When someone mentions body cameras, it’s normal to think of police officers. Well, it appears retail workers might be next in line to wear cameras at work.
The grocery giant Loblaws said two stores in Saskatoon will be trialing body cams for managers and security.
The two locations include the Confederation Superstore and Shoppers Drug Mart on 22nd Street. Two Loblaws stores in Calgary also have staff wearing body cameras.
The company said trials are part of a pilot project to increase safety for customers and staff where crime is a concern.
“Our asset protection/security team and the on-duty store manager will be trained to use the cameras effectively in their roles,” Loblaws said in a statement.
“We are taking these steps to increase safety and reduce risks for our customers and colleagues in certain areas where criminal activities are more prominent. Our goal is to see an overall decrease in violent encounters in these stores.”
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB) said 74 per cent of their Saskatchewan business members say crime has increased in their area.
“We’ve seen crime rates skyrocket in Saskatoon and Winnipeg, and they’re really concerned right now,” said Tyler Slobogian, a CFIB senior policy analyst.
“The most prominent issues we’ve been hearing from our members are vandalism and shoplifting.”
As for what shoppers think, many just want a safer experience.
“This area is kind of iffy, so it might not be a bad idea to have something like that here,” Superstore shopper Lucy Jordan said. “(Crime) is the scary part of what’s going on now. It’s not really safe to go anywhere. I don’t go anywhere after dark.”
Shopper Israfil Islam said he feels more secure shopping at Superstore if the employees have cameras for safety.
“I think it will be a lot better than before,” Islam said. He also pointed to the increased security at the front of the store as a positive.
Shopper Alex Taylor said he feels the entire store has gone downhill over the last few years and doesn’t know if body cameras will make it any more enticing to shop there.
“I had a good friend who used to run this store years and years ago with a smile on their face. There aren’t a lot of smiles in there now,” Taylor said.
“I used to buy 90 per cent of my groceries here. Now I come for three products.