Monday, October 6, 2014

Wal-Mart Crime report September 2014



As usual there were about a dozen bomb threats this month, and, as far as I know, no actual bombs, especially competent ones. However, at the end of last month, there was a plea bargain for a past bomb threat and there was apparently a large crown and seventy letters in support of the person who made the bomb threat.

Yea the crowd supported defendant not Wal-Mart.

Apparently the defendant was a disgruntled customer who was upset when Wal-Mart refused to accept a return without all of its components. The article doesn't provide enough information to know for certain why all these people supported the defendant in this case but I wouldn't be surprised if it had something to do with large numbers of people that have had their own problems with returns and the low quality of merchandise at Wal-Mart. Even though I have personally done very little business at Wal-Mart I have seen enough first hand to know they have major problems with returns and this isn't the first time a disgruntled customer has made the news when he overreacted.

There was also another story about a disgruntled employee who overreacted when he was fired and drove his car into the store. This isn't the first time this has happened but when they do overreact it is more common for them to either go on shooting sprees or call in bomb threats although the most common overreactions are almost certainly not extreme enough to make the news.

Wal-Mart has indicated that they're aware they might have a problem with "active shooters" by teaming up with Texas police as part of their "Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training" program. This might seem helpful if it comes to minimizing the damage at the last minute; however it doesn't indicate that they're doing anything to address the root causes that precede many active shooting incidents. If anything it indicates that they're continuing to sweep many aspects of that under the rug.

Many of the past shooting incidents bomb threats and other violent interactions have involved robberies, domestic violence, disgruntled customers or employees; but they're not addressing any of these especially the ones where Wal-Mart might be partially contributing to it. When customers or employees have problems and try to address them through appropriate means it is extremely difficult to get results with their authoritarian management that follows orders from corporate offices made by people who don't seem to know what is happening in the stores.

Wal-Mart employees continue to face retaliation for their actions during some of these events and in Utah they have filed a lawsuit to defend their right to self defense. Several have been fired for not backing off. Without knowing the details of these incidents it is hard to tell their merits but if it is based on policies decided in the corporate office and the local people enforcing them have little discretion of their own, like many other past examples it could turn out to cause problems for them.

They have also faced retaliation for exposing when the company sells expired food.

Other employees continue to face retaliation for petty thefts and Wal-Mart often uses tax payer money to enforce this to the full extent of the law. In one case they had a pregnant employee continue working as a loss prevention officer and when she was pushed by a mother trying to steal baby items the shoplifter was charged of course but little consideration was given to whether they should have pregnant woman in that position at all. Surly they must know that loss prevention officers often face these problems and a closer look at how aggressive they should be is warranted.

Additional stories have turned up about tampered baby formula and a major lawsuit about PCBs is now pending. Wal-Mart is being investigated for seeking donations for political reasons in return for donation for employees in need. They don't pay enough to keep them out of need but it appears they might be willing to pay something if it includes a political benefit for themselves.

There are also plenty of updates about the shooting in Ohio which still hasn't received much national attention although it ahs recieved an enormous amount of local and grass roots attention from alternative media outlets.

Once again the behavior of Wal-Mart is considered so bad that large number of people haven't been able to sort out satire from the real news. A story about Wal-Mart taking over the police force for a Florida town was believed by so many that the police ahd to speak out and say that it was a satire, although a close look at the web sine shows a lot os similar stories. However Wal-Mart has been hiring so many off duty police officers and many real police officers seem to cater to Wal-Mart requests, often according to rules made by politicians collecting campaign money from Walmart, which might come indirectly from either employees or customers that never intended to donate to political causes.

Have you paid attention to what merchandise smells like in an Oklahoma Wal-Mart?

Apparently some kids were spraying Doe Urine on products there.

This isn't the first time a similar event happened; a few months ago in Washington state a man in drag was arrested for urinating on products there.

Strange things happen at Wal-Mart!



In 2006 Wake Up Wal-Mart did a study, "Is Wal-Mart Safe?" based on incidents in 2004, (PDF) about crime at Wal-Mart which showed that it increased when Wal-Marts opened up and that crime was higher at Wal-Mart than at other retailers. Since then Wal-Mart Shootings began compiling a list of gun related incidents at Wal-Mart and demonstrated that they have a large number of them, including on average more than one shooting per week somewhere in the country. In January of 2014 another study, "Rolling Back Prices and Raising Crime Rates?" provided additional statistical research indicating that Wal-Mart might be contributing to higher crime rates or at least a slowing of the decline in crime. The study found that. “on average, communities with Walmarts had 17 more property crimes and two more violent crimes per 10,000 people than those communities without Walmarts.” I reviewed this more in Wal-Mart’s crime problem, Rolling Back Safety more than prices? where I explained that although this study is helpful they could have done better with additional data that is available and I reviewed some of that. I also added my own review about why I think that Wal-Mart policies have been contributing to higher crime in a previous blog, Wal-Mart high crime rate continues uninvestigaterd and have provided additional information under the author tag Walmart Crime Watch.

Stacy Mitchell has also compiled a list of other studies about Wal-Mart and how they impact society, Key Studies on Big-Box Retail & Independent Business. To the best of my knowledge Wal-Mart has done as little as they seem to get away with, often relying on rhetoric that isn't backed up with action, when it comes to addressing any of their critics concerns, including crime. The following are a list of incidents that occurred in September 2014. According to the "Is Wal-Mart Safe?" the average store in their sampling had 250 incidents per year, indicating that these are only a fraction of the crime reports at Wal-Mart, and presumably, the ones most likely to make the news on the internet nationwide. This isn't statistically representative, as the 2006 or the "Rolling Back Prices and Raising Crime Rates?" study or some of the studies cited by Stacy Mitchell; but it does provide some additional information that may help recognize how many problems there are at Wal-Mart.



Man confesses to Blount County Tenn. bomb threats dating back to January 08/20/2014

Ill. Bomb threat results in probation 09/01/2014

Nicholas A. Lane, 25, of Kewanee was sentenced Tuesday to 24 months probation for making a false bomb threat, a Class 3 felony.

Lane was also ordered to pay a $3,000 fine, $572.96 in restitution for refrigerated merchandise left in grocery carts, court costs, and 50 hours of community service.

Lane was found guilty in a June 13 bench trial.

The Kewanee Walmart was evacuated for more than four hours last Nov. 19, after Kewanee police received a report that Lane had mentioned something about a bomb in merchandise he was returning after he was told he couldn’t return the item without all of its components.

At the time, a security perimeter was set up, and bomb squads from the Peoria and Springfield area responded, along with Henry County Sheriff’s deputies and two Kewanee Fire Department engines.

First assistant state’s attorney Brian Kerr asked for prison time, along with restitution of $2,275.24 for Walmart for having to pay their employees after they were evacuated for over four hours. Walmart was also asking for over $25,000 in lost revenue for that time period.

Public defender James Cosby argued that Walmart “was not the only game in town in Kewanee” and he felt the $25,000 amount was a “nebulous idea.” Judge Richard Zimmer agreed, and that amount and employee restitution pay were denied.

Cosby noted Lane’s lack of a criminal record, aside from two minor traffic tickets, and said Lane has led a life of public service work.

Gesturing toward the back of the large courtroom, Cosby said in his 13 years as a prosecutor and now as a public defender, “I have never seen this many supporters.”

The court received more than 70 letters supporting Lane. Complete article


Man Arrested For Trying To Steal From Glenpool Ok. Walmart 09/01/2014

Woman charged with theft, trespass at NH Walmart 09/01/2014

Police: Over 2 dozen well-cared for pot plants found near Vt. Walmart store 09/02/2014

Police Arrest Man at gunpoint in SD Walmart Parking Lot 09/02/2014

Report: SC Walmart shoplifter tries to climb out cop car window while cuffed 09/22/2014

Tenn. Walmart employee accused of stealing thousands in merchandise 09/02/2014

Suspect sprays Tenn. Walmart employees with mace, flees with cash 09/02/2014

Former Wal-Mart Employee Faces Theft Charges in Union County 09/02/2014

Steamboat Srings Colorado Walmart evacuated after seizures 09/02/2014

Driver hits Walmart in Clearwater Fla. 09/02/2014

Wal-Mart to patrol Williston Fla.? The Internet said so 09/02/2014

Wal-Mart may be expanding beyond the world of retail, but running the Williston Police Department isn’t part of the superstore’s plans.

About a week ago, an article on the National Report website reported that the city of Williston would replace its police department with a privatized force managed completely by Wal-Mart.

The National Report is an online source claiming to be “America’s #1 Independent News Source.” The site’s legal page states its articles “may include unconfirmed or satirical material.” Complete article

Small Florida Town Signs Police Privatization Deal With Walmart .... or not, at least not yet 08/26/2014

Walmart is known throughout the nation and around the globe for dabbling in fields other than retail, from hair cuts to auto repair to commercial realty and beyond. And starting in January 2015, they’ll be adding their first public-sector service to the company’s already extensive resume: law enforcement.

On Friday, the town of Williston, Florida signed a deal with the world’s largest retail chain to replace their local police department with a new, privatized police force that is trained, managed, and wholly operated by Walmart. The deal would relieve the town’s local tax coffers by costing only 18% annually of what they currently spend on their police budget, in exchange for Walmart getting to test out the new service for one full year, all with mayoral and town council oversight. Complete article


Judge denies restraining order in SD Walmart case 09/02/2014

Woman Arrested for Stealing from Pa. Walmart 09/02/2014

A tough time for Iowa Walmart: construction workers for emergency repair of Walmart get in knife fight at nearby hotel 09/02/2014

Two Orlando Fla. suspects plead guilty in $2M Sams Club, Wal-Mart scam 09/03/2014

DA: Drunk driver crashes car into Framingham Ma. Walmart 09/03/2014

Ohio Walmart video reveals moments before officer killed man on cellphone 09/24/2014

Surveillance footage from an Ohio Walmart store, where police killed a young black man who was holding an unloaded air rifle and talking on his cellphone, shows he was was shot from the side as he moved to run away from advancing officers.

Police had repeatedly been told via a customer on the line to a 911 dispatcher that John Crawford III was pointing the gun at shoppers and may have loaded it with bullets. But the footage, released by prosecutors on Wednesday, shows Crawford walking past several customers in the minutes before he died without pointing the gun at them. ......

The 911 caller, Ronald Ritchie, later clarified to the Guardian in an interview that “at no point did he shoulder the rifle and point it at somebody”, stressing instead that Crawford had been “waving it around” and that the muzzle had moved in the direction of other shoppers. Ritchie told the dispatcher that Crawford pointed the rifle at two children, which the footage disproves.

The footage, which was viewed by the grand jury, showed that Crawford did not move from the spot in a corner of the store on which he was already standing by the time Ritchie called 911 to report that a six-feet-tall black man was walking around with a gun. ....

Crawford, who was speaking on the phone to the mother of his two young sons, had picked up the unpackaged air rifle from a shelf three minutes earlier, and continued wandering the aisles. Piepmeier said the item was “designed to look like the Real McCoy”. The footage showed that Crawford quickly passed four other shoppers. He did not appear to point the rifle at any of them. The two people whose bodies could be seen in full did not visibly react to Crawford or the rifle as he passed them.

Crawford then moved in and out of range of the store’s several surveillance cameras for the next two minutes. He could not be seen pointing the BB rifle at any other customers during the footage that was recorded. ..... Complete Article

Ohio investigators close Beavercreek Wal-Mart store to reconstruct fatal police shooting 09/03/2014

Beavercreek Ohio Walmart shooting victim was 'figuring out his next step' 09/05/2014

Doubts cast on witness's account of black man killed by police in Beavercreek Ohio Walmart 09/07/2014

Fairfield man's father says he heard son dying after Beavercreek Ohio Walmart shooting 09/08/2014

Crawford attorney concerned that witness saw video of Beavercreek Ohio Walmart shooting 09/09/2014

Suspect sought in June Ind. Wal-Mart shooting 09/09/2014

Blotter: Dead body in Montana WalMart parking lot, burglary at recycling company 09/09/2014

Police: Durham NC man stole children’s hospital donations from Walmart 09/09/2014

Beavercreek Ohio considers hiring PR firm in wake of fatal Walmart shooting 09/09/2014

Rev. Al Sharpton asks Ohio AG to release tape in Beavercreek Walmart shooting 09/18/2014

Why Did Cops Shoot Black Man in Beavercreek Ohio Walmart? 09/22/2014

Beavercreek Walmart shooting resonates with woman whose son killed by officer 09/22/2014

Demonstrators want justice served in Beavercreek Walmart shooting 09/22/2014

U.S. Justice Department to Review Beavercreek Ohio Walmart Shooting Case 09/24/2014

Ohio Student Assoc. discusses Beavercreek Ohio Walmart shooting 09/24/2014

1 officer in Beavercreek Ohio Walmart shooting to remain on desk duty 09/24/2014

Ohio police given 'pep talk' on shooting scenarios ahead of Walmart encounter 09/25/2014

Coroner: Williams death at Walmart ruled homicide 09/26/2014

Officer reports released in Walmart shooting 09/26/2014

'It was a crank call': family seeks action against 911 caller in Walmart shooting 09/26/2014

Beavercreek Ohio Walmart no longer selling air rifles 09/26/2014

Family attorney responds to officer's narrative about fatal Walmart shooting 09/27/2014

Police officer who shot black man in Walmart lied, victim's mother says 09/29/2014

Gov. Kasich makes statement on Walmart shooting 09/30/2014


Fired Utah Wal-Mart workers say they have right to self-defense 09/03/2014

Employees of Utah companies should not have to choose between self-defense and their job, an attorney for six fired Wal-Mart employees told the Utah Supreme Court on Wednesday.

Lorraine Brown, an attorney for the six who were fired after confrontations with shoplifting customers or another employee’s angry spouse, told the court that Utah workers sometimes had to confront a "terrible choice" of trying to ensure their own safety or keeping their jobs.

"No employee should be required to make this choice," Brown told the court.

The case arose out of Wal-Mart’s firing of the six for violating company policy that requires them to back away from confrontations where a suspected shoplifter or customer brandishes a weapon, then withdraw to a safe position and call law enforcement. Complete article


Police say woman stole nearly $2,900 in goods from Pa. Walmart 09/03/2014

Man Wanted in Counterfeit Checks Case at Ashland Ky. Walmart 09/03/2014

Police looking for man accused of flashing teen at Ga. Walmart 09/03/2014

Police: Man steals money from Carlisle Pa. Walmart cash back machine 09/04/2014

Police in Carlisle Pa. looking for man who took $80 mistakenly left at Walmart 09/04/2014

Cops: Dad charged with neglect for leaving infant alone in Fla. Wal-Mart 09/04/2014

Saginaw Mich. man gets 6 years in prison for using knife in theft attempt at Walmart 09/04/2014

Gawker: Walmart Workers Rant About the "Nonsense" New Dress Code 09/03/2014

Authorities: Man drove car into Sulphur La. Walmart after getting fired 09/04/201

SULPHUR, LA (KPLC) - Authorities said a 19-year-old man drove his vehicle into the entrance of the Sulphur Walmart after being fired Thursday morning.

Sulphur Police Chief Lewis Coats said Andre Marquise Hofemann was arrested on charges of simple battery of an officer and aggravated criminal damage to property.

Coats said Hofemann, of Lake Charles, was fired and escorted out of the store around 9:30 a.m.

"The employee then entered his vehicle and left the employee section of the parking lot, driving directly in front of the market entrance doors," Coats said. "After passing the barricades, the employee then drove onto the sidewalk between the barricades and building and crashed through the market entrance." Complete article


Lower Nazareth Pa. Walmart robbed of iPads by gunman 09/04/2014

Woman loses prepaid credit card at Ala. Wal-Mart; man uses it to buy a TV 09/05/2014

Police: Shoplifting suspects pepper sprayed SC Wal-Mart employee 09/05/2014

Police investigate false report of bomb in Kennewick Washington State Walmart 09/05/2014

Mom arrested for leaving toddler, 18-month-old twins in hot van outside Va. Walmart 09/05/2014

Tiffin Ohio Walmart closed after early morning fire 09/05/2014

Fugitive arrested in Del. Wal-Mart, police say 09/05/2014

Shelby County Alabama woman arrested for allegedly producing meth in Wal-Mart parking lot 09/05/2014

14 Laid Off By Arkansas Toy Car Maker in Blow to Wal-Mart's 'Made in USA' Initiative 09/05/2014

Police arrest man who allegedly tried to stab NM Wal-Mart employee with hypodermic needle 09/05/2014

NC father accused of leaving baby in car to shop at Walmart 09/05/2014

Stroudsburg Pa. designer says Wal-Mart is selling copies of her toys 09/0/2014

Police arrest pair for shoplifting at NH Walmart 09/06/2014

Omaha Nebraska Walmart, Employee Robbed At Gunpoint 09/06/2014

Mom finds baby formula tampered with at North Bergen NJ Wal-Mart, report says 09/06/2014

A North Jersey mother was shocked to discover the baby formula she was about to feed her infant child was tampered with, according to newjersey.news12.com.

The Wal-Mart Supercenter, at 2100 88th St. in North Bergen, recently sold Shaquette Morgan a new can of Enfamil baby formula on Wednesday, according to the article.

But when Morgan brought the baby food home to feed her five-month-old daughter, she found the security seal meddled with, according to the article.

While Morgan said the seal on the outside of the can appeared intact, the seal to the inside pouch containing the formula was broken, according to the article. Complete article


Man accused of stealing car from Fla. Wal-Mart parking lot 09/06/2014

Report: 18-year-old shot in parking lot of Goldsboro NC Walmart 09/07/2014

Police investigate death at Walmart in Berlin Delaware 09/07/2014

Police: Doe urine sprayed on products at Owasso Ok. Walmart 09/07/2014

OWASSO, Okla. — Imagine going to Walmart only to find that what you need is off the shelf. Not because it’s out of stock, but because it’s been soaked with doe urine.

Arrest and booking reports show that the damage amounted to more than $2,500.

Shoppers at the Owasso Walmart were shocked to hear what happened.

“It’s weird. It’s very weird and disgusting,” Cali Emberson said. Complete article


Thieves heist TV’s from Waterford Conn. Wal-Mart 09/08/2014

Criminal charges possible after fire at Walmart store in Tiffin Ohio 09/08/2014

Drug deal gone wrong leaves man's head bleeding at Athens Alabama Wal-Mart, police say 09/08/2014

Stroudsburg Pa. designer touts evidence: Rival bought her wares to copy for Wal-Mart 09/09/2014

Newport man arrested after allegedly photographing child in Me. Walmart bathroom 09/09/2014

Woman accused of using fake money at Fla. Walmart 09/09/2014

Walmart and Walgreens Won't Stop Selling Smokes, But Will The Decision Backfire? 09/09/2014

Fugitive in 2012 case arrested leaving Clearlake Ca. Wal-Mart 09/10/2014

Woman accused of stealing motorized Mich. Wal-Mart wheelchair, driving off with allegedly stolen items 09/10/2014

Richmond Tx. Walmart evacuated after workers report dizziness 09/10/2014

Woman Admits to Stealing Toothpaste From Del. Walmart 09/10/2014

Tacoma Wash. council violated open meetings law on anti-Walmart moratorium, developer alleges in lawsuit 09/10/2014

Fla. Walmart manager accused of sexually assaulting employee 09/10/2014

Armed robber hits newly reopened Walmart in eastern New Orleans, La., police say 09/1/2014

2 pedestrians struck in front of Walmart in Vineland, N.J. 09/11/2014

Walmart sign on dress code made fun of 09/11/2014

Mom arrested after leaving 2 kids in car at Villa Rica Ga. Walmart 09/11/2014

Retiree stalked and masturbated near Fla. Walmart shopper, police say 09/1/2014

Montana Walmart gun theft suspect in Yellowstone County jail, faces federal charges 09/11/2014

Large alligator captured near Leland NC Walmart 09/11/2014

Detectives: Suspect In Riverbank Murder Arrested At Turlock Ca. Walmart 09/11/2014

Police Investigating Attempted Kidnapping At San Marcos Tx. Walmart 09/11/2014

Bethlehem man accused of stealing $1,600 in baby formula from Whitehall Pa. Walmart 09/12/2014

Husband goes after purse snatcher at Tx. Walmart 09/12/2014

Man wanted for stealing credit cards from cars, using them at Newport News Va. Walmart stores 09/12/2014

Gas leak prompts Washington State WalMart evacuation 09/12/2014

Deputies: Man tries to use stolen credit card at NC Walmart 09/12/2014

Lake Hallie Wisc. Wal-Mart customer gets tased twice after causing disturbance 09/13/2014

Body Of Man Found In Trunk Of Car At Walmart In Riverside Ca. 09/13/2014

Fla. Walmart employees attacked during theft, suspects sought 09/15/2014

Second Tenn. Harvest Food Bank asking for votes in Walmart grant initiative 09/15/2014

Wal-Mart Spokesman Said to Resign Over Resume Falsehood 09/16/2014

Robbers slash a man's face in a Utah Walmart parking lot overnight 09/16/2014

Men stole 165 used car batteries in NC Walmart break-in, Raleigh police charge 09/16/2014

Three arrested in SC Walmart parking lot purse snatching 09/16/2014

Wal-Mart settles NY false advertising case; stores sold Coca-Cola at inflated price, claimed it was due to 'Sugar Tax' 09/16/2014

Going shopping at an Alabama Walmart? Add car insurance to the list 09/16/2014

Springfield Mass. police seek public's help as they seek 2 men suspected of stealing $710 from Boston Road Walmart cash register 09/16/2014

2 inmates who fled work detail caught at Va. Wal-Mart 09/16/2014

NC Walmart protest group continues work on plan of action 09/16/2014

Two injured in crash at Wal-Mart in East Stroudsburg Pa. 09/17/2014

Lawsuit filed over discovery of PCBs at Ind. Walmart facility 09/18/2014

An Indianapolis law firm has filed a class-action lawsuit against Walmart and corporate affiliates involved in an Eastside facility where PCBs were discovered, it announced today.

PCBs — or polychlorinated biphenyls — are highly toxic man-made carcinogens that accumulate in the body, according a release from Price Waicukauski & Riley LLC. The law firm bringing the suit on behalf of an employee who worked at a Walmart sorting facility at 3333 N. Franklin Rd., Indianapolis.

The production of PCBs was banned in 1979, according to the release. Complete article

Hundreds of Indianapolis Ind. Walmart warehouse workers tested for PCB exposure 09/17/2014

200 workers at Ind. Walmart return center won't get free blood testing for PCB contamination 09/18/2014

Employee speaks out about contaminated Ind. facility as Walmart faces third lawsuit 09/25/2014

Owner of contaminated Ind. Walmart building has "revoked" Indiana business status 09/2/2014


Firefighters called to Nebraska Walmart for possible gas leak 09/17/2014

Houston Tx. Walmart and Mississippi businesses target of bomb scare 09/17/2014

Corrections officer charged, resigns after alleged theft of Legos from Nebraska Wal-Mart 09/18/2014

Rape suspect arrested at Walmart in Ridgeland Mississippi 09/18/2014

Suspect takes beer, diapers from Tucson Ariz. Walmart 09/18/2014

Bomb threat leads to evacuation of Roeland Park Ka. Walmart 09/18/2014

Surveillance cameras capture dramatic rollover crash in Ga. Walmart parking lot 09/18/2014

2 wanted for multiple Tenn. Walmart thefts 09/1/2014

Jackson Miss. judge: Shoplifters banned from Walmart 09/19/2014 For stealing fourteen pairs of underwear or items that totaled a few dollars.

Nebraska Supreme Court rules in favor of Walmart in worker's death 09/19/2014

Fla. Wal-Mart manager accused of store theft 09/20/2014

SUMMERFIELD -- A Wal-Mart manager was arrested by a sheriff’s deputy on Friday for stealing less than $100 worth of clothing, according to officials.

Deputy Gregory Spicher went to the megastore at 17961 S. U.S. 441 and talked with another manager at the business. The deputy was told that Tiffany Harshman, a customer service manager, had left the store after admitting to taking two packs of men’s T-shirts and three packs of men’s underwear. The items taken totaled $65.83 before tax, officials said. Complete article


Shoplifting suspect stabs loss prevention employee with scissors at Wal-Mart in Roebuck Alabama 09/20/2014

Woman charged with battery against pregnant loss prevention officer in Fla. Wal-Mart theft case 09/20/2014

A woman caught shoplifting at a Wal-Mart Supercenter was arrested on a charge of aggravated battery of a pregnant woman for shoving an obviously pregnant loss prevention officer who was trying to stop her, according to a Gainesville Police Department arrest report.

Shariea Kylla Wims, 25, of 3306 SE 23rd Ave., was also charged with petty theft for the incident, which occurred at the Waldo Road store about 5:13 p.m Friday, the report states. Complete article


Ontario Walmart ups security measures 09/21/2014

Walmart at 85th & Minn. Sioux Falls South Dakota in court over ballot language 09/20/2014

Labor Groups Seek Probe of Wal-Mart's PAC 08/22/2014

Labor and advocacy groups are seeking an investigation into whether Wal-Mart Stores Inc. violated federal election laws by soliciting employees for donations to its political-action committee in exchange for charitable contributions to a fund that helps Wal-Mart employees in need.

U.S. companies are banned under federal election law from giving money directly to political-action committees. Corporations can use their own funds to administer PACs but are prohibited from compensating contributors for their donations.

In a complaint to be filed with the Federal Election Commission Monday, the groups are asking the FEC to determine whether the company flouted campaign-finance laws with a program that began more than a decade ago and matches every dollar employees donate to the retailer’s PAC with an additional $2 donation to the Wal-Mart Associates in Critical Need Trust. Hourly employees aren’t eligible to participate in the program. Wal-Mart’s PAC received $2.8 million in contributions in the last 20 months, according to FEC filings.

Wal-Mart spokeswoman Brooke Buchanan said the company is confident its matching program is lawful and that the FEC will find the complaint lacks merit. The FEC declined to comment.

Ruling on a dozen related cases over the last 30 years, the FEC has found that certain charitable matching donation programs are lawful on the view that companies can match employee contributions to a corporate PAC on a one-to-one basis as long as employees don’t get any financial or tangible benefit in return. The commission has considered this a fundraising or solicitation expense.

To drive more dollars to their lobbying coffers, some companies, including Coca-Cola Co. and Hewlett-Packard Co., offer to make charitable contributions on behalf of their employees in exchange for PAC donations.

Most of those programs offer one-to-one matches to public, unaffiliated charities and allow employees to choose where to direct the money, said Stephen Spaulding, policy counsel for Common Cause, a social welfare nonprofit that is a signatory to the complaint. In Wal-Mart’s case, “employees themselves benefit from the donation because the match is limited to a fund that only supports Wal-Mart employees,” he said.

OUR Walmart, a worker advocacy group affiliated with and partly funded by the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union, and consumer advocacy nonprofit Public Citizen are also signatories to the complaint. Original article

From Wall Street Journal

Up To Speed: Wal-Mart accused of skirting elections law and other top U.S. business news (Video) 09/22/2014

Cited at Teamsters Nation along with other labor news


Police: Man steals 2 rifles from Virginia Beach Walmart 09/23/2014

Police looking for man who robbed Charlotte NC Walmart 09/23/2014

Walmart partners with Texas State active shooter awareness program 09/22/2014

SAN MARCOS, Texas (KXAN) — Focusing on safety, the Advanced Law Enforcement Rapid Response Training (ALERRT) at Texas State has announced an unprecedented partnership.

Walmart, the world’s largest retailer in revenue, is working with ALERRT for new training material for more than one million employees. It will teach them how to deal with workplace violence.

ALERRT’s active shooter training program is well known. Now, the Avoid Deny Defend program will teach Walmart employees. Complete article


Shoplifter arrested at NH Walmart 09/22/2014

Woman charged with battery for striking her child in Ind. Wal-Mart 09/23/2014

NC man confesses to 1997 Ariz. murder after receiving texts from Walmart 09/23/2014

Man stabbed over Walmart parking space in Espanola NM 09/23/2014

ESPANOLA, N.M. —An Espanola man with a violent and deadly past is in trouble after police said he stabbed a man over a Walmart parking spot.

Ronnie Vigil faces charges for stabbing another man after the two argued who should have gotten a parking spot on Friday.

“It was an act of self-defense,” Vigil said. “He approached me while I was holding my son walking away … I asked him and pleaded and begged for him to let me go and he wouldn't let me go.”

Police don’t buy Vigil’s claims of self-defense, considering the surveillance videos of the incident. Investigators said the video clearly shows Vigil pulling out a pocket knife and swinging at the other man. Complete article


Lizella Ga. women hurt in robbery outside Wal-Mart 09/23/2014

Police seek ID of RI Walmart counterfeiting suspect 09/24/2014

New Jersey family claims 3-year-old son found porn on tablet from Walmart (VIDEO) 09/24/2014

Boyd gets fourth competency exam in Neenah Wisc. Walmart shooting 09/24/2014

WCSO seeking suspect in Fla. Wal-Mart thefts 09/24/2014

Six computers stolen from Oakwood Ga. Wal-Mart 09/24/2014

Police arrest suspect in attempted Tx. Walmart kidnapping 09/25/2014

NJ Cops: 2 stole Wal-Mart filing cabinet containing $3K in drugs 09/25/2014

Loiterers arrested in Ga. Walmart lot 09/25/2014

Employees face 99 charges in thefts at Ind. Wal-Mart 09/26/2014

Cops: Man tries to pass fake $100 at Burlington Twp. NJ Wal-Mart, Party City 09/25/2014

Police: Shoplifting Suspect Critically Injured In Shooting Outside Tenn. Walmart Store 09/26/2014

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Police in Nashville are investigating the overnight shooting of an alleged shoplifting suspect by an armed security guard in the parking lot of a Walmart store.

Metropolitan Nashville Police said it happened around 11:30 p.m. at the Walmart Neighborhood Market on Gallatin Avenue.

Police said 21-year-old DeMarko Peoples took a case of beer and a bag of dog food without paying for the items. A security guard inside the store yelled for Peoples to stop, but he reportedly ran and got into a 2009-model Nissan Altima. ....

“[Williams] said at some point in time when that car was driving by his weapon discharged. He stated he doesn't remember shooting the gun, he doesn't remember having his finger on the trigger. It just went off for some unknown reason,” said Metro Police Captain David Imhof. Complete article


Police: Tenn. Walmart security guard shot man who was stealing beer 09/26/2014

CMPD: Man accused in NC Walmart robbery tied to several other crimes 09/26/2014

Man charged with sex crimes against boys inside Henrico Va. Walmart 09/26/2014

Wal-Mart Markets Face Opposition in Northeast Mississippi 09/26/2014

Two wanted for stealing DVDs, Blu-Rays from Tabb Va. Walmart 09/26/2014

Craigslist transaction turns violent in Ga. Walmart parking lot 09/26/2014

Fla. Police: Woman stole Wal-Mart crates, tried to ram managers with truck 09/27/2014

Robber hits Overland Park Kansas Walmart store 09/27/2014

Teens arrested for Parkouring on top of Utica NY Walmart 09/28/2014

Yuma Ariz. Council to eye petition against Walmart plan 09/28/2014

Police search for armed man who robbed Orlando Fla. Walmart 09/29/2014

Bomb threat prompts evacuation at Kansas Wal-Mart 09/16/2014

Bomb threat clears Clovis Ca. Walmart 09/17/2014

Whitehall Ohio Authorities Investigate Report of Bomb Threat at Walmart 09/21/2014

Police investigate bomb threat at Alliance Ohio Walmart 09/22/2014

Niles Mich. Walmart reopens after bomb threat 09/26/2014

Bomb threat evacuates Ga. Walmart 09/26/2014

Police: Man called in bomb threat at Walmart in Orlando Fla. 09/30/2014

Fishing line prank injures toddler at a Oklahoma Walmart 09/29/2014

Man Caught on Camera Stealing Cash from Pa. Walmart Register 09/29/2014

Attorney: 'Appalling' for Wal-Mart to blame Morgan 09/30/2014

Suspects sought for larceny at Reidsville NC Walmart 09/30/2014

U.S. Judge Says Wal-Mart Must Face Mexican-Bribe Claims 09/30/2014

Following mistrial, new trial begins for Lewisberry man accused of indecent assault of 2-year-old at Pa. Walmart 09/30/2014

Three face charges after incident at East Greenbush NY Walmart 09/30/2014

Bomb Threat Briefly Closes Manchester, New Hampshire Walmart 09/30/2014

5 new lows for Wal-Mart — just this month 09/24/2014

Profiting off its new uniform policy. Faking a state sales tax. Abusing animals to promote soda. These are just some of the ways the world’s largest private employer has stooped to new lows this month. Here are five developments that expose the extent of Walmart’s greed.

1. Walmart set to profit off workers from its newly imposed dress code ...

2. Walmart fires workers who exposed the company selling expired food. ...

3. Walmart lies about a state “sugar-tax” to explain prices to customers. ...

4. Walmart harms animals for advertisement. ...

5. Walmart is even greedy with charity. ... Complete article



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