Hourly retail workers are now wearing police-like body cameras
Criminal justice expert John Eck sees body cameras as fact finding resource
Security workers at the large retail operation TJX — the parent company of TJMaxx, HomeGoods and Marshalls —will soon be wearing body cameras, much like those used by law enforcement, says a CNN article.
The extra “eye” in the store is meant to deter shoplifting, but some employees and retail crime experts see it as redundant since there are already cameras in most retail stores — which criminals already know.
John Eck, a professor of criminal justice at the University of Cincinnati, says the cameras could provide a way to settle disputes about what occurred in the store.
Body cameras in retail, he told CNN, “can help sort things out” when there are customer complaints over issues like racial profiling in stores or wrongful arrests for shoplifting.
TJX is the first retail operation to publicly announce the use of body cameras, but many other, unnamed retailers are on board with the idea, the article states.
Feature image at top: iStock/erstik
The University of Cincinnati is leading public urban universities into a new era of innovation and impact. Our faculty, staff and students are saving lives, changing outcomes and bending the future in our city's direction. Next Lives Here.
Related Stories
UC's art collection on display at the Contemporary Arts Center
January 5, 2026
University of Cincinnati leaders joined WVXU's Cincinnati Edition to talk about the university’s 200-year-old art collection, a new exhibition at the Contemporary Arts Center and the release of a companion book exploring the collection’s role in education and public engagement.
UC faculty and staff among Rising Star leadership honorees
January 5, 2026
Two UC faculty and staff members are among this year's Rising Star leadership program sponsored by YWCA Greater Cincinnati. Kelli Beecher, assistant professor in the UC College of Nursing, and Brittany Bibb, assistant director of programs and operations in the UC Division of Student Affairs, are among the emerging leaders of 2026. They were featured in the publication Movers & Makers.
What's behind the mysterious rise of migraines?
January 5, 2026
Weather patterns such as extreme heat and storm conditions have been linked to migraine attacks, and research shows those environmental conditions are becoming more common. As National Geographic recently reported, one of the leading theories behind this mysterious rise is that climate change may be playing a role.