(NewsNation) — As part of a pilot program, some Walmart employees are now wearing body cameras in select stores.
CNBC reports it’s not clear how many Walmarts have implemented body cameras, but certain locations have signs warning shoppers that it has them “in use.” One associate checking receipts in Texas was wearing a yellow-and-black recording device earlier this month, per a picture one shopper shared with CNBC.
“While we don’t talk about the specifics of our security measures, we are always looking at new and innovative technology used across the retail industry,” a Walmart spokesperson said to the news outlet. “This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions.”
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A person close to the situation told NewsNation the body cameras are not necessarily designed for anti-theft measures but for the safety of workers.
A document obtained by CNBC telling employees how to use the devices says to “record an event if an interaction with a customer is escalating.” They are not to be worn in employee break areas or bathrooms, the document states.
Some organizations don’t agree with the program.
“Walmart has the resources to make real changes to improve worker safety, and this rollout of body cameras is not an adequate solution,” United for Respect, an organization that represents past and present employees of corporations like Walmart and Amazon, said in a statement.
For now, Walmart says they are just testing the body cameras, and not making any long-term decisions about them yet.
There are other retailers that have started using them: TJX Companies, whose stores include TJ Maxx and Marshalls, is one.
“We hope that these body cameras will help us de-escalate incidents, deter crime and demonstrate to our associates and customers that we take safety in our stores seriously,” TJX said in a June statement to CBS.
