Target, just like many other retailers, has fallen victim to shoplifters, with almost a billion dollars in goods stolen from their stores in 2023. However, the numbers could have been much worse if it weren’t for their unique anti-shoplifting tactics. Target’s way of combating shoplifting was to establish a forensics lab in Minneapolis, Minnesota, that is more advanced and high-tech than many police departments’ forensics labs.
The lab was developed in 2003 to give the company expertise when it came to analyzing surveillance footage from in and around the store. Forbes states that Target has had cameras in all their stores since the 1980s, but it hadn’t been enough to stop serial shoplifting from occurring. The lab hires specialists in analyzing video evidence from cameras and smartphone recordings to help identify shoplifters, frauds, and injuries inside Target stores. However, due to the skill and technology the lab possesses, it has been of help in many cases outside of Target stores, solving some of the most gruesome crimes including murders, arsons, abductions, rapes, and mass robberies.
In many cases, the Target lab has been able to solve cases that even the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) can’t solve. Forbes goes on to say that in one specific case, the experts at the Target lab were contacted by the Huston police department to help solve an arson case. A convenience store camera had caught two boys buying gasoline a short time before the fire, but the tape was damaged, making it impossible to make out the boys’ faces. After the FBI was unable to solve the case, the tapes were passed over to Target, where they were repaired, and the faces of the boys were able to be seen.
Aside from stopping shoplifting and helping law enforcement, the Target lab also teaches and supports government agencies. According to the Washington Post, experts at the lab have taken a leading role in teaching government protection agencies about how to use technology to help solve crimes. In the past, Target has also helped organize undercover investigations, as well as helping United States customs verify overseas imports are coming from reputable sources.
While a retailer may seem like an odd group of people to help solve crimes, Target has proven to be a helpful resource to police forces and government agencies alike.
