PA Establishes 'Office of Deputy AG for Organized Retail Crime Theft'
The new office is part of a new law increasing penalties & lowering felony thresholds

New law for 2024 aims to crack down on retail theft in Pennsylvania

According to state data, retail theft offenses in Pennsylvania increased by 30 percent from 2021 to 2022.

As a new year begins, a newly passed law is now being enforced in the state of Pennsylvania. State Senator David Argall sponsored a bill in 2023 that was focused on cracking down on retail theft. According to state data, retail theft offenses in Pennsylvania increased by 30 percent from 2021 to 2022.

Sen. Argall's bill changes penalties for people who commit retail theft. It also establishes a deputy attorney general whose job it is to oversee a team of prosecutors focused on retail theft throughout the state.

The bill, which received bipartisan support in Harrisburg, passed in December. According to Argall, Gov. Josh Shapiro quickly signed the bill into law. Under the new law, the retail value thresholds that correlate with second- and third-degree felonies were cut in half.

If the retail value of the stolen merchandise is between $2,500 and $9,999, the offense is now a third-degree felony. Under previous law, the value of the stolen merchandise needed to be between $5,000 and $19,999 to qualify as this kind of felony.

If the retail value of the stolen merchandise is between $10,000 and $49,999, the offense is now a second-degree felony. Previous law stipulated the value of the stolen merchandise had to be more than $20,000 to qualify as a second-degree felony.

For the first time under this new law, a first-degree felony penalty will be added if the retail value of the stolen merchandise is $50,000 or more.

This new law also establishes 'The Office of Deputy Attorney General for Organized Retail Crime Theft.' The legislation states the office will include five prosecuting attorneys who will focus on retail theft in districts throughout the state. 6abc.com


'Blitz Operations' Driving Down Retail Theft in San Francisco?
Larceny theft is one of the only crimes to see a significant decrease since last year in SF

How bad was crime in SF in 2023? We looked into it.

SFGATE looked into the numbers to break down the biggest crime trends San Francisco faced in 2023

Crime, and just how widespread it is, has been a surging topic of conversation in San Francisco for years, particularly since the pandemic emptied downtown of workers. With high-profile homicides and plenty of viral videos documenting retail theft, car break-ins and robberies, it's also a conversation that has gone nationwide. Salesforce has debated moving its giant Dreamforce conference out of San Francisco, and retailers and restaurants have blamed rising crime when closing locations.

A look at the numbers, though, tells a more complicated story. In 2023, crime in San Francisco, including retail and motor vehicle theft, has decreased in most categories, albeit only slightly. But some crimes, such as robberies and motor vehicle theft, have gone up.

(Data runs through Dec. 24, 2023, the latest date for which SFPD had available numbers.)

Homicide - According to police data, there were 55 homicides in 2023, as of Dec. 24, compared to 53 for that same period in 2022. 

Retail theft - According to SFPD data, larceny theft, defined as stealing property without the use of force or violence, is one of the only crimes to see a significant decrease since last year. The department reported 31,428 cases in 2023, about 4,432 fewer theft cases than in 2022. The drop comes after an increase of about 4,400 cases from 2021 to 2022.

As SFGATE previously reported, San Francisco's shoplifting rate decreased by about 5% from January 2019 to June 2023. In the last year and a half, SFPD implemented "blitz operations," which Sernoffsky credits for helping law enforcement cut retail theft. As part of the strategy, SFPD stations plainclothes and uniformed officers in retail stores to observe retail theft and detain large, organized groups of thieves.

Robberies and burglaries - More robberies have occurred in the city in 2023, with 2,693 cases reported in 2023, a 14.5% increase over last year. As SFPD defines it, a robbery is when thieves use force or fear to steal items from someone, such as someone getting mugged. sfgate.com


Will Retailers Rethink How they Talk about Theft in 2024?
How companies are rethinking retail theft in 2024

Throughout 2023, the word on nearly every retail executive's lips was "theft."

Retail theft will continue to be a talking point in the new year, especially as lawmakers crack down on stolen goods, dispatch task forces on the issue and increase law enforcement. But tackling the issue, sources told Modern Retail, means confronting the fact that retail theft can be difficult to track and that existing data is fuzzy at best. Thus in 2024, retailers may be more likely to focus on shrink as an overall concept and less on the headline of rising crime.

Data difficulties

In fact, it is difficult to quantify just how persistent retail theft is, as several media reports have explained. Most law enforcement does not track retail theft specifically. Neil Saunders, managing editor of GlobalData Retail, agrees that retail crime "has been increasing for retailers." At the same time, he said, "it is hard to get a handle on the extent of crime because a lot of the information is qualitative and many of the statistics used are partial or unreliable. That makes understanding the exact extent of the problem challenging."

The issue of shrink

Shrink is indeed a challenge for many retailers, as it affects the number of goods that can be sold. Yet, at a time in which retailers are battling multiple headwinds - including high inflation and shifting consumer interests - retailers have commonly mentioned theft as the culprit for poor performance.

While theft is a part of shrink, shrink can occur for any number of reasons, including shoplifting, operational loss, vendor fraud and administrative errors. Retailers have not always differentiated between these in earnings calls.

Locking and unlocking

"In all of our retail research, we repeatedly see how important convenience is when it comes to shopping," she said. "And so, the more items that get locked up, the more quickly you are chasing away your consumers." Retailers also need to realize the burden that they put on store associates when they ask them to unlock case after case.

Finding solutions to shoplifting:  modernretail.co


Store Product Lock-Ups Aren't Going Anywhere in 2024
"Until we get this lawless society under control, where we can arrest and prosecute... we're still going to see, unfortunately, having to secure more of the merchandise."

Ex-Home Depot CEO reveals why more stores will lock up their items in 2024
Heading into the new year, former Home Depot and Chrysler CEO Bob Nardelli warned big-box retail chains and small businesses are likely to see more items stolen off shelves in 2024, and as a result, continue locking products up.

"Unfortunately, I think it is still a problem," Nardelli said on "The Claman Countdown" Tuesday. "When I was working with the Home Depot team, when you lock it up, you tended to lose sales because it became a deterrent: a deterrent for the people who wanted to rob you, but also for the shoppers who wanted to basically look [at] it, touch it, feel it, and be able to check out, versus getting an associate, unlocking the crib and then bringing it to the register."

The House Homeland Security Committee's Subcommittee on Counterterrorism, Law Enforcement, and Intelligence held a hearing titled "From Festive Cheer to Retail Fear: Addressing Organized Retail Crime," in early December. Current Home Depot execs and representatives from the NRF testified, detailing "an unprecedented spike in retail crime."

"We hear about the big chains and their problems. Oftentimes, we forget that the retail industry is an industry that is made up 98% of small businesses. That is the backbone of our economy," NRF executive director of research Mark Mathews previously told Fox News Digital in December, "and sometimes those get forgotten, and they're suffering as well."

Nardelli argued Tuesday that many stores' no-chase or confrontation policies are contributing to a "lawless society."

"Until we get this lawless society under control, where we can arrest and prosecute, which we did when I was there in 2000 to 2006, we're still going to see, unfortunately, having to secure more of the merchandise," he continued, "which stops the theft to a certain degree, but also prohibits shopping [and] quality shoppers." foxbusiness.com


Theft was Retail's Hottest Topic in 2023
The year in review: retail theft

Retailers from Target and The Home Depot to pharmacies such as CVS and Walgreens were vocal about shoplifting in 2023.

It's never fun to talk about the ugly side of running a business, but this year, retail theft came into focus in a new way that reached national heights. Companies, their CEOs, and special interest groups were extremely vocal about retail theft and how they said it was affecting store operations.

But as claims about retail crime made headlines this year, so has scrutiny over the scale of corporations' response-and more recently, questions about how big a problem it really is. The NRF even went so far as to remove a "mistaken" fact from a headline-grabbing report claiming that organized retail crime (ORC) made up "nearly half" of inventory losses in 2021.

Target was one of the more vocal major companies that expressed frustration with increased shrinkage. In September, the company claimed the reasoning behind closing nine locations was primarily because "theft and organized retail crime are threatening the safety of our team and guests, and contributing to unsustainable business performance."

The big picture: Shrink is certainly a topic that comes up in earnings calls nowadays, but breaking it down at scale can prove to be difficult, as Neil Saunders, managing director at GlobalData Retail, explained in the Los Angeles Times.

"It is clear that shrink is on the rise and is starting to have more of a material impact on business performance," Saunders wrote in an op-ed. "On the other hand, retailers have been known to make excuses for poor performance, and understanding the nuances of crime data and trends can be complicated." retailbrew.com


Shoplifters 'Not Facing the Consequences'
Some accused shoplifters missed court dates while PPB targeted holiday retail theft
Four times over the holiday, police reported how many people they arrested. But of the 55 people who were arrested for shoplifting, several never showed up to court. KOIN 6 tracked 29 cases from PPB and found that at least 12 missed their court date.

"It is incredibly discouraging to see that people we apprehended for shoplifting and other crimes are not reporting it to court and facing the consequences of their actions," PPB spokesperson Mike Benner said. "But that said, we remain committed to continued retail theft missions, And that has a positive impact in the community."  koin.com


Security expert defends Target and CVS 'last resort' of locking up everyday items

'They told everyone in the store': CVS shopper moans over anti-theft measure

Young People More Vulnerable to Workplace Injuries or Deaths
'In 2021, 398 workers under 25 died after getting injured on the job.'

Some workers get hurt on the job more than others - here's who and why
Think about your first job. Maybe it was delivering pizza, bagging groceries, busing tables or doing landscaping work. Did you get enough training to avoid potential injuries? Chances are, you didn't - and your boss or supervisor just told you to get to work.

Employing young people helps them in many ways. They can learn a trade, develop job skills, become more responsible and earn money. But there's danger, too: Americans between 15 and 24 years old are up to 2.3 times more likely to get injured on the job than workers who are 25 and over.

In 2021, 398 workers under 25 died after getting injured on the job.

In my research about the unique occupational safety hazards young workers face, I've identified three common causes of this susceptibility to injury: their lack of experience, developing bodies and brains and reluctance to speak up.

The 19 million young people employed today make up approximately 13% of the U.S. workforce. Work is more dangerous for young people because they've simply had less time to become aware of many common workplace hazards than their older co-workers.

And yet this problem isn't typically addressed during onboarding: Even those who have been trained to do a specific job may not be taught ways to avoid common injuries. And despite these inherent risks, Arkansas, Iowa and other states have recently weakened labor laws, loosening restrictions about the kinds of work teens can do and increasing the number of hours they can work. cbsnews.com

   RELATED: California is poised to protect workers from extreme heat - indoors


NYC Street Vendor Ban Goes Into Effect: 'A Public Safety Issue'
Street vendors gone from Brooklyn Bridge as NYC enforces ban aimed at pedestrian safety
A new street vendor ban on the Brooklyn Bridge went into effect on Wednesday. In the early morning hours, as the new ban went into effect, city crews were seen removing the property of some street vendors on the iconic bridge and in some cases then giving it back.

Mayor Eric Adams said city officials will be enforcing the ban, whether vendors are licensed or not. He previously called the vendor situation on the Brooklyn Bridge hazardous. "People couldn't walk. It's not only a sanitary issue, but also a public safety issue," Adams said. However, vendors say this is how they make a living and they should be allowed to stay.

Vendors usually sell memorabilia and other New York City trinkets on the Brooklyn Bridge. If a vendor refuses to leave, the Department of Transportation will confiscate the items and put them into storage for later pickup.

The new ban aims to enhance pedestrian safety, ease overcrowding, and promote the safety and security of the bridges, according to the DOT. The full rules and the city's plan can be found here. pix11.com


Will 2024 Be Another Strong Year for Retail Labor Unions?
Costco just notched its first organizing victory in two decades

Virginia Costco Workers Vote to Join Teamsters Union
Costco workers in Norfolk, Va. have voted to join the Teamsters Local 822, with the union calling this its first organizing victory at the wholesale retailer in two decades. The 238-worker group will join more than 18,000 Teamsters at Costco nationwide.

Successful unionization efforts in the retail industry have been relatively rare, but they may pick up steam this year following a strong year for labor in 2023, with successful strikes by the United Auto Workers against the Big Three carmakers and by SAG-AFTRA and the Writers Guild of America against Hollywood studios.

The Teamsters had ratified a first-ever national master agreement for Costco in October 2022, boosting wages and pension contributions by the retailer and providing benefits including a more flexible attendance policy. Many Costco workers in Norfolk cited the national contract as a catalyst for organizing, according to a Teamsters statement. retailtouchpoints.com


Post-Holiday COVID Surge Coming?
Did you gather in large groups for the holidays? A virus may be your post-holiday present
Every year since the start of Covid-19, there has been a surge in coronavirus activity after Christmas, New Year's Eve and other winter holidays. Even before the holidays this year, the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention had already warned that Covid-associated hospitalizations were rising, along with hospitalizations for influenza and the respiratory syncytial virus (also known as RSV).

While many people took steps prior to and during holiday gatherings to reduce their risk of contracting these viruses, others engaged in large get-togethers with higher-risk exposure. cnn.com


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