As students flood into local stores during lunch breaks and after school, some businesses are becoming increasingly cautious. Both Walmart and Walgreens have introduced new security practices aimed at curbing theft and vandalism, actions that have sparked mixed reactions from the community.

In recent months, students have reported being asked to leave their backpacks at the front of stores or being closely monitored while shopping. While some view these changes as necessary for business protection, others feel unfairly targeted simply for being young.

At Walmart, security staff, particularly those in asset protection, play a key role in responding to these concerns. An asset protection associate who has been working at Walmart for about five months shared insight into his role.

“A typical day looks like working over by the self-checkout, walking around the store to ensure no one is stealing, and doing whatever cases from the previous day,” he explained. While he hasn’t noticed a major increase in theft specifically from students, he said there are certain trends. “Most of the time when students do steal, it’s either jewelry or electronics.”

He also clarified that not all student groups are treated the same. “If a large group of students comes in and they’re just wandering around the store, not causing a disturbance, and just shopping, then there isn’t a problem,” he said. “It becomes a problem when they start to break stuff and start to cause disturbance within the store. That’s when we have to kick them out for 24 hours.”

Walgreens employees have shared similar experiences. Due to repeated incidents of vandalism and petty theft, some locations have implemented policies like requiring students to leave bags at the front or limiting how many can enter at once.

Store managers and employees say these measures are not meant to single out students but are necessary to protect their inventory and keep stores safe for all customers.

Some students feel the policies are unfair, arguing that they are being judged based on the actions of a few. “It’s frustrating,” one student said. “I just want to grab a snack or something after school without feeling like a criminal.”

While the balance between security and trust is tricky, conversations like these are pushing schools, parents, and businesses to consider how to better communicate expectations and rebuild mutual respect.

For now, the best step students can take is to be respectful in stores, avoid large rowdy groups, and follow posted store rules. Rebuilding trust starts with small actions and understanding both sides of the story.