Hey, there! Log in / Register

Roche Bros. agrees to steps to end security-guard profiling of Black people at its Downtown Crossing store

Roche Bros. agreed to measures to reduce the way Blacks were "disproportionately subjected to stops" for alleged shoplifting and then permanently banned in higher numbers than similarly stopped whites to settle an investigation by the state Attorney General's office.

In the agreement, filed in Suffolk Superior Court, Roche Bros. denied it was doing anything discriminatory, that it is a completely inclusive company that "welcomes customers regardless of race or any other characteristic protected by law," that it was aghast at the state's allegations about guards from the security company it had hired and that "it would have ended its relationship with the company immediately" had it known about the problem.

Roche Bros., which opened its Summer Street location in 2015, hired Northeast Security to provide guards because of a "significant amount of theft" at the store and figured it was time to bring in loss-prevention specialists.

But, the AG's office says:

Black customers in particular were disproportionately subjected to stops by third-party security personnel ... The Commonwealth further alleges that some Black customers who were stopped were banned from later entering Roche Bros. Downtown Crossing - through third-party security officers' use of "No Trespass" orders - at rates that were disproportionate to their percentage of the population, and disproportionate to their share of stops generally.

The state also alleges that Roche Bros. failed to exercise "sufficient oversight" over the security company, provide anti-discrimination training to either the guards and its own workers at the store and failed to review shoplifting reports to ensure no group was being singled out for enforcement.

Under the agreement, Roche Bros. will hire an outside consultant to review its loss-prevention practices and develop "a policy explaining and prohibiting racial profiling, including a policy stating that discrimination against customers or other members of the public based on race or other protected characteristics is strictly prohibited, including in connection with security practices." At the outset, all workers will be required to go through training on the policy; going forward, new employees will have to be trained and current employees will have to be re-trained once every three years.

The company will also have to place a noticeable sign in the store "explaining the legal prohibitions against racial profiling" and tell customers how to lodge complaints

Along with that, the company has to develop an internal protocol for handling complaints and drafting reports on individual incidents that will then be reviewed by a "security review committee" of Roche Bros. managers, one that will be charged with "investigating any unjustified security stops and any complaints of discrimination by customers or members of the public."

The store will also abandon its current "pre-printed no-trespass letters" at the store - bans of specific people will have to be approved by the chain's loss-prevention manager and include a statement of specifically why a person is being banned.

In addition, Roche Bros. agreed to pay the state $40,000.

Neighborhoods: 
Topics: 
AttachmentSize
PDF icon Complete filing912.06 KB


Ad:


Like the job UHub is doing? Consider a contribution. Thanks!

Comments

I'd love to see the accrual they entered into their books for the increase in shrinkage they expect.

up
Voting closed 3

So you are saying that if they don't stop randomly harassing black people their loss rates will go up?

There is a term for these sorts of fact-free ass-umptions ...

up
Voting closed 2

I know that's a narrative that you need to believe but the mostly Black security guards are way too busy to randomly harass other Black shoppers. They target people actually shoplifting, like they should.

up
Voting closed 0

That's a tough location. I bet they will close in the next year or two.

up
Voting closed 5

I bet they will close in the next year or two.

Based on what? They seem to do a robust business.

up
Voting closed 3

Before Covid.

With a lot fewer people working downtown, I doubt they get the same level of traffic they did in 2019, particularly for relatively high-margin items like prepared food.

up
Voting closed 2

I've (attempted) to go in there on a Friday PM to pick up a few things and they always have a line that snakes out into the store area.

Remember this is the only grocery store in downtown, except for the Whole Foods over by MGH. Next closest full size grocery store is the Shaw's in the Pru or the new Star inside North Station.

As more residences appear downtown, people need a place to shop at that's walking distance. Roche is it.

I don't foresee it closing b/c of theft at all.

up
Voting closed 5

It’s as close as the others.
I agree that as more offices are converted to housing, they will be fine.

I wonder why they don’t have a self checkout area.

up
Voting closed 3

Close to what? For whom?

I used to have to bike to places 2-3 miles away to buy any groceries when I was at work - and my building has 24 stories of apartments above the office area. Millenium tower is right next to the place - and they probably do a lot of deliveries and some catering.

This place filled in a total food desert.

up
Voting closed 0

...and I think it's a godsend. Even though I spend way too much money there lol.

But actually, what about the other half of the security guard problem there? That all of them seem to be big black guys. Subliminal (or not so subliminal) message: black guys are scary and tough, and don't you mess with them. Racism on display.

up
Voting closed 0

Looks like you misunderstood my post.

up
Voting closed 2

And responded in kind, saying I very much appreciate the store being where it is.

And then I added what I feel is a very important question. Why does it seem they only hire big black security guards? I can't be the only one to notice this. It's tokenism, and it's ugly.

up
Voting closed 0

… if that’s what you thought.It was a response to Swirly Girl’s post.

I also appreciate the store being there and use it often.

up
Voting closed 0

So Roche filled a food desert. So your suggestion is to make a business providing a needed service to the community defenseless against shoplifters. Which is why there was a food desert in the first place.

up
Voting closed 0

They're definitely in a high-rent spot although I'd expect the landlord to be accommodating the next time the lease comes up for renewal.

The demographic which can afford to live downtown can also afford to order groceries via services like Instacart so a lot of them do. A fair number of them have cars as well -- people dropping a couple million on a condo expect a parking space.

I don't think shrinkage is what would kill the Downtown RB -- it'd be reduced traffic.

up
Voting closed 0

Data?

The place is hopping at lunch hour and after work.

There are two very large residential towers within three blocks.

up
Voting closed 2

Busy doesn't necessarily mean it makes a profit. Roche is a business, not a soup kitchen. Shoplifters and excessive insurance requirements cut into business.

up
Voting closed 2

There are people that live in the downtown area as well that rely on Roche as their primary grocery store. It's not just business people on their lunch. I live in Eastie and often travel to that location to do my grocery shopping on weekends and it's always busy. Somedays I walk out because the lines are so long. But you'd probably blame that on lack of staffing.

up
Voting closed 3

With a lot fewer people working downtown, I doubt

So no actual data, ok.

up
Voting closed 5

I decided to walk in a few minutes before 6 this evening. There were roughly 10 people in line (not quite to the switchback) for the registers downstairs, with about two-thirds of them open.

In the Before Times, the checkout queue would be back to the cheese counter during the post-work rush. I generally avoided the place before 7 PM due to the lines but it's useful to know it's not as crowded as it used to be.

up
Voting closed 4

The rent is much higher there than in any other store in their portfolio. If they are losing a significant profit margin to theft, and spending money on security they don’t need to spend in other locations…

up
Voting closed 2

...is doing a lot of work here.

up
Voting closed 4

You are responsible for your contractors, full stop.

up
Voting closed 3

Roche Bros has a checkered history of arbitrary treatment of areas with even modest percentages of minorities. When they opened their Woburn store they completely passed over Medford as their delivery area while serving the entirety of Arlington - most of which was further away. They had some pretty vague and shady "reasons" for this (including blaming marketing people and ad contractors), none of which held up when actual census data was brought out.

The only difference between Medford and surrounding areas was not income, it was not density, not crime rate either, and it wasn't distance. One guess as to the only noteworthy demographic difference.

up
Voting closed 0

Northeast doesn't bother to train it's employees and generally keeps poor oversight of them once hired. My personal experience is that it's no better then any of the other low ball contractors like allied and securitas.

up
Voting closed 2

A warm body is pretty much what security companies to do. its to give off the effect of 'security' when in reality these people have less power and do less than your average mall cop.

I am sure decades ago security companies meant a lot more but over time that is dwindled.

I'd also add that it also has to do with the contract you have with these security companies. If you don't pay for a certain level of security, you get a 'warm body' in a uniform. You pay more, you get armed guards who *can* do something. But there's a huge cost to that. Probably something Roche didn't want to pay for (and at the costs I've seen, who would want to unless you're protecting money or something)

Still cheaper than hiring an off duty cop to come and be security. And the security officer might do more than sip coffee and look pretty.

up
Voting closed 0

Contrary to @Someone who knows opinion Securitas Security Services USA inc. is pushing training for their Security Officers. That training however does not include intensive Loss Prevention courses. That is a different career path. Somehow retail organizations don't seem to know the difference.

Retailers seem to prefer the big guy with a gun instead of the smart guy who knows loss prevention, Go figure?

up
Voting closed 0