10 at night and NOBODY stopped him. How does this happen? | Well we can't be everywhere at once all of the time. |
| Truth is, we catch less than 10% of the shoplifters. And at 10 at night, there aren't a lot of associates working who care. |
| Some advice though: if you do something like, don't do it again for a while, and certainly not the same store. I don't care so much when someone gets me once, but if I ever see you again or you do it again,I it as a personal offence. I will get you and you will go to jail. |
| If you don't catch the other 90%, how do you know how many of them there are? | Admittedly, it's an estimate. But I said "catch". Sometimes, even when I know someone stole, I don't catch them. Judging by packages found, inventory results, and our returns, you can get a good guesstimate of how much (in dollars) has been stolen. Then consider the average theft amount, and try some division. |
| My uncle does this for bed bath and beyond. Really quite a job. Like a retail CIA agent. His stories are the greatest. If you were the thief, how would you steal? | Ooh, I think about it all of the time. Really, anyone who is good at this job has to. |
| I would use a distraction in the grocery department and then run things out the garden doors. |
| Did you need a degree to get into LP? | Lol. Not at all. I am going to school now, but I know a lot of guys who barely graduated high school. |
| What's the pay like? How can I get a job like this? | Pay isn't so great, it's still Wal-Mart. But it is the highest pay level for Wal-Mart so I still make a few dollars more than most Associates. |
| As far as getting the job, Wal-Mart has made some recent changes. Now you have to work some part of the store first and then transfer in. So 6 months or more of pushing carts, being a cashier, selling fishing licenses-whatever, and then MAYBE the guy in charge MIGHT interview you, and then you MIGHT get the job, and then you MIGHT pass training. THEN, the trick is not getting fired (which is very easy if you mess up and stop someone who didn't steal). |
| Edit: MIGHT also applies to passing drug test and background checks. |
| Not a lot of people last more than a year anymore. |
| Yeah one too many MIGHTS for me. | It's not worth it, I agree. If I didn't already have the job, I wouldn't want it. |
| Actually, you don't need 6 months in another department if u have related experience. I got hired as an apa through having experience in casino surveillance. | I'm willing to guess that was before 60 days ago. Because for at least that long, hiring policy has been changed. |
| What is the percentage of employee theft vs. customer theft? I'd imagine most of your employees are stealing moreso than the customers? | Statistics vary from 60-90%. But in my area, is guess close to 80%. But that's me answering right now without looking at any info. |
| Do you actively monitor the cameras or are they used primarily just for proof after the theft? | The cameras can be used to catch people but I personally prefer to "walk the floor". |
| Also can you tell us more about the organized crime cases? | What would you like to know about it? |
| Do you actually get a cart and shop around and check out? I'd be suspicious having someone follow me around | If I do it right, you wouldn't even notice me. I don't have to be right next to you to watch you. |
| Just the details. Like how many people were involved in them. What they were stealing. How did you catch them. Just the story of them basically. | The best sorry I have for that was a group consisting of two brothers and a sister, plus two friends. They were hooked on Oxy, so they would steal thousands of dollars of video games at a time. Took us a long time to catch them (one was EXCEPTIONALLY GOOD at spotting us) but eventually they were charged with over $30,000 |
| Damn that is a lot of video games. Would they just power through the door with the video games in hand or were they pretty sneaky about it? | They were VERY sneaky. Usually two of them would load everything into a storage tote, 1 would be the driver in the car, and anyone left over were lookouts. If anyone even kinda spooked them, they ditched everything and walked away. But if everything worked out, they would run out a fire escape and drive away. |
| Have you ever had a petty revenge moment? | I was having a really bad day and this giant douche was cussing and screaming at a lady because he wanted to be a dick. So I watched him really close, and his girlfriend tried out a pillow case on a pillow and forgot to take it off. They were together the whole time, so I stopped them both. Then he was trespassed for being verbally abusive to a customer. |
| I've heard that these kind of people are all over Disney World, mainly around the vendors. Have you ever heard of this before? | Not sure, but I'd love to do this at Disneyland. |
| How accurate is People of Wal-Mart? | I have no idea. I have never taken one of those pictures. . Never. ;) |
| Do you have any sort of quota you need to fill per month? Is there any penalty if you go too long without busting anyone? | No quota, or I'd catch everyone and their mother. |
| What sort of training did you go through? | Training is like any other job. Read the paperwork, job shadow ish. Nothing too crazy. |
| How often is it that someone just forgot they had something on that little shelf under the cart? (I've accidentally gotten a few free rolls of toilet paper this way) | It's a pretty regular thing that people forget or a cashier misses. |
| What was the stupidest attempt at shoplifting you've ever witnessed? | And that's a broad question.. but I'd say the lady who stole a blue purse, and then (after I caught her) cried that she wanted a red one. |
| What is the typical profile of a shoplifter? Or are there no trends? | No typical profile. Seriously I've caught firefighters, soldiers, preachers, teachers, grandmas, and even Store Management. There isn't a good profile at all. |
| Also, about what is your salary? I understand if you don't wish to answer this one. | And in my current position, I get $13hr so whatever that comes out to. |
| I did the same job for Target as an Investigative Specialist. Loved every minute of it. Asset Protection/Loss Prevention is one of the most exciting yet still relatively unknown career fields I can think of. | It really is a fun job. I've had many other opportunities to make more money, but I love what I do. |
| Are all the black bubbles in the ceiling active? if so thats a LOT of cameras to watch. | I'm most stores, 90% or more are active. But we don't watch all of them, some are there for liability like in the chemical aisle, dish soap aisle, etc. |
| I carry a big purse with lots of stuff in it, and I'm always afraid someone will accuse me of stealing stuff that I already had in my purse when I walk into the store. I don't have receipts for any of this stuff because it isn't freshly bought, it's the stuff that lives in my purse. | Well unless you put something unpaid in there you'd never have to defend it. |
| What could I do in this situation to convince you that I actually did bring the stuff in with me? | But the reality is, women keep a bunch of shit I'm their purses, and we know it. If I didn't see you put it in there, I won't think it belongs to my store. |
| I once saw a scuffle between a shoplifter and an APA that led to the APA getting knocked out cold while the shoplifter jetted out the shop. Have you ever gotten into any fights? Or seen any of your partners get into fights? | Lots of fights, although they usually aren't trying to fight, just escape. But I've been hit a few times, and had a couple buddies get hurt, sliced or stabbed. Even hit by cars. |
| What happens when you suspect some is shop lifting? If you confront them, can they just leave? | If I suspect, I follow. If you steal, I catch you. If I catch you, you don't have a choice about leaving. Either deal with me now or the police in 4 minutes. |
| Are you an actual cop? Can you physically contain someone within your power? | Not a cop, and I have no powers. Although Invisibility would be useful (you don't know how many times I've wished for it). |
| But I can physically restrain or detain someone who has committed a crime, just like any citizens arrest. |
| Isn't a citizen's arrest only for felonies? | Maybe. I was refering to the concept. |
| Just for anyone reading this, physically detaining someone varies state to state. In Michigan you basically have to be a cop. | That's true. A lot of misconceptions, but this is in my state specifically as stated in the intro. |
| Is your jurisdiction only in the store? What about if they leave the store and get in their car? | We don't really call it jurisdiction, but I guess for all purposes, it's a good term to use. |
| I can go into the parking lot if I need to, although I try not to. But a car can kill me and so can some things people keep in them. So once you get to that car, I'm just gonna let you go. Not my stuff, not worth my life. |
| How long is video footage archived? Do the stores transmit their camera footage to an offsite location for monitoring and/or storage? | It depends on the system and I have no idea about the home office access except that they can see any Wal-Mart camera. |
| This sounds awesome how did you get into it? | I got out of the army and my buddy was quitting, so he hooked me up. |
| Does every store have someone like you? | 95% have at least 1 person doing my job. The ones that don't usually get someone from another storeto come out once a week, sometimes a few people doing it. But there are a lot of managers who can still catch you. |
| What department has the most protection/highest number of cameras? | Its Electronics, for obvious reasons. |
| That makes sense. However, Wal-Mart always seems full of surprises. Heck, their best selling item a few years ago was the banana. | I THINK they got their facts twisted a bit. As far as I recall it has the highest markup, so it makes the most money vs cost. |
| But I'm no grocery manager so what do I know? |
| Do you work directly as a Wal-Mart employee? Or are you contracted out to a private security agency? | I'm a Wal-Mart employee. But there are some companies that hire outside companies. |
| A friend and I stole some baseball cards from a Wal Mart near us, we were both around 10-11 (around 9 years ago). The first day we got away with it, but since we were idiots we came back the very next day and did it again, got caught. We took the cards to where some clothes were then proceeded to hide them in our jackets, I'm assuming they saw us on camera? Also, sorry! | Probably not on camera. Kids and cards are really easy to follow, and preteen boys have a lot of guiltysigns. |
| So you get to do the cool pep talks and songs too? | Once I was asked to join a meeting and when they started doing the chant I just stood there awkwardly. I'm not cool with that at all. |
| So, what's it like chasing after a thief riding on a Rascal? | I'll let you know when it happens. |
| But come on. Your a wally-world employee, you must partake! | Drink the juice! Lol.. not my thing. |
| How many people a week on average do you catch? | That's changed a lot over the years. In my prime, I had over 400 apprehensions in one year. Now. . Closer to 150 a year. |
| Why the drop? |
| Well back then I was pretty wild, headstrong and a HUGE risk taker. Now, I focus on the big dollar stops, and I'm not as "number hungry" (a term for someone who wants apprehensions regardless of the dollar amount or impact). |
| During that year of 400, I averaged less than $10 a stop. And that was with a few stops for over $1,000 and one for $6,000. Whereas my current average is about $150. HUGE jump. |
| That number is INSANE. I wonder if the cops ever got tired of having to drive down to walmart again. Also good on you, theft 3's can be pretty brutal for a $2 stick of chapstick. | Well the cops don't always get involved and over the last few years there have been a lot of changes to how we prosecute. For example, now we call dispatch to verify our suspect just wanted, and let them go. They later receive a summons in the mail, so no office involvement at all. |
| Do you ever just feel bad for someone that you let them go? | No. But I have bought them something to eat after catching them stealing food. |
| Have you ever had someone try to bribe you? and i know where this walmart is! don't want to say though. | I have, but never enough to let them go ;) |
| Haha good :) how about your friends or co-worker. Any stories? | Stories for days.. when you get a group of us together over drinks, it's like a huge "one-up" story session. |
| I don't want to get too specific, I like my job. But one good story is about a guy I fought over popcorn chicken who pulled a gun on me. Another one was a guy so big his wrists wouldn't fit in handcuffs. Some people who I've caught multiple times, 85yo women, tweakers, preachers daughters.. |
| Haha, old woman always steal! | It is surprising how many grandmas I have caught. |
| How physically demanding is it? | It's not demanding at all, unless you count the occasional person you have to physically restrain for about 30 seconds. It rarely takes any longer. |
| Does being an Asset Protection Associate require a special degree? | A degree in being a cocky bastard helps, you've gotta be the kind of guy who won't back down when someone throws you some shit. But no schooling. |
| Sorry these are really late questions. Have you ever seen a parent use their child to shoplift? How often do fights happen at Wal-Mart (not even related to your job, like people fighting each other over a cart or something)? Do you have any 'regular' shoplifters who you know just by their face? | Yes parents use their kids regularly, but usually under the age of 5. Once they are old enough to say"mommy we didn't pay" the parents usually don't want to bring them. However there are occasional situations where we see kids being taught. They usually end up with CPS afterward. |
| Isn't true Walmart doesn't fallow the five rules of shope lifting? | We only have 4 rules but I'm not gonna list them out. But no 5th rule that some other companies use. |
| I worked LP. I heard horror storys from Wal Mart guys. Like some managers make you make a stop for just having something under your arm. | That's a manager who isn't following policy. Fuck them. |
| Maybe the cctv set up and the binders? | I have no doubt that the video layout would be recognized by the right people, but verifying this job can only be done so many ways.. |
| Like sending it to the mods? | I guess I could have. Is it too late? |
| I find this type of job to sound pretty interesting. What is the pay like? How hard is it to get a job like this? | Ahh.. the cowboy days.. |
| I used to be a manager in a mall store that is a hot spot for teenage thieves, and catching them was usually pretty exciting. I once chased a kid through the mall who stole a backpack and tackled him, took the backpack, and just told him I know his face and to not ever come back. That was fun lol. | Years ago, when I started, this was a regular thing. I look back now with some regret (I broke a few wrists, scraped a lot of knees and certainly left some bruises- although they were all side effects of catching them). Back then, fighting was something I looked forward to. I'd smile as I dropped some big guy on his head. These days, I'm happy to say that I get in less than 4 physical altercations a year (from about 2-3 a week back then). |
| Top five movies?? | Well Paul Blart for sure... jk. |
| Star Wars IV, V, AND VI. |
| Die Hard (original trilogy, that last one was horrendous) |
| Indiana Jones. |
| Toy Story. |
| Halo. It kinda counts. |
| How exactly do you go about catching people? Walking around the store or watching security cameras or what? | I walk around the store mostly. But I have partners who use the cameras exclusively. |
| My mom works for Wal-Mart so I know about you guys and I've always referred to you guys as the Ghost Recon Team. I know you aren't allowed to confront someone until they leave the store; so, have you ever gotten into a fight with a shoplifter in the parking lot? | Many. Personally I prefer not to fight people, but if it happens, it happens. |
