VIDEO: Winter Haven shoplifting suspects ignore Walmart employee, walk out with pool

WINTER HAVEN, Fla. (WFLA) – Winter Haven police are looking for a couple who loaded up their shopping cart and left the store without paying—ignoring the employee who asked to see their receipt in the process.

It happened on April 7, 2017.

A Florida man and a Florida man entered a Walmart located at 7450 Cypress Gardens Blvd. in Winter Haven and headed to the housewares area.

They filled their cart with a number of items and then a pool.

With a cart full, they headed out to through the garden center without paying.

The employee asked to see a receipt, but was ignored by both suspects.

The surveillance video shows what happens all too often at your local Walmart.

“In the two Walmart’s that we have alone in our city, we respond to about 200 retail thefts each year,” said Winter Haven Police Spokesperson Jamie Brown.

A spokesperson with Walmart says they’re gotten tougher on crime. A company spokesperson emailed a statement:

“No retailer is immune to the challenge of crime. We recognize the importance of this issue at the highest levels of the company, and we are investing in people and technology to support our stores. We’re encouraged by a 35% reduction in calls to law enforcement agencies nationwide, on average, since we began implementing Restorative Justice and other crime deterrence programs. In the Tampa Bay market, we have seen a 60% reduction in calls to law enforcement already this year. We’ll continue our outreach to law enforcement across the country, and in communities like Tampa Bay, as part of our ongoing commitment to meet our customers’ and associates’ expectations of a safe and enjoyable shopping experience.”

In 2016 Walmart executives and Tampa Bay area law enforcement agencies started working together to curb crime in the retailer’s stores.

The Tampa Police Department, St. Petersburg Police Department and Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office say the programs are working.

“The Numbers are down. That’s not to say we don’t report to Walmart when there is a serious call, we absolutely do that, but a lot less of the little bitty things that were taking up some of our time,” Tampa Police Department Spokesperson Steve Hegarty said. “We’ve even gotten some calls from other states, from law-enforcement, to ask how it is working out.”

The retailer has unveiled several new programs across the country at various locations, aimed at shoplifters.

1. Through our “More at the Door” program, we’ve placed Customer Hosts in about a third of our U.S. Supercenters. In addition to greeting customers, checking receipts where appropriate, assisting with returns and keeping our entrances clean and safe, the Customer Hosts receive specific training to help deter shoplifting. The Customer Host wears a yellow vest, making it easier for customers to spot them. In recent months, we’ve added 9,000 new Customer Hosts across our Supercenter fleet.

2. We’ve increased training for our Asset Protection associates, both at store level and through our training academies.

3. We’ve deployed a Restorative Justice program in more than 1,500 stores, working with two Restorative Justice providers. The program offers first-time, low-risk offenders a second chance in order to make things right by participating in an educational course in lieu of prosecution. The recidivism rate (percentage of people who relapse into criminal behavior after an intervention) for Restorative Justice is just 2% to 3%, depending on the provider. And since implementing the program, we’ve seen a 35% decrease in the number of calls to law enforcement agencies nationwide, on average.

A Walmart Spokesperson told News Channel 8 the company plans to expand their programs to more stores in the future.

As for the couple in the video, the Winter Haven Police are asking for the public’s help in identifying them.

Anyone with information on the incident is asked to call Heartland Crime Stoppers at 1-800-226-TIPS (8477).

STORIES THAT OTHERS ARE CLICKING ON