Body cameras aren't just for cops any more. TJX Companies, parent company of retailers including TJ Maxx, Marshalls, HomeGoods, and Sierra, says it has been trying to cut down on theft by equipping workers with body cameras, Fox Business reports. A company spokesperson says security workers known as "loss prevention associates" are using the cameras to "de-escalate incidents, deter crime," and show workers and customers alike that "we take safety in our stores seriously." The spokesperson says the footage is "only shared upon request by law enforcement or in response to a subpoena."
John Klinger, the company's chief financial officer, said during an earnings call last month that it's "almost like a de-escalation where people are less likely to do something when they're being videotaped." CNN notes that TJX isn't an outlier—in a National Retail Federation survey last year, 35% of retailers said they were looking into using body cameras. Axon Enterprise, which makes Tasers, has developed a line of body cameras designed for retail workers. The company says the cameras are being used by dozens of retailers.
Few other chains, however, have discussed the move publicly or mentioned it in job ads. An ad for a loss prevention job at a Marshalls store in Florida says the responsibilities include acting as a "visual deterrent to prevent potential loss/dishonesty" and wearing a body camera to record "specific events involving critical incidents for legal, safety, and training purposes." Criminologists tell CNN that it's not clear how effective the cameras will be as a deterrent, since shoplifters know they're already being recorded by store cameras, but they could "help sort things out" when there are claims of wrongful arrest. (More body cameras stories.)