A Walmart in Atlanta that was shuttered after it was set on fire by suspected arsonists is installing a police
“workspace” inside the store — the newest dire measure geared toward curtailing the shoplifting epidemic that has hit big box chains, groceries, pharmacies, and other retailers.
The Walmart grocery store and pharmacy in Vine City, a low-income neighborhood on Atlanta’s west side, will feature a piece area for cops when it reopens in May, the retailer said.
Law enforcement officials will find a way to fill out paperwork and hold meetings in the space in addition to charging their phones and body cameras.
“You’re fascinated with going into this Walmart to do some shoplifting or a robbery or whatever — you see the APD logo and also you say, ‘Ah, not today’,” Atlanta Mayor Andre Dickens told RoughDraft Atlanta, a neighborhood newspaper.
“After talking with the Merchants Association on MLK and Clark University and other people in the neighborhood, folks were saying they need to see more police presence,” Dickens added.
The mayor said that the goal of the “workspace” is to keep shoppers and retail employees secure while also ensuring Walmart minimizes “shrink” — or lack of inventory from theft or damage — in order that the corporate doesn’t determine “they don’t want to stay here anymore.”
![A Walmart in Atlanta which was burned down by arsonists is installing a police station inside the store in hopes of deterring would-be shoplifters.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/NYPICHPDPICT000032562398.jpg?w=1024)
Last December, Walmart CEO Doug McMillon warned that the corporate could also be forced to shutter locations in areas where governments are taking a soft-on-crime approach.
In 2022, big box chains, grocery stores, and pharmacies lost an estimated $94.5 billion yr due to shrink, according to The National Retail Foundation.
Large retail chains similar to Goal, Nordstrom, Dick’s Sporting Goods, Foot Locker, and Macy’s have reported a drop in sales — a good portion of which might be attributed to shrink.
The 60,000-square-foot location in Atlanta will employ around 130 employees.
Starting pay for positions at Walmart is $14.
![The Walmart grocery store and pharmacy in Vine City, a low-income neighborhood on Atlanta's Westside, will feature a police department substation when it reopens in May.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/NYPICHPDPICT000032562373.jpg?w=1024)
“Walmart has an extended history of supporting local law enforcement, and we remain committed to helping them achieve success in the communities we serve,” a Walmart spokesperson told The Post.
“Providing local police with a workspace inside stores isn’t a latest feature, and we see efforts like what’s being considered for our future Vine City store as a way to higher collaborate with law enforcement and support the community.”
The news comes as retail employees say that the rise in organized theft in addition to increasingly unruly customers have made their jobs a nightmare.
Henry Demetrius told Bloomberg News that he was 17 years old when he was hired to work as a customer support associate at a Walgreens location in Brooklyn.
![Last December, Walmart said it would shutter store locations where local governments were taking a lax approach to crime.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/NYPICHPDPICT000032562405.jpg?w=1024)
But he had to wear many hats, including janitor, cashier, shelf stocker, and passport photo taker, according to the report.
Demetrius told Bloomberg News his bosses “expected a lot,” but he was left helpless in the future when a person walked into the store and demanded the entire electronic items behind the counter.
The person mysteriously kept his hands in his pocket, making it seem as if he had a gun, Bloomberg News reported.
Not wanting to tempt fate, Demetrius handed the person the items, and the person left without paying.
“I used to be like, ‘Wait, did I just get robbed?’” Demetrius told Bloomberg News.
![Retail workers are increasingly concerned about organized retail theft and unruly customers, according to a survey.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/NYPICHPDPICT000032370144.jpg?w=1024)
The Post has sought comment from Walgreens.
Artavia Milliam, who works at an H&M store in Manhattan’s Times Square, told Bloomberg News that she witnessed a shoplifter shove considered one of her co-workers who tried to prevent the thief from stealing items from the store.
Milliam told Bloomberg News she also saw a person pull a knife on her manager after he also tried to prevent him from shoplifting.
When Milliam asked a customer to throw out a drink that she was carrying near a clothing display, the girl cursed her out, according to Bloomberg News.
Milliam also said she once saw customers go into the fitting room in the store and urinate.
![When asked if they were more concerned about](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/NYPICHPDPICT000032370142.jpg?w=1024)
“That’s just about post-pandemic,” Milliam told Bloomberg News.
“It wasn’t much of a difficulty before.”
The Post has sought comment from H&M.
The anecdotes dovetail with the outcomes of a recent survey conducted by the National Retail Federation.
![In 2022, big box chains, grocery stores, and pharmacies lost an estimated $94.5 billion year due to shrink, according to The National Retail Foundation.](https://nypost.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2023/09/NYPICHPDPICT000032370141.jpg?w=683)
When asked in the event that they were more concerned about “guest-on-associate” violence compared to five years ago, 77.6% responded in the affirmative.
An astounding 70.7% of those polled said they were more concerned about organized retail theft while 57.9% said they were fearful about mass violence and lively assailants.