Walmart security cameras - who are they looking for?

reply to post by sjb5000


It's not illegal to film every single inch of a property owned or leased by a department store, or any business really. Why do you think wal-mart and target have camera's above every register, throughout the internal store, in the back (stock) areas, and in the parking lot? Plain and simple, it's asset protection. I mean technically, an employer could require you to wear a hat with a camera in it so security could see everything the employees do or look at, but for now overhead cams everywhere will suffice.

I've never heard of an instance where a company gets some sort of a slap on the wrist for having their camera pointed off of the property either.

Maybe it's different regarding the rules of security and camera usage in the UK, but here in the US- Film Away!

reply to post by Anonymous ATS


Link to video? Name of video? Those would be handy, rather than relying on your word.

reply to post by Montana


I have worked in a Wal-Mart in late 80's that had numerous smoke-black balls hanging from the ceiling but only a "handful" had cameras mounted within. I guess that explains the ease with which criminals I know steal from this chain on a regular basis.

reply to post by poll5984


Hah. Your delusions by the employer that I used to work for myself. The number one reason isn't for loss prevention. Its for anti-union purposes. They just like to tell you things like that to make you not ask any real questions.

Jumped ahead after a few posts to add my two cents.

Someone mentioned that something shady goes on at the HQ. I don't think so. I live right down the road from Bentonville, AR (wal mart home offices... seriously, there home offices cover an entire town!) Anywho, I have family members who hold cushy positions there. I don't think there is anything overtly nefarious going on there. They are a VERY prosperous business.
And more to the point of the unnecessary number of cameras. No telling. I CAN say this though, their surveillance capability is second to NONE. In fact, the Pentagon DOES have access to their supercomputer there as a back up in case their's goes down. Why so many cameras? Because they can afford it and they have the computing power to handle it. Simple as that.


Not only that, but check this out (and I'm sure it will set off people's Orwellian radars) they actually solve crime with them! Here on the local news, I have seen several times where they report theft THEMSELVES by looking at EACH AND EVERY TRANSACTION made with a credit card and then use their surveillance to see if that person using the card is actually the person holding the card.

Don't expect to get busted if you are using your wife/husband's card, but if you want to test your gaul, come here to my hometown and use a stolen credit card. Your face will be on the six o clock news.

Twenty five cameras that's extreme. I'm extremely paranoid also, but who knows what they are looking for. luckily at the wal-mart near me, they don't have that many cameras outside.

Yeah, I am anti-surveillance society, but I don't think there is anything sinister about the WalMart cams. In fact, I knew a guy that stayed out of jail because his attorney subpoenaed the tapes in an assault trial.

Three WM employees grabbed his girlfriend for shoplifting. They did not ID themselves so he kicked the # out of them.

Originally posted by justgeneric
Sheesh next time you're at a Home Depot count the cameras inside and out. Typically 10-12 per isle not to mention 1 every 5 feet at the front of the store. Then there's the receiving bays and loading docks...and a multitude on the outside of the stores.

To be honest my guess is that the cameras aren't so much to catch customers shoplifting as it is to catch employees. Employee theft is a real problem in many businesses.

It's the norm it seems. But with any business doing high volume sales, boy they gotta protect their interests.

Yes I work at a Depot

You get used to the cams. Not too used to them though.

The HD I work at has around 70 instore cameras, but I'm pretty sure several are dummies. And they don't seem to check them often, if ever. I work the night shift there, and some of the things that go down during the night would cause several people to get fired, but since they don't check the cameras we're all still working there.

They only seem to check them if something happens, like someone getting injured, a fight, or an incident with a forklift or something.

Dont be fooled.

I worked in retail for years until recently, and i can tell you, as far as Home Depot, they dont work. They're dummies and the real people in charge of security are the workers.

Now, i dont really know as far as the NWO Wal-Mart.


I forgot to mention, there are REAL cameras as well, but they are focused on the cashiers.

[edit on 29-12-2008 by dgtempe]

Hi I recently got caught, stealing from wal-mart. Then 2 days later, i go in to the same store and get the same thing. for free. Can you let me know how i did this, or do you want me to tell you

Originally posted by Montana


But they really wouldn't have to do this. I'm sure, with a little boardroom good old boy negotiation, they could just tap into the security cams at the stores and accomplish the same thing. Right?

I've said the same thing. People bitch about speed cameras and red light cameras even though those are catching deadly criminals, but they accept cameras in schools and businesses spying on law-abiding citizens.!!!

25 camera's may seem excessive, but for the parking lot (which is pretty big in itself) tends to attract a lot of mischievous activities, from people injuring themselves so they can try and get some money from a lawsuit to shoplifting to car theft to rape, the more camera's you have the more visual you have of what happened at what time. What one camera may not see 4-5 others might. When you start getting sued for lots of money, you would want as much visual evidence as you can so you can prove/disprove them. Its all about protecting your asset's

[edit on 4-2-2009 by Echotebarknwhale]

Does anyone happen to know if walmart security cams have face detection, I had a questionable experience recently and the person I was with was approached by law enforcement almost immediately after entering on his next visit. Now I know that they weren't sitting there whatchin and happen to recognize him. I think the security cam has a program that must directly alert the law. Anyone else had anything similar happen?