Yup, my ex was employed by the Depot and was threatened with her job when she chased a shoplifter out of the store and was nearly run over by him. She was mad. Even more mad when I agreed with her employer and not her. Liability on both sides of the coin. On the part of the shoplifter and on the employees doing the stopping.

The Home Depot's policy is straight forward and very plain. Not unlike a lot of other retailers, I might add. It's for safety reasons. It was not too long ago that a The Home Depot Associate in California was shot and killed by a shoplifter he was attempting to stop. No one knows the mentality or the personality of a shoplifter. It's not worth loosing your life over some merchandise and The Home Depot knows that. It may sound like a harsh policy but the life and safety of the Associate is far more important to The Home Depot than is the merchandise.

While it's correct that chasing or harassing shoplifters can be dangerous and/or inappropriate, especially for untrained or unprepared personnel, it is NOT correct that an employee is required to do anything a company policy states. It is not comnpletely unknown for a store policy to include actions that are illegal or dangerous in and of themselves.

And then there's the other liability question that arises if a store employee forcibly stops someone who turns out to not be a shoplifter after all.

The sadness continues as we are worried more about the criminals response to pursuit than we are to the crime committed.

HOME DEPOT NEEDS TO PROVIDE REAL SECURITY IN IT'S STORES FOR IT'S CUSTOMERS AND EMPLOYEES.THE IDEAL STORE SECURITY OFFICER WOULD BE A RETIRED POLICE OFFICER.HE OR SHE HAVE THE TRAINING,EXPERIENCE AND TEMPERMENT TO EVALUATE AND DEAL WITH SUSPECTED SHOPLIFTERS.PROVIDE THESE PEOPLE WITH A GOOD SALARY,BACK THEM UP WITH MEANINGFUL LEGAL SUPPORT AND LET WOULD BE THEIVES KNOW THAT THEFT IN HOME DEPOT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED.

FOLLOW UP TO MY PREVIOUS ENTRY:ASSUMING A FULL TIME SECURITY OFFICER IS ALWAYS ON SITE,EQUIP EVERY EMPLOYEE WITH AN ON SITE PAGER.SET UP THE PAGING SYSTEM SO THAT IF AN EMPLOYEE OBSERVES A SUSPICIOUS INDIVIDUAL HE OR SHE CAN PAGE THE SECURITY OFFICER.THE PAGER SHOULD BE SET UP TO SILENTLY TELL SECURITY WHERE THE PAGE IS COMING FROM IN THE STORE,ALLOWING A QUICK RESPONSE.

As a psychologist who has been dealing with usually honest people who steal for over 30 years, and as the head of the Atypical Theft Offender Intervention Program, and the author of the book WHY HONEST PEOPLE SHOPLIFT OR COMMIT OTHER ACTS OF THEFT: Assessment and Treatment of 'Atypical Theft Offenders', I can think of many good reasons who Home Depot might have instituted this policy, one of which is that Most Home Depot customers spend a lot of money, sooner or later, and the rare theft of some items by a usually 'good' customer does not take much away, in many cases, from the money they do spend. Of course, I am not referring here to common theives or those I have termed 'Typical Theft Offenders'. www.whyhonestpeoplesteal.com

I BUILT MY HOUSE FROM STOLEN HOME DEPOT GOODS.

THANK YOU, HOME DEPOT, AND AMERICA.

Hari-Kari might have been fine for the Samurai but it's no way to run a business. Shoplifters will only be embolded by the HD policy.

Although the company has its policies, it is the employees whose jobs are at stake. If HD lets everyone shops and must close the store due to falling sales, does the lawyer who wrote the policy lose his job or is it the store employees?

Time to sell HD.

Most all major retailers have gone to this policy, the real reason is that there are too many young untrained workers in the area of shoplifting. Thus,
many,many mistakes are made resulting in many, many
lawsuits against the Retailer for false arrest, etc.
Also, the safety factor is important for both the customer and the employees. In balance you have to let the "suspected shoplifter and known shoplifter"
go. Yes, they all have video Cameras in every section of their stores and parking lots. There is enough profits built into the merchandise, to cover this, and yes we the consumer pays for it, in the way of higher prices. Even the so called security personnel they employ, their called "loss prevention agents" did not get adequate training and the turnover is in excess of 30-60% for these positions. Bottom-line the policies are there, for safety and to prevent multiple lawsuits from occurring. Far better, to let the shoplifter go then to call up someone's aggressive son or daughter and say "your son or daughter really helped us today, they stopped a shoplifter from stealing a $100 drill, etc. unfortunately, the shoplifter shot them or stabbed them with a knife."
Do you want to make that call to the parents? I think not, so that is why shoplifting in America is on the increase.

AS A 16+ YEAR EMPLOYEE OF HD I JUST WANT TO LET YOU ALL KNOW THAT FOR MOST OF THE TIME THERE IS NO "SECURITY OFFICER" EVEN AVAILABLE IN THE STORES. THE SEEM TO ALWAYS BE AT SOME "IMPORTANT" MEETING, JUST LIKE THE HR'S WHOM ARE NEVER AVAILABLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am a ex employee at home depot and at the one this happened at and I think they did a great job and the 4 guys that got fired worked with me and they where very great employees at the store they where dedicated workers at the store and very friendly to work with . I am happy that they got the criminals.

I am ex employee at this home depot where this happen at and I knew all the 4 guys that where fired and they where dedicated employees and very nice to work with . I believe they did a great job. They deserve alot for what they did .

I AM A 13 YEAR PLUS EMPLOYEE WORKING IN A HIGH VOLUME STORE AND AGREE WITH ABOVE POSTER THE LPS PEOPLE ARE SCARCE AND IN OUR STORE I HAVE SEEN ASSOCIATES REWARDED FOR HELPING STOP SHOPLIFTERS AND I AHVE NEVER BEEN TOLD OF THE STRICTNESS OF THIS POLICY, I THINK THOSE EMPLOYEES SHOULD BE GIVEN THEIR JOBS BACK AND IF NOT SOME HUNGRY PIT BULL LAWYER SHOULD GET RICH OFF THIS DEAL

I am a stockholder and employee of HD. The policy for not stopping a shop lifter is correct because you as a employee could get hurt and there could be a law suit. That is from the employee point of view. From the stock holder point of view we are rewarding this and on top of this reward we are letting the shop lifter bring back the items and get the value of the item in a HD gift card with NO receipt, thats where the policy needs to be changed.
(No receipt no return)
P.S. some of these shop lifters are so origanized that they sell the HD gift cards on HD property at a discount to customers for cash.

In the end the store manager is held accountable in most companies for shortages, or leakage, or whatever you wish to call it. That makes it difficult on the managers everytime inventory is taken. Still, a false arrest can cost thousands of dollars in some instanaces.. Shoplifting cost billions each year to stores. Even when you prosecute someone for shoplifting is usually cost the theft about $100 dollars and court cost, plus their reputation which does not seem to matter. I have prosecuted many shoplifters, and the main thing is you must prove to a court the shoplifter guilty. What is sad about it is normally the shoplifter is appointed an attorney, because they say they cannot afford one, thus, costing the tax payer. Shoplifting is a major crime problem in the United States mostly because the courts do little to stop it.

The psyco. who said on this post the typical shoplifter just steals a little and shops alot does not have a clue. I have prosecuted alot of theifs over the years and hardly none of them were good customers ever. Occassionately we would get a sick person who did have a problem. The psyco. attitude toward criminals is part of the problem. Stores do not catch as many shoplifers because they do not want their people hurt, and they do not want a false arrest made. The professional shoplifters know exactly which stores prosecute shoplifters, they know which stores give refunds for stolen merchandise, and ones who do exchanges. They also know exactly what it will cost if caught in any given city. I had one shoplifter arrest that told shoplifting was her job. She also showed me the enevelope in her pocket with a $100 dollar bill her employer gave her if she got caught and had to go to court. She knew what it would cost her. She laugh as she was taken out of the store by the police. She was out of jail in just a few minutes.

AS A 23 YT VETERATN YOU DO NOT TRY TO STOP THEM. PERIOD HOW WOULD YOU FEEL IF SOMEONE WAS KILLED OVER A $500 DRILL KIT? WOULD AN ASSOCAITES LIFE BE WORTH THAT. i THINK NOT. HD HAS IT'S FAULTS NAME ONE THAT DOESN'T

to stockholder bob don't wait on the stock to go up by me buying anything from home depot anymore i will let all my friends know just what hd did to these fine men

I have read your comments, and some are close to the truth some are right on the money. I have been with HD LP for 5 years. Everything is based on risk rating some store have LP's some don't, some have multiple LP's. Now for those who are running their mouth about something they no nothing about. The person that was shot wasn't trying to stop a shoplifter he was shot in a robbery. For those that say employees shouldn't stop shoplifters great job you are right, There are to many risks finacially, and risking life and limb. The only people authorized to make an apprehension is a certified and trained Home Depot LP associate. And if you said you have never heard that by now after 16 years with the company I say your a LIAR, this is talked about, if you decide you want to go out side of the policy fine, but have fun looking for another job. Because if you risk your life or the profit line because you cant control your EGO then i dont want you in a store.