T.J. Maxx's parent company wants to curb shoplifting with a police tactic: Body cameras

TJX, the parent company of T.J. Maxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls, announced it is bringing out another watchdog to crackdown on theft.

The owner of the retail stores said that it will be adding body cameras to be worn by its employees in order to deter thieves.

A TJX spokesperson said in a statement to USA TODAY that the body cameras have already been used in various stores "over the past year".

Here’s what you need to know about TJX’s body cameras in its stores.

Limits on self-checkout:A California bill would lessen kiosks.

Who will wear the body cameras in the TJX stores?

The TJX spokesperson explained that not every associate will be eligible to wear a body camera within its stores. However, their loss prevention associates who are trained to use the cameras will be the ones wearing them while in the store.

Can anyone obtain the body camera footage?

No, to get or view the video from the cameras you’d have to be a law enforcement officer or legal representative that is requesting a subpoena, the spokesperson said.

What is the company's main goal for the body camera addition?

The spokesperson said the implementation of the body cameras is a way to promote a safer environment for shoppers as well as its associates. The retail stores hope that the body cameras will add another level of security, lessen crimes within its stores and prevent escalated incidents from occurring.

Crackdown on retail theft, shoplifting

The push for more security comes as department stores like Target started adding more measures to stop retail theft. The department store's new “True Scan” will detect if barcodes aren’t scanned while a customer is in a self-checkout lane.

This addition was created nearly a month before a California woman was convicted of shoplifting $60,000 worth of merchandise from the store while using the self-checkout.

Ahjané Forbes is a reporter on the National Trending Team at USA TODAY. Ahjané covers breaking news, car recalls, crime, health, lottery and public policy stories. Email her at aforbes@gannett.com. Follow her on Instagram, Threads and X (Twitter).