Albert Heijn is deploying bodycams to combat aggression

Starting this week, Albert Heijn is equipping security guards with body cameras, initially in four supermarkets in Rotterdam and Amsterdam. The pilot program is controversial, but according to the supermarket chain, it is unavoidable due to rising aggression toward store staff.

Thousands of reports per year

According to Albert Heijn, the company receives thousands of reports each year from employees who face insults, threats, or physical violence. Sonja Boelhouwer, Director of Stores & Logistics at Albert Heijn, described the situation as “very concerning” in an interview with the newspaper AD.

The body cameras will be worn exclusively by external security guards. “We’re doing this deliberately. It’s their job, and they’re trained for it. Security guards have also received separate training on how to use the body cameras,” says Boelhouwer. The cameras are only activated during incidents, and their use is explicitly announced. Through a small screen, troublemakers can also see what is being filmed, which often has a calming effect.

Balance between security and privacy

However, the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP) warns: “The use of bodycams has a major impact on customers’ privacy and freedoms. It should only be permitted in exceptional cases, when employee safety cannot be ensured by other means,” according to a spokesperson. Albert Heijn emphasizes that the measure falls within the AP’s guidelines. Footage is automatically deleted after fourteen days and is accessible only to a select group of people. In the event of serious incidents, the footage may be handed over to the police.

If the trial is successful, Albert Heijn will expand the number of stores where bodycams are used—but only in locations where external security guards are present. A logical choice, according to Boelhouwer: “Security guards are trained to handle delicate situations. They can use the cameras appropriately without further spoiling the atmosphere.”

Albert Heijn is not the first retailer to use bodycams. Supermarket chain Dirk previously conducted a similar trial. Yet Albert Heijn’s move is causing the most controversy, given the company’s scale and prominence. Outside the food sector, H&M launched a pilot project in the United Kingdom using bodycams for store employees.