Target Asset Protection apprehensions... RE: The Wal-mart thread

[TwixVoy]

As a former manager at Target I can't believe how naive some people are regarding what asset protection (Target terms) or "loss prevention" at other retailers are capable of. This is one of the many reasons I got the hell out of retail.

This was STANDARD PRACTICE when I was a manager at Target....

For team members (employees):

If Asset Protection had evidence a team member was stealing here was how it usually went down step by step:

1. Asset protection manager assembled all his "evidence" against the team member.

2. Asset protection manager would then inform the rest of us in management of his intent to go after this team member. (usually for gossip purposes.... it was actually pretty sick.... other people in management would sit around and joke about the upcoming fate of the team member)

3. Asset protection would wait until the end of the team members shift. (because, even though they were supposedly stealing, they didn't want to inconvenience the store by pulling them before they finished their minimum wage work shift)

4. Another manager would go over to the team member and lie to them. Tell them they needed to show them something in the back office or something along those lines.

5. The team member would follow the manager to the back office where the door would suddenly be shut and the team member would find themselves alone in the room with 1 manager, the asset protection manager, and one or two of the regular hired thugs in asset protection. (the ones who get physical with you, which target calls "protection specialists")

6. The team member would be told shit like "Oh we are trying to help you" "look at all these pictures we have of you stealing" whatever kind of evidence they had.

7. They would essentially be forced under threat to sign a written confession of whatever asset protection accused them off. Many times a promise was made they would not call the police after they signed, and they were told if they didn't the police would be called. Whatever they need to tell them to get it signed.

8. Little does the team member know 99.9% of the time the police were called just before hand. By the time the cop arrives they have a written confession to present to them. The team member is walked out in front of everyone in hand cuffs.


As far as how they handle non team members.... It is a little bit more civil. But you can be damn sure of one thing no matter who you are.... If the Target store says you were guilty 99% of the time the cops would walk you out in cuffs REGARDLESS of what evidence they actually had. This happens much more frequently than people realize. The asset protection office at almost all Target stores is located right near the front doors. That way they can send out 2 or 3 big guys, grab you on the way out, and throw you in the office with minimal people seeing what happened. Next thing you know your ass is guilty in the eyes of the cop that walks in the door.

[47of74]

1. I remember one time at Wally World

The thug they had there, instead of handling a person who had been previously banned from the store in a way that would not endanger any customers did it in a very public way and in a way meant to intimidate anyone in the area. Fortunately for those of us nearby the guy didn't have a weapon on him when the thug decided to do his takedown.

[Pavulon]

3. That is a significant concern.

Physically touching someone or attacking a person who is SUSPECTED of something is very dangerous. If the person is not in uniform I would fight back, if there were two guys attacking me the chances of something going from hard hands to lethal force are pretty high. Of course I am not stealing stuff, to be clear.

[Oregone]

2. Creepy