BEEF THIEVES BEWARE: California Walmart places anti-theft devices on packages ribeyes, ground beef

A California Walmart is drawing attention for attaching anti-theft devices to packages of beef.

A video posted by influencer Tony Bartleson, who goes by “Meatdad” online, showed packages of ribeye steaks and ground beef with wired security devices secured to them at a Walmart in San Jose. In the video, Bartleson held up a cowboy ribeye priced at nearly $16 per pound while sarcastically saying, “Welcome to California.”

The video also showed a three-pound package of ground beef wrapped with a security lock that would typically be used for more high-value products.

In a statement to The US Sun, Bartleson commented on how “seeing basic food items locked behind cages is sad.”

“My hope is that we can get to a point where measures like this aren’t necessary anymore—where people don’t have to steal just to eat, stores don’t have to lock up food, and everyone has reliable access to the necessities they need,” he said. “I think most of us want to live in a world where people can put food on the table with dignity, and I hope we continue moving in that direction.”

While it is unclear if this is just one store in California’s efforts to deter theft or a statewide policy, it comes as California continues to grapple with the issue of retail theft. The state has faced years of criticism over its handling of shoplifting following the passage of Proposition 47 in 2015, which reclassified most thefts involving less than $950 as misdemeanors. The change reduced the incentive for law enforcement agencies and prosecutors to devote resources to investigating lower-level theft offenses.

In response to the consequences of this policy, California voters approved Proposition 36 in 2024, which increased penalties for certain repeat theft-related crimes and allowed repeat shoplifters to face felony charges in some cases, even if each individual theft involved less than $950 worth of merchandise.