Security at The Co-op

As you may have noticed, the retail environment of The Co-op has changed significantly in the past year. Many of our staff members were increasingly experiencing extreme incidents, threats, and theft and expressed concern for their safety even when doing a simple task such as taking out the trash behind our building. Management had been stepping up to become mitigators and although we are grateful for their leadership, it has not been sustainable and our priority is safety; especially for our staff. Many Members have also expressed their concerns about the changing environment, most noticeably at and after dusk. The overall sentiment is that the Co-op is losing its safe environment. This change may feel different to some members who may not be aware of all the situations that we have been increasingly facing. 

We have done our best to mitigate the increased activity, however, it is becoming a bigger task than we have capacity and at times, training for which has led to a drop in morale and safety across staff. After months of careful consideration, we decided that our staff and member safety comes first and security is necessary. We selected a third-party security company that aligns with our values, Ends, and who will keep our staff, customers, and assets safe while following our cooperative principles. This partnership with the security company we selected has allowed our staff to refocus on their roles while creating a safer environment for everyone. We have received questions about the tactical vest our security is wearing. Our security team does wear vests for their safety and to have first aid equipment readily available. A yellow taser is a part of their emergency gear and only if an extreme incident of a physical attack were to occur. There is also a misconception that they are military and that they are armed. They are not and do NOT carry firearms. 

The selected company is highly recommended by Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op and Sacramento LGBT Community Center. Additionally, the owner is a member of our Co-op and a member of Sac Co-op. They are committed to our values and the security team is trained in our Cooperative Communication Policy which requires all to lead conversations with empathy, mutual understanding, and respect. We appreciate your understanding in this decision as the incidents before were impacting our staff’s safety. See below a clear breakdown of what our security team does and does NOT do. Please also help us address the misinformation of why The Co-op hired security and what our security is here to help with and what they do not do.

What Our Security Team Does

To give you context, here are the areas of focus for our security team:

• Theft prevention — keeping our store secure so resources remain available to all.
• Preventing drug use on the property — ensuring the Co-op is safe for shoppers, staff, and families.
• De-escalating aggressive or threatening behavior — using calm communication aligned with The Co-op’s communication policy first and with safety as the priority.
• Asking individuals to leave only when necessary — specifically when theft or violent behavior occurs or when individuals who have done these behaviors in the past try to return.
• Discouraging misuse of space — such as soliciting, camping, and drug use while offering respectful redirection and information on local resources.

Please note that we get detailed reports for each incident and have shadowed and witnessed our security team’s compassionate approach and alignment to our values. We trust our security team to only ask people to leave for the above and we ask you to trust us, a cooperative who is passionate about our community and all of our safety, to have selected a security team that would not and does not overstep. When our security team has to ask a person to leave and it appears the individual has done nothing wrong, it is likely because one of the above occurred and you may have only witnessed the tail end of the interaction or because the individual has done one of the above repeatedly in the past and they are no longer permitted on our property. In case of an emergency, our security is also CPR-trained and carry medical kits to aid in the interim of EMT arriving. If you do witness an interaction that does not seem to align with the above, please ask our GM, Laura Sanchez, about the incident or let us know and we will look into the incident and get back to you. (You can reach her via email: lsanchez@davisfood.coop). 

What Our Security Team Does Not Do

It’s equally important to share what security is not doing:

• They do not carry firearms (vests are for their own safety).
• They do not remove unhoused community members for no reason
• They do not ask people to leave simply for not shopping

If you have any further questions please stop by to have a dialog with our security team or our General Manager. We are happy to clarify misunderstandings and hear your concerns.