Stopped in yesterday to stock up. (I know but it’s the most convenient option)
Anyway, there were at least 3 cars and at least 6 officers. One group of 3-4 appeared to have moved through the store with a couple of specific customers and was at Customer Service as I left.
Outside I see an additional 3 so I asked one what the special occasion was. He replied that they were there as a presence because Walmart was kicking off their Black Friday sales. Nothing to be concerned about. He said it like three times like he was trying to convince me.

I got to thinking those inside could have been doing some Secret Santa Shopping with some needy folks but that is NOT the vibe I was getting.

All were on duty with Sheriff’s vehicles parked nearby.

The whole experience just struck me as odd.
Anyone have another explanation or could it have been as the officer stated a customer service to Walmart?

Desoto County Sheriff at Arcadia Florida if it sheds any additional light.

I made some good money working our earlier yesterday. Four of us. Off duty extra duty. Two more days of it in November as well. No big deal. Just a spread out Black Friday. Always officers at Wallyworld during that.

Four Police Vehicles in The Parking lot At the Decatur Walmart . Went inside 2 officers were Standing just inside The Entrance/Exit .
I happen to Know One of the Officers .So i asked him what was up? He Said Walmart Was Expecting a Rush for Some Pre Black Friday /black Friday Deals
I Dont think they were busy at all.
DRIFT --- It was A good day Shopping I snagged a Box 22mag (Limit) at Walmart and 200 rounds(limit) of 9mm at the Local Farm supply Store

Same exact experience, except I saw at least 6 cars with maybe 10 officers outside 2 in entrance and more by cashiers. Looked like a major crime scene, without the flashing lights and yellow tape.

It was very light on customers (8:30 a.m.)
No more than a typical Saturday morning.

I asked one what was going on, as I drove up.
He replied that it was their “Black Friday sale Nothing to be concerned about.“

Seems they failed as Police officers seemed to nearly out number customers.

I thought black Friday was the day after Thanksgiving....

So Wally World is going to pay 6-10 off duty officers to stand around for the next three weeks?
Maybe they were just getting oriented for the different shifts one or two would take.

After the Park & Loot Event at a Port Richmond (Phila.) Walmart the week before last, corporate may finally be wise to the intent of certain browsing 'customers'.

People were seen pouring from the storefront with armfuls of merchandise and large items such as televisions.

https://www.fox29.com/news/por...cond-night-of-unrest

Was this in a semi bad neighborhood?

In my city there were more police calls to one of the Walmart stores than any other one location in the city a few years back. It was nearly twice the number of calls as the second highest location, a large Mall. I can't remember the number of calls but I want to say it was over 1200 calls a year to the police.

There was almost always a cop car or two parked outside the nearest Target. Made it easier for them to come pick up shoplifters. Then CA made most shoplifting the equivalent of jay walking so the cops went away.

Yeah I've been on similar details, first time in the military when the PS4 came out. Not kidding that was our job, keeping 0-4s and 5s from getting out of control. Sounds dumb until we walked into the PX to get under the gate and got yelled at for "trying to jump the line". People get dumb for the deals.

quote:

Originally posted by Blume9mm:
I thought black Friday was the day after Thanksgiving....

Typically, yes but with all the craziness going on between Covid and the election the retailers are shifting things and have been doing more of a "rolling black Friday" with new special announced weekly...Partly to keep crowds under control and, even though they won't admit it, to try and maximize revenue in case the shit hits the fan later in the month.

In the case of Wally World, I kind of get the extra security as they have had a long history of mouth breathers behaving badly this time of year.

quote:

Originally posted by Jelly:
Was this in a semi bad neighborhood?

Nope, typical suburban area where nothing much typically happens.
Just folks living life.

Where I used to police, WalMart was constantly catching shoplifters....literally all hours of the day and night. Such that if you were having a bad day and just wanted to get off the street for an hour, you could walk into Walmart catch a shoplifter and take him to jail. It was that easy.

Even with marked police cars outside of the doors, we could still catch someone stealing.

During the stealing season, they would hire off duty cops to help with the thefts....and they paid $25/hr cash. And officers would line up to do it. Easy way to make Christmas money.

This is one of the reasons I abhor going to Wally World to this day.

quote:

Was this in a semi bad neighborhood?

Acadia, FL? No. But if something were to happen, in Arcadia, there's probably a good chance it would happen at Wal-Mart.

Walmart has (for years) employed off duty (in uniform) cops for security during the holidays. I have several upcoming shifts in the next weeks. Black Friday is being spread out a bunch this year.

Has nothing to do with masks, ballots or riots. The stores with a higher theft loss rate will have more coppers. The Walmart I work at suffers $1.3M a year in shoplifting.

Like McDonalds and the eye glass place, police departments could save money and a lot of travel and response time opening up mini satellite precincts in every Walmart in America.

One of those things you say as a joke and then realize it's not a terrible idea. It certainly would improve shopping at Walmart.

Yeah baby, every year the local rag news publishes a list of the Top 10 Places that call 911.

In the Top 10, Walmart always has 3, sometimes 4 stores that get huge amounts of 911 calls.

I agree, the cops should just open a precinct in those wallymarts.

There is always 1 or 2 hospitals whose ER's have lots of issues.

Some of the wallymarts have installed gates, just inside the store, that are supposedly one way into the store, and you can't go out that way, you have to go out through the cashier stations in order to get out of the store.

Wallymarts, a shit stain ghetto experience, not just with criminals, but also the stereotype walmartians, people of walmart dot com.

I avoid wallymart as much as I can, and when I do I always feel like I need to geta really good shower right afterwards.
.

The sketchy area Home Depot I shop at always has manned marked Police vehicles outside the entrance. Sometimes, they'll stand inside near the Entrance/Exit.

Walmart's, I expect to see them now. Costco has them as well depending on the location.