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Shrewsbury police report large drop in calls after Walmart removed self-checkouts
Summary
Police Chief Jarvis told aldermen the department recorded fewer calls and arrests tied to the local Walmart after the retailer removed self-checkout lanes; the chief provided call and arrest figures comparing year-to-date periods.
Police Chief Jarvis told the Board of Aldermen the department has seen a substantial decline in calls and arrests linked to the local Walmart after the retailer removed self-checkout stations.
Chief Jarvis presented comparative figures for January 1 to May 31 in consecutive years. He said last year during that period the department logged 1,915 total calls with 509 tied to Walmart; this year the department had 1,662 total calls with 183 tied to Walmart. Chief Jarvis reported in-custody arrests in that five-month span fell from 160 last year (108 at Walmart) to 55 this year (49 at Walmart). Noncustodial arrests fell from 256 to 57 in the same period, and juvenile arrests declined from 13 to 5.
The chief described the change as a roughly 65% reduction in Walmart-related calls and said the department welcomes the retailer's decision to remove self-checkout lanes. He also reported overall written reports dropped from 571 to 394, a 31% reduction, and asked aldermen to note the resource impact of that operational change.
Aldermen and staff asked no substantive follow-up questions during the report. The chief also summarized upcoming community events and patrol activity plans tied to local runs and park events.
