Albert Heijn is starting a pilot with wearing body cameras due to persistent nuisance, aggression and violence against staff. Every year, the supermarket receives thousands of reports of employees being verbally abused or attacked in some other way.
Jurriaan Nolles
Economics reporter
This will first be done on a trial basis in four supermarkets in the center of Rotterdam and Amsterdam. If the test period turns out well, the number of stores will be expanded. This only applies to stores where security guards work.
“The vast majority of our millions of customer contacts proceed without problems, but too many incidents still occur. We find this very worrying,” says Sonja Boelhouwer, Director of Shops & Logistics at Albert Heijn.
The body cameras will only be worn by security guards. Previously, supermarket company Dirk announced that it would start working with body cameras. In that supermarket, the cameras are carried by supermarket staff, but Albert Heijn opts for hired security guards.
“We do this consciously. It is their profession and they are trained for it. Security guards have also received separate training for working with the body cameras,” says Boelhouwer.
The security guards will only turn on the cameras if an incident occurs in the store. They will also announce the use of the camera. The person causing the nuisance can also see exactly what is being filmed via a screen.
“That is not only transparent, but often seeing what is being filmed has a de-escalating effect. Also, just wearing the bodycam and announcing that filming is taking place often has a de-escalating effect,” says Boelhouwer.
Restraint is advised
The Dutch Data Protection Authority believes that shops should be cautious with the use of body cameras. “The use of body cameras has a major impact on the privacy and freedoms of customers. It is only allowed in exceptional cases, if the security of employees cannot be secured in other ways,” says a spokesperson.
Albert Heijn ‘understands that privacy is a very sensitive issue’. “But we still made this decision for the safety of our staff and other customers,” said Boelhouwer. According to the supermarket, the use of the body cameras falls within the framework set by the Dutch Data Protection Authority.
Camera images are deleted after fourteen days. They can only be viewed by the supermarket manager and a ‘select number’ of people at the head office, says Boelhouwer. If necessary, the images will be handed over to the police.
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