John Ramos reports on what happened to a woman who stopped a shoplifter at a San Mateo Safeway. Website: kpix.com/ RU-vid: / cbssanfrancisco Facebook: / cbssanfrancisco Instagram: / kpixtv Twitter: / kpixtv
It’s only stuff, not worth getting hurt over! Do you know how many retail employees have been killed by shoplifters they tried to stop? There is a reason all retailers have these policies! What if that shoplifter had a weapon? Grow the hell up!
Also, If you owned this store and she died, you would be getting sued by the family, have fines for endangering your employees despite the clear rulings on not doing that, and your business would be slandered.
@@blak3brutus229 Not sure how the employee was even in danger here. The criminal female took a swing at her but you aren't going to die from that. If she pulled a weapon, then the employee would let her steal but hopefully a law-abiding citizen packing heat would terminate the thief. You mean if the thief died? The families try to sue the person, business, city and state when they get shot breaking the laws. Usually they don't get paid except by police unions or blue cities.
This is just awful. I will never shop at a Safeway again. There prices have increased so much and now they don’t stand behind their employees. I’m over this company.
She spent too much time flirting with ma-le-co-workers, you can tell by the way that other guy stepped in, so I guartantee there's more to the story than just her bullying a so-called shoplifter around
I'm not buying anything from Safeway ever again after hearing about this. Workers who are told not to act, they get miserable. Edit: update. I knew I wouldn't follow through on this threat. I do mainly shop at Trader Joe's (which I don't like for other reasons) and buy some things at Whole Foods while clenching. And sometimes I am near a Safeway and I just need to get something. Most stores most probably have a similar policy to Safeway's. We can't win! We can boycott only so many establishments when living in an urban area. I'm already trying to boycott the corner store across the street from me. It doesn't do anyone any good with all the junk they sell. So I bought some toilet paper from Safeway recently when I was near. The only store I don't see a reason to boycott is Rainbow Grocery in SF but it's a little out of my way and expensive.
Wait, I understood she is 22 years old and not worked there so long, or is my English too bad? Nevertheless makes no difference.... they should thank her, to put her life on the line to stop some bad ppl
@@AguadillaCGN why? If you owned this store and she died, you would be getting sued by the family, have fines for endangering your employees despite the clear rulings on not doing that, and your business would be slandered.
no a 22 year employee means she worked there for 22 years. they said 22 years of service. i do agree that it is confusing cuz she looks crazy young. ?? hmmm you know i wouldnt care if she was 22 or worked there for 22 years, this lady was a great, and wonderful employee! and she got punished for this. shameful for safeway!!@@AguadillaCGN
pitiful people sueing everyone always happens, they wouldnt lose a suit if their rules are clear, which they apparently are. you dont even make sense. one comment slams me for your stupiidity on thinking i am slamming this hero, then you come back today and act like safeway was right to let her go. are you stoned or just not very smart? what cant decide which way to go? lol jeez, maybe stay off adult comment sections. and STOP with your trying to make all white people racists. i am white as a cracker, and this girl is not, who cares, she is amazing, and did a good thing.@@blak3brutus229
What a bunch of garbage. She broke company policy, then whines about the consequences. Played the single mother sob story and calls the news. She does not deserve a dime. Goood luck finding another job. Who would want to hire her now?
They wanted her gone so they'll never have to pay for all of the benefits she earned over 22 years. They'll pay back that 450/mo and laugh all the way to the bank because they just yoinked tens of thousands in benefits away from her.
I quit going to Safeway years ago when my son worked there . They treated him like crap, gave him a horrible schedule and weren't willing to change it, over worked underpaid, I mean come on at least try to be good to your employees . What did it for me was when he came home and told me that they told him he couldn't have a water bottle in his pocket when he was outside in 100 degree weather bringing in shopping carts . Why not ??? Who's it hurting? Obviously he quit and went on to something better
Corporate probably worried about liability if the worker gets injured or worse on the job if there was an altercation. To them comp would probably cost more than what a thief could feasible steal in one go.
How much do they have to pay if she gets hurt and they have to pay for workman's comp? Thousands. They will just writeoff the theft. 500 isn't that much anyway, when I was a teenager they would have me break the eggs in the dumpsters, talking dozens of dozens of eggs.
I'm sick of working places where I can't stop a shoplifter, but I'm still, for some reason, in trouble for a shoplifting happening in the first place 🤦🏻
@@B.H.56Simple! They’ll just charge consumers more! You see, they condone shoplifting and compensate thieves while punishing honest, dedicated employees!
@@B.H.56Albertsons Companies Pride Alliance member and Senior Manager, Communications, Paul Bancroft-Turner, has been part of our team for more than nine years. He is incredibly active in our various Associate Resource Groups (ARGs) and one of his greatest achievements during his time at ACI has been supporting and helping launch several ARGs during the pandemic. Paul encourages all Albertsons Companies associates to join the Pride Alliance. “The conversations are lively, fun, and/or serious. Pride Month is an opportunity to learn more about our LGBTQ+ population at Albertsons Companies and make some new friends!” He encourages anyone who is considering joining the Pride Alliance to come with an open mind. “Don’t come in with preconceived concepts of what it means to be in the LGBTQ+ community. Just like everyone in the world, it’s full of unique individuals from all walks of life, areas of the business, and parts of the country. It’s a safe space for conversation and allyship. Bring questions and be respectful. Listen.” Thank you, Paul, for being part of our team AND for being an ally! They will just have another dei celebration.
@@ambermyers7463 Accepting theft as common and inevitable is messed up and wrong. Safeway could just drop it on their multi million dollar legal team. They wouldn't lose.
no, because that would be encouraging vigilante justice. And why should you provide FREE security services to the employer. Security is not part of her job description.
And in a related story, Home Depot, also being robbed blind by thieves, is changing a few things inside their stores and on their customer's credit cards. As of March 11, 2024, late fees will be $41 and the interest rate raised to 29.99% -- basically saying, "Our good, honest customers will help us recover our losses."
The more thefts that occur the more the honest customers pay. Its a system that works?? The theif gets injured our taxes pay for his recovery. The system works??
California democrats voted for this with prop 47. You get what you deserve! Stop complaining about it! Being that it's in San Mateo, I'm guessing there's a good chance the employee voted for this being that it is a very democrat city, she's a minority, and a single mother. If she's not, that's rare, but still still true in the majority of these types of stories in California.
The moral of the story is always the same. The poor single mother breaks the rules and does not have to face the consequences. She broke policy, deserved to be fired and does not deserve a dime. She will also learn that no one will hire her because she’s a law suite waiting to happen. What a joke.
@@lov2cyanaked That doesn't make any sense. They're already protected from liability because they advise employees to not follow or touch shoplifters. Store management sided with her, and so did the judge.
@@AlbatrossRevenuejudge sided w her to get unemployment. Manger approved but corporate didn't. She didn't know store policy about shoplifting even tho she worked there for 22 yrs. The Safeway is not protected from liability because they told her & she decided not to listen or didn't know.
@@lov2cyanaked Rewatch the video. The lawyer stated that she knew store policy because it was drilled into her head not to touch or pursue shoplifters, and she did neither of those two things. She touched the bags, which is not against store policy, but she was fired anyway. That's why the judge sided with her.
After having money stolen from my bank account, I asked why they didn’t work to make accounts more secure. I was told it’s cheaper for them to just pay you the money you lost.
wtf are you babbling about? How much safer do you want them? How about a million digit number with facial authentication and 10 step verification where you must spend at least an hour contacting your phone, your mother, your dog to confirm. Not once has my identity or money been stolen.
Have you ever looked up the process for getting awarded a "mental distress" lawsuit? It's not as simple as saying, "he touched me and me scared now" There has to be mounds of evidence that shows that you are scarred psychologically. Including proof that you've gotten medical help and it hasn't helped and why not.
I could see Safeway wanting to look the other way if someone shoplifts a single item that isn't really worth all that much. But this damn shoplifter tried to steal FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS worth!!!! Safeway should be thanking this woman because that's ridiculous.
If banks were ran like this, there would be federal investigation into collusion with management. These companies should be required to have security guards, and no tax writeoffs for stolen items unless there was an attempt to stop the thefts.
@@edwinarcilla5888 This is why insurance costs is insane and people complain about them. One way or another, we all pay for that increase because we are all in the same pool to share the cost. The more insurance company pays out for stupid things like this because criminals thinks is ok to steal things below $900 per steal (stupid prop 47), the more the insurance company increases the premium to protect their profit.
@@edwinarcilla5888 Its not the price of the goods that matters it is the insurance claim when the employee is injured or killed by a thief. The store will also be closed whilst the police investigate and most likely the takings will be down in the following days. It is morally wrong that she was fired but business are concerned with making money not morals. I hope she wins her wrongful termination lawsuit. There will not be an insurance claim for the shop lifted goods, it is not insurable. Safeway will treat it as an overhead.
Did she win? She had a job with benefits and now unemployed with this termination on her job history that might be preventing her from getting employment. But also, this is the wrong time trying for her to find a job when companies are closing stores and doing lay-offs.
Anyone who has been through this give this lawyer a call, he’s an absolute G for doing the right thing and winning this case for this woman who is a legend
I was looking for this comment! Anyone who works in retail knows this especially if they've been there for 22 years SMH. I get the human & emotional aspect of it being displayed in 98% of the comments BUT this could've gone all wrong. The woman even tried to hit her. There are bad ppl in this world & they will easily exchange your life for their freedom. Hence the company policy not allowing off duty "renegade cashiers" to apprehend shoplifters. Most stores have just hired security at the door.
State-Level Administrative Law Judges are not judges, they're sort of like second level tech support -- they're employees. They're not necessarily attorneys either. Their "rulings" amount to recommendations. Federal-Level Administrative Law Judges aren't much more, but the Supremes have made clear your rights aren't violated just because they're not really Article III judges even though they have very similar powers in practice.
BUT Safeway were ordered to pay her unemployment benefit. That's like being found guilty of smashing up someone's car and being ordered to pay their bus fare home.
She got another at a competing chain. She had to do a lot of finagaling just to get it IE calling the manager of store and be a pest about a job. They cavein to demands.
The company policy is still that store employees, including security, are not allowed to touch thieves. As a former Vons employee, I will tell you that any customer is allowed to stop shoplifters. :) Stay armed. I was robbed at gunpoint at my last grocery store job and the police took 30 minutes to show up. California is lost.
@Doc5thMech No. Being a member of a union. You apply for a job. Union members get priority over others. If you were in the army, you see a man or a woman in the chow line wearing three chevrons or a piece of metal on their uniforms. You give them priority.
Antoinette should shop for her groceries at Safeway during her unemployment and not pay. What a miserable policy and a travesty the way they are treating her.
If you work for these large corporations it’s best to observe and report and just stand out of the thief’s way as they take and steel the items, not worth your safety and job security. I’m so glad to see she won her case.
At my job we are told not to stop any shoplifters from leaving. The Boss said they left the dollar amount build up. So when they get caught, they get a tougher sentence.
Now he needs to sue the pants off Safeway and really make it hurt both financially and to help other employees to be able to do the right thing. She is a good example for our children. Safeway SUCKS!
@@VulcanAvengersure and what happens when an employee dies trying to prevent a petty robbery? Safeway gets sued and this same lawyer is admonishing them for expecting their workers to do security😂 You goofballs love these narratives that will get you and your loved ones killed for a store that doesn't give a shit about you😂
If she was off the clock when the theft was attempted, her job shouldn't have even been in jeopardy. She wasn't acting in the capacity of an employee, she was a civilian at that point trying to thwart criminal behavior.
Mr fox or whatever you are clearly young or do not understand life outside your boundaries and let me be the first to tell you reality is going to mess you up
That behavior from Safeway surely conveys a message to its employees to never go above and beyond what they're hired to do. Do no more, no less! Safeway won't appreciate it, and may even hate and fire you for it.
I love the way the attorney summarized the irony of this situation: Safeway would rather have people steal from the company than to pay its own employees.
The policy is the same with MANY retail employers and has been since I worked in retail almost 40 years ago. First off, it's to protect the company so that they don't get sued for illegally detaining someone, guilty or not. And these days, it's also to protect employees and customers from being assaulted or killed by a shoplifter. Bottom line, she shouldn't have been fired unless it was made clear this was a fireable offense. AND she was off duty so, in my opinion, she acted on her own as a concerned citizen. That said, don't try to stop a shoplifter. It's not coming out of your wallet, leave confrontations to store security and/or police.
Antoinette is a hero! People are tired of dealing with this nonsense. It's enough to make normal people snap. So there's compassion and coddling of the theives and criminals but not the good citizens?! 🤔 copy. These stores are complicit as well. Let the lawsuits fly. Litigation is the only language some understand. Enough of this!
That’s not suprising, most retail or fast food places have a policy where you are not supposed to stop thieves because they are afraid you’ll get hurt and they will be liable “Don’t be a hero”
Safeway should praise her and just give a warning. Safeway should be happy that there are workers that pride themselves working for the employer. Very rare to find that now a days.
What if she got permanently injured or worse during this incident? Employee knows not to confront shoplifters but does it anyway. The courts will also say Safeway is liable for her injuries. This is why stores will continue to leave The Bay Area.
@@spades9048 she was Clocked out and therefor just like any one else, when you are off the clock you are NOT a prisoner of the company. I am an employer and my guys are free to do whatever they please when they are clocked out dumbass
@@stevecarey2030 You are delusional "she was Clocked out and therefor just like any one else, when you are off the clock you are NOT a prisoner of the company. I am an employer and my guys are free to do whatever they please when they are clocked out.
She broke policy the reason why there's a policy in place is to try minimize damage because that lady could've had a gun or knife anything on here and bam she starts stabbing or shooting because she panicked over getting caught no the store is liable for the damage the person did to the customers and employees
Finally a judge stepping up and making an actual ‘judgement”! Hats off to that employee. If I had a business I would hire you in a heartbeat. I am an 80 year old woman living on a very small income. Why shouldn’t I just walk into the grocery store and get my 100.00 worth of groceries and just leave without paying. I need a new mattress so I think I’ll just go to a store and find one under 1,000.00 and drag it out the door without paying. The law says I can do that. I will not of course because I know it is wrong to steal. I know if the store loses enough money, employees will have to be let go and eventually store will close.
I was fired from a job three months from my 20th anniversary, and the OM didn’t want to approve my unemployment either. I took her to court and won my money. Being loyal to a company doesn’t mean they will be loyal to the employees.
I wish this woman every success in her lawsuit. I only wish I were on the jury. I hope Safeway is given a clear message in this lawsuit on who they should be prioritizing in these incidents. Loyal employee vs shoplifter, you'd think it would be obvious, smh.
They think it is OK to steal a wallet from a dead person. They take the cash and run up a large amount on the deceased persons credit card. If they had an expensive watch, IE Rolex, Bulgari, Piaget, etc, go to the pawn shop to get a lot of money for it.
If I were an employer, I would be hiring that woman in a heartbeat! That is a devoted conscientious employee and this should be exactly what ANY employer wants of their employees!
I concur. As a retail employee, you get so angry over these entitled people stealing. To the point I've dropped friends who I've seen stealing, and they get angry. No way are you coming back to my house ever.
Any store allowing the bad actions to occur without consequences whilst penalising good actions are contributing to the downfall of a society. Imagine a store going out of its way to do the right thing? Shoppers would know, through example, that this stores cares about its people and the customers over profits. What are we teaching our society? Who will revert back to a fair, just and lawful people?
could you imagine calling your local store to lodge a complaint, "yes i would like to complain about one of your employees, yes ma'am, she did NOT allow me to steal from your store, i know, the nerve of that employee, i think she should be fired!!"
That Lady is a hero! Safeway has been robbing me for years with all their price gauging. Now I don’t need to pay for anything anymore. Thank You for the information KPIX. I won’t be paying my groceries any longer at Safeway and ask all my neighbors to join and do a shopping spree, bring this clip and it is public declaration that their policy is not to stop people taking goods which means its FREE.
I can actually understand why Safeway did that. Unless she is loss prevention, she is not trained to apprehend a customer, therefore she is a liability to the company if something were to go wrong and she should not have risked her life trying to stop that woman. Most of us loathe thieves, but best believe that that woman will get her just desserts in the end. When thieves used to rob the Walgreen's I worked at, I remembered how crappy of a job it was and how little they were paying me and I stepped aside. Did I agree with the robbers? NO. But it's corporate's responsibility, not mine. NOT WORTH IT.
Safeway isn't encouraging shoplifting. They're protecting their employees from being hurt or killed by a desperate, possibly strung-out crook. It's really dangerous to confront a shoplifter without proper training. I mean, sure, 9 time out of 10 it will be fine. But that one time could result in serious harm.
Lawsuits in the states for employees touching and potentially hurting shoplifters, or for employees being hurt and suing, is more than the amount of groceries stolen.. The issue therein, is how out of control lawsuits have gotten, massive amounts of money for minuscule issues.
