Opinion: Central Park Walmart locks up everything

Photo bymarcos mayeronUnsplash

Have you been to the Walmart in Denver's Central Park neighborhood lately? If so, you no doubt have had to chase down a store employee (good luck finding one who’s not already busy) to retrieve a locked up item. For example, disposable razors now are under lock and key. So are toothache relievers. And bottles of detergent have an odd do-hickey dangling from them that must be removed or they will set off alarms on the way out.

Far more items also are under lock and key, including much of the health and beauty and household inventories. I suspect much of the shoplifting comes from residents of the many homeless hotels that have sprung up around the Smith Road Walmart at Quebec Square. Before anyone says I am stereotyping, remember I experienced homelessness myself, and I also live in one of those homeless hotels, Fusion Studios. I also never have stolen anything in my life.

I can only imagine the losses that Walmart is suffering. Back in 2018, Denver 7 reported on that location. In that article, police said that Walmart location is one of the worst in the U.S. for theft. A few years ago, it ranked in the top five percent of Walmarts nationwide for shoplifting, according to The Denver Post.

Store losing money due to theft

“The (Central Park) Walmart reported to police that it loses $1.5 million each year to theft,” Denver 7 reported. And that was in 2018, before several homeless hotels opened within walking distance of the Walmart.

The reason I know a lot of homeless people steal is because I have been around them. Many consider it a full-time job. They scour the parking lot for receipts and then go in and steal as many of the items on the receipt as they can. They then return the items with the receipt for cash.

I must say it is discouraging to see that shoplifting has become such a big problem that stores must lock everything up and inconvenience customers. I reached out to the Walmart corporate office but have not heard back. This story will be updated if Walmart responds.

Walmart shuts down Aurora store in high-crime area

On May 10, Aurora Mayor Mike Coffman posted on Facebook that he received a call from Walmart and learned the store at 10400 Colfax in Aurora is closing. “I'm disappointed that they would not give me an answer as to why the store was closing, although I know that the Colfax and Havana area is the most difficult area in the city of Aurora in terms of crime,” Coffman wrote. “During the call, I expressed disappointment that I never received any previous communications from either Walmart's corporate headquarters or from the manager of their Colfax location prior to this decision while I often receive communications from business leaders and mangers about their challenges so that the city can have an opportunity to address them.

"Walmart agreed to send some of its corporate leaders out to Aurora so that we can discuss the eight remaining stores in our city and the challenges that they are facing and what the city and Walmart can do to be better partners,” Coffman said.