Retailer Rolls Out Armed Security Teams
Hy-Vee unveils armed 'retail security team' amid theft surge

The Hy-Vee security team has experience in law enforcement and will be "equipped to protect the safety" of customers.

Customers at the Midwest grocery chain Hy-Vee will soon encounter armed security guards while shopping at stores in light of the recent surge in retail thefts. The Iowa-based retailer unveiled plans Wednesday for the launch of a retail security team to operate at stores across eight states.

While the chain has not said if a specific incident prompted the initiative, Hy-Vee Vice President of Security Jamie Sipes suggested in an interview that a recent uptick in retail thefts nationwide was a factor.

"I think across the country, we're seeing an increase in thefts and different crimes in retail locations," Sipes told KYTV in Missouri. "So Hy-Vee made the decision to move forward with a forward-facing security program that includes the tools that an officer would need to keep employees and customers safe."

Hy-Vee said the security officers, many of whom have backgrounds in law enforcement, will be trained in de-escalation techniques and "equipped to protect the safety" of customers and employees.

The chain released footage depicting the retail security officials dressed in uniform and equipped with badges, guns and tasers.

Hy-Vee said members of the retail security team are already on site at "several stores." The company is actively recruiting for security roles and plans to add a security presence at stores in eight states "in the near future."

Hy-Vee opted to start its own security operation after previously relying on outside contractors, the Kansas City Star reported. The grocery chain operates approximately 285 stores across eight Midwestern states and employs more than 93,000 workers. nypost.com

Retail Thieves Earning More Than Drug Dealers?
How Retail Theft Rings Use Facebook Marketplace to Sell Stolen Goods

One thief said he made $2,500 a day stealing power tools before he was arrested: "You make more money than you do selling drugs, and it's less jail time"

Police say it's a growing illegal industry: massive, organized retail theft, in which internet-savvy criminals shoplift pricey items from the shelves of big-box retailers and sell them on Facebook Marketplace and similar sites.

Detective Sgt. Todd Curtis of the Perrysburg Township Police Department in Ohio is one of a trio of investigators who began busting organized shoplifting rings long before a wave of cities began acknowledging the problem in recent weeks. He recently helped arrest a 44-year-old man selling a stolen Husqvarna chainsaw on Facebook Marketplace after Lowe's and Home Depot reported several of their stores in the area were hit by a shoplifting crew.

For the past two decades, law enforcement has struggled to keep up as one platform succeeded another as the preferred marketplace for stolen goods. But law enforcement agencies say Facebook Marketplace, which has increasingly become a go-to destination for organized rings because of its ease to offload their loot, has already gained a reputation among investigators for being so slow to respond and cooperate that officers often have to give up or invent workarounds.

"It's just a perfect storm of a lot of bad things being enabled all at once," said Sucharita Kodali, a principal analyst at Forrester, a market research firm. "The fact that they're so prevalent, the fact that there is absolutely no regulation around them, the fact that the marketplaces themselves are explicitly exonerated from illicit activity, which is a huge, huge flaw."

California, Illinois and other states are reassessing their yearslong push to scale back property crime enforcement as viral videos circulate featuring "smash-and-grabs" at high-end shops across the country. nbcchicago.com

The War Over Retail Crime Data
LAPD warn of crime wave, but data shows theft, robberies down

A recent rash of retail crimes has resulted in calls for increased police funding.

The numbers tell one story, but recent messaging from the Los Angeles Police Department appears to be telling another.

Robbery, burglary and theft are down in Los Angeles compared to 2019, according to the latest crime data from the police department. But in recent weeks, police have indicated those types of crimes are rising, pointing to incidents involving "smash-and-grab" shoplifters who descended on high-end shopping districts at the height of the holiday shopping season.

At a Dec. 2 news conference, L.A. officials announced the arrests of 14 people in smash-and-grab crimes and retail thefts from Nov. 18 through 28. Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore described the incidents as a wave of "violent and dangerous crimes."

"The rash of these smash-and-grab type crimes have placed community members and store employees in significant danger due to the violence that's associated with them," Moore said then.

The retail crimes have prompted city officials to renew support for the police department, including backing a 12 percent budget increase.

Moore told the Los Angeles Police Commission on Dec. 7 that the crimes were part of a larger "surge" of violence that was "expanding," and he said the LAPD and commission need to "draw particular focus and laser attention to it and amplify it. Because that's the only way we get results."

Statewide, California Gov. Gavin Newsom this month pledged $300 million to combat retail theft.

Critics of City Hall and the Los Angeles Police Department say the smash-and-grab incidents, while alarming, have been happening for at least the better part of a decade. They argue the incidents have yet to create anything approaching a spike on a graph and are being used to scare residents, lobby for officer raises and decry justice reform.

"We're not saying crime doesn't exist," said Ricci Sergienko, an organizer with the People's City Council, a coalition of social and climate justice organizations. "We're just saying the cops' own statistics don't match their narrative." nbcnews.com

Theft-Driven Store Closures of 2021
Major retail chains that closed in 2021 due to dwindling profits, spike in thefts

Several retailers have started to shift to e-commerce in effort to boost profit

Several retailers have announced the closure of locations in various cities, citing a number of factors, from changing consumer attitudes and future health needs to issues with spikes in crime.

CVS Health announced in November that it planned to close around 9% of its nearly 10,000 locations, with further closures of 300 stores each year for the next three years. Rite Aid also said it would close 63 stores in order to reduce costs and boost profits.

Macy's also cited a shift to e-commerce as a major factor in closing physical locations, with the pandemic lockdown in 2020 showing many retailers the frailty of the brick-and-mortar model. JCPenney and Neiman Marcus filed for bankruptcy last year after weeks of lockdowns starved the retailers.

But Walgreens in October said that it needed to close several locations - all in San Francisco - in response to shoplifting concerns. The retailer said it increased security measures at locations across the city to the tune of 46 times the average.

Target also admitted that it would close a few locations in San Francisco over security concerns, according to ABC 7. That city has become a "shoplifter's paradise," according to the Wall Street Journal, after District Attorney Chesa Boudin effectively decriminalized theft below $950.

Nearly two dozen CEOs of prominent retailers, including Home Depot, Best Buy and CVS, in early December signed a letter to Congress urging action to address the "growing impact of organized retail crime on retail employees and communities." foxbusiness.com

   RELATED: These Stores Are Closing Due To Looting And Lost Profits

Deadly Burlington Store Police Shooting in LA
(Update) Groups call for arrest of LAPD officer involved in Burlington store shooting that killed 14-year-old
Several Los Angeles-area groups are calling for the arrest and prosecution of the police officer who inadvertently shot a 14-year-old girl to death while confronting a suspect inside a North Hollywood Burlington store.

On Sunday, demonstrators rallied outside of the Los Angeles Police Department headquarters in downtown, calling for the arrest of Officer William Jones - who was identified by police last week as the officer involved in the shooting.

Valentina Orellana Peralta was with her mother in a dressing room trying on dresses two days before Christmas when she was struck by a police bullet that passed through a wall on the second floor of the Burlington store on Victory Boulevard.

She died in the arms of her mother, who said she and her daughter sat down and hugged when they heard the commotion in the store. The force of the gunshot that struck the teen threw them both to the ground, the girl's mother said.

Last week, police released body-camera footage and other details of the shooting when officers responded to reports of a man assaulting people, and possibly firing shots, inside the Burlington store. The demonstrators on Sunday said they want the officer to be charged with involuntary manslaughter. abc7.com

25% Spike in Law Enforcement Deaths - 482 Year-to-Date
19 Deaths in December: 9 COVID - 5 Gunfire - 4 Auto-Related - 1 Weather
In December, 19 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. The cause breakdown (for December 2021 only) is: 9 COVID-related, 5 gunfire, 4 auto-related, and 1 due to weather / a natural disaster. This means that the year-to-date total for line of duty deaths is at 482, a 25% increase from the same time last year.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one to a line of duty death this past month. We encourage our supporters to read the memorials of each of the officers who died in the line of duty.  odmp.org

US: 56.1M Cases - 847.4K Dead - 41.5M Recovered
Worldwide: 290.7M Cases - 5.4M Dead - 254.6M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 336   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 577
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Winter Wave of Omicron
A 'tsunami' of omicron variant COVID-19 cases are coming, WHO warns
The World Health Organization warned Wednesday that the world will soon see a "tsunami of cases" of COVID-19 which will stretch throughout the winter.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO's director-general, said the highly transmissible omicron variant and the fast-spreading delta variant will lead to the surge of cases, per The Financial Times.

The WHO director-general warned that the omicron variant can be really dangerous because of hospitalizations. Early research has found the omicron variant has led to less severe COVID-19 symptoms and hospitalizations among the fully vaccinated, as I wrote for the Deseret News. But that doesn't mean hospitalizations and deaths will stop overall.

Per The Economist, the omicron variant has such high transmissibility that it could lead to more hospitalizations and deaths, which could destroy the hospital system. deseret.com

Cases Skyrocketing - Less Severe - Fewer Deaths
Nearly 45,000 new coronavirus cases reported in L.A. County over the holiday weekend
L.A. County recorded 23,553 new cases on Saturday and 21,200 more on Sunday, far above last winter's peak average of 16,000 cases a day.

County health officials urged residents to curtail higher-risk activities, such as indoor events where people are unmasked for long periods of time and crowded outdoor gatherings.

Actual case counts were likely even higher than those reported over the weekend, when numbers tend to be tamped down by undercounting, officials said. Still, the increased spread of the virus has been obvious; with 7,425 new cases on Wednesday, a number that more than tripled by Saturday.

With the spread of the outbreak outstripping last winter's peaks, public health officials could take some solace in the fact that the now dominant Omicron variant remained less deadly than earlier strains of the coronavirus.

Data show young adults are driving the surge in Southern California. Rates among the youngest adults - those 18 to 29 - are more than eight times higher than one month ago. And among adults in their 30s and 40s, cases are six times as high.

Yet, fewer patients have been hospitalized with COVID-19 in this fifth surge than the last two. Health officials have voiced optimism that symptoms in cases linked to Omicron are less severe than other variants. It's also likely that disease severity is lower because so many people have been vaccinated. latimes.com

Closed Stores in NYC - Omicron's Retail Impact
Omicron Takes a Toll on Businesses, From Airports to Bars and Supermarkets

Surging Covid-19 infections have led to canceled flights, closed stores and working overtime

The rapid spread of Covid-19's Omicron variant is weighing on U.S. businesses, keeping more workers home sick or quarantined and leading some companies to cut services and reduce hours.

The rise of U.S. Covid-19 infections to record levels in recent days has driven thousands of canceled flights, prompted retailers to train available employees on new jobs, and closed some stores altogether, companies said. The rapidly spreading Omicron variant is hitting businesses at a time when consumers' demand for products and services has surged, and many companies already are struggling with staffing and supply-chain challenges.

Supermarket operators said they anticipate the Omicron variant's spread will drive increased absences among cashiers, stockers and other employees in the days ahead, deepening staffing problems the grocery sector has faced for months.

In Williamsville, N.Y., Tops Markets LLC said it is relying on overtime and asking available workers to cover additional shifts across the company's 162 grocery stores. The company said it is training employees across multiple departments as it monitors what the chain's officials called a significant increase in the number of Covid-19 cases among its workers.

Increasing infections have led some retailers to temporarily close stores, such as Apple Inc., which limited access to New York City-area locations, including its iconic Fifth Avenue flagship.

Some business leaders, including executives of Delta and JetBlue, this month called on the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to reduce its recommended isolation time for vaccinated people, a move they said would help get healthcare workers, airline crew members and others back on the job more quickly. The CDC last week cut its recommended isolation time to five days from 10, citing new research and the stress on businesses due to worker absences. wsj.com

COVID Safety in the Workplace
Employer must face worker's lawsuit over husband's Covid death - Calif. court

The worker says she contracted Covid-19 because the company failed to ensure safety in the workplace.

A California candymaker must face a lawsuit by an employee who says she caught Covid-19 at work and gave it to her husband, resulting in his death, a state appeals court held on Tuesday, upholding what appeared to be the first ruling allowing a worker's lawsuit against an employer over a family member's Covid death. cnbc.com

Employer Vaccine Mandates Heads to Supreme Court
Will Biden's vaccine mandates survive the Supreme Court?

This week, the Supreme Court will hear challenges to two of the Biden administration's federal vaccine mandates

President Joe Biden's effort to curtail the COVID-19 pandemic with vaccine mandates has faced pushback from the beginning. But this week, two of his key policies will encounter their toughest obstacle yet.

The Supreme Court on Friday will consider whether Biden's rules for federally funded health care facilities and employers with more than 100 workers can take effect across the country. A key question in both cases is whether the federal government has the authority to craft and enforce vaccine mandates.

Administration officials have said they are prepared to defend the policies and feel confident about their legal footing. deseret.com

What's the Store's Employee Population Impact This Week?
Omicron-related disruptions cause over 2,400 flights canceled on Sunday in U.S.
Globally, more than 11,200 flights were delayed. Transportation agencies across the United States were also suspending or reducing services due to coronavirus-related staff shortages.

The rise in U.S. COVID cases had caused some companies to change plans to increase the number of employees working from their offices from Monday.

U.S. authorities registered at least 346,869 new coronavirus on Saturday, according to a Reuters tally. The U.S. death toll from COVID-19 rose by at least 377 to 828,562. reuters.com

CES to now end sooner than planned as Omicron cases surge
CES will now end a day earlier (Jan. 7) than planned, the organizer of the global technology and gadget show said, after companies including Amazon.com Inc and General Motors Co dropped out of attending the Las Vegas event in person due to Omicron concerns.

As worries over the new variant loom, many companies have withdrawn from presenting in-person at the event, planned both virtually and in-person, that begins on Jan.5 with over 2,200 exhibitors.

Over the last few days, a host of firms including Advanced Micro Devices, Proctor & Gamble, Alphabet Google, Facebook parent Meta Platforms have also dropped their in-person plans. read more

All attendees in Las Vegas will be required to be fully vaccinated and masked. COVID-19 test kits will also be provided at the venue, according to CTA's statement. reuters.com

As Omicron Spreads, Officials Ponder What It Means to Be 'Fully Vaccinated'
The Biden administration is signaling that it may change the definition of "fully vaccinated" to require booster shots, a prospect that could affect what 140 million Americans can and can't do in public. nytimes.com

NJ Walmart Temporarily Closes After Employee COVID Outbreak, Worker Says

L.A. County coronavirus transmission rate at highest point since early months of pandemic

The CDC Might Recommend Asymptomatic People Test Negative For COVID-19 Before Breaking Isolation

Puerto Rico Faces Staggering Covid Case Explosion


Big City Vaccine Mandates Take Effect

New York, NY
New York City Tries New Approach: Vaccine Mandate for Private Employers

As coronavirus cases surge in the city because of the Omicron variant, some employers said a sweeping new vaccine mandate was the least of their concerns.

On Monday, Mayor Bill de Blasio's vaccine mandate for private businesses went into effect, a requirement that his administration says is the most sweeping in the nation and among the most ambitious in the world.

In New York City, coronavirus vaccines were already required for public sector employees, as well as patrons and staff at restaurants, indoor entertainment venues and gyms. Now, all other private employers in New York City must verify that their on-site workers have received at least one dose of a vaccine. If employees have opted for a two-dose vaccine, they must submit proof that they have received the second dose within 45 days. nytimes.com

Mayor Adams continues NYC's COVID state of emergency, upholds indoor vax mandate
Mayor Eric Adams signed two executive orders Saturday as he kicked off his new administration.

One order continued the state of emergency put in place by Mayor Bill de Blasio's administration to deal with COVID-19, and the other maintained the "Key to the City" order that requires proof of vaccination in designated indoor settings. nypost.com

Chicago, IL
COVID-19 vaccine mandate starts Monday, but how will Chicago restaurants enforce it? Here's what to know.

Chicago's vaccine mandate arrives Monday as COVID-19 cases skyrocket yet again, near and far.

Those looking to dine or drink inside restaurants and bars must provide proof of vaccination for anyone 5 years or older, plus - and this is key - photo identification for anyone 16 and older with a name matching the name on the proof of vaccination. Restaurant workers are able to show a negative test result in lieu of proof of vaccination, but customers cannot.

The city has pledged to monitor compliance, and restaurants flouting the rule will be subject to fines and closure of one day or potentially longer "for egregious situations," Miguel Campos, supervisor of business compliance investigations for the Department of Business Affairs and Consumer Protection, has said.
chicagotribune.com

Philadelphia, PA
Philly's new vaccine mandate starts today. Here's what you need to know

The mandate is the latest effort by health officials to curb the spread of the highly transmissible omicron variant.

Starting Monday, a new citywide mandate will require customers at indoor restaurants and bars, sports venues, movie theaters, and other locales to show proof of vaccination. For a short period of time - Jan. 3 to Jan. 17 - the venues can also accept proof of a negative COVID-19 test from a lab within the previous 24 hours. inquirer.com

New Orleans vaccine mandate for children entering businesses starts Monday

Amazon Consumer Warning
Millions of customers will see their Visa card stop working this month

Amazon is reminding millions of customers that their Visa credit cards are about to stop working

If you own a Visa credit card, you won't be able to make any purchases from Amazon in a matter of days. Yes, Amazon is once again warning its customers to head to their account settings and remove all Visa credit card from their account before it's too late.

In November, Amazon UK announced that it would stop accepting Visa as a valid payment method from January 19, 2022. And as this date fast approaches, Amazon has emailed affected customers, letting them know if a Visa credit card is linked to their monthly Amazon Prime membership fees, they need to change it to an alternate payment method - or lose access to unlimited next-day delivery, Prime Video, Prime Music, unlimited photo back-up and more. New orders placed with a Visa card will be rejected too.

In an email sent out to customers a few days ago, Amazon UK warned: "Please update your Amazon Prime payment method. Starting 19 January 2022, we will unfortunately no longer accept any Visa credit cards issued in the UK, due to the high fees Visa charges for processing credit card transactions.

"Our records indicate that you currently use a Visa credit card to pay for your Prime Membership. To ensure you continue to have access to unlimited fast delivery, endless streaming with Prime Video, millions of songs and podcasts with Amazon Music Prime and the many other Prime benefits you enjoy, you'll need to update your payment card."

While Amazon won't be accepting Visa credit cards from January 19 2022, the retailer will accept all debit cards (including Visa debit cards) as well as non-Visa credit cards such as MasterCard, American Express and EuroCard. express.co.uk

Predictions About Amazon's Physical Retail In 2022
It now has over 20 Amazon Go locations across four cities, 23 Amazon Fresh locations in the U.S, and 15 in London.

Amazon 4-Star will grow, Amazon Books may diminish, and Amazon Pop Up will continue

Meanwhile, Amazon 4-Star and Amazon Books are also evolving. The Amazon Books store was its first retail concept and still exists today. Its focus seems to be on its 4-Star stores, which carry an array of top-reviewed products. They are around 4,000 square feet and have various products, including electronics, books, games, and more.

A potential new large-format store will threaten existing department stores

This year, The Wall Street Journal reported Amazon has plans expand into large footprint stores, around 30,000 square feet, indicating a potential new department store concept. Although the company did not verify the speculated plans, it follows a trend of reimagined department stores from companies like Neighborhood Goods and Showfields. Although it's not clear what Amazon's plan is, the new stores will likely house oversized items like furniture and products consumers prefer to feel, touch, and test, like clothing. Unfortunately, if the concept takes off, it will pose a considerable threat to existing department stores. forbes.com

Better Business Bureau gives gift return guidance for online shoppers

Upland, CA: Four arrested in attempted smash-and-grab jewelry store robbery
Four of five men suspected in an attempted "smash-and-grab" robbery of an Upland jewelry store Thursday, Dec. 30, have been arrested, authorities said. The men arrived mid-afternoon at Uptown Jewelry Mart on South Mountain Avenue, the Upland Police Department reported. Four men entered the shop with their faces covered, while the driver stayed in the car, police said. The men deployed a large canister of bear spray on people inside the store, but a business owner thwarted the crime with a legally owned firearm, police said. The men ran to the car and drove away. No one inside the business was seriously injured.

In smash-and-grab robberies, organized groups swarm businesses, break glass counter tops and quickly leave with merchandise. Detectives used surveillance video inside the store to help identify the men, Upland Police Lt. Anthony Kabayan said. The San Bernardino County Sheriff's Department believes that some of them were involved in smash-and-grab robberies of jewelry stores in Claremont and Chino Hills in the past few weeks, Kabayan said. Most of the men involved in the Upland robbery were associated with a gang, according to police. Police found one suspect and what they believe is the get-away vehicle in Upland. Meanwhile, San Bernardino County Sheriff's deputies apprehended three other men in Ontario. Police were searching Saturday for the fifth man. dailybulletin.com

Windham, NH: $40,000 of Dirt bikes stolen from motorsport business; 2nd time it's happened in less than a year
Four dirt bikes worth more than $40,000 total were stolen from a Windham business early in the morning on New Year's Day. Windham police said they responded to Nault's Powersports around 4:25 a.m. on Saturday morning after getting an alarm for the location. According to police, surveillance video from the business shows at 4:22 a.m., five men wearing hoods and masks walked up to the front of the business on Range Road, and then started smashing the window with rocks until there was a hole. Three men went inside the business while two others went the northern entrance of the building. msn.com

Nacogdoches, TX: Police investigating burglary at local pharmacy after 'large amount' of prescription drugs stolen
The Nacogdoches Police Department is investigating after a local pharmacy was broken into on New Year's Eve night and a large amount of prescription drugs were stolen. Sgt. Brent Handy with the NPD said that the burglary took place at Medicine Shoppe at 212 North Street and that the owners are still trying to find out how much inventory was stolen. Police responded to the burglary on Saturday afternoon at 3:21 p.m. Sgt. Handy added that the burglary was forced entry. ketk.com

Three suspects were arrested at the Outlets of Orange as they tried to steal thousands of dollars of clothing
The CHP arrested three retail thieves at The Outlets at Orange as they were trying to steal thousands of dollars of retail merchandise. The CHP officers saw one of the suspects come out of a store with his booster bags fully loaded. As the male suspect walked out a female accomplice walked in. The suspect then dumped the stolen merchandise into a minivan in the parking lot. The CHP investigators then arrested him and waited for his accomplice to return to the minivan as well. The suspects used the booster bags as well as tools designed to disable security sensors to steal 31 pairs of Levi's jeans worth $2,202.

The CHP investigators stuck around at The Outlets and about an hour later saw another suspect acting in a suspicious manner. The suspect had another booster bag filled with merchandise. The CHP investigators stopped him and found he had expensive Gucci clothing worth at least $2,499. The suspect also had burglary tools that were almost identical to the tools the other suspects were equipped with. The three suspects were arrested on charges of violating California's Organized Retail Crime law and multiple other theft charges.  newsantaana.com

Update: Sacramento, CA: 3 suspects arrested for stealing $6,000 of merchandise from Sacramento, West Sacramento
In a Thursday release, police arrested three people on suspicion of systematic retail theft for stealing more than $ 6,000 from around Sacramento and West Sacramento. A month-long systematic retail theft investigation During, West Sacramento officials determined that three suspects were involved in multiple thefts across the region, including Home Depot, Lowe's, Safeway, Raley's, Rite Aid, and CVS Store. According to authorities, a total of 20 thefts are believed to be related. Officials said they had seen the three suspects enter several major retail stores and saw them steal about $ 700 in a single stop in Sacramento. The detective stopped the suspect loading the stolen goods into the car and arrested him on charges of systematic retail theft and robbery. It is not clear who the suspect was or when he was arrested. This week, investigators issued a Yoro County investigation warrant at a known location for stolen property, finding 678 alcohol and 406 over-the-counter cold remedies.  californianewstimes.com


Click here to see ORC cases from Dec. 23-31