Woolworths New Zealand is introducing team safety cameras to all of its 191 stores this week.
This follows positive feedback from team members who have been involved in a 17-store trial of the safety initiative. Team members said the cameras help de-escalate conflict situations as they arise and help them feel safer as they work.
Woolworths NZ Director of Stores Jason Stockill says it’s troubling that these measures have to be taken, but it’s heartening to see such good results from efforts to strengthen security and safety in stores.
“Our team deserves to feel safe coming to work every day and what they’re dealing with is unacceptable. While 99% of people walking through our door are great and treat our team well, every day our team across the country are still experiencing instances of abuse and aggression from shoplifters and other offenders,” he says.
“Speaking to team members who have trialled using team safety cameras, they’ve told me they feel much safer knowing that they have a tool to record abuse or conflict when it arises – and often turning the camera on actually de-escalates the situation completely, which is fantastic.”
The rollout of team safety cameras is part of Woolworths NZ’s three-year, $45 million investment program adding more security measures to stores.
The cameras are only turned on in the event of a security incident and footage will not be released except when requested by police as part of an investigation. The Woolworths NZ team members are also required to notify customers before recording.
The retailer is also looking at introducing further measures to strengthen security in stores. In the next few months, it will be installing new secure knife cabinets in produce, deli, butchery and bakery departments to reduce their visibility and accessibility to potential offenders.
