NEW YORK, Jan 14 (AFP) - The US department store chain Macy's has agreed to pay 600,000 dollars to settle charges that its New York stores engaged in illegal racial profiling in dealing with shoplifting suspects, officials said Friday.
Under the settlement, announced by New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, Macy's also undertook to change its anti-shoplifting security practices in its 29 state outlets.
The financial penalty will be paid to New York State to cover the expense of investigations Spitzer's office launched in July 2003 after complaints from black and Hispanic customers that they were being unfairly targetted.
The customers said they were followed, questioned and searched by in-store detectives who picked them solely on the basis of their race or ethnicity.
Spitzer's investigation found that blacks and Latinos made up more than 75 percent of those detained or questioned -- a disproportionately high number when compared with the percentage of black and Latino shoppers.
"Store patrons should be allowed to shop unencumbered and free from harassment," Spitzer said.
Despite an official Macy's policy of only handcuffing suspects who posed a threat, Spitzer said investigations also found that virtually every detainee suspected of shoplifting was handcuffed in a number of New York City stores, regardless of the person's age, size, or behavior.
In a statement released Friday, Macy's East Inc. stressed that it did not tolerate discrimination and expressly prohibited profiling.
"If anyone is found to have engaged in profiling or any form of discrimination, that person will be disciplined or fired," the statement said.
"We intend to work closely with the office of the Attorney General to assure that all customers are treated equally and that all of our employees abide by the letter and spirit of our policies," it added.
01/14/2005 17:59 GMT - AFP