Fred.... The main reason for not interfering with property crimes seems to be an over abundance of civil suits that have been filed by the "victims" of "abuse" at the hands of those preventing criminal activity. The courts will even award obscene amounts of damages to criminals who get injured during the commission of a crime, up to and including doing stuff where they harm themselves by their own clumsiness or stupidity. Insurance companies routinely settle this stuff before a trial, to avoid litigation costs, and of course your liability fees must increase for something they do, and they sweeten their own pot a bit in the process.
I've read several things where for example, and I'm paraphrasing here... A burglar is interrupted while stealing someone's property, and while fleeing the scene, breaks a leg jumping over your fence. Bingo... he lawyers up and they file a negligence suit against you for having an unsafe fence . If you're properly insured no immediate big problem, Insurance company settles, burglar and attorney laugh all the way to the bank, & your rates increase next time around. If you're underinsured or uninsured, you're toast, headed toward bankruptcy. Criminal proceedings against the miscreant tossed out or plea bargained down to nearly nothing. Costs too many tax dollars to incarcerate anyone for a minor criminal infraction. Repeat cycle. Bottom line, we have allowed lowlifes to have more value than Joe Lunchbox. Sad indeed. Rant over.

Fred.... The main reason for not interfering with property crimes seems to be an over abundance of civil suits that have been filed by the "victims" of "abuse" at the hands of those preventing criminal activity. The courts will even award obscene amounts of damages to criminals who get injured during the commission of a crime, up to and including doing stuff where they harm themselves by their own clumsiness or stupidity. Insurance companies routinely settle this stuff before a trial, to avoid litigation costs, and of course your liability fees must increase for something they do, and they sweeten their own pot a bit in the process.
I've read several things where for example, and I'm paraphrasing here... A burglar is interrupted while stealing someone's property, and while fleeing the scene, breaks a leg jumping over your fence. Bingo... he lawyers up and they file a negligence suit against you for having an unsafe fence . If you're properly insured no immediate big problem, Insurance company settles, burglar and attorney laugh all the way to the bank, & your rates increase next time around. If you're underinsured or uninsured, you're toast, headed toward bankruptcy. Criminal proceedings against the miscreant tossed out or plea bargained down to nearly nothing. Costs too many tax dollars to incarcerate anyone for a minor criminal infraction. Repeat cycle. Bottom line, we have allowed lowlifes to have more value than Joe Lunchbox. Sad indeed. Rant over.

I worked 40 plus years in the grocery business, mostly for a chain owned by Kroger. I was in management for most all of the time. It is correct that only certain management employees that have been trained in shoplifting apprehension may stop a shoplifter, and then only under certain conditions. Other employees may be fired for trying to intervene.
A couple of the reasons for the policy.
1. The company has had numerous employees hurt and almost killed trying to stop a shoplifter. Never know if the person has a weapon, or just wants to fight the employee trying to stop them.
2. Some suspected shoplifters have been stopped and they did not have any merchandise on them. They could have ditched it on an aisle or whatever. Then you could have a lawsuit coming.
So the risks are not worth it for the company or employee. Unfortunately, it really puts the criminal in a huge advantage. It is really sad, was not like this when I started 40 years ago.
Our society has gotten really bad, but Jesus said it would be like this in the end times, so I am not one bit surprised.

My wife got a call from her Brother. He is handicapped and is recognizes by the state as so, but would rather work, so he works two different jobs to pay his way. He stocks shelves in a large multi product store like a Kroger. He told my wife that a couple days ago a guy comes in with a big bag with some cloths in it and grabbed some stuff off the shelf and said, "YOU CAN"T DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT" and Left the store. My brother-in-law told my wife that they were told by management that if you try to stop them they will be fired!
About 8 or 10 years ago he invited me to go with him to a banquet dinner for awards given to employees for years on the job. It was random seating so I happen to sit next to an executive who ran the theft protection group for all the stores. Now this was way back before all the woke and other crap that has been going on now days. In talking to him I asked him how much the organization had to pay out for employees working in that area as well as cost of lost goods. Without blinking he said $100,000,000 a year !!! Imagine how much they have to pay now, lots more. We all have seen comments on the price of groceries and stuff. They can't just eat those costs, that has to get passed on in cost of goods we buy, so WE are paying for those crooks. If I had a say, they would have to be locked up for more than a day or so before they are cut loose to repeat the whole process knowing they will only at a MAXIMUM get a slap on the hand less sever than what we got as a kid with a slap of a ruler on a hand!