Home Depot Fires Worker Who Stopped Thief

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One more reason to avoid their stores. They are always so dark and dingy. Ugh!

Truth be told though, lots of businesses have that policy. When I worked retail, eons ago, we were told the same thing. That is why no one ever checks bags when those beeper things go off at the mall. Instead they just jack up the prices for everyone else.
 
man---- just gets ya- doesnt it--
and for their corporate reaction...blah-blah-blah
the sad this is, society had brought this on because of the ridiculous lawsuits that are filed, and won by such criminals as this one aprehended-
 
I was reprimanded once for confronting a theif when I worked at Target. They said that I put myself and others in unnecessary danger. I laughed at them as I handed back the $400 camera the guy had snagged. I had the lowest shrinkage rate in the district, guess I wwas doing something right.
 
I agree, tennessee. I hate shopping there. Very high prices too.
 
Go to Lowe's they are more helpful....and they sponsor Jimmie Johnson, # 48....GO 24 48 WOOT!
 
BRB I'm going to get all new power tools and just run for it.

How smart is it to publicize that your policy is to just let people walk out with your crap?

(btw - I was kidding, I'm not going to clear out HD :p)
 
I don't think any amount of money or property is worth putting your life, or others on the line. We have a business, and altough I feel sorry for this guy, I can see why he was fired.

You're better off letting the thief get away (yes, I know the costs of stolen mdse is passed on to all the customers), because the thief could have had a gun and he could have shot the employee or an innocent bystander.

If I had to take a guess at why they have this policy I'd guess it centers around their insurance company. It's probably something that the insurance company that covers their liability insurance requires. Our liability insurance is insane...and all it would take is one employee doing something like this and you'd be at risk of losing your insurance and not being able to get another insurer...and the employee could be killed or injured in the process of doing this.

These insurance companies have us where they want us...and all it takes is one issue and they can pretty much do what they want.

This isn't a new policy with stores these days. When I was a teenager, I worked at a clothing store and this was their policy (and this was 30 years ago). It is really for the protection of the employee, and the customers. How would you feel if your kid chased a thief to the parking lot, only to be gunned down and killed over $100 (or whatever). It's not worth it. But these days a business owner has to cover their rears. They'd get sued by everyone involved, and lose their insurance to boot.

No piece of merchandise or cash is worth losing your life over.
 
Most likely if this guy had followed the thief, memorized his looks and possibly got his license plate number etc., the police probably wouldn't have done anything about it.

What a crappy world.

The kid was damned if he did, and damned if he didn't.
 
luvbeaches said:
You're better off letting the thief get away (yes, I know the costs of stolen mdse is passed on to all the customers), because the thief could have had a gun and he could have shot the employee or an innocent bystander.
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Just another reason law abiding citizens should own guns and keep up to date with their practice at the range.
 
tennessee said:
Just another reason law abiding citizens should own guns and keep up to date with their practice at the range.
Click to expand...

I do agree (and I never thought the day would come when I'd say something like this). These people wouldn't think twice about killing you. I'd never chase a person who stole money or merchandise...I don't care what was stolen. The only person I'd chase would be one that stole a child....and that would be it.

But I don't think most people would want a store employee running through the parking lot shooting at the bad guy...I know I don't.
 
I have nearly 20 years where either myself or someone in my immediate family has worked at Wal-Mart. ALL of us were repremanded on BOTH sides of this issue. Wal-Mart has a no-handle policy for regular employees (Management or the now NON-EXISTENT Loss Prevention are the only ones allowed). However, you were expected to "distract" or "detain" in a non-contact fashion until they get there.

However, most stores now have a policy that anything under a certain amount is not going to be charged. UNLESS, you hurt someone or you work there.... I think Wal-Mart's is $25. It actaully costs MORE than the amount stolen to prosecute, so why bother?
 
If I were being attacked, I would fight back. Other than that, let em have the junk. It is not worth my life or the lives of those around me to play hero. While I feel bad this man lost his job, I have seen the results of someone playing hero first hand.

A former coworker (my first job) of mine tried to stop a guy from stealing a carton of cigarettes. This was in the days of the glass soda bottles. He was beat with a glass soda bottle until he almost lost his life. Was it worth it? He would tell you no if he could speak in a manner you could understand. However, garbled speech is what you get from him. Does he care about having a job now? No, he couldn't work if he wanted. He can barely brush his teeth. He needs help for everything else.

I think the Home Depot worker not only put his life in jeopardy, he risked the lives of others. Tangling with a theif can be as dangerous as chooting a weapon into a crowd. He knew full well company policy and made his choice. I for one do not want to be standing next to an employee in a store that decides to tangle with some crackhead or tweaker who wants cash for that next high. They won't care if you get in the way.
 
froggierintexas said:
If I were being attacked, I would fight back. Other than that, let em have the junk. It is not worth my life or the lives of those around me to play hero. While I feel bad this man lost his job, I have seen the results of someone playing hero first hand.

A former coworker (my first job) of mine tried to stop a guy from stealing a carton of cigarettes. This was in the days of the glass soda bottles. He was beat with a glass soda bottle until he almost lost his life. Was it worth it? He would tell you no if he could speak in a manner you could understand. However, garbled speech is what you get from him. Does he care about having a job now? No, he couldn't work if he wanted. He can barely brush his teeth. He needs help for everything else.

I think the Home Depot worker not only put his life in jeopardy, he risked the lives of others. Tangling with a theif can be as dangerous as chooting a weapon into a crowd. He knew full well company policy and made his choice. I for one do not want to be standing next to an employee in a store that decides to tangle with some crackhead or tweaker who wants cash for that next high. They won't care if you get in the way.
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ITA...A friend of ours is a manager for Kroger. He chased a guy who stole a six-pack of beer (on a Sunday - he couldn't legally buy it :rolleyes: ) all the way to the parking lot. He got his arm caught in the car door and was dragged for several yards. He had a closed head injury and was hospitalized for days.

His wife was back and forth between terror that he'd die or be left brain damaged and she'd be all alone with their three children (under 5)...and wanting to kill him herself for doing something so incredibly stupid.

His boss told him that if he ever risked his life for something so trivial again he'd be fired.

Luckily he is fine, but it was a scary time.
 
tennessee said:
Just another reason law abiding citizens should own guns and keep up to date with their practice at the range.
Click to expand...

Now I own a gun. I drive to the store with it in my holster. I then take it out and lock it in the glove compartment when I get out of the car. I do my shopping and get back in the car. I unlock the glove compartment and put it back in the holster. Now why do I do this? Cause even though I have a permit to carry a concealed weapon, I cannot carry it into a place of public gathering...which is just about anywhere but the sidewalk in a small town.

I've said this story once before. I went to my local drug store and forgot my gun was at my side concealed. I set off the store alarm walking into the place. I had a bag of medicine in my hand. The lady behind the counter looked at me and said, "It must be the medicine".

But even if I did bring my gun with me into a store and a would be criminal brandished a gun to rob the place I proably wouldn't pull it out. I could end up starting a gun fight that could cause some innocent bystander thier life.
 
I'd like to share a story of what we've been going through recently. This story hit very close to home.

My hubby is the manager of a major retail store. This quote from the article is the root of the problem:

"It seems like the company is being run by lawyers, who are worried more about lawsuits than employees."

At some point, hubby's company decided against prosecuting shoplifters of any kind. This includes those who make phony returns. All the stores are allowed to do right now is give store credit on a return without a proper receipt. Still it doesn't stop the bad guys.

So for months now, this one guy has come in "returning" things. He'll come in with a bag from a different store and fill it up with merchandise, then head to the front registers to "return" these items. The employees have no recourse but to give him the store credit.

One evening a while back, one of the employees had enough. The perp walked up to the register and handed over a stack of items for "return". The employee then said, "No, how about I just keep these and I don't call the cops on you.", then took the items and put them under the counter. When my hubby came in the next day, he was amused and liked the moxy of the associate, but had to tell him that he was never to do it again.

A few weeks back I got a call from my hubby on his weekend at work. This fool had shown up again, this time "returning" empty display boxes of high dollar items. The items themselves were under lock and key---only the boxes were out. Hubby took the time to explain this to him, so he went "shopping" before he left.

While he was "shopping", he approached a female customer and offered her a great deal on a store credit slip. He offered to sell it to her for some ridiculous amount--- like $50 for a $250 card. The female customer went and found an associate and explained it to him.

That associate then found my hubby, who watched this guy as he started to go through the checkout. When he got to the clerk, my hubby went up and asked him if there was any problem or anything he should know about. The perp started getting louder and increasingly obnoxious. As he was being screamed at by this guy and fearing for his job, my hubby called the police.

Yes, I typed that right. My hubby feared for his job because he had to call the police on this guy!

The perp was still being a belligerent idiot even when the police showed up. Turned out there were actually two ladies he had offered the discounted store credit card to. The perp actually tried to get in the officer's face. As the cops started writing things up, store managers from the whole strip mall started making their way down. All of them filed no trespass warrants against him ---- this guy had been doing this in all of the stores for a long time. Finally, they could get rid of him.

Oh yeah, and the perp was pissed seriously at my hubby. He didn't care that he was being taken to jail---said he'd be out by the afternoon. Probably right, and he would know this. This was his TWENTY-THIRD arrest for shoplifting! Only they couldn't call this shoplifting per se, otherwise hubby would get fired. So the cops called it "disorderly conduct to a merchant" or something like that. They hauled him off to jail.

I'd like to say that's the end of the story and this guy hasn't been seen since, but it's not. Hubby got a call from the cops the next day. The rap sheet had been so long they'd missed something. Oh yeah, he's out on parole and on probation for second degree murder. Oh yeah, BTW. So now hubby has to drive different cars and park in different places to stay under the radar of this guy. His parole/probation has been revoked, now they get to go try to find him.

"Store credit" is a nice way of patting theives on the head and letting them get away with whatever they want. I have no doubt that if common sense were to prevail and stealing was not sanctified by the lawyers of a company, there would be a lot fewer bullies pulling crap like this. My hubby has guys that look like NFL linebackers working for him. Wish one of those guys had been able to tackle this guy in the parking lot and put a knee in his back for a while, and I bet it'd thwart a future theft. But corporate attornies have tied the hands of the employees behind their backs.

My guess is that after our Home Depot guy put a smackdown on him, he probably has second thoughts about pulling this again, at least at Home Depot. I hope the nearest Lowe's Homestore offers this guy a job.
 
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