Surveillance State: Marshalls and TJ Maxx Employees Wear Police-Like Bodycams to Prevent Theft | The Gateway expert

By 2023, stores lost $121.6 billion due to shoplifting, but some stores are fighting back.

USA Today reported that TJX, the parent company of TJ Maxx, Marshall and HomeGoods, announced it will install body cameras on some of its employees to prevent theft.

However, not every employee will wear police-style body cameras, only those trained in loss prevention will.

In a statement, chief financial officer of TJX Johannes Klinger said: “It’s almost like a de-escalation, where people are less likely to do anything if they’re being videotaped.”

TJ Maxx and Marshalls Employees Now Wear Police-Like Body Cameras to Prevent Shoplifting and Protect Customers and Employees https://t.co/V8qsc3GKl9

— ABC7 Eyewitness News (@ABC7) June 5, 2024

Per USA today:

TJX, the parent company of TJ Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls, has announced it is launching a new watchdog to tackle theft.

The stores’ owner said he will add body cameras to be worn by his employees to deter thieves.

A TJX spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY that the body cameras have already been used in several stores “over the past year.”

The TJX spokesperson explained that not every employee is eligible to wear a body camera in its stores. However, their loss prevention employees, who are trained to use the cameras, will be the ones wearing them in the store.

As shoplifting statistics skyrocket in the United States, many other retailers are looking to follow TJX’s lead.

The National Retail Federation reported that 35% of retailers are exploring the idea of ​​body cameras on employees.