Archived Team Member Stealing

[StateofTarget]

You just said that AP is not allowed to talk to anyone. But this previous quote of yours totally contradicts that.

No, actually it doesn't. AP only told me because I was searching the aisles and was about to catch him in the act. Therefore, AP *had* to tell me before I caught him in the act in order to get me to go away and stop trying to find out who was leaving the empty packages. (the TM was leaving the empty pokemon packages on the shelves in the department while I was zoning it over the course of an hour or so. Plus the packages had turned up empty previous nights, so I went looking for who was doing it because I kept finding more empty packages that night)

That is perhaps the *only* time AP will tell someone - when you have already found out yourself (or are about to find out) that someone is stealing, and they don't want you to confront them about it or catch them in the act. If AP had not called me on the walkie and told me to call them at their extension on the red phone, I would have caught the TM in the act and been forced to confront him about it. AP told me on the red phone that I was literally about 10 seconds away from catching him and to leave him alone and stop trying to find out who was leaving the empty packages. Obviously if that had happened, the TM wouldn't have kept stealing up to the dollar amount needed to bust him, and it would have blown the whole case against him. They had no other choice but to tell me so I would stop looking for who was leaving the packages all the time.

According to redandkhakis post, he was totally unaware of the supposed theft until AP told him, therefore his situation was totally different from mine.

Anyone who has worked at target for even 6 months will tell you this - AP does *not* call you into the office and tell you they know one of your coworkers is stealing for no reason at all, just to tell you about it like redandkhaki. His ETL-AP told him that he wanted him to know they were on to his coworker just so he would know they would be "down a GSTL in 4th quarter". THAT SIMPLY DOES NOT HAPPEN. AP DOES NOT and WILL NEVER do that unless they are up to something that involves setting you up by making you think they are focusing on someone else stealing so you will put your guard down and steal. AP doesn't call you into the office and tell you about an active investigation against a TM just so you know the store is going to be down a TM/TL. It does. not. happen.

 

[pellinore]

OK...your answer for your situation makes sense.

Redandkhaki's situation does have a couple of possible answers. We'll just have to wait and see what happens.

 

[RankOne]

Wow, StateofTarget. I sense the paranoia is great with this one!

 

[AssetsProtection]

It doesn't matter if you are a GSTL. AP is not allowed to tell *anyone* below ETL level something like this. There are no exceptions. If you are a GSTL you should know that. AP doesn't call a TL in and say "Hey! Your coworker is stealing, we haven't actually busted him yet.... but just wanted to let you know we will be down a GSTL in 4th quarter". Sorry, that simply is not what AP does. First of all, AP doesn't give a damn if you will be down a GSTL, and they certainly don't care enough to tell you before they bust him just so you know your store will be down a GSTL lol. Second of all, it is a violation of AP rules. AP is not allowed to tell anyone below ETL level something like this - even a TL. Anyone working in AP doing this would be termed.

The fact that you are a GSTL may give them further reason to "test" you like this.... because a GSTL is in more of a position to steal. This is either a test or setup. Trust me, there is no other reason AP would call you in the office and tell you this.

What you are saying is True SoT but also know that there are lots of rules we/other SP break to get the job done. Sometimes we dont always follow 5 steps for an apprehension. (Theres one minor one that not really that important to some AP)

 

[AssetsProtection]

Sorry, I misread that part. I see you said AP saw him, not you personally.

Anyway - you said they told you about this 2 weeks ago and he still has not be termed. I still believe that this is a setup for you.

There is simply no way in hell he has stolen over $1000, 2 weeks has gone by, and they haven't busted him. The only reason they wouldn't have busted him is if he actually didn't do anything, and AP is just testing you. That is a ton of cash - AP would be moving fast to get him, not letting him spend the $1000 during the past two weeks and let him steal more cash in the meantime. Once someone steals over a certain dollar amount ($1000 is *definitely* way over that amount) they bust them quickly. They don't wait over two weeks.

Again, they would *never* tell you they were aware of him stealing before they busted him. Even after they busted him, all AP would be allowed to tell you is that he doesn't work at the store anymore. They can not tell you why that is or what he did wrong. Not only is telling you seriously against Target policy, but what if you told him they were on to him? He would never show up to work again, have the $1000+ dollars, and they would never get to bust him. Your ETL-AP is a complete fool if he is going around telling non-AP people before he busts someone, and he is on the fast track to getting termed if that is what he is doing..... So in other words, it's a setup/test for you.

I have read a couple reports where I.S has camped out in 209/3209 over a period of time watching people steal money from the register. Depending on the store. Some have an ETL-AP who can do the interview or if they dont have one...they have to contact the I.C to get somebody to physically come to the store and do the interview.. but this isnt the case and I agree is kinda weird.

 

[Barcode]

Oh, well then dude, the execs know about it. Trust me, if someone is stealing money your leaders WILL know about it. There is zero chance they won't find out immediately.

Stealing money is perhaps the stupidest thing one can do at Target. Why? They will know about it in 24 hours even if someone isn't actually watching as soon as the cash office realizes money is missing.

I am amazed how many TMs who steal money honestly think that Target doesn't count the money! The thing is, a lot of these people seem to come from other retail/food service jobs..... and guess what? At 99% of other places - each TM has to count out their money and they are restricted to one register.

I think a lot of these people come to Target and say "hey, I can just hop on any register and I never see anyone count the money! It will be easy as hell to steal!"..... I honestly think they don't realize Target has a cash office and counts it there.

I have noticed many of the money stealers usually were new hires that stole within 1-3 months, and probably never bothered to figure out how Target actually audits the money.....

Stores don't audit the money, we just count it. Sales Audit is completely separate, and they allow for margins of error that are typically pretty sizeable. They will only notify AP if something is really off, and then AP would have to review camera footage to verify.

SoT, red is a GSTL so they would tell him, particularly if he writes the schedule but they still might otherwise.

This entire thread has become absolutely ridiculous with conspiracy theories and ****. Can anyone just take the situation at face value? It might be against the rules to tell a GSTL right away, but maybe the ETL-AP thought it was a good idea and received clearance for them to do so?? I honestly don't think AP would play 2 GSTLs against each other like that.

 

[kingpin003]

My thoughts about why they could be taking so long is to see if the rabbit hole runs any deeper so to speak. Maybe they saw patterns to when they were taking the money(only when certain others were closing, they walk out with the same people after taking it, etc) and are trying to make sure anyone involved is caught.

 

[commiecorvus]

Or maybe they think there is someone else involved, not randk, and want to get them.
It's all conjecture. armchair detective work, and kinda a waste of unless we know all the facts, which we never really will.

 

[redeye58]

Imerzan is right in that cash office merely does a 'blind' count. That is, they're not SUPPOSED to know how much should be in the drawer. That's confirmed by CSA who compares the final count against the trans totals. It's to keep the counts from being manipulated by COTMs.
Recently, I had to cover a sister store nearby for a week after their COTM was busted for theft. Why they think they can get away with it is beyond me.
I've been asked in the past, tho, to audit a drawer when AP was on the hunt.

 

[HardlinesFour]

Just a advisory here, I wouldn't recommend talking (with specific details) about ongoing AP investigations. While chances are *probably* slim that he or other TM's from your store lurk this site, having knowledge that your about to get caught could ruin the investigation, or give away yourself to management at your store.

I would consider (if I was you) editing some of the details out of your posts.

 

[StateofTarget]

Just a advisory here, I wouldn't recommend talking (with specific details) about ongoing AP investigations. While chances are *probably* slim that he or other TM's from your store lurk this site, having knowledge that your about to get caught could ruin the investigation, or give away yourself to management at your store.

I would consider (if I was you) editing some of the details out of your posts.

And this is exactly why people working AP shouldn't be telling anyone below ETL level details about an active investigation.

I would bet money this ETL-AP who likes telling people outside of AP all about AP business is going to be the next one termed at his store....

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Or they could be testing you.

 

[redandkhaki]

i actually left a lot of details out of this post so that might be why it doesn't make so much sense. I'm going to go ahead and delete my replies and will update later.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

i actually left a lot of details out of this post so that might be why it doesn't make so much sense. I'm going to go ahead and delete my replies and will update later.

Don't do it. Let it ride. Don't add further details, is the best way to go. Spot won't find you.

 

[redeye58]

*circling the wagons to hide redandkhaki*

 

[some1saveme]

I don't know about what happens where you are, but where I am they generally wait to build a case. Sometimes they wait until the dollar amount stolen bumps the crime up to another level (i.e., misdemeanor to felony or something like that).

 

[Leonhart621]

I remember a few years ago I found 2-3 games in the stockroom empty. You could barely notice it the game was stolen. When I found them, I checked every wacos and then checked the salesfloor. I ended with more than 10 stolen games.

A week later they arrested the TM

 

[btim117]

Oh man i feel ya. I worked with a cart attendant that like most of us, struggling with money, started with groceries, multiple people said he was stealing, the guy would brag about it! But it was always " we have to see it happening to do something". It took him trying to steal a 40 inch tv for them to jump on it.

 

[TargetOldTimer]

I don't know about what happens where you are, but where I am they generally wait to build a case. Sometimes they wait until the dollar amount stolen bumps the crime up to another level (i.e., misdemeanor to felony or something like that).

<This!


On one occasion, I was asked to be a witness during a interview with a fellow tm who was arrested for stealing. It was really interesting. Our APTL at the time was a former cop, so he was really good at interrogating.

 

[redeye58]

I was asked to witness during questioning when AP picked up a teenaged girl (they were all male, as were the ETLs & TLs on duty at the time). Evidently a 'friend' had put her up to it & fled when she was nabbed.

 

[RankOne]

<This!


On one occasion, I was asked to be a witness during a interview with a fellow tm who was arrested for stealing. It was really interesting. Our APTL at the time was a former cop, so he was really good at interrogating.

Well this is a huge no no. No TM or TL should be involved in an internal interview.

 

[Target Annie]

Well this is a huge no no. No TM or TL should be involved in an internal interview.

the same thing happened to me -- they needed a female to witness the term since the tm that was stealing was a female and the exec staff and ap that day was all male.

so yeah - it does happen

 

[ZenLikeABOSS]

the same thing happened to me -- they needed a female to witness the term since the tm that was stealing was a female and the exec staff and ap that day was all male.

so yeah - it does happen

Why not just call in the appropriate female person to stand in for the interview? Target seems to be REALLY on the ball about following the regs. Interviews sometimes involve sensitive, confidential need-to-know only information. While good intentioned they should have just waited for the right lady showed up so they wouldn't have to have TM/TL in there who doesn't have anything to do with the inv or situation.

-Zen

 

[Target Annie]

Why not just call in the appropriate female person to stand in for the interview? Target seems to be REALLY on the ball about following the regs. Interviews sometimes involve sensitive, confidential need-to-know only information. While good intentioned they should have just waited for the right lady showed up so they wouldn't have to have TM/TL in there who doesn't have anything to do with the inv or situation.

-Zen

perhaps I am a trustworthy, respected person in the store who hasn't ever told a soul about this incident. I am supporting Red who said it happened to her as well. I'll guess our teams are similar and trusted us.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Sing to yourself a lot , during interview.say nothing & give no break. You stole from spot, got caught. End of story.