NEW YORK, Aug. 20 (UPI) -- Macy's has become the second major New York department store to settle racial profiling charges, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman said Wednesday.
Under the agreement, Macy's will pay $650,000 in penalties and provide more training for employees.
"This agreement will help ensure that no one is unfairly singled out as a suspected criminal when they shop in New York," Schneiderman said in a statement.
The agreement involves the 42 Macy's branches in the state. The investigation began at Macy's Herald Square in Manhattan, the chain's flagship.
Schneiderman's office investigated charges that store security or "loss prevention officers" were more likely to follow black and Hispanic shoppers and to detain them as suspected shoplifters. The agreement said that Macy's "detained African-Americans, Hispanics and other minorities for allegedly shoplifting at significantly higher rates relative to whites."
"Our company's policies strictly prohibit any form of discrimination or racial profiling and any occurrence of such behavior will not be tolerated in our organization," Macy's Inc. said in a statement.
Recently, Barneys New York agreed to a similar settlement involving a $525,000 payment.
