Some Walmart Workers Are Now Wearing Bodycams

Store-level associates will be wearing body cameras at some Walmart stores in the US as part of a pilot program aimed at enhancing security at the retail chain. Walmart is not commenting on the program other than to say, "This is a pilot we are testing in one market, and we will evaluate the results before making any longer-term decisions." But sources tell CNBC that the bodycams are meant to increase worker safety, and are not seen as a loss prevention tactic. While other, smaller stores have used the cameras as a theft deterrent, and they're said to be a good way to prevent shoplifting, CBS News points out that Walmart's move comes after shootings and other violent incidents at some of its stores.

Photos have been posted online of signs at the entrances of some Walmart stores informing customers of "body-worn cameras in use," but it is not clear how widely they are being used at this point. A shopper at a Texas store shared a photo of a bodycam-wearing worker checking receipts at the exit. An internal document shared online instructs Walmart employees not to wear the cameras in break rooms or restrooms, and to "record an event if an interaction with a customer is escalating." (More Walmart stories.)