A cashier was caught on camera stealing thousands of dollars’ worth of merchandise.
Jacalyn Hendricks, 21, was arrested last week and charged with theft after stealing $7,500 from the Family Dollar where she worked.
Hendricks was reportedly caught on camera not scanning customers’ items but instead putting them in a bag, according to local CBS affiliate WREG.
The loss prevention team at Family Dollar in Memphis, Tennessee, reported that Hendricks’ actions cost the store $7,528 in merchandise between July 3 and August 22, 2023.
The Memphis Police Department and Family Dollar did not immediately respond to The United States Sun’s request for additional information.
EMPLOYEE THEFT
In Florida, a Walmart delivery driver was arrested after stealing $52,000 from the company.
Jeremiah Boyer, 43, was arrested on February 18 in Port St. Lucie, Florida, after a year-long investigation revealed he collected $52,800 in fees.
The fees were applied to over 870 orders placed through Walmart’s online delivery service Spark.
Spark employees are compensated extra for handling heavy items during deliveries, according to local CBS affiliate WPEC.
Even if an order cannot be filled, employees are still paid a high item fee.
Boyer allegedly used fictitious names and accounts to place orders for heavy items, which were then marked as “not found.”
Although the order could not be fulfilled, he was still charged for heavy items.
RISING CRIME
Retailers are more concerned than ever with preventing theft after losing a staggering amount of money in recent years.
Capital One Shopping reported that retailers lost $121.6 billion in 2023 due to theft.
This stunning statistic has prompted major retailers such as Walmart and Target to take drastic measures to combat theft.
These measures include locking up products, limiting the number of items allowed on self-checkout machines, and, in some cases, completely eliminating them.
Target began implementing significant theft prevention measures last year, beginning with product locking.
“To be clear, we do not like locking up product, but we like running stores, and we want to keep our stores open,” Target CEO Brian Cornell told Yahoo Finance.
“We want to make sure they’re safe.”
Anti-theft measures rolled out by retailers
Retailers across the US and Canada have rolled out strategies designed to combat theft. The U.S. Sun has compiled a list of measures that have been implemented at stores.
- Locking items in cabinets
- Security pegs
- Security cameras
- Signs warning about the impact of theft
- Receipt scanners
- Receipt checks
- Carts with locking technology
The CEO stated that while he “certainly hopes” that the chain can unlock its products, it will have to wait for the crime rate to decrease.
In addition to locking up merchandise, the store began limiting self-checkout lanes to 10 or fewer items.
“We’re getting back to the way self-checkout should have been used,” Cornell informed the audience.
“More team members are running service-belted lanes, and self-checkouts are available for smaller baskets of 10 or fewer items.
“It’s the right balance and we get better interaction.”