Answer

• A 3-2-1 Crime Article Assessment

  The 2016 Pettypiece & Voreacos Bloomberg article entitled Walmart’s Out-of-Control Crime Problem Is Driving Police Crazy provides insight into criminal activities and criminal activity intervention strategies in Walmart’s retail chain store. According to Pettypiece & Voreacos (2016), criminal activities around Walmart range from petty crimes to violent crimes surging by the thousands annually. Therefore, the article provides an insight into information on criminal deterrent solutions that offer three points to learn from Walmart’s initiative to reduce crime, two interesting facts surrounding crime intervention, and one question to answer on the matter.

  First, through the article, one can articulate that law enforcement is strained when handling criminal activities around Walmart. With an increasing number of petty and violent crimes in Walmart stores, understaffing issues around police departments make it difficult for law enforcement to be around Walmart for security and as a deterrent to crime while also protecting and serving the public in each police department jurisdiction. Resultantly, police officers have been forced to work long hours, leading to fatigue and frustration with low pay (Pettypiece & Voreacos, 2016). The understaffing of police departments leaves Walmart and other chain retail stores vulnerable to crime with less vigilance.

  Second, the article underpins that budget cuts around budget cuts have led to the increase of crime in Walmart. Although Walmart is fitted with eye-level surveillance cameras and analytic data software that detects civilians getting credit for things they did not buy, the budget cuts around Walmart have led to increased crimes. Through the budget cuts, Walmart stores have been left vulnerable with non-deterrent strategies for offenders like self-checkout scanners and the removal of greeters (Pettypiece & Voreacos, 2016). Budget cuts have also left employees in Walmart covering more retail space that leaves dark spots that may attract shoplifters and other offenders to commit crimes. With such vulnerabilities, increasing surveillance around Walmart stores does not reduce crime; rather, it increases the risk of petty crimes.

  Thirdly, from the article, one can understand the importance of having a retail business background when opening a business. A retail business background will help ensure that the biggest risk to look into is theft (Pettypiece & Voreacos, 2016). Therefore, through assessing theft as an inevitably potential risk, one will factor in security measures that prevent or reduce the risk of crime around retail stores. Doing so ensures that customers have a safe shopping experience. 

  Interestingly enough, from the article, one can learn that Walmart security offers first-time shoplifters and offenders in the store a chance at redemption by not pressing charges for their crimes. This initiative gives first-time offenders a chance to reform after agreeing to a theft- prevention program initiated by Walmart.

  Another interesting fact that presents itself from reading the article is Walmart’s priority to reduce crime through crime assessment. Crime assessment in Walmart categorizes crime and places priority according to regions and the type of criminal activities in these regions (Pettypiece & Voreacos, 2016). The initiative helps analyze the risk that the store faces and helps in ensuring that security measures are placed according to the likelihood of the crime in the region.

  While these are facts to learn on criminal activities and criminal activity prevention strategies around Walmart, there is still a query that surrounds security measures to be put in place in Walmart stores (Pettypiece & Voreacos, 2016).  While other retail stores like Target invest in sophisticated surveillance software, why does Walmart not invest? Instead of attracting more customers with their low prices and 24-hour-open service, why does Walmart not use the same resources to disallow parking lot overnight campouts and place uninformed security officers all around the stores to help with floor surveillance on potential shopliftersof businesses offering similar services in the market.