Do store security guards have any authority?

I was at Tesco just now.  I may have discussed this before but our local Tesco is deeply weird when it comes to security, if you’re buying something tagged like say alcohol or Gaviscon they VERY CLEARLY tell you that they’ll de-tag it AFTER YOU’VE PAID and make a big deal of printing out a receipt you don’t want in order to scrutinise it.  I’ve shopped in Tesco stores from Inverness to Cornwall and I’ve never known a store quite like ours, I think the branch manager might have issues.

Anyway.

I was at Tesco just now, picked up a scan-as-you-go barcode reader, then suddenly remembered my rucksack was full of shite from when I emptied out the car a few days back.  So I put down the scanner and the one item of shopping I’d picked up, walked back out of the store and dumped my crap into the bin just outside.  The security guard was on me like a tramp on hot chips as I walked back into the store, “alright mate?”  I went “yup,” otherwise ignored him completely and went about my day without breaking stride.

But it set me thinking.  If he’d decided to be an arse and demanded to see inside my bag, what rights does he / do I have?  Can they do that?  If I’d responded with “go **** yourself,” how might that have panned out?  I think I might have been tempted either to ask him to turn his own pockets out first and see how he likes it, or say “go ahead and call the police, I’ll wait.”

No powers at all. Only the same as any person, so in.order for them to act the person must be committing an indictable offence, Sect 24 (2) of PACE

They are simply a deterrent.

Or as Cartman says ” respect the authoritaaaaay”

“alright mate?”

Perhaps he was passing the time of day.

Only the same as any person, so in.order for them to act the person must be committing an indictable offence

or they must “reasonably suspect” you of committing an offence. And they can use “reasonable force” to detain you until the police arrive. But they cannot search you/your bag. So maybe just show them if they ask rather than go all sovereign citizen about it 🤔🤷‍♂️😂 They are literally just doing their job, after all!!

If some one asked politely and justified why they wanted to see in my bag, I might show them. If they demanded to, they’d get a short lecture on sex and travel. It’s all about the approach.

I work one day a week in a supermarket (not on the security detail). The training we are given includes guidelines on how to reduce theft.

After the heavy instructions about not putting your self in a situation where you are frightened or feel you may come to harm, one of the biggest things they promote is to let people know you have seen them. Even just standing watching from the other end of the isle might put someone off without putting your self at risk.

Sounds to me like they may have been letting you know he was there as he had seen you do something he was unsure about.

Perhaps he was passing the time of day.

Oh, he really wasn’t.  This isn’t my first rodeo with that store, he was on an intercept course.  He looked shocked when he found me walking back in again.

If some one asked politely and justified why they wanted to see in my bag, I might show them. If they demanded to, they’d get a short lecture on sex and travel. It’s all about the approach.

Pretty much my thinking also TBH.

They are literally just doing their job, after all!!

Isn’t that a trope trotted out to describe low-rent Nazis?

Legally, if you photograph their Lotus they can slit your throat. Fact.

Interesting that you got wound up by it. I used to as well.

But then I realised that I don’t like thieves, I don’t like paying additional for stuff to compensate for thieves and I ought to do my bit to make it easier for the people trying to prevent thieves.

So I cut them a bit of slack

Even just standing watching from the other end of the isle might put someone off without putting your self at risk.

As an aside,

One time in ASDA, I became consciously aware that I was being tailed by a security guard.  Like REALLY BLATANTLY OBVIOUSLY being tailed, I’m normally utterly oblivious to other people and I noticed.  Walking through the alcohol isle, he visibly stiffened even further.

On the way out I was hollered by a mate of mine working on the customer services / cigarette kiosk.  He fessed up to me and the guard, he’d tipped off the guard for a prank, “you want to watch that one, he’s a known shoplifter.”  Bastard. 😁

Even just standing watching from the other end of the isle might put someone off

Shit, you must have seriously good eyesight….

Mostly, they are just doing a job, a pretty thankless job at that, shops like tescos lose thousands a day to shoplifting, they have aggressive customers and so on.

Our main tesco have kids being muppets all the time as well, and the usual suspects who are in to nick stuff, security tends to work together as well, so one shop will notify everyone else about troublemakers, known shoplifters, etc so they don’t tend to just be on a ‘power trip’ to annoy regular folk, yes they will dip check, but that’s part of the job, only time i’ve had it they wanted to see my receipt as i set the buzzer off going out, nothing in the bag had a tag, but showed the receipt and on my way.

Interesting that you got wound up by it. I used to as well.

I don’t know as “wound up” is the right word.  More just irritated by the attitude of the store in general, it’s a constant.

One time I left a bulky item behind by accident, went back to see if I could collect it, they spent fully half an hour involving multiple members of staff to review CCTV footage and cross-reference my receipt to ascertain that I had, in fact, left a £10 bag of cat litter exactly where I told them I’d left it.

Frankly, I’ve no idea why the hell store workers freak out at the sight of rucksacks.

Are we smuggling koala bears?

Whenever you watch any hiking videos online, the walkers always have to remove the rucksack, prior to rummaging around for the packed lunch.

Its impossible for the person wearing the rucksack to access its contents, whilst wearing it.

If the rucksack is really, really big, there may be space to fit someone inside, surreptitiously swiping items from the supermarket shelves.

I understand that the supermarket management puts the security staff in an intolerable position, but really the security should organise collectively to establish some boundaries.

And I don’t know why the security eyeballs people at every turn.

From a crime prevention perspective, I’d be eyeballing every potential perps shoes.

It’s more easy to identify them from their footwear.

It’s not as if they’ve stashed a pair of ‘getaway trainers’ in the car park…

”Sigma one to dispatch…we’ve found a pair of used Doc Martens in the alleyway. Subject is nowhere in sight. I repeat, subject has evaded capture. Aaaaw Shiiite”…😂😂😂

Frankly, I’ve no idea why the hell store workers freak out at the sight of rucksacks.

I mean,

All other things aside, I’ve been to that self same store carrying that self same rucksack like twice a week for the last three years.  You’d think they’d have worked it out by now.

Occasionally I get stopped by a new padawan, “have you paid for that?”  I reply “no, I’m stealing it” and they look at me like they genuinely believe me.

Are we smuggling koala bears?

Koalas are marsupials, not bears.

Occasionally I get stopped by a new padawan, “have you paid for that?”  I reply “no, I’m stealing it” and they look at me like they genuinely believe me.

I’m starting to understand why you’re being monitored……

Is this you?

Isn’t that a trope trotted out to describe low-rent Nazis?

bit like being a mod on here then 😉

@thegeneralist

” Shit, you must have seriously good eyesight….”

That’s why I only work one day a week, Oronsay is not very big 😉

To say the whole Tesco security measures are paranoid as f is an understatement and I feel insulted trying to enter my store through electric barriers then exit through self service with a receipt that’ll get thrown in bin rather than save paper.

Plus their meat and fish is shocking poor quality

Store workers freak out about rucksacks because it is part of their job  if they don’t, they get reprimanded.

I’ve been to that self same store carrying that self same rucksack like twice a week for the last three years.  You’d think they’d have worked it out by now.

A couple of things leap out from this statement. First, do you actually think that members of the security staff of a tesco will remember you from one visit to the next?

Secondly why do you go to a shop twice a week if it annoys you so much? I’m assuming that it’s your only option, but if you bought more on each visit you wouldn’t need to go as often.

To be honest, writing a strongly worded letter of complaint to the head office is probably your best course of action.

No powers at all.

Well in terms of arrest etc I agree. But they could surely bar you from the store? I’m sure when I worked in retail (25 years ago) this was common place. Known shoplifters would travel round the south London stores I worked in. If they turned up at a store and were recognised they were politely told to clear off.

To say the whole Tesco security measures are paranoid as f is an understatement

Maybe you shop somewhere properly dodgy but I don’t even notice the security at the Tesco I regularly go to.

So you act a smidge shifty by going into a store, picking up something and then rushing out and tipping your bag contents into a bin before coming right back in.
When security ask you a straightforward question about whether you’ve paid for something, you tell them you’re stealing, and then in front of the store you’re taking pictures of someone’s car covered up? (The other thread)

I’d totally be watching you.

🤔😉😂

No powers at all.

In COVID times I saw a cocky lad, maybe teens / early 20s try and get in without a mask. The guard was all over it, and squared up, getting physical without actually being physical and telling him quite plainly he wasn’t getting in without a mask. The guy tried to resist but only got more back from the guard. Quite satisfying to see a cocky shite put in his place, but I think the guard was A team for COVID times, none of the regular lot look like they’d put up that level of resistance – but funny about “being seen” because I quite often see them watching me and think they’re being too obvious. I must look shifty.

First, do you actually think that members of the security staff of a tesco will remember you from one visit to the next?

I’d like to think I’m memorable. 😁

Secondly why do you go to a shop twice a week if it annoys you so much?

Because I have a partner who goes “can you nip out and get…” about six nanoseconds after I’ve walked back through the door.

So you act a smidge shifty by going into a store, picking up something and then rushing out and tipping your bag contents into a bin before coming right back in.

I appreciate that in isolation my behaviour may have been a mite unusual.  But that was just backstory to add colour to why I was asking the question at all.

When security ask you a straightforward question about whether you’ve paid for something, you tell them you’re stealing, and then in front of the store you’re taking pictures of someone’s car covered up? (The other thread)

For context here, it’s not security asking questions historically, it’s the regular store staff.

The car was outside a garage, they seem to have a thing for classic motors (for some value of classic).  There was an mk4 Escort RS Turbo out there a couple of weeks back.  It wasn’t just outside some rando’s house.

Oronsay is not very big 😉

Aisle take your word for it…..

they’d get a short lecture on sex and travel

You’d talk about Thailand…

If a guard takes issue with my self checkout, I am happy to point out that they’ve just had five to ten minutes of my time. My professional rate is about 30x the checkout wage, and I will be happy to receive my remuneration. A discount or some trust would be a fine thing.

If a guard takes issue with my self checkout, I am happy to point out that they’ve just had five to ten minutes of my time. My professional rate is about 30x the checkout wage, and I will be happy to receive my remuneration. A discount or some trust would be a fine thing.

Remember to mention your gong and they may let you shop free. Every little helps.

I think the guard was A team for COVID times, none of the regular lot look like they’d put up that level of resistance

Because, as my son’s shop manager put it, “It’s not worth getting stabbed for a bottle of Bells”

Supermarket, in fact most, shop work is shit. Because customers and thieves make it shit. I cut them a lot of slack.

That security guard may well remember you better next time if you’d explained what you’d just done and why., you know, in a friendly fashion.  It might have reminded both of you you are simply human beings going about your daily business.

The amount of money shops lose to theft is staggering. It’s a no win situation for them trying to keep customers happy while protecting their goods/colleagues. Making products more secure brings complaints ( see the whiskey tagging thread). Security watching customers brings complaints too. If the Security say something wrong etc then more and more customers these days will take the issue further with violence/agression or legal, resulting in guards and staff who can only observe you rather than stop you/ask what you are up to etc. Shoplifters know this and the situation is endemic. It’s no wonder highstreets are empty and online booming as the losses on the highstreet are just huge. I feel society is more of the issue and shop Security measures are just a result of that. 20 years ago very few supermarkets had a Security guard.If we are all happy for the shoplifters to carry on then be prepared for price to continue to spiral to cover it, or suck up a guard watching you or having your whiskey tagged in the hope prices stay down because I don’t see society getting better.

My professional rate is about 30x the checkout wage, and I will be happy to receive my remuneration. A discount or some trust would be a fine thing.

You’re doing it wrong. You should be getting red in the face while shouting “DO YOU KNOW WHO I AM?” – that’ll show them, the plebs.

If a guard takes issue with my self checkout, I am happy to point out that they’ve just had five to ten minutes of my time. My professional rate is about 30x the checkout wage, and I will be happy to receive my remuneration. A discount or some trust would be a fine thing.

<Goes off to check Tired’s posting history to try see if he is taking the piss or really is an …….>

PS. Emolument is the word you’re looking for, remuneration makes you look so common 😉

Koalas are marsupials, not bears.

What about drop bears?  (Oh and check the marsupials in your store – they have pockets)

To be honest, I prefer talking to someone at the checkout, but there is a switch to an honestly based self checkout. The Dutch have special slow lanes just for that conversation. BTW I was taking the urea, but the principle is there. A transfer of labour (and cost savings) from five staff on five lanes to one overseeing five machines. It’s sold on “convenience”, but the opportunity cost is increased theft. I wonder if it’s even coat neutral. But an ”unexpected moron in the bagging area” seems to be a common issue.
now they’ve given up on trust and require a receipt to exit through gates (though not in my local coop).

got a letter from the supermarket the other day
I opened and read it, it said they were suckers
They wanted me for their self-checkout or whatever
Picture me givin’ a damn, I said, “Never”
Here is a shop that never gave a damn
About a brother like me and myself because they never did
I wasn’t wit’ it, but just that very minute
It occurred to me, the suckers had authority
Cold sweatin’ as I dwell in my cell
How long has it been they got me sittin’ in the car park?