(WHAS11) - The greeters at Wal-Mart say hi to about 200 million customers each year.

But Louisville Metro Police got the boot . . . kicked off the property of one local Wal-Mart last week.

The question is . . . why?

It happened last Thursday; LMPD crime prevention officers handing out booklets on how to protect yourself as you shop.

They didn’t get far before Wal-Mart personnel told them to get out.

It occurred at the Wal-Mart on Bardstown Road near the Snyder Freeway last Thursday.

Police saying they weren’t selling anything; just handing out the crime prevention booklets.

Police say the experience is the exception rather than the rule—most shopping centers and malls allowing them to hand out such safety flyers.

In fact, they say the Texas Roadhouse chain has donated over a quarter of a million dollars to the police department to support crime prevention efforts. A spokesperson for Wal-Mart told us it would be be happy to let police hand out flyers, but they have to be on their approved list.

She said the officer was in plainclothes, was given the chance to fill out paperwork, and return another day.

She said they get lots of requests from groups like the Boys and Girl Scouts, so they are put on a list and given a time to show up and out of fairness, the police department has to follow the rules like anyone else.

It is unclear whether the department plans to return to that Wal-Mart.