Fred Meyer forms security partnership with Portland, Oregon, to quell crime

Fred Meyer has formed a public-private partnership with the city of Portland, Oregon, to help fight crime at its stores in the area.

The Kroger Co. multi-department store chain said Thursday that it’s working closely with Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler’s office, Portland Police Chief Chuck Lovell and local law enforcement to provide a safer shopping experience.

The move comes amid elevated levels of crime—including shoplifting, break-ins and robberies—in the city that have prompted a stream of retailers and other businesses to shut locations, notably Walmart (which earlier this year closed its last two Portland stores) but also merchants like Starbucks, Cracker Barrel and REI (in early 2024). In announcing the safety initiative, Fred Meyer noted that “Portland has experienced an influx of business departures.”

Measures planned under the partnership with Portland include an increased security presence at stores; heightened safety protocols for store interiors, parking lots and doorways; advanced receipt verification; and “significant investments” in innovative security technology, Fred Meyer reported. Overall, the chain has about 10 stores in the Portland area.

“At Fred Meyer, we understand the role we play in providing critical goods to the Portland community, and we take that very seriously,” Fred Meyer President Todd Kammeyer said in a statement. “We have a moral responsibility to seek solutions that will allow us to continue to serve our hometown for another 100 years.”

The retailer added that it has “long invested in crime deterrents and safety technologies.” Efforts include the deployment of third-party security guards, rollout of public view monitors for increased visibility, installation of locking cases for high-value items, use of security tags on products, locking of shopping carts to prevent theft, installation of exit alarms to detect unauthorized departures and use of security cables to secure products.

“Portland is proud to partner with Fred Meyer in this crucial initiative,” Wheeler stated. “We recognize the critical role Fred Meyer plays to our residents, and this partnership exemplifies our joint effort to combat crime, increase safety and serve the needs of our diverse community.”

Overall, Fred Meyer operates 132 stores—ranging from in size from 65,000 to 200,000 square feet and offering food, groceries, pharmacy, health and beauty aids, general merchandise and apparel—in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon and Washington.

“Fred Meyer is piloting this approach in Portland, and we hope to learn from their great work,” a spokesperson for Cincinnati-based Kroger said in an email. “The Kroger Family of Companies is committed to making fresh, affordable food accessible to families across the country.” 

In recent years, crime has surged in the retailing industry across the country, including among grocery retailers. Chains that have cited crime problems—primarily connected with theft—include Target and Whole Foods Market, while companies like Walmart and Tops Friendly Markets have reopened stores after deadly shootings. The latest phenomenon involves bomb threats against chain retailer locations, including at Kroger’s Harris Teeter.

The National Retail Federation’s 2022 National Retail Security Survey, released last September, estimated retail shrink at a nearly $100 billion problem for the retail sector. Shrink mainly stems from external theft, including incidents linked to organized retail crime.

Eight in 10 retailers polled reported that the violence and aggression associated with organized retail crime increased in the past year. NRF noted that most retailers surveyed said in-store, e-commerce and omnichannel fraud are all rising. They also cited customer-on-associate violence and cyber crimes as high security priorities and said the current climate of active assailants and gun violence have raised concerns about being able to keep employees and customers, according to NRF.

In addition, another study from NRF and global risk advisory firm K2 Integrity, released in April, found that organized retail groups are growing in their scope and complexity. Earlier this month, NRF called on Congress to advance the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, which would boost resources and coordination among federal, state and local law enforcement to address organized retail crime.

*Editor’s Note: Article updated with comment from The Kroger Co.