With the Sept. 8 death of 20-year-old Pizza Hut delivery driver John Stambaugh fresh on their minds, Memphis pizza delivery drivers head to work every day and confront the same threat.
“I’m always cautious of the situation (on a delivery),” Domino’s driver Mike Layton said. “I’m not going to risk my life to deliver a pizza.”
Police and industry officials say pizza delivery drivers across Memphis and the country face the possibility of robbery or worse every time they go to work.
“Fast food delivery drivers are easy targets for robberies,” Maj. Randall O’Byrnes of the Memphis Police Department Robbery Unit said. “The robber knows the time and place where the driver will be.”
Although the drivers are “easy targets,” many companies have policies to try to prevent these situations. Some drivers, however, say the policies are not effective or are not followed.
President of the Association of Pizza Delivery Drivers (APDD) Jeff Callahan, a 16-year veteran driver, said many of the pizza chains he has worked for employ company policies on robbery that instruct drivers to cooperate with their assailants.
“There are also well-intentioned ideas like using caller ID, *69 and customer callbacks after a certain time,” Callahan said. “These policies are rarely enforced or the systems are used sporadically.”
APDD Treasurer Tim Lockwood, a seven-year pizza delivery driver, said the best thing companies do for their drivers is to advertise the fact that most drivers carry less than $20 on deliveries.
“However, there is a lack of adequate training on what to do to prevent bad situations from happening and a lack of encouragement for drivers who successfully leave the scene of a bad situation,” Lockwood said. “And there is (a lack of instruction) on what to do if you find yourself in a bad situation.”
Layton agreed that carrying no more than $20 on deliveries is a deterrent to possible robbers.
“If a robber sees a lot of money changing hands on a driver, it’s an opportunity for a robbery,” he said. “But if the driver has very little money it’s a deterrent because the criminal has committed a major felony for only a little bit of money.”
Although the companies they work for advise delivery drivers on what to do in a threatening situation, the drivers themselves said it is up to them to use their judgment on what to do.
“If I don’t feel comfortable in a situation, I’m not getting out of the car,” Layton said. “I’ll honk my horn and flash my lights so others notice me, but if I don’t get a response, I’m not going to the door.”
O’Byrnes said one of the most frequent ways delivery drivers are robbed is when someone requests a delivery to an abandoned location.
“It happens often that someone will call on a cell phone for a delivery into an area where no one is living,” O’Byrnes said. “A way to keep safe is just to call back to verify the order. That would solve many problems.”
Drivers also encourage customers to help with their safety by doing things like keeping a porch light on or meeting the driver at the door.
Callahan said one of the biggest threats to drivers is making deliveries into areas with poor lighting in hallways or on streets.
Callahan admits that delivering pizza can be a dangerous job, but through his organization’s Internet site, www.pizzadeliverydrivers.org, he is attempting to educate drivers and community members about risks and safety issues.
“Fast food delivery drivers are a target because they come to you,” O’Byrnes said. “They have to be observant.”
Layton agreed that staying aware of their situations would save delivery drivers a lot of trouble.
“I’ve never been robbed,” he said. “But I also maintain a very careful position. You have to with this job.”
