Police and retailers prepare for Black Friday crowds and chaos

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According to Richard Mellor, the vice president for loss prevention at the National Retail Federation, stores around the nation are considering ways to mitigate such violence, including having customers line up inside the store to keep the mad rush for the door to a minimum.
"Arguing seems to center around who was in place first," says Mellor, so tickets or colored wristbands indicating, for example, the first 50 people in line, could help control frustration.Mellor says that retailers will also strategically place the most popular items in locations throughout the store that have easy access for crowds and proximity to cashiers.Target stores will have security in parking lots before the stores open and plan to maintain a 10-foot "buffer" between the beginning of the line outside and the front doors, according to spokesman Evan Miller.

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In San Leandro, Calif. - where a man was shot in the neck outside a Walmart on last year's Black Friday - Lt. Randy Brandt of the San Leandro police says that officers will be stationed at big retailers planning overnight Black Friday events to help with any problems.
And at the Porter Ranch, Calif. Walmart where Elizabeth Macias pepper sprayed fellow shoppers in 2011, local media reports that this year the store has hired 27 additional security guards, including four carrying guns.

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Black Friday Violence: Police and retailers prepare for crowds and chaos - Crimesider - CBS News

I picked up some time tomorrow night for Wal Mart's black Friday. I like holidays off when I get them, but for what they're paying I couldn't resist.

The only upside I can see to earlier store openings is that maybe, just maybe, less people will be out drinking at the bars and will be shopping instead. The downside is that there are a lot more potential victims of DWI crashes out there.

How is this news? I swear the newspaper needs a "No Sh*t" section.

My two co-workers on the task force with me wanted to come in early to help work the black friday crowds.

I said F that. They both picked up OT shifts from midnight tonight to 0700, then are doing their 10 hour shifts.

I told them I'd be in when I'm in, probably around 10

I heard today that Wal-Mart here was requesting 10 off-duty officers for tonight and nobody signed up. I think there was plenty of other details that would not be so crazy.

I just got home a little bit ago. Aside from one guy getting a little grabby and taking something from someone else's grasp, it was uneventful.

It was pretty disturbing though. People grabbing armfuls of second rate movies simply because they were cheap, etc. The high dollar item sales went smooth.