Why are some Walmart employees in North Texas stores wearing body cameras?
Employees at retail giant Walmart will be seen wearing body cameras in some North Texas locations as part of a pilot program to enhance employee safety at stores, Star-Telegram media partner WFAA-TV reported.
The company confirmed body cameras are being tested in just one market right now, and it is unclear how many stores will be part of this initiative.
The pilot involves multiple stores in Denton, which have posted signs letting customers know body cameras are being used, Fox Business reported.
“While we don’t talk about the specifics of our security measures, we are always looking at new and innovative technology used across the retail industry,” Walmart said in a statement to FOX Business.
However, since the program is still in its early stages, the company is only testing it out in this one market. Walmart plans to evaluate the results of the pilot “before making any longer-term decisions,” the spokesperson said.
A Walmart customer shared a photo with CNBC that showed an associate checking receipts while wearing a yellow and black body camera in Denton earlier this month.
Walmart’s body-camera pilot program is focused on employee safety, and it is not designed specifically as an anti-theft measure, Fox Business reported. But it was announced after another major retailer introduced body cameras to help stop shoplifting.
Unarmed security guards at TJ Maxx, Marshalls and HomeGoods stores started wearing body cameras late last year. The cameras are worn specifically by loss prevention associates, according to the report.