After removing its self-checkout lanes, a Walmart in Missouri has seen a marked decrease in crime.
According to local news source the Webster-Kirkwood Times, Shrewsbury Police Chief Lisa Vargas recently told city officials that police calls and arrests at a nearby Walmart supercenter were more than half lower than they were during the same time last year.
In April 2024, Walmart eliminated the self-checkout option at its Shrewsbury location. Many people were checking themselves out and not paying for items before the change.
According to Vargas, the local Walmart accounted for more than 25% of the 1,915 calls that the Shrewsbury Police Department received between January and May 2024.
According to the Times, only 11% of calls during the same time period in 2025 were about store-related problems.
That is a significant shift. According to the outlet, Vargas stated during her presentation, “That’s a huge change. We really appreciate Walmart taking initiative and removing those self-checkers.”
Charles Crowson, Walmart’s Director of Global Affairs, stated in an email that the company is constantly searching for methods to innovate in its stores, including the checkout process.
He added that Walmart has no plans to eliminate self-checkouts from other locations. “Any adjustments are based on varying factors, including feedback from associates and customers, shopping patterns, and business needs in the area,” he said.
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Walmart has made adjustments in an attempt to deter shoplifting several times before.
The retailer installed handheld scanners at a few locations in 2024 so that staff could make sure customers weren’t leaving stores with unpaid items using forged or outdated receipts.
Additionally, the chain has been installing official-looking devices at self-checkout stations to counteract card skimming, a technique used by criminals to steal credit card information.
