Many cities and towns across the country are reporting that big-box retailers are generating

large numbers of police calls—far more than local businesses do.

One reason for this is that Wal-Mart and other big chains, as a matter of company-wide

policy, involve the police in every incident, no matter how small. While someone caught

shoplifting a $3 item from a local store might simply be told by the owner never to come

back, that same $3 shoplifting incident at Wal-Mart will cost the city hours of police time in

responding to the call, filling out paperwork, and a possible court appearance.

Another factor is that big-box stores seem to attract criminals passing through, particularly

those outlets located near a highway interchange and open 24 hours. Perhaps they prefer

the anonymity of a supercenter's aisles to the intimate environment of Bob's Hardware on

Main Street, where Bob himself greets you from behind the counter.

Below we have culled reports of this problem from around the country. Studies have found

that big-box stores can also increase other municipal costs, particularly road maintenance,

and eliminate tax revenue from small businesses that are forced to close or downsize.

Altogether, these costs may even exceed the tax revenue a big-box store generates. For

more on these studies, go to www.HometownAdvantage.org.