AP kid at the front door

[Captain Orca]

Is this chainwide? A young kid in the AP garb standing at the inside entrance near the shopping carts greeting everyone. Looks like an 11th grade high school basketball player. Is this really necessary? Power trip? It's absurd.

 

[redeye58]

Optics.
'Kid' is supposed to be watching for any trouble (attempted theft, dogs/guests fighting, someone in distress, etc) & report it or call for help depending on the situation.
Yeah, they can't stop someone doing a push-out or blatantly stealing at self-check but they can note times & location so surveillance video can be pulled.
Better than nothing.

 

[Hardlinesmaster]

Yes.

 

[animalcrossing]

My store is always supposed to have one to two people at the front entrance at all times

 

[OneGoodEar]

Some of them look young, yes. But I'm sure they're not younger than 18.

 

[StaticSun]

Is this chainwide? A young kid in the AP garb standing at the inside entrance near the shopping carts greeting everyone. Looks like an 11th grade high school basketball player. Is this really necessary? Power trip? It's absurd.

I have no idea what goes through your mind when you make these posts. Let folks do their job and stop profiling them.

 

[OneGoodEar]

Optics.
'Kid' is supposed to be watching for any trouble (attempted theft, dogs/guests fighting, someone in distress, etc) & report it or call for help depending on the situation.
Yeah, they can't stop someone doing a push-out or blatantly stealing at self-check but they can note times & location so surveillance video can be pulled.
Better than nothing.

Better than the elderly greeters that they had about 30 years ago.

 

[Captain Orca]

No profiling, it's ridiculous. AP should go undercover and go after shoplifters and do a better job at SCO, the theft must be astronomical. It's simple to steal at SCO.

 

[StaticSun]

No profiling, it's ridiculous. AP should go undercover and go after shoplifters and do a better job at SCO, the theft must be astronomical. It's simple to steal at SCO.

IDK man, apply for a job at corporate or something. Enterprise Risk Portfolio Lead (hybrid in MN) at TARGET - https://corporate.target.com/jobs/w85/84/enterprise-risk-portfolio-lead-hybrid-in-mn

 

[Luck]

No profiling, it's ridiculous. AP should go undercover and go after shoplifters and do a better job at SCO, the theft must be astronomical. It's simple to steal at SCO.

Common misconception.

AP is actually two different roles within the same department.
Theft investigation and security.

What you are seeing is the security side. They were a uniform and are meant to deter small theft, as well as other crime. Its a hard line to walk since they are restricted with what they can do, but it works well enough on teenagers that would otherwise get the urge to steal.

The "true" AP are the ones who wear normal clothes and investigate theft and do what you are talking about. They will actually ask the opposite, for security to back away and allow theft to occur. Because once the dollar total adds up high enough they can have the person arrested.

Its a fine line and difficult area to balance. And no company has figured out how to maneuver through the social issues that come with it all. Target even created AP roles in high theft cities specifically meant to work with certain groups of people (think homeless or whatever) to help them find resources like food banks and so on to try and get them to stop stealing. Yes really.

What seems to be the growing trend is they just shut stores down. That or lock everything behind a case so the opportunity to steal just isnt there anymore.