Why Walmarts Are Hotbeds for Crime

Law enforcement experts say strangers are bound to act out when they find themselves mixing all in one place — in this case, the largest retailer in the world.

The massacre at Walmart is renewing concerns over the troubling high number of crimes at the retail giant.

Fights regularly break out at Walmarts across the nation. Crime at Walmart is so rampant in certain cities that police departments say their resources are being stretched thin responding to calls.

In the small city of Chicopee, Massachusetts, there is only one Walmart, but cops say they've received 2,359 calls since 2015.

"On average, it is once or twice that the police are at a Walmart a day, especially in our city,” one officer told Inside Edition. 

There are 16 Walmart’s in Jacksonville, Florida, and in 2015 there were a whopping 5,298 calls.

Inside Edition’s Lisa Guerrero went on a ride-along with police in Lakeside, Colorado, which has a police force of 12 officers and in 2015 got 1,270 Walmart-related calls. Guerrero was there when an accused shoplifter was taken into custody. Guerrero also met Ashlyn Rogers, who was beaten with a baseball bat by a Walmart shopper.

Walmart is the world's largest retailer with more than 4,000 stores across the country. In some locations, it's a popular place where folks can shop and socialize. Law enforcement experts say that when strangers find themselves mixing in one place, criminal behavior is likely to happen.

Walmart is implementing additional security measures at its stores, including in Secaucus, New Jersey, says security expert Bill Stanton. The store has a solar-powered portable camera system. 

"This is really good because it can go anywhere that they want,” he told Inside Edition. 

Walmart said in a statement to Inside Edition that safety is a top priority at its stores and there are programs in place to address the safety of employees and customers. 
 

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