The Wal-Mart and Target stores in Mount Pleasant are seeking extra security for the day after Thanksgiving.

“Each store is going to have one deputy,” said Isabella County Sheriff Leo Mioduszewski. “They are there to be visible.”

Wal-Mart, 4730 Encore Blvd., will have an extra officer for six and a half hours on Black Friday, and Target, 4097 E. Blue Grass Road, will have an extra officer for eight hours.

The stores approached the County Commission on Nov. 3 to ask for extra security. Employees from both stores were unable to comment on security matters.

County Commissioner John Haupt said the extra security will be concentrated in one area.

“Most of that patrol will be outside of the building,” he said.

Extra supervision

Black Friday is considered the biggest shopping day of the year and falls on Nov. 27.

Commissioner George Green said the stores are just looking for someone to help look over the customers.

“This is Black Friday supervision,” he said.

Black Friday is known to be a crazy shopping day because stores host some of the best deals of the year. Last year, a Wal-Mart employee in Valley Stream, N.Y., was trampled to death on the morning of Black Friday.

Mioduszewski said stories like that receive attention from other places of business.

“They are just being proactive and want extra security to be there to help prevent an incident,” he said.

However, Mioduszewski said there have not been any big issues in the past in the area and believes Mount Pleasant will not have any problems.

“I’m not aware of any major problems in the past,” he said. “It is just a proactive measure.”

E-mail the author: Edward Schutter