Safety First? : Dressing Room Security Remains Priority to Stores and Shoppers

It seemed unreal that a woman could be raped and robbed at knifepoint in a department store dressing room during peak shopping hours on a Sunday afternoon.

As it turns out, it was exactly that: unreal.

Earlier this month, a 49-year-old woman said a man raped her in the dressing room of a Nordstrom in San Diego. He covered her mouth with duct tape, she said, bound her hands, raped her, and then stole her jewelry.

But the San Diego Police Department recently announced that her widely publicized story was a fabrication. She recanted after police confronted her with contradictory evidence.

The news came as relief to Nordstrom, an upscale chain that has cultivated a reputation based on attentive customer service. And, no doubt, it calmed the fears of shoppers.

But even though the tale of sexual assault was false, it raised the question of safety and privacy in fitting rooms.

Since reading about the Nordstrom incident, Jenny Kim has changed her shopping habits. The 19-year-old Glendale resident said she rarely shops alone, won’t try on clothes in fitting rooms, and mainly patronizes specialty stores.

“These days you have to take precautions,” Kim said. “I feel uncomfortable in department store dressing rooms because they usually don’t have someone there, like in smaller stores, and because anyone can push open the door if they want to. So I just buy the clothes and try them on at home.”

In response to customer concerns like Kim’s, several Southern California department stores increased their security and safety awareness among personnel.

Nordstrom posted employees at dressing room entrances in most of its 72 stores nationwide, and emphasized safety in meetings, memos and morning announcements.

“It jolted everyone, but overall, the situation has helped us examine our policies to make sure we’re doing the best that we can do to make this a safe and comfortable place to shop and to work,” said Elizabeth Lovelace, regional manager for Nordstrom in San Diego.

Bullock’s does not use fitting room attendants but tries to keep tabs on customers through salesclerks and periodic security checks, said John Christman, vice president and director of security for Macy’s West and Bullock’s stores.

“The (Nordstrom) incident had us very much concerned,” he said. “We heightened our awareness and reinforced our message to our own security folks.”

Bullock’s and Macy’s stores annually receive “a handful” of customer reports of “peeping,” Christman said.

On Jan. 3, the day of the false rape report, Bullock’s in San Diego responded to complaints about a man lingering by a ladies’ fitting room. He was immediately removed from the store.

The Broadway also reviewed safety procedures with its security and sales personnel, reminding them to frequently visit fitting rooms.

The chain, with 43 Southern California stores, also posted signs in fitting rooms that tell customers how to get assistance and to inform salesclerks when they enter.

Although Nordstrom and other stores received many calls from frightened customers after the rape report, shoppers recently queried at several sites said they did not think about safety or privacy in dressing rooms.

“All I think about is the clothes and how they fit,” said 16-year-old Briana Lawrence. “I don’t pay too much attention to safety.”

Penny Wherry, a 50-year-old Angeleno, says she feels safe when she shops.

“The signs in the dressing rooms say that you’re being watched, so hopefully if they’re watching to see if you steal, they’re watching to see if I’m safe. And since (the rape) was a hoax, I figure I’m pretty safe.”

Most department stores, in fact, regard dressing rooms as relatively safe.

“It’s not an area of our store where we have historically had any problems,” said J.W. Fogg, vice president of loss prevention for The Broadway. “It’s safe in part because of the high traffic in that area, and you can raise your voice to call a sales associate. This isn’t to say that something like this has never happened, but the safety is very good.”

Fitting rooms may be relatively safe, but accidents, crimes and privacy infringements do occur.

As Lenore Weber was about to try on a dress last year in a Madison, Wis., Sears store, she reportedly heard tittering outside the fitting room. She looked up to see her disrobed body reflected in a plexiglass panel for everyone nearby to see.

Although the store manager tried to make amends by giving Weber the dress, she filed a suit that was recently settled out of court.

As one longtime fitting room attendant reported, it can be difficult to ensure complete privacy.

“I’ve caught couples making out,” she said. “All kinds of weird situations happen in these stalls and you’ve just got to ask them if they need help so that they get embarrassed and leave.”

Anti-crime advocates urge women to take the same safety precautions as they would in any public area.

“Even if what happened at Nordstrom was a hoax, don’t think it can’t happen,” said Leah Aldridge, communications coordinator for the Los Angeles Commission Against Assault on Women.

“This could happen to anyone, anytime.”

Safety First To help ensure safety in store dressing rooms, anti-crime advocates urge women to think and act preventively:

- Shop with friends.

- Survey the dressing room to see how many stalls are being used.

- Inform a salesperson that you are going in to try on clothes; ask her to check on you.

- Pay attention to people watching you.

- Don’t leave your belongings unattended.

- Pay attention to your intuition.