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The only thing I can come up with is that the outside-facing windows and doors all be made of unbreakable "glass" material, and that inside the store, employees right up front have buttons that can be pushed to electrically lock all the doors the second looters start entering. Some may even be kept out. Someone then calls 911 ASAP, and hopefully cops come quickly with the perps that made it in trapped inside, before they realize they're locked in and *possibly* engage in gratuitous violence against employees or patrons. That's where just having one good armed security guard might buy time.
Damn shame we even have to be thinking about this, and that the retailers would need to shell out all that money to deal with this latest societal dysfunction.
The question then becomes does the Fire Marshall allow the store to lock everyone in to save their bags? While not as egregious as using lethal force similar liabilities apply. Especially if the criminals escalate to defeat the lock in.
Close the doors, use drive thru and curbside pickup, delivery only, prepaid of course. Kiosk ordering in a front of store display area only, with pickup in another secured area of the store, Service Merchandise style.
Basically we need to eliminate the ability of every Tom, Dick and Mary to come in and wander establishments at will. Nobody really needs to hold a bottle of detergent, a bottle of tylenol, or a tube of lipstick in their hand before they purchase it. (added bonus, tighten up purchase process and you can make returns easier in the event that somebody does get the wrong thing and needs to bring it back)
Location: Formerly Pleasanton Ca, now in Marietta Ga
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Increase the penalties by a substantial amount. I know California changed the laws so crimes were classified as misdemeanors instead of felonies in some cases. If you make the punishment u h more severe, it may make people think twice.
Fill the showcase with identical but fake merchandise and keep the real stuff locked up in the back, switches to lock the doors, employee escape routes
or do like Seattle and replace the police with counselors
I agree.
I will start about by saying no rational person can do anything but condemn these smash and grab thefts. I hope the perpetrators who are caught do real prison time.
That being said, its extremely easy to steal from most stores if one has no morals. The merchandise is not secured. Its all out in the open. Stores are built to be open, airy, and accommodating because it puts customers at ease and draw in business. Stores are not built to prevent thefts. Places that are not built to prevent thefts will see more of them.
Why is this the case? Years ago stores and store owners made a calculation. They determined they would rather run the risk of sporadic shoplifting in return for possibly drawing in more customers and making customers feel at ease. This worked until you began seeing organized smash and grab thieves targeting them. Now, I suspect stores will become security conscious.
Close the doors, use drive thru and curbside pickup, delivery only, prepaid of course. Kiosk ordering in a front of store display area only, with pickup in another secured area of the store, Service Merchandise style.
Basically we need to eliminate the ability of every Tom, Dick and Mary to come in and wander establishments at will. Nobody really needs to hold a bottle of detergent, a bottle of tylenol, or a tube of lipstick in their hand before they purchase it. (added bonus, tighten up purchase process and you can make returns easier in the event that somebody does get the wrong thing and needs to bring it back)
People are already complaining that Walmarts and Target stores in ghetto/barrio areas have to lock up simple things while they don't have to in regular, normal areas. The protests will be endless.
I agree. The most logical solution is to stop them from getting in. So how do store owners do that?
Refuse entry to large groups. Private business owners can exercise that discretion. But some of the incidents were done by groups of only 3 people. They could pretend to be ordinary shoppers and blend in, rather than rushing in from waiting vehicles in the street.
Outside of Florida they can demand that they produce their papers for inspection and verification. Thus having a staring point if the police does choose to investigate.. However any such strategy of entrance barriers will convince even more to choose Amazon and other online retailers.
I would say that the most logical step is to make the merchandise harder to pick up. The display would have to be nearer to Fort Knox standards. With the labor shortage it will be hard to staff enough sales/security but that is the world we live in since communities have increasingly voted for folks as Districts Attorney who don't want the criminal class locked up and thus the predators have escalated.
Good idea. The designer handbags could be literally chained down. Thieves would need big wire cutters to get the merch, which would tip off security, needless to say. Not sure, I think I've seen some stores have the high-end clothing attached to the racks with a heavy wire. Jackets and coats, especially. This is not new; they were doing this back in the 90's.
Refuse entry to large groups. Private business owners can exercise that discretion. But some of the incidents were done by groups of only 3 people. They could pretend to be ordinary shoppers and blend in, rather than rushing in from waiting vehicles in the street.
how can the police not have informants who would know 80 people are conspiring to loot Nordstrom on the same day?
It is well organised,they loot and they get into a car with driver to take them away.
I bet most of the merchandise will show up on Ebay.
or FB marketplace. Did you ever see all the baby formula for sale on there? I really doubt that any of it was acquired legally
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