Gatekeeper Systems' Cart Retrieval Solution in the News
Gatekeeper's LP solution makes the news - along with other retail anti-theft measures

Inside Target's anti-theft measures from tether displays to Gatekeeper Systems' cart retrieval solution

Target has revealed several creative security strategies as department stores across the country face rising reports of shoplifting.

The extreme anti-theft measures come after Michael Fiddelke, Target's chief financial officer, admitted suffering major financial losses exacerbated by shoplifting.

In November 2022, Fiddelke reported that organized retail theft cost Target $400 million in their third quarter. The retail industry leader emphasized that direct actions would be taken to prevent shoplifting in the future.

Insider took a deeper look into some of the new security measures that have been implemented at their local Target location. One photograph shows a video game display tethered to the wall, keeping customers from removing it without staff assistance.

Security tags have even hit the beauty section, with fake eyelashes and press-on nails receiving extra protection.

Target has even gone as far as to protect its shopping carts. The retailer has purchased Gatekeeper Systems, a robot that automatically retrieves loose carts.

Target isn't the only department store to test out new security measures ahead of rising prices and reports of shoplifting. Stores such as Walmart, Lowe's and Kroger have also tested out new surveillance systems as they face the looming 'retail apocalypse.'  the-sun.com


Major Retailers Investing in Anti-Theft Measures Inside & Outside Stores
Meet Walmart's 'lot cop' after mobile surveillance installed as anti-theft measure amid surge in self-checkout stealing

Retail giants have taken extreme measures to combat shoplifting in some stores, including locks on products and increased surveillance.

In an effort to deter potential thieves, one Walmart in Kentucky installed a mobile surveillance "lot cop" in the parking lot. The surveillance extends into the store as well, with signs warning customers that security cameras are in use and that reducing theft helps keep prices low, Business Insider reported.

Leaders of major retailers across the country, including Walmart CEO Doug McMillon, have expressed concerns that if theft does not decrease, stores will have to close or prices will have to rise. Theft prevention experts have noted that organized retail crime has skyrocketed, exacerbating the problems retailers are facing.

To combat this, Walmart, like many other retailers, has implemented various security measures. Some items, such as those in the beauty and electronics departments, are locked behind glass doors and can only be retrieved by employees.

Other items are locked in plastic boxes and must be removed at checkout. The retailer also uses spider wrap alarms on items throughout its stores, which will sound if an item is stolen. Additionally, household electrical fuses are hung on twist-release displays, making it harder to take several at once.

Target also uses a cart retrieval system made by Gatekeeper Systems to protect its shopping carts, as an estimated two million shopping carts are stolen each year at a cost of $800 million to retailers.

Home Depot, another major retailer, uses locks and non-working units to display items like nail guns and locks higher-priced power tools in merchandise cages.

Some battery packs locked in cages are also tagged with RF devices. The store has less intense anti-theft measures for items like leaf blowers, using traditional locks to keep them safe. the-sun.com


Business Owners Call for Bipartisan ORC Legislation
Senator Cortez Masto sponsoring legislation to crack down on organized small business theft
Senator Cortez Masto is sponsoring a legislation to crack down on small business organized theft. Though this legislation has not passed yet, it's supported by the senator.

Senator Cortez Masto explains, the goal of the legislation is to help federal law enforcement better coordinate with state and local industry partners to tackle organized theft "So I have legislation working with our retail establishments and working with Senator Grassley bipartisan legislation, to actually help address the issue of organized retail crime and give our law enforcement more tools that they need to address it."

Senator Cortez Masto visited many of the Reno Public Market small business owners to speak about their experiences with theft occurring within their stores.

Even the developers of the Reno Public Market have noticed theft, more recently noticing people have taken to stealing tip jars off the counter tops.

Senator Cortez Masto tells us the legislation would be an opportunity to bring law enforcement together to address organized retail crime within small businesses.

"It's a peace of mind for our small businesses but it's also going to let the criminal element know that we're coming after them. We're going to do everything we can to give the tools to law enforcement to stop this," explains Senator Cortez Masto. 2news.com


New Mexico Rolls Out New ORC Measures
Proposed bills would tackle retail crime in New Mexico
A state lawmaker is pushing bills to address the recent rise in shoplifting. Representative Bill Rehm, a Republican from Albuquerque, has joined four colleagues in sponsoring House Bill (HB) 55.

HB 55 would create a new criminal charge for organized retail theft. If approved, the charge would target shoplifting rings that hit stores on two or more occasions. It would also change the severity of the charges based on the dollar amount stolen from stores over an entire year, instead of on a case-by-case basis.

Representative Rehm and fellow Republican Randall Pettigrew have also introduced HB 57. It's a bill that would give retailers immunity from lawsuits when they use "reasonable force" to detain a suspected shoplifter until police arrive.

Rehm said state law currently allows stores to detain shoplifters, but many times suspects sue, claiming they were injured while they were held. This would protect retailers from those tort claims.

If the state doesn't crack down on shoplifting, Rehm fears retailers may try to leave the state. The Organized Retail Theft Bill is expected to go before a House Committee Friday. The Retailer Tort Immunity Bill is scheduled to be heard in committee later this month. krqe.com


Mass Shootings in the U.S.: A Symptom of Nationwide Despair
We Profiled 'Signs of Crisis' in Mass Shootings. Here's What We Found.
These events have become more frequent and more deadly over time. One-third of all the mass shootings in our study occurred in the last decade. This is no coincidence. The killings are not just random acts of violence but rather a symptom of a deeper societal problem: the continued rise of "deaths of despair."

Nearly all the killers we profile are men. Many were socially isolated from their families or their communities and felt a sense of alienation. Most chose not to ask for help when confronted with hardship, like a breakup or being fired from their job.

They chose mass shootings as a way to seize power and attention, forcing others to witness their pain while attempting to end their lives in a way that only they controlled. These are public spectacles of violence intended as final acts.

Whether it's self-inflicted, or comes at the hands of police officers or after life in prison, a mass shooting is a form of suicide. This is something that separates mass shootings from other crimes and is why traditional preventive measures like increased armed security or harsh criminal sentences will do little to stop them.

In order to prevent future tragedies we must treat the underlying pathologies that feed the shooters' despair. Mass shootings must no longer be written off as "inexplicable" episodes of "unthinkable" violence. Our communities and governments need to find ways to reduce social isolation more broadly and improve access to mental health care and substance abuse treatment. nytimes.com


Retail theft on the rise, Washington AG tells industry reps and law enforcement

Store employees use chatroom to help catch shoplifting suspects

Editorial: Legislative package has sensible measures to address rampant property and violent offenses

US: 104.1M Cases - 1.1M Dead - 101.2M Recovered
Worldwide: 674.8M Cases - 6.7M Dead - 647M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 830

Businesses Will 'Have to Wait Years' for the Remote Work Era to Wind Down
All bosses 'secretly' want workers back in the office-but they'll have to wait years, major business group leader says
As the return to office debate rages on, many bosses have made it clear that they want their staff back at work in person.

Some employees, though, have resisted return-to-office requests, insisting that they can do their jobs just as well from home-which is unsurprising, given that one in four workers would rather get a root canal than go back to working in the office full time.

But according to Tony Danker, director-general of the Confederation of British Industry-the U.K.'s biggest business group, which represents 190,000 companies-most workers will eventually have no choice but to work from their company's headquarters.

However, he conceded that it was unlikely companies across the globe would suddenly be demanding their workers return to full-time office work, and speculated that the debate around working patterns would continue for some time.

"I just don't think that's going to happen overnight," he said. "I think we are all coping with this...but we're going to be talking about this for a few years." yahoo.com


The Global Ripple Effects of China's COVID Explosion
How China's COVID Crisis Could Spawn a Disastrous Virus 'Leap'
China's COVID disaster is entering a critical phase. The BA.5.2 subvariant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus is spreading essentially unchecked through a population of 1.4 billion people with weak COVID immunity. And as the virus is spreading, it's mutating-fast.

If the rest of the world's experience with the same form of COVID is any indication, one of two things will happen in China in the coming weeks and months. The virus could settle down on a genetic level and produce a succession of subvariants closely related to BA.5.2-ones that the Chinese population's slowly increasing immunity should be able to handle. Or, the unrestrained transmission and runaway mutations will lead to a genetic breakthrough for SARS-CoV-2.

In that case, we might see the first new major variant since Omicron appeared more than a year ago. That's the worst-case scenario. "The worry is that new variants, or Omicron subvariants, will be created that are more immune-evasive and will be able to infect those outside of China." thedailybeast.com


FDA Experts Are Still Puzzled Over Who Should Get Which Covid Shots and When

CDC urges people with weak immune systems to take extra precautions

Nationwide Protests Break Out After Police Footage Released
Mostly peaceful protests held across U.S. after release of Tyre Nichols footage
Numerous mostly peaceful protests were held across the U.S. following Friday's release of body camera footage of the killing of Tyre Nichols. All five officers involved in Nichols' arrest were fired and charged with second-degree murder, assault and kidnapping earlier this week.

In Memphis, where Nichols died, a group of demonstrators gathered at a downtown park and then took to the streets, shutting down the I-55 bridge over the Mississippi River between Memphis and West Memphis.

Officials shut down Grand Central Station in anticipation of protests in New York City, where demonstrators had gathered in Times Square. A protest and march in Boston halted traffic.

A protest in downtown Los Angeles became tense when a small group protesters gathered outside of Los Angeles Police Department headquarters, which was blocked by police in riot gear, according to the Los Angeles Times. Protesters tore town a protective barricade around the building, but there were no immediate reports of arrests.

Other small, but mostly peaceful protests, were also held in Washington, D.C., in Seattle, Detroit and Atlanta, as well as in other cities.

Officials had been preparing for nationwide protests in the days leading up to the release of the footage.

Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency this week, and members of the National Guard can be seen in Atlanta, attempting to curb protesters. People could also be seen protesting outside the White House hours after Biden urged citizens "not to resort to violence or destruction."

Also on Friday, White House officials also spoke with mayors in more than a dozen major cities - such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia and Chicago - to brief them on federal assistance.

Nichols' family, including his mother, RowVaughn Wells, and his stepfather, Rodney Wells, asked protesters to remain peaceful. "I don't want us burning up cities, tearing up our streets, because that's not what my son stood for," Wells said at a vigil for her son on Thursday. npr.org  latimes.com


Civil Unrest Alert From Private Officer International
Security Officers Assaulted as Tense Protests Break Out Across U.S.
The release of the violent attack on Tyre Nichols by Memphis police that eventually caused his death has sparked hundreds of protests and violent riots across our nation once again. These violent protests have already led to dozens of assaults on law enforcement and three confirmed assaults on security officers.

Dozens of buildings have been set afire, and some major interstates were shut down on Friday night and Saturday by armed and unarmed rioters. Violent attacks are being reported in dozens of cities and some Governors have already either put their National Guard on standby or activated them.

Confirmed reports of security officer assaults were reported in Arkansas, Tennessee, and New York City.

ALERT: During the previous riots, protestors converged on malls and caused them to be shut down, often assaulting mall security and employees. Attacks on police stations including the firebombing of buildings and police vehicles, courthouses, and federal buildings have occurred during previous riots.

NOTICE: It is absolutely imperative that you add additional armed security personnel to high-value targets, shopping malls, and downtown businesses which are already experiencing arson, vandalism, and burglaries.

DO NOT allow unarmed security officers to patrol downtown businesses or entertainment districts, retail businesses, police precincts or police stations, courts, or known possible targets.

- From Private Officer International


Memphis disbands specialized police unit after fatal beating

Protester charged with punching cops had previous brush with law: NYPD
 

Thousands of Workers File Lawsuit Against Kroger
Kroger workers say grocery chain is pocketing their paychecks in new lawsuit: 'This is wage theft, plain and simple'

Kroger workers claim the grocery giant garnished paychecks and failed to pay overtime.

Kroger workers filed a class-action lawsuit against the company, claiming the grocery chain garnished paychecks and failed to pay wages after it implemented a new payroll system in 2022.

The lawsuit filed January 19 alleges workers were not paid for overtime, had their paychecks garnished, and in one case claims a worker was not paid throughout their entire tenure with the company.

The suit revolves around claims of wage theft at Kroger-owned stores in Virginia and West Virginia following the implementation of a new payroll system, MyTime, according to the suit. Four workers named in the lawsuit claim their wages have been impacted since the system was introduced last year.

More than 1,000 Kroger workers have reported payroll problems, according to a press release from United Food and Commercial Workers Local 400 Union, which represents thousands of Kroger employees in the region. businessinsider.com


60% of Retailers Changed Return Policy Over Past Year
Store returns are becoming a bigger hassle for customers

Retailers now are making returns more challenging, more confusing, and potentially more expensive. What a difference a couple of years make.

Given the healthier retail environment combined with other factors (namely the higher costs of doing business), retailers are cracking down. In fact, according to goTRG, a logistics company focused on returns, 6 in 10 retailers changed their returns policies in the last year alone.

Among the changes: shorter refund and return windows, shipping fees, restocking fees, and other surprises, said Shender Shamiss, president and CEO of goTRG.

"Returns have just gotten too costly and retailers are trying to protect their margins," said George Trantas, Sr., director of global marketplaces at Avalara, a leading provider of cloud-based tax compliance automation for businesses of all sizes.

"The cost of returns could be upwards of $30 per item. You've got the outbound shipping costs, plus labor costs, plus return shipping, plus the labor costs of putting the item back on shelves and then the first markdown," he said. "How can retailers recoup that original price? They can't." finance.yahoo.com


Union Push Continues - But Percentage of Unionized Workers is Still Falling
More workers are trying to unionize in St. Louis. A shift in the tide for labor?
Workers at a handful of Starbucks stores in the St. Louis area have joined a national wave of baristas organizing at the coffee chain. Amazon workers at the company's warehouse in St. Peters haven't filed to hold a union election, but they formed an organizing committee, called for pay raises and other demands, and some walked off the job on Black Friday as a group protested in front of the warehouse.

It's part of a movement that's been playing out across the U.S. The National Labor Relations Board reported 2,500 petitions for representation during the last fiscal year, a 53% jump from the year before.

"What we're experiencing today is significant," said Harley Shaiken, a University of California Berkeley professor who specializes in labor and the global economy. "It is clear we're in a new period."

Still, the latest efforts haven't reversed the overall trend. When the Bureau of Labor Statistics released the annual U.S. union numbers earlier this month, it showed that while the total number of members rose, it didn't grow at the same pace as the overall workforce, so the percentage of workers who are represented by unions still fell. stltoday.com


'Largest Retail Collapse Since Toys R Us'
Bed Bath & Beyond Stores Empty Out Ahead of Looming Bankruptcy

Empty shelves. Dated merchandise. Sparsely populated stores.

That was the scene in Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. locations across the US as the once-mighty home goods chain blazes toward bankruptcy in what could be the largest US retail collapse since Toys "R" Us.

The Union, New Jersey-based retailer has warned it doesn't have the funds to pay its lenders, and stalled efforts to find a bidder could put the retailer on a path toward liquidation, Bloomberg News reported on Friday. news.bloomberglaw.com


Bed Bath & Beyond to close its Harmon chain - and 87 more stores

Meijer opens smaller format grocery store concept

Bright lights and snazzy mannequins: Walmart rolls out sleek new store designs

Last week's #1 article --

Retail Security Guards Instructed to Take Hands-Off Approach
Security guards at theft-plagued Walgreens stores 'not there to protect product'
Security guards at a theft-plagued pharmacy chain have been instructed not to confront the shoplifters when they walk out without paying, according to a Walgreens executive.

Walgreens, which operates 240 stores in the Big Apple, including Duane Reade, has been riddled by robberies to the point where the stores have had to put items like toothpaste behind lock and key. The chain hired unarmed guards and off-duty cops - but they haven't been much of a deterrent.

"[Security guards] are not there to protect the product," said Joseph Stein, director of asset protection solutions for Walgreen, during the Manhattan Chamber of Commerce "Anti-Crime Summit" on Thursday.

"They are there to de-escalate [a situation] and to protect the customer and the employees," he added.

Walgreens hires security guards from Allied Universal, Stein said, adding that the chain also hires off-duty police officers, "who have different powers" than the unarmed guards. nypost.com

TikTok Makes Last Stand to 'Secretive Federal Panel'
Inside TikTok's proposal to address US national security concerns
TikTok has presented a detailed proposal to a secretive federal panel that will decide its future in the U.S. that relies extensively on the American tech giant Oracle to mitigate perceived security risks of the viral video app.

Under the terms of the proposal, TikTok would divulge core segments of its technology to Oracle and a set of third-party auditors who would verify that the app is not promoting content in line with Beijing's wishes or sharing U.S. user data with China.

"Project Texas effort clearly reflects a serious effort to address U.S. government concerns and has been informed by years of negotiation," said Samm Sacks, a senior fellow at Yale Law School's Paul Tsai China Center who has been briefed on the plan. "My key takeaway is that you don't have to trust TikTok or the Chinese government, because at least from what I can understand of the contours of this plan is that the U.S. government would have the ultimate oversight and monitoring of compliance with whatever they agree to."

The proposal from TikTok, which is owned by the Chinese company ByteDance, represents an attempt to end a battle between TikTok and the U.S. government dating back to the Trump administration over whether it represents a national security threat. In 2020, President Trump attempted to ban the app and force its sale to a U.S. firm. That effort collapsed, and when President Biden entered office, he rescinded the ban, which had been ruled unlawful in U.S. courts. Yet, calls to outlaw TikTok have resurfaced over the past year, and nearly half of all states have moved to ban the app on government-owned devices.

The ongoing debate over whether to allow TikTok to continue operating in the U.S. raises complex questions about the app's hugely influential role in the American information ecosystem and in popular culture. At a time when Washington and Beijing are engaged in a wide-ranging conflict over who will control the technologies of tomorrow, who will control TikTok represents perhaps its most consequential battleground.  cyberscoop.com

   RELATED: Can an Army of Lobbyists Quell a Washington TikTok Uprising?


Cybercriminals Evolving Their Strategies
Business application security risks businesses need to prepare for in 2023
Ransomware has lately been the primary method of monetization for threat actors. Still, research has revealed a slight decrease in ransomware attacks and ransomware payments this past year, suggesting cybercriminals are evolving their strategies.

Threat actors have been leveraging more discreet techniques to make a profit by directly targeting an enterprise's crown jewels-enterprise resource planning (ERP) applications. We've already seen threat groups entering business applications and staying undetected for months while quietly siphoning millions of dollars.

There are numerous security risks that can leave business-critical applications vulnerable to cybercriminals. Here are three common business application security risks organizations should keep an eye out for this year and specific remediations for each:

Increased exposure in the cloud

Applications that used to be kept behind enterprise "walls" in the days of on-premises-only environments are now fully exposed online, and cybercriminals have taken advantage. Given the myriad sensitive information kept within these applications, enterprises must ensure internet-facing vulnerabilities have the highest priority.

Unpatched vulnerabilities

While zero-day vulnerabilities are common entry points for threat actors, they also tend to pay close attention to patch release dates, as they know many enterprises fall behind in patching their vulnerabilities.

Insecure custom code

To identify and fix security bugs in business-critical application custom code, security teams should replace their manual procedures with automated tools, and ensure they have support and deep coverage for the business application-specific languages that they use. Automation significantly reduces the time it takes to review code, as it can scan and examine millions of lines of code in just a few minutes, identify any flaws, and reduce their risk. helpnetsecurity.com


75% of Cyberattacks Originate From Emails
Prevent advanced ransomware attacks with good email security

A deep dive into why email security is main factor and used to protect against advanced cyber-attacks, how ransomware attacks are evolving and how to overcome changing threats

Cybercrime is becoming increasingly sophisticated and broader in scope. Phishing attacks may have been around since the dawn of email, but they persist. Those carrying out attacks are searching for the smallest of openings to break into an organizations' infrastructure to facilitate enormous financial rewards.

Today, 75 percent of cyber attacks originate from email, and attackers are working together to launch joint attacks on large organizations.

Once malware threat actors have used phishing emails to infect organizations' machines and networks, attacks spread laterally, with access sold to ransomware brokers. According to Verizon's Data Breach Investigation's report 2022, web applications and email remain the top two vectors for breaches.

Meanwhile, Cyber Security Hub's own survey on the top cyber-security trends in 2022 shows that phishing and social engineering attacks are among the greatest threats facing organizations today, with more than 70 percent of respondents citing it as one of their top three cyber-security threats (see Figure 1).

Ransomware groups are conscious to the fact that large corporations are more likely to pay multi-million-dollar ransoms, but national governments cannot rest on their laurels either; in 2021, Cyber Research Labs documented 48 government agencies spanning 21 countries that were affected by ransomware.

A comprehensive email security strategy can easily be implemented, but it will require employees to use strong passwords and utilize email encryption for both email content and attachments. Security best practices for BYOD should also be employed by companies that allow their employees access to corporate email on personal devices. cshub.com


Tracking New Hackers
How Noob Website Hackers Can Become Persistent Threats

An academic analysis of website defacement behavior by 241 new hackers shows there are four clear trajectories they can take in future, researchers say.

Tracking malicious hackers' early activities using open source intelligence can offer substantial clues about the likelihood of their becoming a persistent threat in the future, two university researchers claimed in a report this week.

That knowledge can help guide early intervention efforts to nudge fledgling hackers off their criminal trajectories, they noted. darkreading.com


How to tackle the cybersecurity skills shortage in the EU

Cybercriminals scam two federal agencies via remote desktop tool, CISA warns

Memphis, TN: $70K worth of merchandise stolen from East Memphis business
Memphis Police Department is investigating a business burglary that happened on Friday. The burglary happened on Park Avenue. When officers arrived on the scene, they saw several vehicles leaving the parking lot. The officer discovered broken glass at the store and several items were found in the parking lot, according to police. Approximately $70,000 worth of merchandise was taken from the business. Investigators later discovered that multiple cars and suspects, both male and female, participated in the burglary. The suspects are believed to be responsible for additional burglaries in the city.  actionnews5.com


Fontana, CA: 3 arrested after $40,000 smash-and-grab robbery caught on camera at Fontana jewelry store
Three suspects were arrested after another brazen smash-and-grab robbery caught on video inside a Lupita's Jewelers in the Inland Empire. Security cameras captured the thieves smashing their way into several display cases and swiping over $40,000 of jewelry on Thursday. Police managed to track down the suspect vehicle and took three people into custody after a short pursuit. Authorities say a hammer was recovered. This comes months after two robbers, possibly the same men, robbed another Lupita's Jewelers inside a Cardenas market in Fontana. youtube.com


Memphis, TN: Suspects wanted in $10,000 Game X Change smash-and-grab
Several suspects are wanted in a business robbery on Tuesday morning, according to police. Memphis Police Department responded to the robbery at 1:48 a.m. at Game Exchange on 7464 Winchester Road Suite 103. Officers made the scene and notice the front door to the business was damaged and the glass was broken out. The store manager made the scene and stated that several laptops, gaming consoles, action figures, iPads, and gaming CDs valued at approximately $7,000 to $10,000 was taken from the business. actionnews5.com


Singapore - Baby Formula thefts by resellers: Those who buy stolen goods potentially committing offence
Buyers of stolen products can be prosecuted, even if they didn't know items had been stolen, say lawyers. This follows reports of NTUC FairPrice locking up shelves of infant milk powders to prevent theft. According to Member of Parliament Murali Pillai, most of the thefts are carried out by resellers looking to make a profit. Online marketplace platforms said users are not allowed to sell stolen items, and will be removed from their platforms if found to violate the platforms' policy.  todayonline.com


Halton, ON, Canada: More than $5,000 worth of merchandise stolen from Halton Hills Burberry Outlet
Hamilton Police are investigating following the daylight theft of more than $5,000 worth of merchandise from a Halton Hills store on Sunday, Jan. 22. At around 2:55 p.m., two men and one woman entered the Burberry Outlet at 13850 Steeles Ave. W. Police allege one suspect selected various items including shirts and a handbag and then left the store without paying. theifp.ca


Oak Brook, IL: Two handbags valued at $4400 stolen from Ralph Lauren store

Memphis, TM: GameStop targeted in Smash and Grab, multiple suspect fled with $2,000 in merchandise

Brookfield, WI: Police searching for a man who stole a $2,000 guitar

Galesburg, IL: Police investigating possible $1,200 check fraud and forgery at Menards