Dirk staff receive bodycams for threatening situations in supermarket | Economy

After a pilot last year, Dirk will now use the bodycams in forty stores. According to Dirk, this is necessary because store employees have to deal with threatening situations.

“Every incident is one too many for colleagues and customers,” says Dirk director Marcel Huizing. He says the cameras will prevent incidents.

Dirk employees can turn on the bodycam if a threatening situation arises. The bodycam then records image and sound, which can be handed over to the police if necessary.

There is also a screen on the outside of the camera. People who are being filmed immediately see themselves reflected in it. According to Dirk, people often repent because they see themselves on the bodycam and you can therefore prevent more incidents with this type of bodycam than with a standard variant.

Customers who are filmed with the bodycam will be told by the employee when the camera is turned on.

In recent months there has been a lot of attention to increased shoplifting in supermarkets. Jumbo recently announced that it would install more cameras to prevent theft.

Trials with smart cameras have also started. They recognize behavior that suits people who might steal. Staff then receive a signal if that customer actually wants to leave the store without paying.