PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — WPTV is learning about a concerning increase in retail thefts on the Treasure Coast. Police in Port St. Lucie released new numbers that show shoppers are using the self-checkout line to avoid paying for products.
Both in Florida and across the country, large department stores like Walmart and Target said they're seeing a serious increase in retail theft that many are calling "skip scanning" at the self-checkout line.
"What people will do is they will scan a couple of items and not scan others," Port St. Lucie Police Chief Richard Del Torro said. "I don’t think any loss is acceptable when you are stealing from somebody."
Port St. Lucie's crime analysis unit looked at the three Walmarts in Port St. Lucie: U.S. 1, Southwest Gatlin Boulevard and Northwest St. Lucie West Boulevard.
They compared the store's theft numbers from June 2022 through May 2023 against June 2023 through May 2024. Altogether, the numbers show an overall 97% increase in retail thefts, with the Northwest St. Lucie West Boulevard location seeing the greatest increase at 524%.
It's a situation that's prompted these retailers and local law enforcement to step in with a new partnership, aimed at bringing numbers down. Del Torro said that will take the form of more officers patrolling in and around the stores at times when the thefts are happening more frequently.
"We're here to protect not only our people but our businesses and the people that frequent these businesses," Del Torro said. "We solve about 87% of the crimes that are reported to us, so a very high clearance rate. A lot of times its because there is good video. We are relentless in our follow-up."
It's a situation seen across the country that has prompted some retailers to rethink how they look at self-checkout. Dollar General has removed self-checkout from about 12,000 stores and Five Below said it's eliminating those lanes from its higher-risk locations all due to theft.
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While retailers are circling the wagons trying to find a solution, many shoppers said they'd rather not go back to the old-school checkout system if they don't have to.
"I use [self-checkout] every time because I don't like how other people bag my food," shopper Denise Syryt said. "I am not dumb. I know people steal. I see it every day. If they take it away, I'll deal with that."
Other shoppers like Tanner Tassl said a few bad apples shouldn't spoil the bunch.
"People are going to be people. Obviously, there are bad people in the world," Tassl said. "It would be a nuisance because lines would be longer."
Del Torro told WPTV that there will be recurring conversations between retailers and law enforcement as they look to implement more safeguards to protect the products, customers and employees.