TARGET have announced it will team up with Homeland Security to tackle soaring theft after it was forced to shut several stores.

The retail giant announced have also promised to make “significant investments in cyber defense” as it scrambles to tackle spiralling crime.

On Tuesday, the beloved chain issued a statement to customers listing the ways it will strive to combat criminality in its stores.

“At Target, we take the decision to close stores very seriously, and only do so after taking meaningful steps to invest in the guest experience and improve business performance,” the statement began.

“With that said, we have made the difficult decision to close nine Target stores across four states, effective Oct. 21.

“In this case, we cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance.

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“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all.”

The company then lists its store policy changes, namely its decision to team up with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations.

It comes after Target made the shocking announcement that it will pull the plug on nine stores in major cities due to the spiralling crime.

Closures in New York City, Seattle, and Portland, are coming after Target CEO Brian Cornell warned that historically high crime rates could force other execs to make tough decisions.

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“We cannot continue operating these stores because theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance,” Target said in a news release.

“We know that our stores serve an important role in their communities, but we can only be successful if the working and shopping environment is safe for all.” 

One location in New York City’s Harlem neighborhood will close, alongside three in San Francisco, two in Seattle, and three more in Portland, Oregon.

Target policy changes to combat soaring crime

In Target stores:

  • Payroll investments in additional security team members, using third-party guard services, and implementing theft-deterrent tools across our business.
  • On a limited basis, implementing tools such as locking cases for merchandise categories that are prone to theft.
  • Investing time and resources in training our store leaders and security team members so they can protect themselves and de-escalate potential safety issues associated with organized retail crime incidents.

In technology:

  • Making significant investments in cyber defense to combat retail theft, fraud and abuse.
  • Partnering with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) division to combat retail theft.
  • Applying our cyber capabilities to combat organized retail crime through a combination of:
    • Advanced threat intelligence capabilities to track organized crime groups, tools and services.
    • Developing custom tools that prevent and detect criminal activity and integrating them into online and in-store processes.
    • Expanding the scope of data alerts and analysis to better capture fraudulent activity from organized crime groups.