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The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact
More Progressive Criminal Justice Reform Coming
in Manhattan
New Manhattan Progressive DA to Stop Seeking Prison Sentences in Slew of
Criminal Cases
 Manhattan's
new district attorney has ordered his prosecutors to stop seeking prison
sentences in a slew of criminal cases, according to a set of progressive
policies made public Tuesday.
In his first memo to staff on Monday, Alvin Bragg said his office "will not seek
a carceral sentence" except for in homicide and a handful of other cases,
including domestic violence felonies, some sex crimes and public corruption.
"This rule may be excepted only in extraordinary circumstances based on a
holistic analysis of the facts, criminal history, victim's input (particularly
in cases of violence or trauma), and any other information available," the memo
reads.
In cases where prosecutors do seek to put a convict behind bars, the request can
be for no more than 20 years for a determinate sentence, meaning one that can't
be reviewed or changed by a parole board.
"The Office shall not seek a sentence of life without parole," the memo states.
Bragg, who was sworn into office Jan. 1, also made clear his mission is to
reduce the number of defendants locked up pretrial, telling his prosecutors,
"Particularly given the ongoing crisis at Rikers, we must reserve pretrial
detention for very serious cases."
The 48-year-old also vowed to stop pursuing many low-level offenses in his note
to staff, titled: "Achieving Fairness and Safety."
nypost.com
Putting Blame Where it Belongs - "Permissive
Policies"
San Francisco confronts a crime wave unusual among U.S. cities
Unlike nearly every other big U.S. city, San Francisco did not see a significant
uptick in homicides during the pandemic. Instead, it has found itself in the
grip of a different sort of crime wave.
With security cameras everywhere, social media have exploded with videos of
young men brazenly stuffing their backpacks with everything from beer to Tylenol
or using drills to crack open people's garage doors. That has fed the impression
that the city has become a lawless place and left residents bitterly divided
over the roots of the problem and how to solve it.
But in the disordered wake of the pandemic, a growing sense of unease has
pervaded the neighborhood as homeless encampments appeared and burglaries and
other street crimes shot up.
Dietrich started to see people shoplifting every time he went into the Walgreens
or Ross a few blocks from his house, and when he mentioned it to the security
guards, they shrugged helplessly.
"Then one day I found a bunch of needles on the sidewalk where my kid plays," he
said.
San Francisco has long registered a consistently high rate of property crimes,
and in 2019,
the city had the highest rate of larcenies, burglaries, arsons and car thefts in
California, according
to an
analysis by the Public Policy Institute of California.
But
burglaries climbed nearly 50% in 2020 and remained up in 2021.
Car thefts have also soared.
People who commit property crimes run the gamut from addicts stealing for drug
money to
organized syndicates
who fence goods on the internet.
Authorities speculate that during the pandemic, the suddenly empty streets and
padlocked businesses became easy targets for thieves who no longer had gullible
tourists to prey on.
The vast
majority of the burglaries are
never solved, and
victims of nonviolent crimes often end up waiting hours for the police,
especially since the
department is down nearly 500 officers,
as many have
taken jobs in more cop-friendly communities with cheaper housing.
But some San Franciscans feel no doubt about who is to blame. A couple of days
after the closure, someone hung a banner across the front of the locked glass
doors bearing the
smiling photos of the city's district attorney, Chesa Boudin, and the local
District 1 supervisor, Connie Chan.
Both are
progressives whose permissive policies have been blamed - fairly or not - for
emboldening street criminals and feeding a general sense of chaos in the city.
Boudin, a former public defender elected in 2019 promising long-overdue criminal
justice reform,
now faces a June
recall election.
latimes.com
'Poor Security & Hands-Off Policies' Driving
Retail Crime?
Lax policies make big-box stores 'bug lights' for shoplifters, police chief says
 Shoplifting in Gig Harbor is getting out of hand and
big retail stores are chiefly to blame, the city's police chief says.
Poor security and hands-off policies make some big-box stores "bug lights for
thieves," Chief Kelly Busey told The Gateway recently, and he wants the City
Council to do something about it.
Busey went to the City Council safety committee last week to ask for an
ordinance that requires big-box stores to tighten up their security. One idea:
make good security a condition of a business license.
"We'd like to see them do a better job of monitoring inside the store," Busey
said. "We'd like to see them lock up their high-value items. We'd like to see
them change their policies to allow prompt reporting,
put uniformed loss-prevention people at the doors, maybe change some store
layouts
so shoplifting isn't so easy."
He'd also like to see eye-level video cameras. "In some stores, all you have to
do is wear a baseball cap, because the cameras are all overhead," he said.
Throughout the region,
shoplifters have grown so bold,
"they just pull out a garbage bag, fill it up and smile at the cashier as they
walk out the door," Busey said. "They know nothing will happen to them."
Busey said Gig Harbor is becoming
a "destination city"
for teams of shoplifters working up and down the Interstate 5 corridor.
Police respond to
15 to 20 shoplifting
incidents a week, Busey
said, mainly at the city's five big retail stores.
Several factors are in play, including
drug use, changes in
state law and pandemic restrictions on jail booking,
Busey said, but "the
primary driver is the policy most stores have against intervening in theft."
thenewstribune.com
Big Cities See Record-Breaking Homicides in 2021
10 of the country's most populous cities set homicide records last year
More than two-thirds of the country's 40 most populous cities saw more homicides
last year than in 2020, according to a CNN analysis of police department data.
Ten of those cities recorded more homicides in 2021 than any other year on
record. Those are Philadelphia; Austin, Texas; Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis;
Portland, Oregon; Memphis, Tennessee; Louisville, Kentucky; Milwaukee;
Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Tucson, Arizona. Minneapolis
tied its previous record number of homicides, with 97 in the years 1997 and
2021
The rise in homicides -- mostly by gun -- happened all across the country.
Thomas Abt, a senior fellow at the Council on Criminal Justice, attributed the
spike to three major factors: the impact of Covid-19 on communities and first
responders; fallout of social unrest after Floyd's murder; and the surge in gun
sales since the pandemic started.
According to the
2020 Uniform Crime Report from the FBI, homicides rose 30% from 2019 to
2020, the largest single-year increase the agency has recorded since it began
tracking these crimes in the 1960s.
cnn.com
$300M to Fight ORC
CA proposes $300M in additional funding to curb retail theft and violent crime
Gov. Gavin Newsom of California announced a proposal to allocate
$300 million in funding over the next three years to curtail organized retail
crime
and other thefts and violent crime in the state.
In a speech, Newsom told the California Highway Patrol, that the money would
infuse local law enforcement agencies and district attorney's offices
with funding to mitigate retail and other gun, drug and violent crimes.
Part of the funding would be made in the form of grants - some $255 million -
which would be available to law enforcement agencies. The grants would
ultimately enable agencies to
increase the number of officers they place at retail locations.
Also a part of the new proposal, the
Organized Retail Crime Task Force
within the California Highway Patrol will be made permanent. The task force was
formed in 2019, and has since recovered nearly $20 million in stolen goods.
securitymagazine.com
Leaders in Fort Myers push for more security after string of smash-and-grab
robberies
&uuid=(email))
COVID Update
507.6M Vaccinations Given
US: 57.1M Cases - 848.8K Dead - 41.7M Recovered
Worldwide:
293M Cases - 5.4M Dead - 255.4M 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: 581
*Red indicates change in total deaths
Largest Single-Day Tally of Any Nation Ever
Reported!
US sets grim COVID record with more than 1 million daily cases
The US hit a grim COVID-19 milestone Monday - with more than 1 million cases
diagnosed as the highly contagious Omicron variant rages across the country.
A total of 1,082,549 COVID-19 cases were tallied Monday, a record high for the
US since the pandemic began,
according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University.
The startling figure is the largest single-day tally of any nation ever reported
and nearly double the previous US record of 590,000 cases set just four days
ago,
Bloomberg News reported.
Some 1,688 virus deaths were reported Monday, according to the Johns Hopkins
University data. That's well behind the all-time high of 4,442 set in January
2021, indicating the rising rates of cases have not led to widespread deaths.
More than 56.1 million people in the US have been diagnosed with the virus since
the pandemic began and 827,748 deaths have been reported.
nypost.com
COVID is Surging Everywhere
Cities with mask, vaccine mandates seeing huge COVID-19 spikes anyway
Cases of COVID-19 are surging across the country,
including in major U.S. cities that have mandated masks and vaccinations
amid the spread of the omicron variant.
New York City
averaged 36,856 reported cases per day as of Monday, which is a
517% increase from the average two weeks ago,
according to government data compiled by The New York Times. New York state,
which before had peaked at 251,000 daily cases last January, has been seeing an
average of about 400,000 cases daily in 2022, according to The New York Times.
Washington, D.C., which
reinstated an indoor mask mandate on Dec. 21, has also continued to see a surge
of COVID-19. According to data compiled by The New York Times that was updated
Monday, the nation's capital is averaging 2,103 cases per day, which is
a 485% increase over the past two weeks
and the highest one-week spike of the entire pandemic.
Other major cities that have seen large spikes of COVID-19 despite mask or
vaccine mandates include
Chicago, Boston and Los Angeles.
The average daily number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois, which has a statewide
mask mandate, surpassed 16,000 for the first time last week, with Chicago
boasting the highest infection rate.
foxnews.com
Omicron's Retail Impact
COVID-19 Spikes Elevate Retail Concerns
Retailers are closely monitoring the global
spike in COVID-19 cases in December and if any additional measures might be
undertaken to safeguard employees and shoppers.
 While
the global spike in COVID-19 cases has not triggered widespread store lockdowns,
traffic in stores has slowed and many retailers are implementing lines
for social distancing.
Retailers are monitoring the health crisis closer than ever and stepping up
health protocols. The rapid rise of the Omicron COVID-19 variant in December
has changed the landscape, though retailers are better prepared now to manage
through the health crisis than they were in 2020, having successfully operated
with COVID-19-related health and safety protocols.
Apple temporarily shut several stores around the
country Monday, however on Tuesday quickly reopened its Manhattan stores. In
the teen sector, Johnson added, "American Eagle
Outfitters was similarly limiting entry in many stores based on local
conditions but tied as much to holiday capacity controls as much as COVID-19."
Target continues to ask team members to do a
full health screening before coming to work each day and encourages its
employees and shoppers to get vaccinated, including booster shots, the
spokeswoman said. Target requires face coverings for all team members and
"strongly recommends" face coverings for shoppers, which Target refers to as
"guests," in areas with substantial or high risk of transmission, as defined by
the CDC.
At the Neiman Marcus Group, "While we don't
have plans to temporarily close stores at this time, we will continue to
maintain our focus and will remain ready to react and adjust as needed in order
to ensure the safety of our customers, associates and brand partners," a
spokesperson said.
Macy's Inc. said in a statement, "We do not
have any COVID-19-related store closures to announce at this time. Presently,
all stores are open. The health and safety of our colleagues and customers
remain top of mind for us. We are monitoring the situation closely and will
continue to follow CDC and jurisdictional guidelines."
Nordstrom Inc. indicated it has no plans to
close any stores at this time. At Gap Inc.,
a spokesperson said, "We haven't heard of any store employee shortages due to
the spike of COVID-19." CVS Health also has
no plans to close stores due to the increase in cases, a company spokesperson
said Tuesday. The retailer is not planning any changes to preventative protocols
at this time either.
wwd.com
Omicron threatens to mess retail up
News of the virus's progress is creating a new wave of disruption in retail
operations as workers, already in short supply in many businesses, are forced to
stay home after testing positive. Consumers, themselves hit with the variant or
seeking to avoid getting it, are turning to online ordering for delivery or
curbside pickup in greater numbers.
The good news is that retailers are relatively well prepared to deal with this
moment after nearly two years of practice responding to the ebbs and flows of
the novel coronavirus pandemic.
The bad news is that complicating factors, such as a lack of personnel and
people dismissive of the public health threat, make it more difficult for
businesses to address the current challenge and are potentially creating a
scenario that may prolong the pandemic.
Retailers have responded in a variety of ways to the rise in cases.
Apple has closed some of its locations to customers and others, including
Walmart, have shut stores temporarily.
Other retailers have been forced to add hours and pay overtime to keep up
with demand as they find themselves short-staffed in the face of rising
cases. Some have limited store hours as their personnel and systems are
stressed by demand and rapid shifts in shopping behavior created as a byproduct
of the rise in COVID-19 cases.
Face mask rules and social distancing have largely been left up to customers. In
some parts of the country, shoppers tend to wear masks in stores but, in many
locales, stores are packed with unmasked customers who remain unconcerned about
getting or spreading COVID-19.
The province of Quebec, this past Sunday,
began requiring businesses designated as non-essential retail to close for
the day. This was the first of three planned closure days. Pharmacies,
convenience stores and gas stations are allowed to remain open.
Retailers objected to the action.
retailwire.com
Complying With Federal Requirements
Starbucks unveils its new employee vaccine policy
To comply with the Biden administration's upcoming vaccine mandate, Starbucks is
requiring its workers to be fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or undergo
weekly testing, the company recently told employees.
In a letter from Starbucks Chief Operating Officer John Culver, the coffee chain
told its approximately 220,000 US employees they must disclose their
vaccination status by January 10.
Although Starbucks strongly recommended employees get vaccinated, workers can
choose not to get vaccinated and instead get tested weekly. They will be
responsible for acquiring their own federally approved tests and submitting
results.
"This is an important step we can take to help more partners get vaccinated,
limit the spread of Covid-19, and create choices that partners can own based on
what's best for them," Culver wrote. "If vaccination rates rise and community
spread slows, we will adapt accordingly. But if things get worse, we may have
to consider additional measures. For now, my hope is that we will all do our
part to protect one another."
Starbucks sent the note to employees on December 27 and repeated the mandate
details in a weekly update sent on Monday. The changes come as the
Occupational Safety and Health Administration recently set a new date of
February 9 for large employers to require either full vaccinations or weekly
testing as the Omicron variant spreads quickly throughout the United States.
cnn.com
Omicron Causing Widespread Disruption
The United States struggles to avoid widespread shutdowns as Omicron spreads
Officials
across the United States, from
President Biden on down, have been insisting that they are no longer in the
shutdown business, and
will not order any closures to contain the latest surge
in coronavirus cases.
 But Omicron may be taking the decision out of their hands. So many workers are
testing positive or calling in sick that
businesses, schools, government agencies and more are being crippled by staff
shortages
that may force them to close some operations anyway.
Airlines began canceling flights in large numbers on Christmas Eve for lack
of crews, and the problems have continued into the new year. Broadway shows have
been canceled because of outbreaks backstage.
Major companies have delayed or entirely jettisoned return-to-office plans.
Many colleges are switching back to virtual classes to start the semester.
In some cases, the very resources needed to cope with
Omicron's staffing disruptions are themselves being disrupted,
from the call-center agents who rebook canceled flights to the frontline medical
professionals who care for sick workers.
Infected police officers, firefighters, paramedics, and transit workers are
leaving shifts unfilled.
In New York City, subway lines have been delayed by staff shortages, and the
Fire Department has asked residents not to call 911 except in a real emergency.
nytimes.com
Staff Shortages Impacting Public Transit
Omicron Surge Stymies Public-Transit Systems
New York suspends some subway service; St.
Louis and Boston grapple with worker shortages
Public-transit services in New York and other cities are being interrupted, as
the
Omicron variant of Covid-19 continues to drive staffing shortages.
Service on several New York City subway and bus lines was partially suspended
Monday. An MTA spokesman said hundreds of employees have been out sick in recent
days.
Other metropolitan transportation agencies said they are facing staffing
shortages too, resulting in service changes.
Taulby Roach, president of Bi-State Development, which operates St. Louis
Metro Transit, said managers who usually work in offices were operating
buses and trains because of Omicron-related staffing shortages last week.
The Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority, which is responsible for
Boston-area transit, said in a mid-December report that it "faces a
significant workforce shortage," which has led to delays and crowded buses.
Amtrak last week canceled some scheduled service on its Northeast Corridor
route. Cancellations on some of its long-distance routes stretched into this
week.
wsj.com
34% of NYC Residents Test Positive
Omicron wreaks havoc on NYC, causes crippling staff shortages
Omicron is shaking the Big Apple to its core thanks to crippling staffing
shortages caused by the raging COVID-19 variant.
Between vital transportation and emergency services, retailers and
schools, workers are calling in sick by the thousands while grappling
with the coronavirus and mandatory quarantines.
As the Big Apple continues to battle its latest surge of COVID-19 cases, the
NYPD had 14 percent - or nearly 5,000 of the force's 35,000 uniformed officers -
out sick Monday.
Almost 2,000 cops had COVID, while the other 3,000 were experiencing flu-like
symptoms, a source told The Post.
Meanwhile, the FDNY said 30 percent of its 4,200 EMS staff and 18 percent of its
11,000 firefighters were sick.
Nearly 34 percent of NYC residents who got tested ended up with a positive
result on average in the past week.
"Fifteen thousand or 20,000 wasn't imaginable two weeks ago. Because those
numbers are so big, it's now beginning to flood the hospitals.
"The impact on the hospitals where staff were - even before this wave -
exhausted, this is a very, very difficult time," he said.
RESTAURANTS, NIGHTLIFE AND OTHER BUSINESSES
The city's already struggling restaurant industry has been struck hard by
Omicron - with many establishments forced to shut down during the busy holiday
season as staffers tested positive or were exposed to COVID.
"Restaurants are facing serious challenges, from a critical labor shortage made
worse by the spike and COVID cases, to fewer customers and lots of debt," he
said.
nypost.com
Omicron - Two to Four Times More Transmissible
as Delta
L.A. County coronavirus transmission rate at highest point since early months of
pandemic
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; and those numbers are
likely undercounts due to lags from weekend reporting.
latimes.com
SCOTUS sets Jan. 7 hearing on vaccine mandates for employers, healthcare workers
Maryland Gov. Hogan institutes 30-day state of emergency amid COVID surge,
grants more powers to healthcare
Worker Vaccine Mandates Go to
Supreme Court
Op-Ed: Will the Supreme Court back sensible workplace vaccine mandates?
&uuid=(email))
20K Security Officers Deployed Over New
Year's Eve
More than 20,000 private security officers worked New Year's Eve to protect life
and property
An estimated 20,000 security officers were on duty nationwide New Year's Eve.
And that figure could be double, said security manager Derrick Holmes who
manages security for several properties in Philadelphia.
 On-duty
private security in the New York City metro area alone was estimated to be
more than five thousand. Keith Franklin a former security manager in the Big
Apple said that in previous years, private security often outnumbered the NYPD.
While the NYPD said that a record number of their officers are out sick, mostly
due to COVID, and as of Thursday, 21% of the uniformed force - more than
7,300 officers - called in sick, thousands of other officers were deployed
in Times Square and elsewhere to protect its citizens and visitors.
Meanwhile, along with hundreds and thousands of police working to protect the
public in other cities such as Nashville, Philadelphia, Boston, Chicago, Las
Vegas and elsewhere, thousands of uniform security officers and plainclothes
personnel were also on the job protecting life and property.
These security officers patrolled event centers, hotels, resorts,
restaurants, nightclubs and conducted patrols to keep the peace. These
on-duty security officer numbers do not reflect the many other thousands of
private officers who were on duty at their other regular assignments.
privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com
Surge of Fake Law Enforcement Officers
Rash of Phony Police Officers Plaguing Departments, Residents
Fake traffic stops, phone scams and a sexual
assault. Incidents involving phony law enforcement officers have been occurring
around the country throughout December.
Police departments across the country have been plagued by incidents involving
people impersonating officers. In some cases, the imposters have just pulled
over motorists, but other times, the incidents were more threatening and
dangerous.
Dec. 5 - A man in Missouri was arrested in
connection with impersonating a police officer and making traffic stops, as well
as claiming to be a firefighter.
Dec. 7 - A person in Texas was sexually
assaulted when they were pulled over by a man who was driving a vehicle that
appeared to be a police cruiser with a flashing light.
Dec. 11 - Five men are accused of searching
for an individual at a North Carolina while impersonating police officers.
Dec. 12 - Sheriff's deputies arrested a
Florida firefighter who was accused of impersonating an officer and brandished a
gun in an apparent road rage incident.
Dec. 18 - Texas deputies apprehended a man
who allegedly tried to conduct traffic stops while trying to impersonate a
police officer.
Colorado and Wyoming Phone Scam - Phone
scammers posing as law enforcement officers is plaguing Colorado and Wyoming.
Impersonating local police officers, the caller claims that victims have
outstanding warrants or fines. The fake law enforcement official then asks for
money in order to resolve the issue and avoid.
officer.com
$2.1M Walmart Shoplifting Lawsuit
Walmart asks court to throw out $2.1m verdict in shoplifting arrest case
Attorneys for Walmart have asked a Mobile County Circuit Court judge to
overturn the jury verdict in a case brought by a Semmes woman who claimed
she was falsely arrested for shoplifting.
In a motion filed December 29th, 2021, Walmart says Lesleigh Nurse failed to
prove the company was guilty of abuse of process by charging her criminally for
shoplifting then attempting to recover money through Alabama's civil
recovery laws.
At the end of October, a jury ruled in favor of Nurse in a $2.1m verdict. Nurse
claimed she had been falsely accused of shoplifting in November 2016 by a loss
prevention manager at the Semmes Walmart store. The company claimed she
failed to pay for 11 items found in her shopping bags. A warrant was later
issued for her arrest. The criminal charge was later dropped.
Nurse claims the self-scanning machines at the store were malfunctioning
and that she even asked for help from a store associate to get her groceries
scanned.
After the verdict, a spokesman for Walmart said, "We don't believe the verdict
is supported by the evidence and the damages awarded exceed what is allowed
by law. We will be filing post-trial motions."
The judge in the case is now considering a motion to stop any enforcement of the
jury's verdict until the company files its notice of appeal.
wkrg.com
Key Lessons from the Pandemic Accelerated Amazon Effect
 By
Tony D'Onofrio, Global Retail Influencer &
Prosegur's CEO & Managing
Director, Global Retail Business Unit
Jeff Bezos had a few amazing tricks up his sleeve as he originally wanted to
name the company 'Cadabra'.
Amazon's first lawyer talked him out of it as the name sounded too similar to
'cadaver', especially over the telephone. When the company was founded on July
5, 1994,
Bezos settled on the name Amazon because it started with the letter A and
its association with the largest South America River.
Even though the original company focused on selling books online, Bezos'
vision was always to become the 'everything store.' Fast forward to June
this year,
Amazon is now the most visited e-commerce website in the United States, with
nearly 2.5 billion monthly visits. To put it in perspective, that is more than
the next six major retailers online traffic combined.
"Beginning with booksellers, the
e-commerce
giant has expedited the closure of many retailers and threatens to redefine
the standards of
shopping in a digital world. Retailers are forced to lower prices,
optimize their systems and processes, and reduce profit margins in favor of
competition; meanwhile, Amazon continues its trek toward dominance. First coined
in 2012 by Steve Weinberg, this is the
Amazon Effect."
As we enter a new year, what is the status of the Amazon Effect? Is next year
the end of physical retail? What are the key strategies to win the future of
retail?
Read more here
The Great Resignation Wave Continues With 4.5 Million Resignations in November
An estimated 4.5 million workers quit or changed jobs in November according to
new data from the Department of Labor, as labor shortages have helped create one
of the more worker friendly job climates in years.
The report continues to show a trend of high turnover in the labor market, a
sign of how profoundly the economy has been reshuffled in the nearly two years
since the onset of the pandemic.
That number is up from the 4.2 million who quit or changed jobs in October, and
surpassed the previous record of 4.4 million in September.
The number of people who left jobs for other opportunities in November made up
3.0 percent of the workforce, the BLS said in its monthly Job Openings and Labor
Turnover Survey. And the survey also found some 10.6 million job openings.
washingtonpost.com
In Memoriam
Annette G. McKeough, former VP of LP for Shopko, passes away
 Annette
G. McKeough, 61, passed away Thursday, December 30, 2021. She was born on March
7, 1960 in Green Bay to Edward and Audrey (Aeschliman) Gagan.
Annette was a 1978 graduate of St. Joseph Academy and continued her education at
UW-Stevens Point, graduating in 1982 with her degree in Managerial Accounting.
She was employed for 35 years by Shopko, starting as an auditor and working
her way up to Vice-President of loss prevention and internal auditing. She
ended her professional career working at Associated Bank.
She enjoyed spending time at Chicaugon Lake, Bass Lake, Big Sky MT, and her
favorite place of all is Lambeau Field.
greenbaypressgazette.com
39% of Workers Looking for a New Gig in 2022
Retail sales expected to slow down in 2022
The states raising minimum wages in 2022 are...
Senior LP & AP Jobs
Market
Loss Prevention Director job reposted for 2nd Ave LLC in Bensalem, PA
 The
Manager/Director, Loss Prevention is a key business partner tasked with leading
company's field loss prevention programs while working proactively and in
collaboration with Operations, and other cross functional teams to identify
potential risks to the company and provide appropriate, practical, and timely
resolution. The position drives security and safety awareness across the
company's footprint of properties to reduce the frequency and severity of
incidents which may include provide training, reporting, and proactively
identify trends and recommending best practices.
workforcenow.adp.com
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Long-term Remote Work Security
CISOs, what's in your work-from-home program?
CISOs reveal how their secure remote work
strategies are set up for the long haul.
The shift was swift, and while some companies did nothing but allow the
employee to access their networks via an external internet connection, others
took a more programmatic approach. One such entity was XYPRO. According to Steve
Tcherchian, CISO and chief product officer at XYPRO, he observes the shift was
swift, "We had lost the air cover that the office security infrastructure
provides, we had to quickly adapt our WFH procedures and controls to address
a situation where everyone was required to work from home at once."
XYPRO prioritized steps putting multi-factor authentication (MFA) at the top
of the list to "ensure all services were adequately protected against
credential attacks," Tcherchian continues. "Some of our staff had never worked
from home and were ill-equipped to work efficiently." He further observes how,
"oftentimes, work on computers doubled as school computers."
In sum, the implementation was an infosec nightmare. To rectify the situation,
Tcherchian cataloged the changes that XYPRO rolled out to help ensure their
remote workforce was as secure as those working from within security afforded by
the office.
●
Require MFA on all services
●
Maintain BYOD devices at a certain OS/patch level
●
Install antivirus tools and keep definitions current
●
Properly secure Wi-Fi
●
Prohibit company data from BYOD devices
●
Do not shared computers
●
Assign corporate computers or cloud workspaces for employees who
had to share computers for their children's school
This was followed, Tcherchian advises, by implementing technical controls to
include mobile device management and the ability to remotely wipe the employee
devices, which may include personal, non-company data. He notes that
employees "voluntarily enter into our BYOD program."
While remote work is at its apex, so are credential reuse attacks, says
Bojan Simic, CEO/CTO of HYPR. He shared how "according to ESET research there
was a 768% increase in RDP [Remote Desktop Protocol] attacks targeting remote
workers in 2020. The number of virtual private network (VPN) users also
increased by more than 54% in 2020, while MFA adoption remained relatively
flat."
Similarly, Mike Puglia, chief strategy officer at Kaseya, emphasizes the need
to mandate the use of MFA and conditional access policies. Those working
from home or at a far-flung beach bungalow "make extensive use of cloud apps and
one can no longer make assumptions based on physical location or device."
csoonline.com
Hybrid Work Security
The pandemic is changing technology solutions for the future of work
 The growth of
remote and hybrid working, accelerated by the
COVID-19
pandemic, has changed enterprise needs and priorities for digital workplace
technology, according to a new research report published by Information Services
Group (ISG).
The global report finds new technologies and work styles have transformed
endpoint management, communications and collaboration solutions and tools
for maximizing employee engagement and productivity. Organizations around the
world are turning toward more unified and cloud-based approaches to maximize
workforce potential.
The pandemic lockdowns of 2020 led companies to adopt device-as-a-service and
virtual desktop offerings, the report says. Companies had to quickly set up
devices for employees at home, without a technician on site, then securely
manage those devices. At the same time, UEM vendors had to extend their
solutions to virtual devices and endpoints.
Security, which was not a central feature of UEM at first, has become the
most important aspect of UEM solutions, according to ISG. Many vendors now
integrate UEM with solutions for endpoint detection and response, identity and
access management and security information and event management.
The pandemic has also accelerated changes in unified communications (UC) and
unified communications as a service (UCaaS) as companies rely more on virtual
and video collaboration, ISG says. On-premises UC deployments are now in the
minority, as enterprises turn to the cloud for telephony to support hybrid
workforces.
Meanwhile, video collaboration has gone from a nice-to-have feature to
an essential tool and a crucial element of UCaaS solutions. Vendors are also
integrating contact center-as-a-service in UCaaS offerings, often by merging
with or acquiring contact center providers.
helpnetsecurity.com
Cyberattacks Down 4.8%
Ransomware attacks decrease, operators started rebranding
Positive Technologies experts have analyzed the Q3 2021 cybersecurity
threatscape and found a decrease in the number of unique cyberattacks.
However, there's been an increase in the share of attacks against individuals,
and also a rise in attacks involving
remote access malware.
The number of attacks in Q3 decreased by 4.8% compared to the previous
quarter-the first time since the end of 2018 that Positive Technologies has
recorded a negative trend. The researchers believe one key reason for the
change is the decrease in ransomware attacks and the fact that some major
players have quit the stage. This is also why the share of attacks aimed at
compromising corporate computers, servers, and network equipment has fallen,
from 87% to 75%.
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"This year we saw the peak of ransomware attacks in April when 120 attacks were
recorded. There were 45 attacks in September, down 63% from the peak in April.
The reason is that several large ransomware gangs stopped their operation,
and law enforcement agencies started paying more attention to the problem of
ransomware attacks (due to recent high-profile attacks)," said Ekaterina
Kilyusheva, Head of Research and Analytics, Positive Technologies.
Researchers also noted a trend toward the rebranding of existing ransomware
gangs: Some operators are rethinking their preference for the Ransomware as
a Service (RaaS)
scheme, which carries certain risks from unreliable partners.
The research shows that although the share of malware attacks on
organizations decreased by 22%, the attackers' appetite for data also led to
an increase in the use of remote access trojans. In attacks on
organizations, this share grew from 17 to 36%, whereas in attacks against
individuals, remote control trojans made up more than half of all used malware.
In Q3 the share of attacks involving remote access trojans increased 2.5 times
over Q1.
The analysis shows that in Q3, the share of attacks conducted by an
APT group increased to five percent of the total number of attacks against
users. This was likely due to numerous phishing and intelligence campaigns
against employees of government agencies, industrial enterprises, and media
workers.
helpnetsecurity.com
'Supply Chain Security Nightmare'
Log4j Highlights Need for Better Handle on Software Dependencies
Security pros say the Log4j vulnerability is
another warning call for enterprises to get more disciplined when keeping track
of software bills of materials.
It's a new year and the cybersecurity community now faces the long-term
consequences of yet another software supply chain security nightmare. After
a year full of application security zero-day fallout, the Log4j vulnerability
debacle (also referred to as Log4Shell) was like a thematic bookend for 2021
that closed out the year much in the way SolarWinds started it.
The real-world consequences of these incidents schooled enterprise IT teams in
too many ways to count. But perhaps the most important lesson to bubble up is
how much work many organizations need to do to truly understand and manage what
code is running under the hood across their software portfolios. Like the
SolarWinds incident before it, the Log4j fiasco highlighted how many hidden
software dependencies exist in enterprise software - and how hard it is to stamp
out critical underlying flaws when these dependencies aren't sufficiently
understood.
A big part of this comes from the natural progression of modern development
techniques, including microservices and componentization of software, whereby
much of today's software is made up of prefabricated open source and third-party
code. Rather than reinventing the wheel by creating a new body of code for each
app they develop, software engineers essentially mix-and-match existing
libraries and packages for common functions to create the bulk of the codebase
that runs applications.
According to the latest
studies by Google's Open Source Insights Team, 80% of Java packages affected
by the vulnerability in the Apache Log4j library cannot be updated directly and
will require coordination between different project teams to address the flaw.
This spells years of work for application security and development
professionals to stamp out the risk from this widespread software weakness.
darkreading.com
Preventing document fraud in a world built on digital trust |
|
Shootings & Deaths
West Palm Beach, FL: Arrest made in shooting outside Family Dollar store
The Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office is investigating a deadly shooting.
Investigators responded to a report of a shooting in the parking lot of the
Family Dollar store, just east of Haverhill Road, on Monday evening. Deputies
found a man dead from gunshots. Authorities arrested Warren Hobbs Jr., 24, and
charged him with first-degree murder.
cw34.com
Rochester, NY: Boy, 14, shot and killed walking into local Grocery store
A 14-year-old boy was shot and killed inside a store on North Street Sunday
evening. Rochester Police say Julius Greer Jr. lived in the neighborhood. He had
been sent to the store to buy noodles. But, as he entered Gold More Mini Mart
near the corner of Herald Street around 6 p.m., he was shot at least once in the
back. Police aren't sure of the motive or even if he was the intended target. An
unoccupied vehicle was also struck by gunfire.
13wham.com
Update: St. Paul, MN: Man charged with murder; Customer trying to stop
Shoplifter killed at Liquor store
A customer who tried to intervene with a shoplifter at a St. Paul liquor store
was shot and killed with his own gun during a struggle with the suspect last
week, a criminal complaint filed on Monday details. The suspect, identified on
Monday as 49-year-old Trinis Derrell Edwards, is charged with murder for the
deadly shooting at Big Discount Liquor on December 27. Employees at the liquor
store on Rice Street said Edwards had been in the store before when he was short
of money. On the date in question, workers said Edwards had shown up and gotten
into an argument with another customer, the victim, Kenneth Davis Jr. Workers
told police that Davis was protective of the store. Davis accused Edwards of
concealing a bottle of vodka and took the bottle from him and demanded Edwards
leave the store. According to the charges, Edwards said he had a gun and started
digging through his backpack. But, as it turned out, Davis was carrying a weapon
himself, telling the victim that he had a "license" and "displayed" the weapon.
Police say surveillance video showed the two men move out to the parking lot
where they started fighting.
kare11.com
Update: Bloomington, MN: Teenager arrested in connection with Mall of America
shooting
 A
teenager has been arrested in connection with a shooting at the Mall of America
in Bloomington on New Year's Eve. The Bloomington Police Department said a SWAT
team arrested a 19-year-old St. Paul man in Roseville on Sunday for aiding and
abetting first-degree assault. Police said he was identified as leaving the
scene of the shooting with the suspected shooter. The shooting happened around 5
p.m. on Dec. 31. A police officer heard the sound of a gunshot on the third
floor of the mall. They responded to the area and found one man who had been
shot in the leg and another who had been grazed by a bullet. The victim who was
shot in the leg was taken to the hospital. The other was treated at the scene
and released.
fox9.com
Update: Wilmington, DE: Suspect Arrested - Delaware State Police Investigating
Gas Station Shooting
Robberies, Incidents & Thefts
Clark, NJ: Supermarket Employee charged with Attempted Stabbing Murder of
co-worker at store
A ShopRite employee was charged with stabbing a colleague multiple times during
an attack at the Clark store where they worked, police said Monday. Melissa
Prince, 57, of Edison, faces attempted murder, aggravated assault and weapons
offenses, according to Clark police. Officers rushed to the Central Avenue store
around 3:45 p.m. Sunday for a report of an employee wounded at the deli
department, authorities said.
In a news release, police said the accused assailant was immediately arrested
and the attack "could be the result of an altercation." The injured employee was
listed in critical, but stable condition at University Hospital in Newark,
according to police.
ShopRite spokesperson Maureen Gillespie said store staff and an off-duty state
trooper rushed to help. "Sadly, we can confirm that an associate was assaulted
by another associate during an incident that occurred at the store on Sunday,"
Gillespie said in a statement. "Our staff and an off-duty state trooper in the
store reacted quickly by intervening and contacting police, who responded within
minutes," the spokesperson said. "The injured associate is being treated at the
hospital. We are still learning more about yesterday's incident and cooperating
fully with law enforcement on their investigation. We thank our fast-acting
associates for intervening and helping secure the area."
nj.com
Los Angeles, CA: Huntington Park Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Armed
Robbery Spree Targeting Southland Trader Joe's
Cedar Rapids, IA: Felon Sentenced in After Possessing a Gun and Drugs Inside
Wal-Mart; 2nd Federal Conviction for Unlawfully Possessing a Gun Leads to Over
Seven Years in Federal Prison
Billings, MT: Man admits stealing firearms from business after using
construction excavator to break in
Hannibal, MO: Man charged in ATM theft while on bond for prior ATM incident
Brooklyn, NY: Two men attack Burger King worker over food delay |
|
Featured Job Spotlights
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Help Your Colleagues By Referring the Best
Refer the Best & Build the Best
|
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Asset Protection Associate
Charlotte, NC
- posted January 4
The Asset Protection
Associate (APA) is responsible for the detection, apprehension, or deterrence of
customer and associate activity that could result in a loss to Ralph Lauren.
APAs are also responsible for ensuring a safe environment for all customers,
associates, and vendors. APAs promote and monitor compliance to Polo Ralph
Lauren policies and procedures related to theft prevention, safety, and
inventory control. The APA is also required to promote awareness and conduct
training...
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Regional Loss Prevention Manager
Detroit, MI
- posted January 4
Support store and delivery center management in the areas
of Workplace safety and Loss Prevention (LP). Assist store and delivery centers
in compliance with Safety / LP policies and procedures. Serve as main point of
contact as the Safety / LP subject matter expert for stores and delivery centers
in the assigned Region. Collaborate with other support staff as needed...
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Region Asset Protection Manager-South Florida Region (Bi-lingual Required)
Doral, FL
- posted December 21
Responsible for managing asset protection programs
designed to minimize shrink, associate and customer liability accidents, bad
check and cash loss, and safety incidents for stores within assigned region.
This position will develop the framework for the groups' response to critical
incidents, investigative needs, safety concerns and regulatory agency visits...
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Corporate Safety & Security Leader
San Francisco, CA
- posted December 15
RH is seeking a Corporate Safety & Security Leader. The
role will lead a team of Safety & Security Associates on our Corporate Campus in
Corte Madera, CA. The Leader acts as the key point of contact for safety and
security incidents including identifying, investigating, mitigating, and
managing risks...
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Legends
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Regional Loss Prevention and Safety Specialist
New York, NY
- posted November 29
You will act as a coach, trainer, mentor, and enforcer to support the
risk management program at Legends. Responsibilities can include, but are not
limited to: Identify, develop, and implement improved loss prevention and safety
measurements with risk management team; Conduct internal audits that have a
focus on loss prevention, personal safety, and food safety, and help the team to
effectively execute against company standards and requirements...
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Safety Director (Retail Background Preferred)
Jacksonville, FL
- posted November 3
This role is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing
purpose-directed occupational safety and health programs designed to minimize
the frequency and severity of customer and associate accidents, while complying
with applicable regulatory requirements. This leader is the subject matter
expert on all safety matters...
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Director, Loss Prevention & Safety
Goleta, CA
- posted September 24
The Director of Loss Prevention & Environmental, Health
and Safety plans, organizes, implements, and directs HERBL's programs,
procedures, and practices to ensure the safety and security of company employees
and property...
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Corporate Risk Manager
Hayward/LA, CA
- posted October 5
Summary of Role and Responsibilities: A proactive approach to preventing
losses/injuries, whether to our employees, third parties, or customer's
valuables. They include but are not limited to cash in transit, auto losses, or
injuries...
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Featured Jobs
To apply to any of today's Featured Jobs,
Click Here
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