Five Baltimore-area Giant grocery stores banned shoppers under 18 inside their stores without an adult after 6 p.m. beginning on Thursday, Aug. 22. The company said the new measure is to combat an “unsustainable” and “unprecedented” rise in retail theft at the stores.
The new policy will have store employees asking for proof of age from an individual or supervising adult. People without proper identification will be asked to leave the store. One adult can enter the store with up to four people under the age of 18 and those under that age must be supervised by an adult at all times.
The new efforts to fight crime are garnering mixed reviews from customers. Some shoppers said it’s not just teens stealing and blame the rise in crime on high food prices. Other customers said that the restrictions were long overdue.
“People are always stealing,” Elizabeth Baltierra, a shopper, said. “All the time — not adults, juveniles. You can call the police, but they’re juveniles, there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Giant acknowledged that none of the measures are an “ultimate solution” to the problem but said that it’s continuing to find ways to “improve safety for associates and customers and reduce theft.”
Retail theft has become a major problem nationwide. With retailers, including Target, Nordstrom and Whole Foods shutting down some stores in cities across the United States due to theft and employee safety concerns.
