A trial by supermarket giant Morrisons to install ‘RoboCop’ style security cameras has sparked a backlash among some shoppers who claim the new devices have left them feeling “like a criminal”.
The chain has deployed portable CCTV devices along its alcohol aisle in some stores as part of its plan to tackle the rise in retail shoplifting.
The four-legged devices are called Safer Pod S1 and have features such as a 360-degree HD camera view, are remotely controlled and have a 120db siren system.
Originally designed as a security measure in empty warehouses, the cameras have become the latest initiatives installed by a retailer in the battle against a ‘shoplifting epidemic‘.
However, Morrisons shoppers took to social media to voice their dislike of the supermarket’s new cameras with one user claiming it made him “feel like a criminal”.
Mark Powlett wrote on X, “Wow Morrisons how welcoming Robocop feels. I’m typing this as I wait for the one member of staff covering all the self-service tills. I’m also being filmed there because actually paying staff to work when you can just make customers feel like criminals is lovely isn’t it?
In response to a comment from Morrisons, Powlett added: “There is literally nothing you can say that would make me think this is an acceptable way to treat customers. There’s less and less staff. We serve ourselves, wait an age for the one poor person helping to approve purchases and now this. It’s awful.”
One user described the move as a “panopticon society” while another commented: “All the big supermarkets are starting to feel like a hostile environment where every customer is a suspected thief. It’s not pleasant to shop in these places.”
A spokesman for Morrisons said that it had trialled the pods in a ‘handful’ of stores over Christmas and is reviewing whether to install them across the country.
A spokesperson added: ‘The aim of this was to deter crime while also helping to ensure the safety of our colleagues and customers.’
Safer Group described its device as a ‘cutting-edge, intruder detection system to enhance the safety and security of Morrisons’ stores’.
Last year, Morrisons unveiled a series of measures to tackle the surge in retail crime, including the introduction of optional staff worn body cameras and a fleet of CCTV vans.
I don’t see the problem. If you’re not stealing stuff, it actually protects you. We all want lower prices and in response to that, retailers have to cut costs so employ less staff and try to reduce theft. If we want more staff, we have to pay for them with higher prices. If the shops put up prices, people also complain.
If you don’t like what they are doing, vote with your feet and shop elsewhere.