Macy’s to Pay $650,000 to Resolve Bias Inquiry
By ALAN FEUERAUG. 20, 2014
After an 18-month investigation, Macy’s has agreed to pay a $650,000 fine and hire an independent monitor to address complaints that minority shoppers faced heightened surveillance and, in some cases, wrongful detention at its flagship store in Midtown Manhattan.
The investigation, conducted by the state attorney general’s office, reviewed the internal “loss prevention” procedures employed by Macy’s at its Herald Square store as well as allegations that black and Hispanic shoppers were unfairly targeted by security officials. The inquiry found that Macy’s “detained African-Americans, Hispanics and other minorities for allegedly shoplifting at significantly higher rates relative to whites,” a settlement agreement to be released on Wednesday said.
“This agreement will help ensure that no one is unfairly singled out as a suspected criminal when they shop in New York,” the attorney general, Eric T. Schneiderman, said in a statement set to accompany the release of the settlement document, which covers all 42 Macy’s stores in New York State.
The deal with Macy’s comes a week after Mr. Schneiderman’s office reached a similar one with Barneys New York, which agreed to pay $525,000 and institute a host of reforms aimed at addressing allegations of racial profiling at its Madison Avenue store.
The Macy’s investigation included a review of complaints since 2007 from 18 minority shoppers who claimed they had been improperly detained at the Herald Square store. Among those who complained were a black woman confronted by security workers while riding an escalator with merchandise openly draped over her arm, and a black man in the store to exchange goods.
https://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/20/nyregion/macys-to-pay-650000-to-resolve-bias-inquiry.html?_r=0
I apologize for requesting facts, but just curious…what is the rate of shoplifting/theft by race in general, in department stores and in Macy’s in particular?
BTW, I fully expect to be (unfairly) be called a racist for this request (see open debate article above) but I am just curious about the statistics.
Why not a picture of Macy’s instead of this buffoon?
9:30. These numbers are never provided.
When they talk about the rate of incarceration it is in the context of racism. It is not that they are innocent, just disproportionate rates by race. There is the possibility that white people are not being watched as much as blacks, but does that count for the whole difference?