NRF PROTECT Announces first Keynote Speaker!

Survive, Thrive and Cultivate Resilience with Evy Poumpouras

Strategies from a former U.S. Secret Service Special Agent

Whether you find yourself in the middle of an active shooter attack, confronting a difficult interview subject, or managing tense workplace dynamics, the need for mental resiliency is imperative. Join former special agent and polygraph examiner Evy Poumpouras as she shares her strategy with you this June at NRF PROTECT 2022.

Learn more | Register here
 

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The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

City by City Gun Violence in 2021 Stats
A National View of America's Homicide Surge

Record-Breaking Homicide Numbers in a Dozen Major Cities
'It's just crazy': 12 major cities hit all-time homicide records

"It's worse than a war zone around here lately," police official said.

At least 12 major U.S. cities have broken annual homicide records in 2021. Of the dozen cities that have already surpassed the grim milestones for killings, five topped records that were set or tied in 2020.

"It's terrible to every morning get up and have to go look at the numbers and then look at the news and see the stories. It's just crazy. It's just crazy and this needs to stop," Philadelphia Mayor Jim Kenney said after his city surpassed its annual homicide record of 500, which stood since 1990.

Philadelphia, a city of roughly 1.5 million people, has had more homicides this year (521 as of Dec. 6) than the nation's two largest cities, New York (443 as of Dec. 5) and Los Angeles (352 as of Nov. 27). That's an increase of 13% from 2020, a year that nearly broke the 1990 record.

Chicago, the nation's third-largest city, leads the nation with 739 homicides as of the end of November, up 3% from 2020, according to Chicago Police Department crime data. Chicago's deadliest year remains 1970 when there were 974 homicides.

Philadelphia's homicide record was broken in the same week that Columbus, Indianapolis and Louisville eclipsed records for slayings.

Experts say there are a number of reasons possibly connected to the jump in homicides, including strained law enforcement staffing, a pronounced decline in arrests and continuing hardships from the pandemic, but that there is no clear answer across the board.

5 cities surpass records set in 2020

Other major cities that have surpassed yearly homicide records are St. Paul, Minnesota; Portland, Oregon; Tucson, Arizona; Toledo, Ohio; Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Austin, Texas; Rochester, New York; and Albuquerque, New Mexico, which broke its record back in August.

Indianapolis, Columbus, Louisville, Toledo and Baton Rouge broke records set in 2020, while St. Paul surpassed a record set in 1992.

Among the major cities on the brink of setting new homicide records are Milwaukee, which has 178 homicides, 12 short of a record set in 2020; and Minneapolis, which has 91 homicides, six shy of a record set in 1995.

According to the FBI's annual Uniform Crime Report released in September, the nation saw a 30% increase in murder in 2020, the largest single-year jump since the bureau began recording crime statistics 60 years ago. abcnews.go.com

Previous Cities Covered: New York City | Philadelphia | Seattle

13 Security Officer-Related Deaths So Far in 2022
Security Officers Fatally Shot or Physically Caused the Deaths of 13 People
In just the first three weeks of 2022, private security officers have fatally shot or physically caused the death of thirteen people. The majority of these fatal interactions were in response to being shot at, stabbed, or as in one incident, being intentionally hit by a vehicle.

In 2021, 84 security officers were murdered on duty. 91.6 of those died by gunfire. Another 517 were shot and more than 4,000 other security officers were assaulted. The dangers to security officers are real. The constant barrage of attacks on law enforcement is even more frequently faced by private security personnel.

Of the thirteen people who have died, nine were armed and either fired at the security officer first or posed an imminent threat. Of the thirteen fatal incidents, police have not charged any security officer, however, several cases have been either sent to a grand jury or are under review by the district attorney's office.

Security officers have also shown great restraint in several recent confrontations. In Denver Colorado, a security officer at an apartment complex facing an armed man who had been confronting another resident was able to deescalate the situation and got the man to put his gun back into his vehicle. In Houston, security officer Trelynn Robinson was on duty at the Legends Poker Room when a man armed with a rifle demanded money. The man began threatening staff and customers and Robinson jumped into action, disarming the man even though he himself had been shot. privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com

Calif. governor said his new budget proposal includes funds to expand the Organized Retail Theft Task Force
Calif. governor vows state help in cracking down on L.A. rail theft
California Gov. Gavin Newsom is promising statewide coordination as law enforcement and prosecutors go after thieves who have been raiding cargo containers aboard trains near downtown Los Angeles for months, leaving the tracks blanketed with discarded boxes.

The governor on Thursday joined a cleanup crew from the state Department of Transportation filling dozens of trash bags with crushed cardboard from packages stolen on their way from retailers to people across the U.S.

The governor said his new budget proposal includes funds to expand the Organized Retail Theft Task Force created last year when Los Angeles, San Francisco and other cities saw organized groups of roving thieves carrying out smash-and-grab robberies at retail stores.

"These folks are arrested as if they are individuals that are not going connected to the whole, and we need to change that," he said.

At least 280 arrests have been made in connection with the train thefts, the governor said. But he didn't know over what period the arrests occurred or where they are in the prosecution process.

A group of Republican U.S. Representatives on Thursday sent a letter to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland calling for federal assistance in cracking down on thefts that have disrupted the supply chain.

The California Highway Patrol said it was expanding its own retail theft task force that will allow it to beef up patrols and better coordinate with police, the sheriff's department and Union Pacific's security force. Union Pacific and other railroad firms employ their own police forces accredited by the state to protect its rail lines.

CHP Captain Charlie Sampson said the task force's expansion will allow for more patrol officers and investigators.

"We've already assign the personnel for it, and the commander that's going to oversee it," Sampson said. "And it's going to be a full time effort." police1.com

After 'Public Furor' New Progressive Manhattan DA Walks Back Just a Little Bit
Retailers Will Be Happy: He'll at least Treat Armed Robberies as Felonies-But loosen no-bail law

Alvin Bragg's vow to prosecute a few criminals still isn't remotely enough
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg on Thursday walked back some of his orders for prosecutors to let dangerous criminals walk - while still sticking to his overall belief that it's wrong to send perps to jail or prison.

He claimed the public furor was the result of mass "misunderstanding" of his "legalistic" memo that merely aimed to give Manhattan prosecutors "a framework for how to approach cases in the best interest of safety and justice." Right.

At least he's made a start with some fundamental concessions: He says his office will prosecute every robbery with a gun as a felony - and "it will be treated seriously."

And he'll still seek pretrial detention (jail, in other words) only in "very serious cases" - meaning he'll be even looser than the already-outrageous no-bail law.

Bragg's main priority, in short, is still not putting most perps behind bars. He's not trying to protect the public, but only his own job. nypost.com

"Cause for Optimism" - Vaccines Protect Against Severe Illness Past 6 Months
(Hospitalizations & ICU Beds)

However, Gradual Decline in Ability to Prevent Infection After 1-2 Months
(Contracting COVID)

Effectiveness of Covid-19 Vaccines over a 9-Month Period in North Carolina
The study appears in the journal New England Journal of Medicine.

9-Month Study of approximately 10.6 million, entire population of North Carolina residents.

All three vaccines maintained better effectiveness in preventing hospitalization and death than in preventing infection over time, although the two mRNA vaccines provided higher levels of protection than Ad26.COV2.S. medicalnewstoday.com nejm.org

The Great Protection Of Vaccines Against Severe Illness
Is COVID retreating in the U.S.? Data paints encouraging scenario
New coronavirus cases are falling in parts of the United States hardest hit by the fast-spreading Omicron variant, according to a Reuters analysis of public health data, offering an early indication the virus might once again be on retreat.

COVID-19 infections have decreased in 15 states plus Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico, an analysis of the past week through Wednesday compared with the prior week showed.

In the Northeast, which saw some of the highest case loads during the latest surge, infections are down 36% week-over-week.

The drop was more modest at the national level, with the seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases falling 1% as of Wednesday, according to the Reuters tally.

While falling case numbers in parts of the country that were first and hard-hit by the variant offer tangible hope of turning a corner, infections are still on the rise across swathes of the United States.

Cases are still climbing in the Midwest, which has the highest week-over-week increase at 14%, followed by the South at 8% and Western states at 7%, although the increase has slowed considerably in recent weeks.

Nationally, cases are averaging a still high 765,000 a day, down from a peak of 805,000 on Jan. 15. Deaths, which usually lag about three weeks behind cases, are averaging 1,950 a day, up from 1,300 at the start of the month but well below the 3,300 lives lost a day during the surge in January 2021.

However, the recent drop in cases in states like New York, New Jersey and Rhode Island is not the only cause for optimism.

El-Sadr, the epidemiology professor, pointed to positive developments in the current fight against the pandemic, including that Omicron has proven to be milder compared to other strains of COVID-19, the great protection of vaccines against severe illness and the potential for mRNA vaccines to be adapted quickly to new variants. yahoo.com

Employees Want Employers Proactively Engaged in COVID Precautions
Omicron Triggers Return to Workplace Concerns for More than Half of U.S. Workforce

56% of Workers Say Employers Should Require Vaccine Boosters & Higher Ins. Rates for Unvaxxed

Fifty-two percent of working Americans say they have increased anxiety about working in person due to the rise of the COVID-19 omicron variant, and 55 percent agree employers should reconsider back to workplace plans. New research from Eagle Hill Consulting also indicates more than half of U.S. workers (56 percent) support employer requirements for vaccine boosters, while 78 percent say employers should encourage or require employees to be vaccinated for in-person work.

The 2022 Eagle Hill Consulting COVID-19 Vaccines and the Workplace Survey measures employee sentiment about vaccines, returning to the workplace, as well as testing and safety protocols.

Our research indicates workers continue to want employers proactively involved in health and safety protocols," Jezior explained. "From vaccine and booster mandates to masking and social distancing requirements, most workers continue to look to their employer to stay engaged in COVID-19 precautions.

When asked about employer COVID-19 testing and safety protocols, this national poll finds:

● 84 percent of workers concur that employers should require or encourage social distancing.

● 82 percent agree that employers should require or encourage employees to wear masks.

● Regarding temperature checks, 72 percent say employers should encourage or require temperature checks before entering the workplace.

● When it comes to COVID-19 testing for employees, 60 percent support employers requiring or encouraging testing before entering the workplace.

Conducted by Ipsos from January 5-7, 2022, this national survey includes 1001 employees across the U.S. This poll follows similar research conducted from August 8-11, 2021, April 7-9, 2021, Feb 5-9, 2021, and December 4-8, 2020.

Here's another survey from Eagle Hill

What employees want: COVID‑19 delta variant impacts on return to office plans

Employees are increasingly supportive of punitive actions for unvaccinated employees

● 63% - Want employers to institute special precautions for the UNVAXED

● 63% - Believe UNVAXED should NOT be given special allowances to work from home

● 24% - Say UNVAXED should NOT be able to Stay with their employer

● 41% - UNVAXED should pay higher health care rates zdnet.com eaglehillconsulting.com

Public Health Tied To & Fuels U.S. Economic Growth
Millions of American workers are calling out sick from their jobs

Nearly 9 million people missed work in late December & early January as the omicron variant bit into the labor market

Between Dec. 29 and Jan. 10, approximately 8.8 million workers reported not working because they were sick with the coronavirus or caring for someone who was, according to new data from the Census Bureau.

Those numbers are nearly triple the levels from the first two weeks of December, before cases had started to peak around the country. They were also the highest numbers since the agency started taking the survey in April 2020 - well over last January's peak of 6.6 million workers out.

Inflation, driven in part by supply chain issues and shortages overseas, is wiping out wage gains made by many workers, as the cost of essential goods such as food and gas continue to rise. And businesses in lower-wage fields have complained for months that their operations have been hampered by a shortage of available staff.

"Unfortunately, the biggest issue about omicron is it's no longer just fear of contagion and aversion to in-person activity, but it's actually causing acute labor shortages from the sheer number of people who are out sick," said Diane Swonk, economist at accounting firm Grant Thornton.

Cities have been pockmarked by closed signs on businesses big and small during typical workdays in recent weeks. Walmart shut nearly 60 stores in December for coronavirus cleaning and sanitizing. Department store Macy's shortened store hours in January by two hours each day.

Joseph Brusuelas, economist at the firm RSM, said the absences were bad news for the economy - a sign of just how significant the pandemic's effects continue to be, regardless of the political appetite for containing it.

Fewer workers means less productivity for businesses. And missed pay for workers without sick pay means that some household budgets will be strained.

The absences are another reminder of how closely related the public health picture is to the country's economic growth. washingtonpost.com

COVID-Driven Self-Checkout: 18% in '18 to 31% in '20 - Up 72% - Almost Double
COVID is rapidly accelerating the digital transformation at speeds never seen before

More Pressure on Grocery Employees Now Than Any Other Point of Pandemic
More out sick - more kids home - worker shortages - higher demand - more online orders/deliveries

Empty grocery shelves in omicron spike are about worker shortages, not the supply chain

Shoppers should expect to use self-checkout lanes as 4th pandemic spike means waves of workers are suddenly out sick.

The omicron variant is taking a toll on grocery workers who can sense customers' frustration as they try to keep shelves stocked and checkout lines moving.

Stores and warehouses are being hit by worker shortages, said Gary Huddleston, grocery industry consultant to the Texas Retailers Association.

North Texas UFCW union "Members are dealing with omicron and a lot of anxiety," she said. "They are tired and overworked." Local 1000 has hundreds of workers out with COVID-19 on top of unfilled jobs, which brings the number of missing workers into the thousands, Foley-Howard said.

In the past two weeks, Walmart has temporarily closed three stores in Dallas, Fort Worth and Richardson for professional cleaning after an increase in positive COVID-19 cases.

School closings combined with more people being asked to work from home again means groceries are suddenly in higher demand. People staying home more with kids. dallasnews.com

Europe considers new COVID-19 strategy: Accepting the virus

Face masks no longer mandatory in shops from next week
 

Prominent Retail Power House Jay Schottenstein's - Family Talk Now Has David Facing 20 Years in Fed. Prison

Two Florida Men Indicted in Insider Trading Scheme of Retailers Stock
At Home Group, Inc., DSW, Rite Aid Corp., Aphria, among others

Defendants used nonpublic information for stock trading & generated at least $4 million in profits

Kris Bortnovsky, 40, of Surfside, Fla., and Ryan Shapiro, 44, of Bay Harbor Island, Fla., were charged with one count of conspiracy to commit securities fraud and one count of securities fraud. Both defendants were previously charged by criminal complaint on Dec. 6, 2021. A third defendant, David Schottenstein, 38, also of Surfside, Fla., was charged separately by an Information with conspiracy to commit securities fraud and has agreed to plead guilty.

From at least August 2017 to at least May 2019, it is alleged that Bortnovsky and Shapiro conspired to trade in the stocks of certain publicly traded companies, including At Home Group, Inc., Aphria, Inc., DSW, Inc. and Rite Aid Corp., among others, based on material nonpublic information (MNPI) regarding the earnings results and merger-and-acquisition activity of those companies. In many instances, Bortnovsky and Shapiro allegedly obtained the information from Schottenstein, who was a relative of one or more directors of these companies or of companies involved in proposed acquisitions of them. In another instance, Bortnovsky obtained the MNPI and shared it with Shapiro and Schottenstein.

The charge of securities fraud conspiracy provides for a sentence of up to 25 years in prison, five years supervised release and a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss, whichever is greater. The charge of securities fraud provides for a sentence of up to 20 years in prison, three years supervised release and a fine of $5 million. justice.gov

Family Members Leaked Non-Public Info to David Who Used it to Make $4M+
Member of Prominent Schottenstein Family to Plead Guilty in Insider-Trading Case

Illicit tips from boards of Designer Brands & Albertsons garnered at least $4 million in trading profits for David Schottenstein and two friends, prosecutors say

David Schottenstein, a relative of retail executive Jay Schottenstein, is scheduled to plead guilty early next month to charges that he exploited his ties to the family's business empire to procure illegal stock tips that generated at least $4 million in illicit trading profits for himself and two friends, according to a court notice posted Friday.

David Schottenstein, who co-founded a sunglasses company with actor Jamie Foxx, obtained material nonpublic information about Designer Brands Inc. and Albertsons Cos. from his second cousin, who serves on Designer Brands' board of directors and is Jay Schottenstein's son, according to court records and people familiar with the matternd the companies' websites. Jay Schottenstein is American Eagle's chief executive officer, serves as executive chairman of Designer Brands, which owns the Designer Shoe Warehouse chain, and sits on Albertsons' board of directors.

The Schottenstein family, based in Columbus, Ohio, has managed or founded furniture and clothing companies including American Eagle Outfitters Inc., Designer Brands Inc., and Value City Furniture, according to securities filings and the companies websites. Jay Schottenstein is American Eagle's chief executive officer, serves as executive chairman of Designer Brands, which owns the Designer Shoe Warehouse chain, and sits on Albertsons' board of directors.

Joseph Schottenstein also knew about grocery retailer Albertsons' 2018 plan to merge with Rite Aid Corp. because his father served on Albertsons' board. The traders purchased shares of Rite Aid, whose stock price rose after the deal became public in February 2018, as well as other securities that would pay off if the merger became public, according to the SEC.

David Schottenstein, 38 years old, was close friends with his second cousin. The two men vacationed together and spoke several times by phone before David Schottenstein bought 66,000 shares of Designer Brands in August 2017, days before the company reported positive quarterly results that beat expectations, sending the shares up 17%, according to the SEC. wsj.com

Train Thefts Surge 160%
Union Pacific calls for 'strong deterrence' vs train robbers, won't go 'nuclear'
Piles of looted packages littering Los Angeles' tracks have become a testament to brazen train robberies, but according to Union Pacific Corp., the problem is under control. Thieves have been breaking into cargo train containers and stealing countless dollars worth of merchandise that belong to top retailers like Amazon, REI, Target, among others.

The shipments are part of the roughly 40% of goods that enter the U.S. via the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach - the largest in the Western Hemisphere - before being put on trains or trucks to be hauled to the rest of the nation.

"We've got our arms around it, but there's a lot of work that has to be done here," Lance Fritz, Union Pacific Chairman, President and CEO, told Yahoo Finance Live on Thursday.

In a searing letter released in December to L.A.'s District Attorney, the company warned that it could divert routes away from the area to avoid the issue, something Fritz insisted the company didn't want to do - at least not yet.

"That's a nuclear option and we would be very hesitant to pull that trigger," Fritz added.

Data from Union Pacific highlights that thefts targeting its trains are up a staggering 160% over the past year in L.A. County, with an average of 90 containers broken into every day over the last three months. The company estimates that in the last year, those burglaries have cost $5 million in damages, losses and claims.

The company has also brought in extra "special agents" that have helped facilitate the arrest of more than 100 people in just the last three months and they have partnered with local law enforcement like the Los Angeles Police Department. UP is also testing specialized fencing and trespass-detection systems to help tackle the issue at large.  finance.yahoo.com

   See more coverage of LA's train theft surge in Tuesday's Daily

Protesters Engaging in Unlawful Activity
King Soopers granted restraining order against workers' union and picketers as strike enters week two
The seventh day of the ongoing employee strike between King Soopers and its workers ended with a temporary restraining order.

Denver District Judge Marie Avery Moses partially granted the order against United Food and Commercial Workers Local 7, which was Tuesday by Kroger, the parent company of King Soopers.

The company claims picketers have intimidated shoppers, harassed temporary employees, destroyed property and blocked store entrances, among other things.

King Soopers asked the court to stop the alleged actions and only allow up to five demonstrators on private property at a time.

Moses granted the order but upped the maximum number of picketers to 10 people. Picketers must also stay 20 feet away from customers and employees while chanting and shouting.

"Unfortunately, at several locations picketers are engaging in unlawful activity including threatening, blocking and intimidating both associates and customers who have chosen to cross the picket line," said Jessica Trowbridge, a spokesperson for King Soopers. "The safety of our associates, customers, and communities will always come first and this temporary restraining order is a reflection of that commitment." cpr.org

Starbucks Union Push Continues
More Starbucks stores begin move to unionize - in the U.S. and Canada
The recent union victories at two Starbucks stores in Buffalo, N.Y., is fueling other efforts. The National Labor Relations Board has ordered union elections at three other Starbucks stores in the Buffalo area, with ballots to be mailed to employees at the end of the month. The board has also scheduled election to start this month at a Starbucks store in Mesa, Ariz.

Union fever has also hit Starbucks in the Boston area, where four locations have moved to unionize. Efforts have also started at select Starbucks locations in Baltimore, Memphis, Tenn., and Richmond and North Chesterfield, Va.

In Canada, the United Steelworkers union (USW) has filed an application with the Alberta Labour Relations Board on behalf of Starbucks employees at the Chinook Centre in Calgary. The board will hear objections from Starbucks on Jan. 28, 2022, and is expected to authorize a vote of the workers shortly after. If the vote is successful, the Chinook Centre location would become the second unionized Starbucks in Canada. The USW represents Starbucks workers at a drive-through location in Victoria, B.C. chainstoreage.com

Are Your Stores Ready?
Dangerous winter storm, bitter cold rolls across winter-weary East
Sleet, snow and bitter cold temperatures continued to sweep across a wide swath of the South and East on Thursday as the weather-battered region prepared for more travel chaos.

"The arrival of a cold and frigid arctic air mass will set the stage for a winter-weather threat from south Texas to the Carolinas on Friday into Saturday," the National Weather Service said in an alert. "An extensive zone of frozen precipitation of ice, sleet and snow is expected, which will result in dangerous travel conditions."

Much of the region has been slammed by a series of snow and ice events in the last three weeks, sometimes dumping more than a foot of snow in areas that often don't see that much all year. Winter storm warnings and advisories remained in effect for more than 25 million Americans, the vast majority in the South. yahoo.com

NRF 2022: Will Chinese shopping festivals migrate to the U.S.?

Conn's Home Plus plans 27 new stores over next two years

King Soopers 10-day Strike Ends With Tentative Agreement
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Just a Cool Job! Had to Post It Today.
Vice President, Safety and Security job posted for SiriusXM in New York, NY
The Vice President (VP) of Corporate and Event Safety and Security oversees all safety and security programs and efforts across all SiriusXM locations, as well as offsite event venues including physical, architecture, compliance, incident response, disaster recovery and infrastructure. This position will provide executive-level representation to ensure that security interests are championed and prioritized in alignment with the needs of the business. jobs.jobvite.com

Physical Security & Safety Senior Dir. job posted for Chipotle in Columbus, OH
As the Senior Director, Physical Security, Asset Management & Safety you'll be responsible for ensuring that our restaurants, restaurant support centers (RSCs), employees and assets are protected across all physical security fronts. The ideal candidate will be responsible for the development, implementation, and management of the organization's physical security, riskstrategies and programs. We are looking for a highly organized, dedicated, security-mindedleader with experience supporting enterprise level physical security. jobs.chipotle.com

Loss Prevention Director job posted for Snipes in Philadelphia, PA
This position will oversee security operations and develop protection strategies for our retail locations, including their property assets. In addition to analyzing the financial performance of the location, they may also generate a theft response policy and monitor employees. indeed.com

Director of Loss Prevention job posted for UNIS in Los Angeles, CA
Minimize the financial losses of operations related to theft, vandalism. Investigate, log, and resolve alleged and actual theft, violations of policy, and compliance concerns and refers to proper management for disposition. Conduct interviews and bring investigations to a successful conclusion. indeed.com