Historically, there has been a prioritization of profit from the commerce of basic life necessities over care for Black women, girls, trans, and gender non-conforming people. Specifically, the financial bottom line of retail stores nationwide is being prioritized over human lives.
Retail stores are causing severe harm to our communities by hiring private security companies to manage safety at their premises. Our documentation shows that private security officers racially profile, violently attack, and even kill customers. Additionally, the presence of these officers creates an environment in which store staff in states with open carry laws feel permitted to carry weapons, leaving customers at risk of even more violence.
At In Our Names Network, we center survivors of police violence and community healing to advance the Black feminist infrastructure and ideologies against police and state-sanctioned violence. Our campaign to end the use of violence during instances of shoplifting aims to create alternatives rooted in safety and care, rather than punishment, surveillance, and police violence.
Through this organizing toolkit, we will share our findings, present case studies, and offer rapid response practices to combat violence and death against customers suspected of shoplifting at retail stores. We will also present solutions that prioritize community care over corporate profits.
