Retailers Hire Veteran Senate and Washington Policy Expert Christian Beckner to Lead Cybersecurity Efforts

WASHINGTON - The National Retail Federation today announced that it has hired Christian Beckner, a top Washington cybersecurity think tank expert and former U.S. Senate homeland security advisor, to head its cybersecurity program that helps retailers protect sensitive consumer data nationwide.

"Protecting consumer data is one of retailers' top priorities, and Christian is a proven cybersecurity veteran with the expertise and experience to help us combat this never-ending battle," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. "His diverse background and in-depth knowledge of technology and security is an unparalleled resource for the retail industry and the consumers they serve."

As senior director of retail technology, Beckner will lead NRF's CIO Council, IT Security Council and cybersecurity program, and will be responsible for developing strategies, programs and activities to maintain NRF as the technology leader and convener in the retail sector. Included in the cybersecurity program is the NRF Retail Information Sharing and Analysis Organization and Threat Alert System, which gathers intelligence on cybersecurity threats targeting retailers and alerts companies to help them keep data secure.

"I am looking forward to taking the next step in my career working on behalf of an industry with such a unique set of technology and security challenges," Beckner said. "Retailers work round-the-clock every day against cyber threats, and I want to use what I've learned over the last two decades to help them address these critical issues head on."

Beckner spent the past five years as deputy director of George Washington University's Center for Cyber and Homeland Security, a think tank where he focused on cybersecurity, counterterrorism and homeland security. He was previously an associate staff director at the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, where he was responsible for coordination of oversight and legislation on a broad range of homeland security and intelligence issues. Among other assignments, he contributed to the committee's investigation of the 2009 Fort Hood terrorist attack. He has worked on cybersecurity and homeland security issues for close to 20 years, including positions at IBM, the Center for Strategic and International Studies and the O'Gara Company.

Beckner holds a bachelor's degree in international relations from Stanford University and a master's degree in foreign service and an MBA, both from Georgetown University.

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Winter Olympics - Norovirus Outbreak Wipes Out 1,200 Security Workers
Police Officers, Olympic Security Personnel & Food Preparers Have ALL Fallen Violently Ill
Cases at Olympics More Than Double, 900 Military Called In
After the outbreak was announced on Tuesday, 1,200 security workers were sequestered in their rooms. Mr. Hong said that as of Thursday, more than 1,100 people - including some nonsecurity staff - were still in quarantine.

Around 1,200 Olympic workers had to be quarantined in their rooms earlier this week as they waited for norovirus test results to come back. No athletes have been reported sick yet.

Officials have brought in at least 900 military personnel to replace some of the sick security workers, whose symptoms included diarrhea and vomiting.

Norovirus, the most common cause of diarrhea in the world, was the same infection blamed for hundreds of illnesses at Chipotle restaurants in 2015 and 2017.

The last-minute norovirus outbreak has been an additional headache for security officials, who have been keen to reassure people about the safety of the Games, which are taking place just 50 miles from the heavily fortified North Korean border. businessinsider.com nytimes.com

Sensormatic Retail Solutions set for African expansion
Fidelity ADT has recently been re-awarded the exclusive distribution rights for the Sensormatic Retail Solutions portfolio in Sub Saharan Africa and has its sights set on African expansion. Ilze Van Eck, Retail Lead Fidelity ADT, says the Africa strategy is ready for implementation and the business is aligning itself in-country for local support for its retailers. "The plan includes remote maintenance via the internet for our African clients with a remote help desk setup in Johannesburg."

She reports that 70% of the SA retail market currently uses Sensormatic which includes all the large corporate fashion retailers and the largest FMCG retailer in Africa. rnews.co.za

Charlotte-based Belk cuts 58 full-time jobs company-wide
The positions that were eliminated included assistant store managers, operations managers and sales team managers in Belk stores across 16 states, the company said Friday. Twelve such jobs were in North Carolina.

"These were salaried employees, and we are reinvesting in customer-facing roles to enhance our guest experience," spokesman Tyler Hampton said.

The company has said it plans to close a few stores this year, although none will be in the Carolinas. charlotteobserver.com

Immigration Compliance Must-Knows for C-store Retailers
On the heels of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids on multiple 7-Eleven locations, it's more important than ever for convenience store retailers to school themselves in immigration compliance.

Under the Trump administration, there is an increased focus on enforcement and compliance. For instance, ICE has been told to increase its worksite enforcement by 400 percent, according to Guidepost Solutions CEO Julie Myers Wood and Managing Director John Connolly, who co-presented a recent webinar titled "What Every Convenience Store Should Know About Immigration Compliance." The webinar was hosted by NACS, the Association for Convenience & Fuel Retailing, and sought to answer retailer questions about the impact on the industry, how to prepare for ICE arriving at locations, the current administration's focus and efforts pertaining to immigration, and what the future of immigration under Trump's administration holds. csnews.com

European court rules retailer's use of hidden cameras violated right to privacy of employees who were dismissed for theft
A Spanish supermarket, MSA, identified discrepancies between stock levels and what was supposedly being sold in store. The monthly losses ranged from around 7,500 to 24,000 euros. As part of an investigation, it installed surveillance cameras. Some of these cameras, aimed at detecting customer theft, were pointed towards the entrances and exits of the supermarket, and were visible. Other cameras, which zoomed in on the checkout counters and covered the area behind the cash desk, were hidden. These were aimed at detecting thefts by employees. MSA gave its workers prior notice of the installation of the visible cameras. Neither the workers nor the company's staff committee were informed of the hidden cameras.

Five employees were caught on video stealing items and helping customers and co-workers to steal. These employees were dismissed. They challenged their dismissal in the Spanish Employment Tribunal. The employees objected to the use of the covert video surveillance, arguing that it had breached their right to protection of their privacy. lexology.com

Virginia raises felony theft threshold from $200 to $500
Governor Ralph Northam and Republican lawmakers reached a deal to soften the penalty for people caught stealing lesser-dollar items in Virginia.

"I'm proud to announce a compromise on raising Virginia's felony threshold from $200 to $500," said Northam.

Thursday's announcement from the governor was met with applause. This historic bill's passing is the first step the Commonwealth has made since the 1980s to address the larceny threshold problem. Right now, Virginia's felony threshold is tied with New Jersey for the lowest in the country. nbc12.com

Guns Stolen From UPS and Other Shipping Companies Are Turning Up at Crime Scenes
It was one of the biggest gun heists in recent memory: A band of thieves broke into several trailers parked at a UPS freight lot in Springfield, Missouri, and hauled away more than 650 firearms. The highly orchestrated October break-in, which resulted in the indictment of five men on federal theft and gun charges, was not an isolated incident. Accurate statistics are hard to come by, but government reports suggest thousands of firearms have vanished from interstate shipments over the past two decades. Many were later used to commit crimes.

The thefts, security experts said, underscore vulnerabilities in the sprawling supply network that routes millions of guns to American consumers every year. Those gaps are in part the product of weak security standards, which put guns at heightened risk of being intercepted before they reach store shelves. They also handicap law enforcement officials, who may not learn that a shipment has vanished until the guns begin turning up at crime scenes. "I imagine this problem is bigger than anyone realizes," said Ben Hayes, a former official with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives who oversaw the agency's stolen guns program. "Nobody really knows."  thetrace.com

Are chargebacks necessary for supply chain collaboration?
According to a survey from Supply Chain Digest, both retailers and vendors rate their current levels of supply chain collaboration as strong. But 43 percent of retailers and 58 percent or vendors expect chargeback levels to rise over the next five years. Only 21 percent of each group predict chargebacks will decline.

While many vendors believe retailers use chargeback programs as a profit center, responses from retailers contradict that. Twenty-three percent of retailers admit their programs are "dollar-oriented," while 35 percent say their programs are primarily focused on supply chain improvement. The plurality (42 percent) said the focus of their programs was a mix of improvement and dollar objectives.

Yet the study notes that both Target and Walmart announced programs in 2017 designed to reduce supply chain variability associated with vendor shipments, essentially tightening requirements and increasing penalties for underperformance. On-time and fill-rates are primary focuses. HEB and Kroger launched similar initiatives, a first for the grocery sector. retailwire.com

Protect Workers Whose Jobs Make Them Vulnerable to Harassment
Panic buttons, self-defense training may help safeguard isolated workers.

Janitors. Housekeepers. Gig economy workers. Farmworkers. Employees on the third shift. These individuals are particularly vulnerable to harassment, recent news reports suggest. They often work in isolation, earn low pay and lack power in the workplace. Not only can unions shield them from harassment, so can HR.

HR professionals should pay particular attention to isolated workers to ensure that they are aware of the employer's complaint processes, said Amy Bess, an attorney with Vedder Price in Washington, D.C. "They also should provide targeted training to this group of workers on the company's anti-harassment policies and procedures. HR could also periodically check in with this group of workers to ensure that if they have concerns, they have a path to reporting issues." shrm.org

Chinese police are using smart glasses to identify potential suspects
China already operates the world's largest surveillance state with some 170 million CCTV cameras at work, but its line of sight is about to get a new angle thanks to new smart eyewear that is being piloted by police officers.

The smart specs look a lot like Google Glass, but they are used for identifying potential suspects. The device connects to a feed which taps into China's state database to root out potential criminals using facial recognition. Officers can identify suspects in a crowd by snapping their photo and matching it to the database. Beyond a name, officers are also supplied with the person's address, according to the BBC.

Chinese state media reports that the technology has already facilitated the capture of seven individuals, while 35 others using fake IDs are said to have been found. techcrunch.com

Embark's self-driving semi completes trip from California to Florida
Drivers said the system rarely required human intervention
Plans 40 trucks in its fleet by the end of this year. engadget.com

Bloomberg Created a Video Game to Document
the Demise of the American Shopping Mall
Shopping malls are a great place to go if you want to feel very depressed. Made obsolete by online giants like Amazon, most malls are dying, if not already dead. Wandering around a mostly empty mall can feel like walking through a ghost town. If you listen close you can hear the wailing specters of Brookstone massage chairs and Sbarros past. Until today, however, you physically had to go to the mall if you wanted to grab a piece of that depression for yourself, which can prove tricky if you're already very depressed. Enter American Mall, the new video game from, uh, Bloomberg that lets you experience the thrill of running a failing shopping mall right in your browser.

The game puts you in control of one of four characters who, in some strange fit of insanity, has decided to buy a struggling mall. The goal of the game is to keep your mall afloat as long as possible, although eventual failure is mostly inevitable. You spend most of your time negotiating with tenants, choosing between allowing them untenable breaks on their rent, or forcing them to close in the hopes that a more profitable business will take their place. (Hint: It won't.) You must also decide between agreeing to humiliating promotions and events, or keeping in place the sanctity of the mall. (Hint: Go with the humiliation.) It's kind of like SimCity, except everyone hates you and one day you're going to die. Every moment you spend in this cursed mall another tiny piece of yourself is lost forever. The mall is a prison with no bars.

You are also for some reason personally charged with keeping the place free of rats and picking up trash left on the ground by your horrid customers. It's a nice change of pace from talking to your miserable tenants.

Failure seems unavoidable (for what it's worth, Bloomberg editor Thomas Houston does say winning is possible), as you seemingly always end up running out of money or happiness. It's a depressing look into the decline of the American shopping mall, as well as probably America in general. Things are bad and they're only getting worse and there's absolutely nothing you or anyone else can do about it. Be sure to hit up the Cinnabon on your way out. avclub.com adweek.com

L.L. Bean just made a drastic cut to its legendary return policy
L.L. Bean's was one of the most generous return policies of any store in the US. It allowed customers to exchange any item for a replacement if the customer was unhappy with it in any way, with no questions asked, no matter how old the product was. Chairman Gorman wrote that it was people who took advantage of the generous return policy that forced the company's hand. Now, items will only be covered for one year. businessinsider.com

California sees flu season's deadliest week
California health officials said Friday that 36 Californians under the age of 65 died of the flu in the first week of February - more than in any other week this season.

The flu season nationwide is considered among the worst in a decade. Hospitals in California set up tents to triage flu patients, many pharmacies ran out of flu medicines and the death toll has been unusually high.

In total, 163 Californians under 65 have died of the flu since October, compared with 40 at the same time last year. latimes.com

Dunkin' Brands has big expansion plans adding 1,000 by 2020

Rite Aid completes more than half of its store transfers to Walgreens

Amazon launches free, two-hour Whole Foods deliveries in four markets

Taco Bell and KFC are teaming up with Grubhub to deliver food to your home


Quarterly Results
Sketchers Q4 com. owned global retail comp's up 12%, com. owned global retail sales up 25.8%, total sales up 27%
Sketchers Full Yr. com.owned global retail comp's up 7.2%, com. owned global retail sales up 21.9%, total sales up 16.9%

Columbia Sportswear Q4 consolidated net sales up 8%, U.S. up 8%, Latin Amer./Asia Pacific (LAAP) up 2%, EMEA up 19%, Canada up 14%
Columbia Sportswear Full Yr. consolidated net sales up 4%, U.S. up 1%, LAAP. up 5%, EMEA up 16%, Canada up 8%

Yum Brands Q4 KFC comp's up 3%, Pizza Hut comp's up 1%, Taco Bell comp's up 2%, Worldwide comp's up 2%, system sales up 4%
Yum Brands Full Yr. KFC comp's up 3%, Pizza Hut comp's even, Taco Bell comp's up 4%, worldwide comp's up 2%, system sales up 5%

L Brands Q4 comp's up 2%, sales up 7.4%, full yr comp's down 3%, full yr sales up 0.4%

CVS Q4 total retail comp's up 0.1%, pharmacy comp's up 0.4%, front-end comp's down 0.7%, retail net revenue up 0.3%, pharmacy up 0.5%, front-end down 0.3%
CVS Full Yr. total retail comp's down 2.6%, pharmacy comp's down 2.6%, front-end comp's down 2.6%, net revenue down 2.1%

Sally Beauty Q1 comp's down 2.2% (hurricanes impact), net sales down 0.5%

The Buckle Q4 comp's down 3.2%, net sales down 0.4%, full yr. comp's down 7.2%, full yr net sales down 6.3%

Webinar: Embracing Your Store's IQ - What is Your Store Showing You?

Date: Thursday, February 15, 2018

Time: 11:00 AM EST

Duration: 30 minutes

We can all agree that a visitor entering your store represents an opportunity. Not only an opportunity to make a sale, but also to build an everlasting relationship with that customer that will lead to future visits and revenue.

Attend this webinar to discover how retail intelligence from a single smart solution enhances customer experience, optimizes staff productivity, and boosts in-store campaigns.

In this webinar, you'll gain better insight to optimize your store by addressing some of the following questions:

  ● What is the average number of visitors in my store throughout the day?
  ● How long do they stay?
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  ● Is my advertising attracting people to the store?
  ● What is the demographic of my customers?
  ● What is my in-store conversion rate?

Register Here!

IT Budget - Security Spend Averages 5.6% - Some Spend as High as 13%
Gartner expects that businesses and governments worldwide will spend over $96 billion on cybersecurity this year compared to around $84 billion last year. Much of that spending is being driven by data breach concerns and attacks like the WannaCry and NotPetya pandemics of 2017.

"According to our quantitative research, over 40% of organizations are increasing their security spend against only 4% lowering it," says Daniel Kennedy, an analyst with 451 Research. "The most significant organizational change security teams are making is trying to add people, and having a hard time doing it because of a lack of available talent at certain salary levels." darkreading.com

New POS Malware Steals Data via DNS Traffic
Researchers at Forcepoint have discovered new point-of-sale (POS) malware disguised as a LogMeIn service pack that is designed to steal data from the magnetic stripe on the back of payment cards.

The malware, which Forcepoint is calling UDPoS, is somewhat different from the usual POS tools in that it uses UDP-based DNS traffic to sneak stolen credit and debit card data past firewalls and other security controls. It is also one of the few new POS malware tools to surface in some time, according to the company.

However, malware like UDPoS suggests that criminals still see an opportunity to steal data from POS systems. For instance, Trend Micro last year reported on MajikPOS, a POS malware family that was used to steal data on more than 23,300 payment cards. Retailer Forever 21, which is investigating a data breach first reported last November, recently disclosed finding malware on some of its POS systems. darkreading.com

Equifax Hack Might Be Worse Than You Think
Hackers accessed more records, including tax ID numbers and email addresses, than Equifax previously announced.

Equifax said, in a document submitted to the Senate Banking Committee and reviewed by The Wall Street Journal, that cyberthieves accessed records across numerous tables in its systems that included such data as tax identification numbers, email addresses and drivers' license information beyond the license numbers it originally disclosed. wsj.com

Business Interest in Blockchain Picks Up While Cryptocurrency Causes Conniptions
Blockchain isn't only about bitcoin. The technology best known as the record-keeping system behind cryptocurrencies seems poised to play a broader role in business, where it could change how supply chains work.

Walmart Inc. is beginning to use the online ledger technology to manage supply-chain data for mangoes, berries and a couple of dozen other products. The system, built with International Business Machines Corp., will help Walmart figure out where bad food came from during product recalls.

The selloff in bitcoin notwithstanding, companies that move products and people through complex supply chains see promise in the inherent security and ease of use of blockchain, said David Schatsky, a managing director at Deloitte LLP who analyzes emerging technologies. The technology manages information hand-offs between lots of parties, preserving one consistent history, he said. wsj.com

How Target, Kroger And Design Within Reach Are Tapping Tech
To Improve Their Shopping Experience
It's not so much the magic mirrors - or the virtual-reality headset that transports a shopper to the holographic kitchen of their dreams - that will bring new relevance to traditional retail stores as Amazon encroaches. It's the unsexy technology that makes shopping easier, faster and more customized - the spot-on product offer, the no-fuss retrieval of an online order in store - that's more apt to update the shopping experience in meaningful ways.

Target Tackles Big Shopper Downer With Tech
Target is equipping its sales associates with mobile technology to take on a major buzz kill for shoppers and a big sales drain for retailers: Out of stock merchandise, be it a lipstick promoted in an email blast that's sold out once a consumer's in the beauty aisle to a store that doesn't stock those mid-rise jeans in a size 14.

Kroger's 'Smart Shelves' Lift Sales, Expedite Click And Collect
The nation's biggest supermarket chain is rolling out an "intelligent shelf" system to 130 stores this year after a successful test in 17 stores. The digital shelves display pricing and product information, as well as video ads and coupons for a range of items.

Design Within Reach Gets Personal Via Artificial Intelligence
Meanwhile, retailers are tapping artificial intelligence to make shoppers feel seen as individuals, the way Amazon's groundbreaking product recommendation engine has. Design Within Reach taps into its holistic record on a shopper, including both their in-store and online purchase history and buying patterns, and then offers up the most relevant information. forbes.com

Sr Director Information Security and Compliance For Burlington Stores, Edgewater Park, N.J.

Walmart's Store Assistant brings in-store value to mobile app

Alibaba to take $486 mln stake in China retail data firm

SEC targets cyber security among exam priorities for year

Lululemon sues hundreds of alleged counterfeit websites
Lululemon Athletica is suing an unidentified web of counterfeiters for allegedly selling knock-off yoga pants online. The trademark infringement lawsuit, filed Monday in federal court in Chicago, claims hundreds of websites are diluting Vancouver-based Lululemon's brand and deceiving consumers with fake leggings, sports bras and other apparel offered at steep discounts. The company's lawsuit alleges the counterfeiters are based in China "or other foreign jurisdictions." thestar.com

'Brushing' Scam: Couple swamped by Amazon deliveries that they didn't order
A Massachusetts couple believes they are the target of an international online retail scam after being swamped by deliveries from Amazon. The packages have arrived once or twice a week for the past five months. The problem? They didn't order them.

Michael and Kelly Gallivan say the first un-ordered package arrived in October. "I went out and picked up the package and Mike's name was on it. I opened it up and I said, 'What did you buy this stuff for?' And he said, 'I didn't buy that!'" Kelly told CBS News.

They say "that" was a phone charging hand warmer, and a humidifier, a flashlight, a Bluetooth speaker, a computer vacuum cleaner and some LED lights joined soon after. The merchandise comes without any return addresses.

The scam is known as "brushing." An online seller - usually overseas - purchases their own products through fake buyer accounts they've created. The products are shipped to a real address. Then, the seller writes a positive review of their items from the fake buyer account.

"The positive reviews are like gold," retail security expert Brian Kilcourse said. "People are always looking for a new hole in the structure at Amazon to be able to put more fake positive reviews." cbsnews.com

Amazon said to launch delivery service to compete with UPS and FedEx
Amazon is gearing up to compete directly with UPS and FedEx, according to a new Wall Street Journal report. The so-called "Shipping with Amazon" program will be an end-to-end shipping solution, with pickups from businesses and shipments made to consumers, per the report.

Amazon is said to be readying the service for its first launch in LA in the "coming weeks," starting, not surprisingly, with companies that sell stuff via its website. After its initial launch in LA, Amazon will look to expand it out to other cities, possibly as soon as later this year, the WSJ says.

Of course it makes sense that Amazon would extend its service to third-party merchants working on its ecommerce platform, but the report goes further, saying Amazon would eventually like to offer shipping services to basically any other business, too - with the goal of undercutting both UPS and FedEx on rates. techcrunch.com

eMarketer: E-commerce to grab 10% of U.S. retail sales in 2018

Maryland man gets 4 yrs for $1.5M losses - stealing over 5,000 credit cards
Part of a crew that operated for years buying stolen credit card numbers off foreign-based websites and using them at retailers throughout Virginia, Maryland, and Washington D.C.

Serry was twice caught in possession of stolen credit cards and thousands of dollars in cash, and is the fourth member of the conspiracy to be sentenced. Moussa Sy, Musa Kamara, and Maxx Tapp received sentences of 60, 37, and 12 months, respectively, for their roles in the scheme. justice.gov

Marlborough, MA: Best Buy Employee busted in $7,000 theft of merchandise
Best Buy employee was arrested Wednesday after police say he stole numerous electronics valued at more than $7,000 during the past six months. Best Buy officials conducted an investigation after several items went missing from the Donald Lynch Boulevard store. A corporate loss prevention officer and store manager called police Wednesday after identifying employee Christopher Warman, 35, as the suspect. Store officials gave police an inventory of the stolen items which included iPads, computers, Apple watches, Fitbits, a Madden 18 PlayStation 4 game, Apple airpods and Apple pencils. metrowestdailynews.com

South Strabane, PA: An Alert Loss Prevention at Sam's Club prevents $4,000 scam
A Loss Prevention Associate at Sam's Club, Trinity Point, prevented an elderly woman from buying $4,000 in gift cards Wednesday, South Strabane police said. The woman told the officer she needed the cards to get her granddaughter out of jail. Police were able to contact the granddaughter and determine she was fine. observer-reporter.com



Beavercreek, OH: Toys R Us reports theft of over $1,300 in Grab & Run theft
The suspect went to the xbox cases and proceeded to use several different tools to pry the lock out of the glass door, cracking the glass door. He then grabbed two xbox system and several video games. He then put a coat over his cart and walked out the door with over $1,300 in merchandise.





Lexington, KY: Man Arrested In Connection To Lowe's Shoplifting Ring
In December of 2017, 41-year-old Kimberly Hill was taken into custody after police learned she had been providing transportation to two shoplifters on multiple occasions and selling the stolen goods to local pawn shops. One of the alleged shoplifters, 42-year-old David Campbell, was arrested on a warrant Feb. 7. He is accused of stealing items from two Lowes stores in Lexington on multiple occasions, and assisting in the sale of said items. lex18.com


Sweden: New Legislation On Organized Retail Theft
Svensk Handel, a group that represents the retail and wholesale trade in Sweden, has welcomed new legislation by the Swedish government to combat Organized Crime in the Retail Sector. A recent report on retail theft in Sweden found that two thirds of crimes are typically carried out by habitual criminals, and that foreign gangs are also targeting the sector. Once caught, criminals are often convicted with fines that are generally never paid, the group said. esmmagazine.com

Albany, GA: Sprint PCS Employee busted for theft of 9 phones; sold to a kiosk in Albany Mall

Lowville, NY: Suspect turns himself in following tool theft from 2 Northern NY Hardware stores

Shootings, Stabbings & Deaths

Phoenix, AZ: Man dead after confrontation with Security Guard at Jack in the Box
A confrontation between an armed security guard and a man who refused to leave left one man dead on Wednesday evening. Phoenix Police said a 64-year-old man was shot and killed by a 23-year-old armed security guard at a Jack in the Box restaurant near 35th Avenue and Buckeye Road.

The man and the security guard got into a disagreement when the man refused to leave the property and threatened to kill him just before 7 p.m. The security guard told police he showed the man that he had a handgun and backed away. When the man charged, the security guard shot him and then called police. fox10phoenix.com

Moreno Valley, CA: Report Of Shots At Moreno Valley Mall Prompts Police Response
Riverside County Sheriff's deputies responded to a report of possible shots fired at the Moreno Valley Mall on Thursday, officials say. And though witnesses reported hearing the sounds of shots inside the mall, it appears as no one was hit. The Mall was quickly placed on lockdown with armed police officers stationed at each exit. At 1:30 p.m. people were allowed back inside the shopping center as police continued to block off an area outside Victoria's Secret store where the shooting occurred. No injuries were reported. ktla.com

Dallas, TX: Teen who Killed a Dollar General clerk during an Armed Robbery reaches deal to stay in Juvenile System
The 15-year-old accused of killing a mother of six while she worked at an east Oak Cliff dollar store will stay out of the adult prison system. The boy, whose name has not been released because of his age, reached a plea deal. He will receive a 35-year "determinate sentence" ( a sentencing option that allows for rehabilitation while keeping an offender in juvenile detention) in the slaying of 27-year-old Gabrielle Simmons. If the boy follows the rules of his detention, he could be eligible for parole in three to four years; if not, he would be transferred to the adult prison system to serve out the 35-year sentence. The gunman shot Simmons, whose six children range in age from less than a year to 11, after she gave him the till from her register. A GoFundMe account has been establish in Simmons' name. dallasnews.com


Denver, CO: Man Charged In King Soopers Shooting last Sunday
The man arrested in connection with a shooting at a King Soopers store has been formally charged. Denver Dist. Atty. Beth McCann has charged Daemon Davis with attempted first-degree murder and crime of violence. The charges allege that on Feb. 4 at the King Soopers store on Green Valley Ranch Blvd., Davis, 23, shot and injured the victim after a verbal disturbance. cbslocal.com



San Antonio, TX: SAPD releases footage of gunman who shot employee during AutoZone robbery
The San Antonio Police Department is asking for the public's help in identifying the man who shot an employee during the robbery of an AutoZone on the city's West Side Monday night. SAPD shared surveillance footage on Thursday of the robber, alerting the community that the department's robbery detectives need help in solving the case. ksat.com


Elk City, OK: AT&T Armed Robbery suspect shot and killed himself after a Police pursuit
Leamon Cummings III, 36, was pronounced dead at the scene about 7:55 p.m. Wednesday. Cummings matched the description of a robber at an AT&T store in Weatherford that had been reported earlier in the week. newsok.com

Baldwin Park, CA: Senior citizen stabs Security Guard at Grocery store
A 66-year-old man with a walker stabbed a grocery store Security Guard in Baldwin Park after the store refused to sell him alcohol. The senior citizen suspect was taken into custody immediately following the 8:15 p.m. incident at the Vallarta Supermarket. sgvtribune.com

Jackson, MS: Citgo Station Employee shot and Killed; suspect wounded and taken into custody

Houston, TX: 2 suspects Arrested in fatal shooting of woman at gas station in an attempted car jacking

Tampa, FL: C-Store Clerk shoots and wounds an Armed Robbery suspect

Fresno, CA: Shooting outside Dollar King Market; one victim wounded

Man Charged with Using stolen Credit Card to Buy a $2,500 Bvlgari Necklace at Saks

Hillside, NJ: $80K Cargo Theft Intercepted by Hillside Police
According to police, at approximately 8:30 p.m. Wednesday, officers and detectives stopped the theft of approximately $80,000.00 worth of cargo from Union Beverage, located on the 600 block of North Union Avenue. Police learned that one of the suspects is a Union Beverage forklift operator, who fled but was quickly located and taken into custody. rlsmedia.com

Germany: Newly formed 'Theft Prevention in Freight Transport and Logistics Working Group' to take on rising Cargo Theft; losses valued at $1.6 Billion a year

Ohio: Two arrested, $4.7M in Bitcoin seized in large-scale fake ID case

Watertown, NY: Salmon Run Mall evacuated after alleged bomb threat
 

Robert Frasco, CFI, LPC promoted to Territory Loss Prevention Manager
for Nike






Williams Wells, CFI named Manager Asset Protection Solutions
for Walgreens

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Not Getting the Results You Want From Your Team? It Could Be You  As leaders, part of your responsibility is to delegate tasks to others, but if you're not getting the results you desire, it could be in the way you're delegating. Clarity and direction are going to be your biggest assets when building relationships and delegating tasks to your team. Know your team behind the tasks

4 Tips to Building High-Performing Teams (Because Traditional Methods Just Don't Work)  To have a team that thrives in the face of change, and can evolve on a dime is critical to staying ahead in this evolving and competitive world. As a leader, it's your job to find new ways to lead them. As you evolve your leadership styles, they grow their performance. Beat a common enemy

Empower Your Team With Trust and Freedom  Every team has its natural leaders, and even some who emerge through their roles and skills, so it's important to help empower them. Through your role as a leader, you can empower your team to take action and build their own leadership skills by trusting their choices, ideas and solutions. Here's what else you can do to empower your team. Get out of the way

Hearing what they don't say usually leads you to the truth. The issue is: Are you standing in the way of hearing?

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