REI Eliminates DVP of AP in company reorganization
Outdoor retailer REI eliminated its Divisional Vice President of Asset Protection position last week following a company reorganization aimed at expense savings and reallocation of spend decision. No other AP jobs have been cut at this time.

Also within the organization, 9 or 10 other Divisional Vice President positions were cut, along with some lower level positions.

Agilence Named as Finalist in 2018 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service
Agilence, Inc., the leader in cloud-based data analytics solutions designed to help retailers and restaurant operators optimize sales, enhance promotion performance, and improve profits, today announced that they are named a Finalist for the Customer Service Department of the Year category in the 12th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes several of the world's leading business awards shows including the prestigious International Business Awards® and the Stevie Awards for Great Employers. Read more in today's Vendor Spotlight column below.

Snopes.com says FALSE to social media rumors:
Are Stores Locking Up Tide PODS So People Won't Eat Them?
Earlier this month, a fad known as the Tide POD challenge - in which people posted videos of themselves eating the laundry detergent product - drew worldwide attention for the potential danger to human health. Shortly afterwards, rumors surfaced that retailers had begun "locking up" the product because of the dangerous fad. However, multiple retailers have confirmed the measure was not related to any social media challenge.

Reports from as early as 2012 indicated that Tide-brand detergent had a high rate of theft. In March 2012, ABC News reported an uptick in Tide thefts, and in January 2013 WCPO.com broadcasted a segment about the appearance of security tags on Tide detergent. snopes.com

UK Retail Association Moves Retail Crime to the Top of its Agenda
The National Federation of Retail Newsagents (NFRN) is an employers association representing more than 15,000 independent retailers across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland.

The announcement follows three serious attacks on shop workers this month. A London shop worker was assaulted for refusing to sell items to youths he believed to be under-aged - he later died in hospital. In addition, there have been separate armed robberies in Walsall and Glasgow.

Linda Sood, NFRN national president, said: "Unfortunately, for too many of our members crime is something that is all too familiar, which is why the NFRN wants more protection for shop owners and their staff in their place of work.

"Of course, most retailers take steps to protect their employees and customers from the threat of violence and abuse, and installing security equipment such as CCTV can prove useful in combating crime. Often, in the past, we have also been encouraged to improve relationships with our local police.

"It's also not unheard of for police forces to ask shop owners to send in CCTV of shoplifting incidents rather than send officers out to the crime scene. Yet earlier this month Britain's biggest police force - the Metropolitan Police - advised that it has now introduced new guidelines that urge officers not to investigate crimes that involve spending more than 20 minutes looking at CCTV."

The NFRN plans to raise the issue at its annual parliamentary reception at the House of Commons on 20 February. "A commitment to tackling retail crime once and for all will be one of the solutions we will be seeking," Sood added. talkingretail.com

4 Ways Retailers Can Prepare For Potential Worksite Raids
The worksite enforcements conducted at nearly 100 7-Eleven locations across the country earlier this month resulted in federal immigration officials arresting almost two dozen employees for being illegally present in the United States and conducting audits and interviews with store workers - and GCs may be left wondering how to prepare in case their companies are targeted in the same way.

Here, Law360 identifies four ways companies and their legal counsel can prepare for a potential worksite enforcement by federal immigration officers.

Conduct an Internal Audit
GCs can prepare their companies and employees by performing an internal audit of their I-9 forms to ensure ongoing compliance with the employer sanctions provision of the Immigration and Nationality Act. Employers can either review all I-9 forms or a sample selected on neutral and nondiscriminatory criteria.

Be Cautious After Previous Inspections
If an organization has previously been the subject of an inspection, understand it could be in the crosshairs of federal enforcement efforts and proceed with caution. Homeland Security Investigations within ICE "have a sort of bounty hunter incentive to find you at fault because they get to charge you with enhanced penalties for a second or third offense."

Implement an Investigation Protocol
Whether or not a company has been the subject of an enforcement action by Homeland Security Investigations agents, experts recommend developing a strategy to have in place in case one occurs. Aside from I-9 Employment Verification Forms, investigators may also want to see payroll records, tax filings, employment applications, personnel files and business licenses.

Take Note of Officials' Actions
If a workplace enforcement happens, Foster says to record all documents, equipment and personnel seized, and try to copy all documents if permitted. Record any oral statements made and any instructions given by the officers as soon as possible, and note all areas of the premises observed by officers. law360.com

U.S. Marshals Warn of Telephone Scam
Retailers Reporting Scams Spoofing their Corporate HQ Phone Numbers
The U.S. Marshals are alerting the public of several nationwide imposter scams involving individuals claiming to be U.S. marshals, court officers, or other law enforcement officials. They are urging people to report the calls not only to their local U.S. Marshals Service office, but also to the Federal Trade Commission. The FTC has the ability to detect patterns of fraud from the information collected and share that data with law enforcement. The U.S. Marshals hope the information collected by the FTC will lead to possible arrests.

During these calls, scammers attempt to collect a fine in lieu of arrest for failing to report for jury duty or other offenses. They then tell victims they can avoid arrest by purchasing a prepaid debit card such as a Green Dot card or gift card and read the card number over the phone to satisfy the fine.

Scammers use many tactics to sound credible. They sometimes provide information like badge numbers, names of actual law enforcement officials and federal judges, and courthouse addresses. They may also spoof their phone numbers to appear on caller ID as if they are calling from the court or a government agency.

According to the RLPSA, a number of their restaurant members are reporting phone scammers are "spoofing" their corporate headquarters' phone numbers, making their bogus calls appear as if they are coming from a corporate telephone. usmarshals.gov

Webinar: Critical Event Management on the Corporate Campus
Strategies for Improving Safety and Security
Law enforcement and emergency management authorities repeatedly warn that no community, rural, urban or suburban, is immune from threat of violence. Modern corporate campuses are communities, often small town or cities unto themselves, and face the many of the same challenges in the prevention and response to the entire scope of active assailant threats - an evolving term intended to encompass the possibility of attacks involving not only firearms, but vehicles, knives and other forms of violence. Whether committed by a current or former employee, or an extremist propelled by a destructive ideology, large open corporate campuses can be attractive targets, presenting a number of unique safety and security challenges.

Learn more about the challenges and strategies for mitigating risks in the corporate campus environment in this webinar taking place Tuesday, Jan. 30th at 1 pm ET.  event.on24.com

Bankruptcy fallout
Toys R Us closing up to 182 stores - About 20% of fleet
Toys R Us late Tuesday filed court documents outlining plans to close up to 182 stores as part of its bankruptcy reorganization plans. The company noted that some closings may be avoided if it is able to negotiate more favorable lease terms. But most of the stores listed in the documents are expected to close as Toys R Us tries to reinvent itself as a leaner, smarter retailer.

Going-out-of-business sales are scheduled to begin in February and be completed in April. Toys R Us will shrink its store fleet by about 20%, or some 6.9 million square feet, if all 182 stores are closed.

In addition to closing stores, the company intends to convert a number of locations into combined Toys R Us and Babies R Us stores. usatoday.com

Full list of Toys R Us closures

Store closures overshadow strength of physical retail
The "retail apocalypse" headlines of last year (and continuing this year despite healthy holiday retail sales) were driven primarily by store closures; major U.S. chains announced 6,955 store closures in 2017, according to a report from consulting firm FGRT emailed to Retail Dive. Factoring in small and independent retailers, the total U.S. store number last year fell for the first time since 2009, according to the report, citing statistics from Euromonitor International.

That decline was driven in large part by the struggles at apparel retailers and regional malls (which are themselves skewed toward apparel), which have led such malls to expand their tenancies to grocery and "everyday goods" retailers and to mixed uses like leisure and entertainment, according to FGRT's report.

But the collapse is also somewhat exaggerated, with many retailers, notably grocery and dollar stores, actually expanding their physical footprints; major retailers opened a net 1,785 stores, boosting off-mall centers like strip malls, FGRT said. Plus, super-regional malls, which are leisure as well as retail destinations, "registered solid occupancy rates across 2017 despite the impact of retail bankruptcies," FGRT said. retaildive.com

Will changes in shopping trends kill Costco and Sam's Club?
Warehouse clubs such as Costco, Sam's Club and BJ's Wholesale Club have for decades been an American staple: a place where families can stock up on bulk items, try free samples and spend the better part of a weekend morning meandering through aisles filled with 26-packs of canned salmon and king-size mattresses. But as more of Americans' buying shifts online, some retail analysts say warehouse clubs may largely be left behind.

"The core club customer is older: It's generally someone with a family and a house," said Sucharita Mulpuru, an analyst at the research firm Forrester. "Costco has been one of the least digitally forward companies out there. This segment has had its head in the sand when it comes to competing with Amazon."

Warehouse retailers, she added, have been among the slowest to shift their business online, offer home delivery or make other sweeping changes to compete with the likes of Amazon.com. telegram.com

This genius bit into a phone battery and it exploded in his face
A smartphone user in China miraculously escaped serious injury after biting into a smartphone - and having its battery explode in his face.

For a reason that will only ever be obvious to the phone's owner, he chose to bite into the battery at the electronics store, after it had been removed from the phone. This, it turns out, isn't such a great idea.

According to the Taiwan News, the guy was in the unnamed store having the battery replaced on his iPhone. Amazingly, as you can see in the video at the link, neither the biter nor the folk in his direct vicinity were seriously hurt. trustedreviews.com

7-Eleven completes purchase of 1,030 Sunoco stores after FTC review excludes 59

Rite Aid pulls in $1.3B with transfer of 625 stores to Walgreens

Starbucks boosts worker pay, gives bonuses after Trump tax cut

Knightscope finishes 'mini-IPO' with $25M for its crime-fighting robots

CNBC accidentally took a yogurt from Amazon Go without paying, Amazon told them to keep it

Living Spaces Director of Asset Protection job filled

Agilence Named as Finalist in 2018 Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service

12th annual awards will be presented on February 23 in Las Vegas

MOUNT LAUREL, NJ - January 24, 2018 - Agilence, Inc., the leader in cloud-based data analytics solutions designed to help retailers and restaurant operators optimize sales, enhance promotion performance, and improve profits, today announced that they are named a Finalist for the Customer Service Department of the Year category in the 12th annual Stevie® Awards for Sales & Customer Service.

The awards are presented by the Stevie Awards, which organizes several of the world's leading business awards shows including the prestigious International Business Awards® and the Stevie Awards for Great Employers.

The final results will be announced during a gala banquet on Friday, February 23 at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. Finalists from the U.S.A. and several other nations are expected to attend.

"We are so proud to have been named a Stevie Awards Customer Service finalist. This nomination is a direct reflection of the customer-centric culture that we embody every day," said Catherine Penizotto, VP of Customer Success at Agilence. "The success of our customers is so critical to us and it's incredibly exciting to have that 'customer first' mindset and the dedication of the team here at Agilence recognized."

More than 2,500 nominations from organizations of all sizes and in virtually every industry were evaluated in this year's competition. Finalists were determined by the average scores of more than 150 professionals worldwide, in seven specialized judging committees.

"The 2018 judges were so impressed with the wide range of achievements detailed in Agilence's nomination," said Michael Gallagher, president and founder of the Stevie Awards. "We look forward to announcing the Gold, Silver, and Bronze Stevie placements in Las Vegas next month."

"We are honored to be named a finalist for the Stevie Awards," said Russ Hawkins, President & CEO of Agilence. "Our Customer Success team has already been recognized as a benchmark in our industry, and to be named a finalist by an organization like the Stevie Awards is a testament to our team's dedication and effectiveness."

Details about the Stevie Awards for Sales & Customer Service, and the list of Finalists in all categories are available at https://stevieawards.com/sales.

There is a People's Choice award that the Stevie Awards also runs. If you would like to vote for Agilence, you can do so here: https://hubs.ly/H09KN-N0

45% of Businesses Say Employees Are Biggest Security Risk
Despite facing mostly external attacks, nearly half (45%) of businesses believe their greatest security risk comes from their own employees, according to the 2018 Netwrix Cloud Security Report. The blame falls more heavily on IT staff (39%) and businesses users (33%) as much as, or more than, it does on cloud providers (33%).

Common cloud security concerns are the same across respondents, which represent 853 organizations. The greatest is risk of unauthorized access (69%), risk of malware infiltrations (50%), and the inability to monitor activity of employees in the cloud (39%).

Cloud security will continue to be an issue as most businesses plan to move more data to the cloud and begin storing sensitive data in cloud environments. The bulk of this will be customer (50%), employee (45%), and financial (37%) data. Part of the problem will be getting executives on board: only 66% of respondents have upper-level support for cloud security projects. darkreading.com

Seasonal workers with login access to sensitive material pose security challenge
Lending assistance during the feverish weeks from early November through the beginning of the new year, holiday workers provide an essential service but also present significant challenges for human resources and security. Long after they depart, valid login information or other sensitive material may remain in their possession.

The huge wave of interim workers in areas governed by different computer systems may result in inadequate onboarding and offboarding provisions. Companies must implement an effective identity- and access-management program throughout the organization to centralize and automate these tasks in real time. Gartner Research calls such a program "the security discipline that enables the right individuals to access the right resources at the right times for the right reasons." stores.org

9 Steps to More-Effective Organizational Security
Having a robust and well-defined organizational security framework - one that focuses on both information technology and security - is crucial for fulfilling business requirements. Too often security can be viewed as a barrier, but ultimately, it's the only way to help protect the enterprise from threats and avoid a data compromise.

Here are nine helpful ways to build out your framework:

1. Take a risk-based approach
2. Provide incentives for good behavior
3. Incorporate technology
4. Stop and think
5. Assign a leader
6. Get other departments involved
7. Set up policies
8. Refer to published frameworks
9. Take your time   darkreading.com

Global AI-Based Security Market to Surpass $31B by 2025
Rising Adoption of Smart Devices Driving Growth
The artificial intelligence (AI) based security market was valued at US$ 2.94 billion in 2016 and is projected to reach US$ 31.49 billion by 2025.

Artificial intelligence-based security systems have the capability to analyze every incident happening and identify its root cause, along with its procedures, and trends. This also helps put in place preemptive measures, so as to stop any untoward incident before it happens.

Rising adoption of smart devices, including smartphones and smart wearable devices, is expected to drive growth of the global artificial intelligence based security market during forecast period. Increasing utilization and dependency on the Internet is expected to increase the risk of cyber-attacks. coherentnews.com

Study: E-retailers that overstep 'data boundaries' drive away customers
While 71% of U.S.-based shoppers said they are willing to part with information, such as e-mail addresses and shopping history, in return, they expect retailers to protect their interests (72%); be transparent in how they use personal data (66%), and protect their privacy in the event of criminal investigations (60%), according to "The Global 2017 SAP Hybris Consumer Insights Report," from SAP SE. chainstoreage.com

Data Privacy Day - Jan. 28 - Reminds Organizations That Protecting Privacy Is a Concern to Consumers and Good for Business

Q&A: How Lowe's thinks about the latest retail technologies

EBay CEO: Get used to shopping with your voice

Vancouver Stores Disclose Best Ways To Capture Crooks
Cameras detect 'every movement' in the store
John Alexander paid a visit to a London Drugs loss prevention office in the Vancouver area of Kitsilano. The area has 49 hidden cameras which are able to zoom close in on even the small printed letters on store products.

According to Dave Tor, loss prevention manager, the company has one of the best camera systems in the industry and the camera can detect every movement going on in the store.

The cameras can pin point any funny reaction from prospective shoplifters and can even detect when an item is missing from a shelves while revealing the last individual grabbing something from the shelves.

Furthermore, there are also other camera systems which are able to keep track of "wardrobe shoppers". These are people that buy clothing items, make use of them and later return them to the store with various unsatisfactory remarks. hibusiness.ca

Holographic decals at Calgary gas stations warn of potential fraud
Silver holographic decals aimed at protecting consumers from fraud can now be seen at gas stations throughout Calgary.

The anti-skimming decals show the Crime Stoppers logo and are constructed to break apart if tampered with, alerting drivers that the gas pump they're using to fill up their vehicle may not be secure.

Customers should look for two decals located on the pump. If one or both is missing, they're asked to ensure the card reader is secure by lightly pulling on it and making sure the keypad area is flush with the console and never loose.

They were created in partnership with the Canadian Crime Stoppers Association, Petro-Canada and Circle K Stores. globalnews.ca

Toronto-area mall one of world's most notorious sources of counterfeit goods
Pacific Mall, a predominantly Chinese-Canadian shopping centre in Markham, Ont., is one of 18 brick-and-mortar locations and 25 online retailers named by the U.S. Office of the Trade Representative in its annual review of so-called "notorious markets."

The U.S. government says sales of counterfeit goods at Pacific Mall are "sprawling and pervasive" and that vendors "operate largely with impunity (as) requests for assistance from local law enforcement have reportedly gone unanswered."

The new report says some of the counterfeit items available at the mall, including cosmetics, sunglasses and perfumes, can pose a risk to public health and safety. 680news.com

Canada Goose sues Chinese counterfeiters for selling fakes online
Arctic jacket maker Canada Goose has filed a lawsuit in Chicago, US, against a group of Chinese businesses for allegedly selling counterfeits of its brand online.

According to court documents, the fashion firm claims "an interrelated group of counterfeiters" based in China had been infringing the Canada Goose trademark and selling fake versions of its clothing online through hundreds of unauthorized websites, the Chicago Tribune reports.

The jackets of the brand, with the trademarked logo patch, feature a coyote-fur trim and are insulated with premium down. They retail for more than $1,000. The company said the alleged network of counterfeiters were selling the knockoffs at reduced prices and that the infringing activity was having an impact on the business, noting that the fake jackets were likely to be unsuitable for cold weather. securingindustry.com

Canadian retail apocalypse, or a great new opportunity ahead?
"The battle for experiences is just getting started"
Massive shifts in demographics, the millennial push for quality of life and advanced technologies are combining to create a brand-new retail opportunity in experience-based selling. The question is: Can retailers smartly pivot their business models to capitalize on it?

Thank you, Alexa
Unlike their predecessors, millennials are never going to spend their days hunting for the bare necessities. Alexa can take care of that. Instead, they can and are spending their weekends hunting down interesting, social-media-worthy experiences that combine entertainment, dining, socializing, outdoor sports and a bit of browsing. Companies that understand this behaviour can position themselves to capitalize on it.

The next food revolution
Clipping coupons and walking the aisles of grocery stores for weekly staples just don't cut it as worthwhile experiences nowadays, and this should serve as a wake-up call for traditional grocers. Wal-Mart and Amazon understand better than most the millennial desire to be freed from these mundane tasks.

Prepare for battle
Will today's retailers embrace the new world fast enough? Will they face the music - or will they allow Alexa to eat their lunch one meal kit at a time? To quote former dot-com executive Seth Godin, "the battle for shopping is over and Amazon won." True, Amazon has mastered the convenience button. But I believe the battle for experiences is just getting started. retail-insider.com

Spending in Canada up 4.26 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2017

Sobeys to close 10 Safeway stores in British Columbia

Britain's Ocado seals deal to allow Sobeys to use its e-commerce platform

Quebec's minimum wage to increase to $12 in May

Solution Providers: Have a video or commercial you want to publish? Contact us 

A 5-Fold Defense: The Evidence You Need to Successfully Dispute a Chargeback
Ecommerce companies put a lot of resources into detecting and declining fraudulent orders made by criminals who've acquired stolen credit card information. This is in their best interest: blocking those fraudulent orders means preventing expensive chargebacks (refunds awarded to the cardholder after they successfully dispute a charge). The real cost of chargebacks is much more than just the value of the refunded purchase, however-there's the cost of replacing the merchandise and fees levied by the merchant's payment processor.

An ecommerce merchant's only defense against friendly fraud is to dispute the chargeback by providing ironclad evidence that the cardholder authorized the purchase. Since the burden of proof lies with the merchant, collecting and preserving digital evidence is critical. Fortunately, some of the same tools ecommerce companies use to block fraudulent orders can be used to gather this evidence.

To successfully win a chargeback dispute, merchants need to prove that the cardholder made an authorized purchase. Thus, any proof which shows the transaction in question wasn't made by a fraudster can help build that case. This proof includes:

1. Records of positive AVS and CVV matches
2. Address matches
3. Copies of all electronic communications
4. Signed proof of delivery to the cardholder's shipping address
5. Internet Protocol (IP) data techspective.net

10 Things Retailers Need To Know About Blocking Good Customers
Retailers have come to expect some collateral damage in their never-ending battle against fraud. After all, it's impossible to block fraudsters without accidentally blocking a few good customers, right? And false positives certainly seem better than a runaway fraud problem.

But blocking good customers may hit a company's bottom line harder than they'd think, and in ways they haven't anticipated. Here are 10 things retailers need to know about blocking good customers as they work to grow their business.

1. It's hard to keep false positives and fraud low.
2. Customers hate the very security measures that keep them safe, even though they expect that safety.
3. Good customers are blocked all the time.
4. That's why false positives are a top concern for most businesses.
5. Businesses often block high-value transactions.
6. False positives are more expensive than actual credit card fraud.
7. And the cost isn't just monetary.
8. Adopting looser fraud prevention strategies might not be the answer.
9. It's not as simple as just acquiring new customers, either.
10. Many merchants don't think they can reduce their false positive rate with their existing fraud prevention solutions. retailtouchpoints.com

U.K. Government Denies Claims of Going Easy on Amazon's Taxes

San Diego, CA: Private Investigator Analyzes $500K Heist at Hermes de Paris in Fashion Valley
Authorities Tuesday asked the public for help in identifying a fast-working crew of burglars who broke into a luxury-goods retailer at Fashion Valley mall and made off with more than half a million dollars' worth of merchandise. The group of 10 thieves, all wearing gloves and hooded sweatshirts, used a crowbar or similar tool to pry open the front door of the Hermes De Paris store at the Friars Road shopping center shortly before 4:30 a.m. Sunday, according to San Diego police. While inside the business for about two minutes, the bandits stole a variety of items, including purses, jewelry and clothing. The total loss was estimated at in excess of $500,000. nbcsandiego.com

Tallahassee, FL: C-Store Employee steals more than $250,000 worth of Lottery tickets
Hutendra Shahi, who was a store clerk at Stop N Shop, has been charged with organized scheme to defraud $50,000 or more (first degree), grand theft over $100,000 (first degree), and tampering with physical evidence. According to an investigation by the Florida Lottery Division of Security, Shahi had been printing large amounts of Florida Lottery online game tickets for his own use. Documents allege Shahi even went so far as to delete footage from the DVR inside the store, printing off and stealing more than 6,000 tickets in one instance. Investigators say the total loss incurred by the Florida Lottery was $255,299.79. wtxl.com

Lewisville, NC: Man accused of fraudulently ordering nearly $100,000
worth of cellphones
A Lewisville man was indicted Monday on charges that he stole people's identities to fraudulently order nearly $100,000 worth of iPhones from Sprint PCS. A Forsyth County Grand Jury indicted Lehrman Rene Bess, 43, , on 26 counts of identity theft, one count of conspiracy to commit felony larceny, one count of felony larceny and one count of obtaining property by false pretenses. The indictments allege that Bess conspired with two other men to steal new cellphones from Sprint PCS. The cellphones were stolen either from a UPS facility or after being delivered by UPS to people's homes. The cellphones that were fraudulently ordered were worth more than $97,000, the indictments allege. journalnow.com

Wareham, MA: Mississippi woman with 9 outstanding warrants arrested at Walmart
Wareham PD were called to Walmart, Monday at about 1:30 p.m. regarding a shoplifting incident in progress. Upon arrival, the officers were directed to a woman who began running through the store until apprehended. Investigation showed the woman attempted to steal $477 worth of merchandise. Further investigation led to the discovery that Rosalind Williams had nine outstanding arrest warrants issued with regard to previous felony theft incidents, five of which were issued in Massachusetts, four in Alabama, and one in Rhode Island. wickedlocal.com


Fredericksburg, VA: 5 suspects stole $7K worth of electronics from Walmart
Four of the suspects were captured on cell phone video, loading the stolen merchandise into a minivan. The fifth suspect was the getaway driver, according to police. A minivan with no license plates was parked on the sidewalk in between the store and outdoor center. Police say toting TV's and other electronics; the suspects start loading without looking back. wtvr.com





Menomonee Falls, WI: Two suspects wanted in connection with theft from Woodman's
Police in Menomonee Falls are asking for help to find two suspects accused of stealing from a local grocery store. According to investigators, a man and a woman pushed a shopping cart full of groceries out of the Woodman's store in Menomonee Falls without paying. cbs58.com



Anchorage, AK: Airline workers steal 343 Computers, 667 cartons of Cigarettes
A Federal Grand Jury has indicted six former employees of an Alaska commuter airline on charges of stealing mail over two years, including 343 computers headed to schools in rural villages. The six ramp agents were employed by Ravn Air. US Attorney Bryan Schroder said the six were charged with stealing Apple computers and other mail, conspiracy and possession of stolen mail. The value of the items stolen from March 2015 to April 2017 was $489,000. Besides computers, the men are suspected of stealing cellphones, cigarettes and chewing tobacco. khaleejtimes.com

Paso Robles, CA: Two men steal $3,000 worth of cigarettes from a Chevron

Palm Beach Gardens, FL: Fireworks scare sends shoppers scrambling
at Gardens Mall
Officers responded to the Gardens Mall following a disturbance Monday night. Palm Beach Gardens Police said, a person lit fireworks inside of the mall and then ran out. The mall was not evacuated according to police, but shoppers were seen running from the mall. wpbf.com
 

Shootings & Deaths

Fort Mills, SC: 19-year-old C-Store employee shot to death; shooter in custody
A young woman was shot and killed by a man Tuesday evening while working at a popular Fort Mill store, police said. The victim has been identified as Karson Bailey Whitesell, 19, of Rock Hill, SC. The shooting happened around 4:45 p.m. Tuesday, at The Peach Stand on SC Hwy 160. Investigators said a man stormed into the store and opened fire, killing Whitesell. Police said the suspect in the shooting has been taken into custody. Authorities have not yet released the suspect's identity. fox46charlotte.com



League City, TX: Man fatally shot by Police Officer following CVS Robbery
A man was shot and killed by a League City Police Officer following a robbery at nearby drug store on Tuesday night, police say. Officers responded to a robbery call around 5:20 p.m at a CVS at E. League City Parkway. Upon arrival, police say they found a woman was injured by a robbery suspect who fled on foot. At 5:30 p.m., police say an officer was checking the immediate area of the robbery when he had an altercation with a man which resulted in a shooting. khou.com


Police name Wendy's Employee as suspect in Edgewood Restaurant Shooting
Allegheny County Police have named a worker at an Edgewood Wendy's as the suspect in a shooting inside the restaurant that left a man critically wounded Monday night. Police said that Ronald Burton was working at the restaurant in Edgewood Town Centre when he got into an argument with a man in the dining area shortly before 6:45 p.m. During the confrontation, Burton pulled out a handgun, shot the 27-year-old victim in the torso and fled. The victim underwent surgery and was still listed in critical condition. triblive.com
 

Robberies & Thefts

Las Vegas, NV: Man carjacked, robbed at Best Buy
A Best Buy employee arriving for work Tuesday morning was kidnapped, carjacked and robbed in the southwest Las Vegas Valley. Shortly before 6 a.m., a man who had just arrived for his shift was confronted by two men in the parking lot of the Best Buy on Arroyo Crossing. Police said at least one of the men was armed with a handgun. The suspects forced the man into his vehicle and made him drive to an ATM , where he withdrew an unknown amount of money, LVMP said, the two men then instructed the victim to drive to a C-Store where they told him to get out of his vehicle. The man was not injured. reviewjournal.com

Gilbert, AZ: Update: Police release video of 7-Eleven clerk shooting Robbery suspect; no charges filed against the clerk

Orange County, FL: Update: Police seeking 2 men in Publix Burglary; $5,000 in damage

UK: Burton, England: Man charged with Robbery after Armed Raid at Tesco store

UK: London: Moped thug jailed for $28,000 knifepoint robbery at Upper Street designer store

Kay Jewelers in the Carolina Pottery Outlets, Smithfield, NC reported a Credit Fraud on 1/20, item valued at $5,000
 

Arson & Fire

Idaho Falls, ID: Terminated Brady's Store Employee sentenced for Arson
Jason Schlegel had quit his job at the store in April 2016. He was arrested in November 2016 after he forged the signature of another Brady's employee to buy a $130 saw kit. Video surveillance captured Schlegel walking toward the Brady's trucks with two gallon jugs of gasoline and lighting the fire. Schlegel had made previous threats to burn the business down, and had threatened to shoot employees. postregister.com


Sparks, NV: Prime Trailer store fire under investigation
 

Sentencings & Arrests

Garland, TX: 2 Arrested In Murder, Armed Robbery Of C- Store Clerk

St. Louis Park, MN: Charge accuses man of yelling that he had a gun while fleeing staff at Kohl's

Anderson, IN: Police arrest teen accused of crashing car into gun store, stealing firearms

Milwaukee, WI: Four arrested in connection to several robberies across southeastern Wisconsin

Woodstock, IL: Man arrested for theft of 60 inch TV, pulling gun on Walmart Loss Prevention

Lexington, KY: Police arrest Kroger's Armed Robbery Suspect

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There are many leaders who make mistakes, but the important thing great leaders do when mistakes are made is they admit to it. Showing vulnerability, your human side, can go a long way toward establishing positive and trusting relationships with your team. Common interests

Bad Leaders React, But Here's What Good Leaders Do
Driven by emotions, bad leaders react quickly to situations, without worrying about the repercussions of their actions. Leaders can't just react, even under pressure. Here's how taking time to respond can improve your leadership. Don't let emotions control

Want to Be a Better Leader? Read This
One of the keys to being an effective leader is to forge your own path that is different from the leaders who came before you. Sometimes, doing things the same way loses it's effectiveness. Find your own way of leading and use these tips to figure out where to start in finding your own leadership style. Appeal to the heart

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Seems like the longer a process goes, the harder it is for everyone to stay focused on the initial purpose and maintain the enthusiasm as when it began. Time and difficulty have their impact, but maintaining the passion and enthusiasm is up to each person. With the last step seemingly the easiest, it is usually the most critical step of all and many tend to approach it as if it is a mere formality when, in reality, that last step can be the biggest and, if you do not watch out, it could be a step right off the cliff.

Just a Thought,
Gus

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