RandomNerd
Working In Spiderwrap Hell
- Joined
- Dec 18, 2014
- Messages
- 47
So, as TPS I can't apprehend. Only the SR-TPS and the AP-TL can. I'm on my own quite often in the store because I am usually the opening TPS. I still wear red and khaki, so my presence doesn't really ward off the shoplifters. In fact, I feel like my big fat NEW MEMBER tag and me looking like a regular TM gives shoplifters the confidence that they can steal in my presence.
With that said, my usual tactic for a PMR (which has worked), is to catch them on the camera in the beginning processes of concealment. Then I am on foot, and I am a pretty quick walker, and headed in their direction. I pretend to zone, ask them if they need help, and follow them around like that fly that won't leave you alone. Sometimes they dump. Once a lady actually went into the bathroom, took off all the merchandise, and put it in the trashcan (I followed her for almost half an hour) - and a bunch of kids scattered like ants when I caught them opening stuff. The whole trying to make people nervous until they dump thing is great and all, but there have been times where I got stopped by guests and had to assist them rather than stay on a person of interest.
I'm sure this is a stupid question, but I am confused because I have no ability to make arrests. If I observe all five steps, can I stop them and say, "Hey, I know you concealed something, do you want to put it back or....?" Or do I really have to take the chance of them either dumping or walking out of the store with the merchandise? One of the TPS told me that I can't really do much about it if a shoplifter doesn't want to confess, and I don't want to chance it seeming like I am trying to make an apprehension when it's not within my power as a TPS. As said before, I am on my own most of the time because we are a relatively slow store.
In my two weeks of training, I pretty much felt like I was told about what I can't do rather than what I could do. Like there is little hope of me catching PMRs because others made it sound like it was in the shoplifter's control rather than my own. If that makes sense.
With that said, my usual tactic for a PMR (which has worked), is to catch them on the camera in the beginning processes of concealment. Then I am on foot, and I am a pretty quick walker, and headed in their direction. I pretend to zone, ask them if they need help, and follow them around like that fly that won't leave you alone. Sometimes they dump. Once a lady actually went into the bathroom, took off all the merchandise, and put it in the trashcan (I followed her for almost half an hour) - and a bunch of kids scattered like ants when I caught them opening stuff. The whole trying to make people nervous until they dump thing is great and all, but there have been times where I got stopped by guests and had to assist them rather than stay on a person of interest.
I'm sure this is a stupid question, but I am confused because I have no ability to make arrests. If I observe all five steps, can I stop them and say, "Hey, I know you concealed something, do you want to put it back or....?" Or do I really have to take the chance of them either dumping or walking out of the store with the merchandise? One of the TPS told me that I can't really do much about it if a shoplifter doesn't want to confess, and I don't want to chance it seeming like I am trying to make an apprehension when it's not within my power as a TPS. As said before, I am on my own most of the time because we are a relatively slow store.
In my two weeks of training, I pretty much felt like I was told about what I can't do rather than what I could do. Like there is little hope of me catching PMRs because others made it sound like it was in the shoplifter's control rather than my own. If that makes sense.
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