Cops guarding groceries?

New air conditioning unit being installed last year

Both Bernice and Maria posted on their experiences with the Twin City supermarket yesterday, and, since I shop there too, I figure I'll add my 1½¢ to the discussion.

Maria's take is as follows --

"The last thing that bothers me, but not the least, is the presence of police 24/7. I have been told they are employed on their own time, but yet they wear Plainfield police uniforms and a Plainfield police car is always there. Why? If they are employed on their own time, shouldn't they wear their own clothes and use their own cars? We pay, with our taxes, for their uniforms and the car and gas that they use. No questions or complains about this so far? Besides, by having police there 24/7 the image of danger of crime comes to mind, and do we have crime or not?"

And Bernice sees it somewhat differently --

"Years ago, when the A&P was in the building now occupied by Twin City, there was a mark-up for loss, but it turned out much of the loss was due to employee theft, not just shoplifting.

I don’t know whether New Yorkers get this kind of profiling when they go shopping in neighborhoods, but as for me, I think the presumption of guilt when I am just going to get a couple of empanadas and some household supplies is a bit much."

My mileage varies.

First, the cops.

'Shrinkage' is a serious problem for retailers of every stripe -- think of hearing the alarm go off at Borders or Target or Home Depot if you try to leave with some purchase that hasn't had its magnetic gizmo demagnetized by the clerk who checked you out.

But you can't magnetize the meat the butcher just wrapped up for you, or the fruits in the bin -- you get the picture.

Besides, supermarkets operate on notoriously thin profit margins -- 2-3% is the norm. At that rate, management has to take some measures just to stay in business.

As for the cops, they are needed. I go in every day and always stop to exchange a few words with the officers, many of whom I have known over the years of working at City Hall.

At first, it struck me as odd that most of the time they seemed to lounge near the ATM machine by the exit. But it turns out that is where most of the action is, since shoplifters have to get the goods out through this one door. And the tales the cops can tell about how creative the shoplifters are!

Some just try to stuff things in their clothing. Others will attempt to flim-flam the clerk about the quantities in the cart. The most clever work as teams, with one making a diversion that draws peoples' attention away from the exit and the other getting out the door with the stuff.

So, someone at the door is necessary. But why a cop?

Well, for one thing, shoppers who are casually tempted to pilfer may be put off by the sight of a cop as opposed to a store employee.

Secondly, a cop can bust you. That counts.

A store (or a street disruption -- think PSE&G -- or a private event needing traffic control -- think a wedding, funeral, or concert) pays the City for off-duty police to provide services needed.

Cops are not allowed to rent themselves out as cops. They are public servants. If they are needed, they are deployed by the City and they wear their uniforms; it's just a requirement. The payments are made to the City on a standardized basis, not to the individual cop. (It is not unheard of for cops to be offered 'tips' by merchants -- but it is a definite no-no, and makes serious trouble for both the merchant and the cop if discovered.)

Who pays for the uniforms? I think the officers do get a uniform allowance, but that is not unusual. Probably holds true for firefighters and other City employees who must wear a uniform, as well as the PMUA. (As a youth, I worked in the parts department of a Lincoln-Mercury dealer and also in a factory making glass lenses for military use. Both jobs required uniforms, which the employer supplied.)

As for the cop cars, sometimes the officers come in their own vehicles, sometimes not. I don't know the reason for the difference.

Second, the bag policy.

Since I settle for the plastic bags the store offers, and anything I have with me beforehand is left in the car, I never have a bag to 'park'.

But I notice what goes on.

Everyone who comes in with a bag from another store in hand is asked to park it. Doesn't seem to me that any one person is profiled more than any other. But I have noticed one thing -- women who come in with a personal tote bag slung on their shoulder do not seem to be challenged. Does that mean it's interpreted as a 'purse' -- an item that NO woman I know of would EVER surrender for ANY reason. Nor even be asked to. Dunno.

Third, why go to Twin City at all?

It's convenient. I shop there every day.

There are some things I wouldn't go there for. But there are some things you might not want to go anyplace else for: the produce is consistently better than in the national chains, imho, and more varied. There is a greater variety of spices and condiments -- and cheaper than the national chains. The meat department takes me back to my childhood. Actual butchers! Actually cutting the meat up to order, before your very eyes! And you can see it's fresh! And you can get more parts of the animal than you may want to know about! How's all that for a throwback to the good old days?

Besides, you can't beat the Muzak or the aisle-end displays, which are straight out of the A&P playbook of the 1940s.

-- Dan Damon

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