Shoplifters who steal in moderation may have a “Target” for a lucrative holiday season.
The big-box store has employees who say it won’t arrest thieves until they steal enough to be designated as felony charges.
In Las Vegas, that approach to shoplifting has caused one former Target employee to speak out.
A Business Insider story references a TikTok video from Isaiah Arellano, who worked for the company in North Dakota and transferred to a Las Vegas location in 2018.
“They (Target) will wait until it reaches or exceeds the amount that makes it grand theft larceny, which is an actual felony,” Arellano claimed in the video.
In Arellano’s conversations with asset-protection employees, he found that it was important to build a case.
“It was a lot more worth their time if they could prosecute for thousands versus a hundred dollars,” he said, adding that the policy felt “strange.”
“I didn’t think it was right. Luckily, they didn’t make me sign an NDA (non-disclosure agreement).”
The theft designation varies. For example, in Nevada, stolen property must exceed $1,200 in value for the charge to go from misdemeanor to felony.
Several current and former employees said the claims in Arellano’s video are based on store policies.
“The people that Target waits to build a case on are not your run-of-the-mill shoplifter; these are professional thieves,” a former Minnesota employee said. “Most of the people get cited and released. These high-impact people do not care if they get arrested.”
In a statement to Business Insider, a Target spokesperson would not provide details about the company’s procedures for handling theft.
“We don’t have any policies in place to hold or bundle shoplifting charges until they reach a felony level,” the statement said.
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