[LordKano]

I didn't understand all of this at the time, I just knew that it worked. Later, when I worked in retail, I learned why.

Retail employees aren't supposed to stop shoplifters. They are expected to take opportunities to turn potential shoplifting incidents into sales.

I used the perception that the salesperson had of me as a young black male to my advantage. I picked things up and was conspicuous about putting them back in the exact same place to draw attention to myself. I was behaving in an incongruous manner, not necessarily a suspicious one. Basically, I was doing something different than the other people there and that got someone's attention. I thought that they'd assume I was looking to shoplift and someone would come over to "help" me while other customers were still waiting. I was right. Ringing me up right then and there guaranteed that the sale took place instead of sending me off to wait in line where I might just walk out.

[tomp]

Brilliant.

[pbhjpbhj]

>I picked things up and was conspicuous about putting them back in the exact same place to draw attention to myself. I was behaving in an incongruous manner, not necessarily a suspicious one. //

Based on your description you behaved in a suspicious manner.

People don't browse like that in general but shoplifters do - you didn't behave like a "young black male" [ie like any random person] you behaved like a person that the security guards have seen stealing things before, you pick up lots of items, look around a lot, have an accomplice to act as lookout/provide distraction/carry-goods. Small items are great as you can pick two, palm one and then make a show of replacing the other. Similarly in an area with high value goods a shoplifter will "browse" lots of items as they're waiting for their moment whilst a shopper, particularly getting a large-ticket item, will go straight for the item as that's why they came.

Now it might be that they noticed that behaviour initially because you were profiled as suspect based on racial prejudice, but as soon as you enact the behaviour then the response was response to shoplifter behaviour rather than racial prejudice.

I'd be interested if anyone knows about use of CV to flag potential shoplifters based on standard behaviours?? Seems the tech is there to do that.

[LordKano]

It's my contention that my demographic information is why my behavior was regarded as suspicious.

Had I been a middle aged white guy, it would have been seen as the behavior of an interested customer.

To just put it out in the open, this was a Radio Shack. I have been going to Radio Shacks since I was about 7 years old and looking through all of the hobby electronics. Over the years, I discovered that I could get the attention and assistance of a salesperson at will.

[pbhjpbhj]

Doesn't the fact you can get the attention at will disprove your hypothesis? It's the behaviour that gets the attention, otherwise you wouldn't be in control. If it weren't the behaviour then you'd get approached as often when you don't do as when you do.

As I said before it could be that you get observed more because of your demographic, but if you can perform a behaviour that gets direct attention then it's not your race or other aspects of your appearance that's causing the staff action.

Just stand where you are and start swearing loudly will work too, you'll get a member of staff, they'll say "can I help you" - it's the usual attempt in a commercial environment to be non-confrontational when really one means "you look suspicious, why are you here" - you then say "please ring this up for me". Chances are they see that will get you out of the store ASAP, which would be their intention during the approach.

I work in a store, it's really obvious when people don't follow standard purchasing/enquiry patterns.

[LordKano]

Doesn't the fact you can get the attention at will disprove your hypothesis?

Not at all. What would be perceived as customer interest as a non-minority customer is perceived as suspicious as a minority customer.

[pbhjpbhj]

So you consider the behaviour to be normal? It's very difficult to behave normally when focussing on a particular behaviour, most people are not very good actors IME.

Would be interested if you can recreate this as a demonstration; also a video showing the behaviour would be great, I'd certainly attempt a duplicate.

>What would be perceived as customer interest as a non-minority customer is perceived as suspicious as a minority customer. //

I perceive problems with this line of thinking - for example any young solo male at the store I work at is suspicious. Does that mean I'm ageist and sexist? No, just that this demographic is contrary to the normal use of our services; moreover the only major theft we've had was by someone in this demographic.

We might fail to notice someone else stealing because our attention is elsewhere whilst with people in that demographic our attention will be much more tightly focussed; according to our records this has never happened however.

In your opinion is it wrong for us to behave in this way?

[LordKano]

So you consider the behaviour to be normal?

Depending on how you define "normal". If you mean acting like everyone else, then absolutely not. My goal was to be incongruous.

If you mean acting calmly and naturally, then yes. I wasn't nervous because I knew that I wasn't doing anything wrong. I wasn't doing anything that would get me in trouble.

We might fail to notice someone else stealing because our attention is elsewhere whilst with people in that demographic our attention will be much more tightly focussed; according to our records this has never happened however.

If you are watching the young males, how can you be sure? What kind of inventory shrinkage do you have?

In your opinion is it wrong for us to behave in this way?

We all have our biases. Whether or not it's wrong is debatable but if you miss a shoplifter because you were focusing your attention on the wrong person, that is your fault.