Denton Walmart locations are launchpads for a new security measure that places body cameras on store personnel. Enhancing employee and shopper safety is the goal of the pilot program, the retailer says.
“We’re always looking at new and innovative security technology used across the retail industry,” said a spokesperson for Walmart. “This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions.”
In Denton, employees with body cameras are stationed at the exits to review receipts. Signage notifying guests about the use of body cameras will be posted. Walmart isn’t the only store to test body cameras in recent times, however. TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx and its affiliates, has been using body cameras to mitigate theft. Results from the test will be evaluated before the program spreads to more stores in other areas.
Businesses lost $112 billion to theft in 2022. Shoplifting has increased by 24% since 2023, and a study from the National Retail Federation (NRF) found that retailers believe shoplifters are becoming increasingly violent. Despite this, the Walmart bodycam program does not seem to be an official response to the rising rates of retail theft witnessed across the nation.
“This is a part of a larger worker safety program, and not intended as an anti-theft measure,” said a person with knowledge of the project.
Early in the morning of Nov. 21, a man was arrested at the Walmart on W. University Drive after barricading himself in a makeshift fort, composed of buckets and ramps, and building an arsenal of hatchets, bows, arrows and arrowheads from around the store. The suspect, Andrew Parks, was chased out of the store by employees and found by police after he intruded on a nearby backyard later that morning. He was arrested for criminal trespassing and aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.
The recent incident did not factor into the location of the pilot program. Experimental risk management can take months, if not years, to launch.
“Retailers continue to navigate a rising retail theft landscape that has evolved significantly over time,” said David Johnson, NRF Vice President for Asset Protection and Retail Operations, in a press release. “Protecting store associates and customers, coupled with reducing today’s levels of violence and retail crime, requires a whole-community approach and collaboration across all stakeholders.”
According to a study by United for Respect Education Fund, Walmart has one of the highest rates of workplace violence among chain grocers. The study counted over 200 unique instances of violence in Walmart stores in 2023, including 16 in Texas.
“While Walmart leadership touts numerous measures in place to promote safety and security, the frequency of violent incidents resulting in injury or death in and around Walmart stores indicates current workplace violence prevention efforts are ineffective,” said the study from United for Respect Education Fund.
The study was inspired by and dedicated to the 23 victims of a mass shooting inside an El Paso Walmart in 2019. The act of terrorism was a hate crime committed by a white supremacist and has been called the deadliest attack on Hispanic people in modern American history. In response to the attack, Walmart modified some gun sales processes and discontinued sale of certain ammunition used in assault rifles and various handguns and rifles.
The retailer says it accounts for 2% of all gun sales in the United States. In the last four years, there were 473 gun-related incidents in Walmart stores, over 8 times more than the second-largest grocer, Kroger, which reported 54 gun-related incidents. There were 104 gun-related deaths in Walmart stores between 2020 and 2024.
"From mass shootings, to physical and verbal assaults from customers, associates do not feel safe," said Terrysa Guerra, executive co-director of United for Respect. "As the largest private employer in the country, Walmart has the resources to make real changes to improve worker safety, and this rollout of body cameras is not an adequate solution."
