King Soopers' SWAT Team

[eddiememphis]

https://www.9news.com/article/money/...4-e9a9caf9550a
https://www.the-sun.com/news/1505083...-king-soopers/

It seems crime is so rampant in our city that Kroger has hired armed security to battle the miscreants. The forces now stand ominously at the exit of most Kings in the area, demanding to see shoppers' receipts like it's a third world country.


This bothers me in many ways.


Every inch of the store is already under surveillance. Kroger likely has AI loss-prevention running in the background, so adding a guy with a pistol at the exit feels more like intimidation than security.


The Gestapo ask for a receipt, glance at it for half a second, and say thanks. Never once have I seen them count items or compare totals. Pure theater. And let's be honest-are they really going to use deadly force on Granny over a forgotten can of kitty chow? They have no arrest powers, so at best it's a tackle-and-hold routine until the real cops arrive.


All this does little except alienate customers. Weren't they once the store with the slogan "Our People Make the Difference"? Now we're all suspects in our own neighborhood market, standing in yet another line waiting for Barney Fife to allow exit.


Kroger created this mess with self-checkout. Instead of adding a band-aid guard at the door, why not put those resources into opening another lane? Between the self-checkout "helpers" and the armed guard, you've got three extra employees who could actually speed things up.


I'll drive the extra three minutes to Safeway. At least they don't treat me like a criminal for buying broccoli.