Wal-Mart working with teenage shoplifters
Retailer educating young people about theft
Wal-Mart has launched a new educational initiative in the US designed to teach young people about the consequences of shoplifting.
US statistics show that more than half of adult shoplifters started stealing as juveniles. The ‘LP Youth Outreach Program’ has been developed by Wal-Mart Foundation, the charitable arm of the world’s biggest retailer created to help dissuade young people from shoplifting.
JP Suarez, senior vice president of loss prevention for Wal-Mart Stores, said: “As we strive to be a responsible retailer, we feel compelled to educate children about shoplifting.
“With the outreach program, we hope that prevention begins with education. We also want children to understand that shoplifting has potential consequences that can last a lifetime.”
The LP Youth Outreach Program teams up local law enforcement officers with a member of Wal-Mart’s loss prevention team.
Age-appropriate presentations have been developed for school children at different stages. These examine the reasons why people shoplift, the procedures in place to protect property and the cost of shoplifting not only to the shoplifter, but the entire community.
