The Common Denominator in ALL of Retail
Store Safeness - Today's #1 Priority for Every LP & AP Associate & Executive & Every Retail Executive in America
How One Person Can Make a Difference

Promoting Store Safeness Through Information Sharing
Mark Neapolitan, CFI-LPC, Senior Director Loss Prevention - International at Signet Jewelers Limited
Also Executive Advisory Board member CLEAR - National Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail:
A "True LP Leader & Educator" Making a Difference & Making Stores Safer
Keeping the LP community informed about violent crimes in retail is the first step in developing stronger, safer working and shopping environments. Enabling retail's first responders to monitor, develop, investigate and hopefully reduce, and proactively prevent violent crimes in retail stores, thus creating safer store environments for our consumers and associates.

Over the years Mark has been diligently sharing virtually real-time daily retail violent crime information from around the nation with the Daily so that we can keep you informed. With over 44 years of experience, 10 in Law Enforcement and 34 in Retail Loss Prevention, Mark saw the intrinsic need for the cooperation needed to combat retail crime as well as the need to disseminate information quickly and efficiently to Law Enforcement and Retail. This concept help to break down the walls of being fearful to let others know what was happening. Mark is an Executive Board Member of CLEAR (The Coalition for Law Enforcement and Retail) whose basic premise patterns the philosophy. The tie in to the JSA Jewelers Security Alliance and their assistance is insurmountable. In addition mark is on the Board of The Loss Prevention Foundation, hopefully to impact changes in detection, prevention and promoting a safe and secure environment for shoppers and retailers.

This one executive is impacting the entire retail industry and helping identify daily, multi-state, and regional retail violent crimes and trends that are impacting hundreds, if not thousands, of lives, and possibly thru his efforts, even saving a few lives in the process. Some examples are coordinating efforts on the Diamond Diva investigations that caused 4 million dollars in losses to the jewelry industry as well as jeopardizing multiple team members through the threat of potential violence. A second in working with both local and Federal law Enforcement to curtail the Organized Theft gang coming out of Detroit committing Smash and Grab Armed Robberies. The use of a tool such as the D & D Daily assisted greatly in getting this information out to retail instantly.

As a number of retailers have shared with us that The Daily's Retail Crime and ORC column articles have assisted them in identifying and apprehending robbery crews, ORC suspects, smash & grab crews, recover thousands of dollars in stolen merchandise, and even a few murder suspects that were shoplifting.

Such a commitment to stay engaged and continuing to doggedly send The Daily and the LP community month after month, year after year, this publicly available information to make sure it's reported to all of you, the retail industry's first responders, every day is a rare trait, and one that we at the Daily feel needs to be called out and recognized by the entire industry.

As a big piece of The Daily's Retail Crime and Robbery column articles are as a direct result of one dedicated and "True LP Leader & Educator", Mark Neapolitan.

On behalf of The Daily, all of its readers, and the retailers themselves that have benefited from your efforts Mark, we thank you and commend you. As we feel confident in saying he's even probably saved some lives as well. Keep up the great work Mark!

You're making a difference and setting the example - what a great role model - especially with the younger executives.

"Let's Keep Them All Safe Out There Folks" - Gus Downing

Parkland Shooting - The Retail Impact

"I want my Stores Protected" Trump Expands Scope of Protection
No More Gun Free Zones - Arming Teachers - Retired Military & Law Enforcement
For two days this week President Trump met with school kids in the White House listening to their stories, their concerns, their feelings and their ideas. With a few parents of murdered children mixed in Trump appeared to do more listening then he did talking.

The school kids seemed rather calm, cool and collected, talking about fixing the culture and being more transparent with law enforcement, to the extent that the general consensus seemed to be if you see a gun call it in and get help.

While a few of the parents were the ones more emotional, demanding and expecting harsher responses and more involvement or regulations from the government.

To which Trump made a number of statements supporting if not pushing increased armed security on school premises to a significant degree. From arming certain qualified teachers, eliminating 'gun free zones' to allow retired military or retired law enforcement officers to be able to provide armed protection. A specific point he repeated a number of times over the two day meetings which led you to believe it had already been a well developed thought process.

At one point Trump even expanded the overall scope of protection needed well beyond the school yard to saying "I want my stores protected."

Not many picked up on that on the major news channels from the prospective of what he meant by that nor did it cause a stir on the left. But it certainly opens a door most of us thought we'd never hear.

How does that translate in retail America and do we hear it again.

I must admit it sparked my attention and I'm sure thousands possibly millions of viewers picked up on it as well. Not that it means anything at all at this point. But it does set a tone.

Over the last few years a number of major retailers in conceal carry states have had to deal with store management carrying guns and shooting and in a number of cases killing would-be robbers.

Up till now what we've mostly seen is owners of small mom and pop shops, pawn shops, c-stores, and some franchisee owners of either fast food stores or c-stores shooting back at robbers and killing them in 35% of the death related incidents.

Now with the these incidents and death rates seemingly increasing rapidly, as is the case with retail America's 44% increase in deaths in the most recent fourth quarter. One would assume that we're on the verge of seeing some rather sharp responses at least in the schools.

Couple that with retail America's recent spike and the overall mood of the country and we may be facing a significant cultural expectation shift that drives more people to carry more guns in virtually every public venue regardless of the legality. Something every retailer should be examining. Just a thought Gus Downing

Amazon under fire for streaming NRATV after Parkland, Fla. school shooting
Amazon is under fire for continuing to offer the NRA's online video channel more than a week after the Parkland, Fla., school shooting. Social media users, including dozens of Hollywood figures, urged Amazon to drop NRATV from its offerings under the campaign hashtag #StopNRAmazon.

Daniel Reed, whose son attends Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, slammed Amazon for enabling the NRA.

"I am a believer that if any action is to be taken on gun control, specifically the NRA and their politics, it has to happen through cutting them off financially or through their many media opportunities. First step - Amazon," he said in an email to the Daily News.

Reed and a friend have started a petition urging CEO Jeff Bezos to remove the NRA from Amazon's streaming service and website. nydailynews.com

Companies abandoning the NRA after the Parkland mass shooting
Security companies, hotel chains and car rental businesses all cutting ties
Survivors of the mass shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida, have been pressuring big corporations to cut their ties with the National Rifle Assocation.

And several have. They include Enterprise Holdings Inc. - which operates Enterprise, Alamo, and National Car Rental - as well as First National Bank of Omaha, Symantec security software, and home security company Simplisafe.

Names of companies with NRA associations had begun circulating widely Thursday under the hashtag #BoycottNRA. vox.com

California "Better Hang On Tight" - Here Comes ICE Again
MS-13 Franchises Popping Up in Los Angeles & Nationwide
California is not Cooperating With ICE
Yesterday ICE Director Thomas Homan doubled down on his harsh warning he originally made back in January and said on Fox News that they're planning another California crackdown on illegal immigrants anytime now with mentioning Northern California as his primary target for raiding businesses known for hiring undocumented immigrants.





The Top 10 Most Viewed Job Postings of 14 Million Posted on LinkedIn in 2017
#5 Corporate Intern at fashion retailer Michael Kors msn.com





Amazon wristbands: 'Employers are increasingly treating their employees
like robots'
The company recently won patents for wristbands that could be used as part of an inventory system, communicating with equipment in warehouses and nudging employees via vibrations if, for example, they were about to place items in the wrong bins. But in a world where the legal limits on gathering and using people's data remain largely undefined, use of such devices could quickly turn nefarious, some experts say.

The concerns tied to such a device range from the potential for discrimination to data security risks for the company's employees, which number more than 8,000 in the Chicago area.

Amazon waited almost two years for the patents to be approved, and it's unclear if it ever plans on deploying the technology in its warehouses. The company said it does not track or intend to track its employees' locations, but the concept still sends chills down the spines of the privacy-conscious. And if it doesn't, some experts say, it should.

"Employers are increasingly treating their employees like robots," said Lori Andrews, a professor at the Illinois Institute of Technology's Chicago-Kent College of Law. Part of the problem is that workers rarely realize it, she said.

Amazon says the wristband technology, for which the Seattle-based company was awarded patents at the end of January, could improve the work of warehouse employees and make them safer. thestar.com

Stores Make Push in Scan and Go Tech, Hope Shoppers Adopt It
For customers, scanning as they go can be faster and make it simpler to keep track of spending. For stores, the big expansion of this technology coming this year costs less than installing more self-checkouts. A big push is coming this year from big chains: Kroger Co., the nation's largest traditional grocery chain, is adding the scan-and-go technology to 400 stores. Walmart is testing the service in 120 stores, while all its Sam's Club stores, which number around 600, have it. B.J.'s Wholesale Club has launched the service in a handful of stores and plans to add it to about 100 clubs this year. usnews.com

Erlanger, KY: K-9 Officer receives Protective Gear, thanks to non-profit
Vested Interest in K9 Inc
The Massachusetts-based nonprofit aims to provide body armor to dogs who serve around the country. Since its inception, Vested Interest in K9s Inc. has provided over 2,700 protective vests in 50 states, through private and corporate donations, at a cost of over $2.3 million. wlwt.com

Wichita, KS: Bank sues after ATM gave out $100's instead of $5's
A Wichita bank is trying to get money back from a woman accused of making more than 50 withdrawals from an ATM that was spitting out $100 bills in place of $5s. The Central National Bank filed a lawsuit last month demanding that Christina Ochoa return about $11,600 plus interest. The bank alleged Ochoa quickly realized the ATM wasn't working properly and calculated subsequent withdrawals to maximize how much cash was mistakenly dispensed. The withdrawals stretched from Jan. 13 to Jan. 17 and were mostly made in the middle of the night, according to the lawsuit. Ochoa's mother, Christy Ochoa, is also named because she drove her daughter to the ATM. metronews.ca

More Amazon Go stores are coming to Seattle and Los Angeles

Batteries Plus Bulbs plans 50-store expansion; 30+ more franchise locations and 14 corporate locations this year
 

RLPSA Declares it's the Souper Bowl of Restaurant Conferences Announcing its Keynote Speaker Line Up   "GAME ON: A Championship Vision" Emmitt Smith Pro Football Hall of Fame Running Back "Cyber Security and How to Mitigate the Insider Threat" Paul R. Johnson Chief of Global Security, Papa John's International   "Managing a Crisis in Real Time...AKA, The Story of My Life!" Ed Hochuli NFL Referee & Lawyer Aslam Khan Chief Executive Officer, TGI Fridays View full agenda here Early Bird Registration is Open. Register now for $499 per person and save over $125!

Is facial recognition technology the end of the security guard?
When a three-year-old was recently kidnapped in Shenzhen, China, it took a matter of hours for the offender to be tracked down and the child to be reunited with his parents. Unknown to the kidnapper, her journey to a town more than 1,000km away was being automatically tracked by "intelligent" cameras.

By the time the kidnapper arrived in a town about 2 and a half hours' flying distance away, police were waiting to arrest her.

"It was all done by city-wide closed-circuit TV (CCTV) using facial recognition. It's about prevention and also about prosecuting and finding offenders and victims."

Glaeser says it's a modern substitute for private security guards, who account for large chunks of companies' costs but are often an impotent solution.

The retail sector is a prime target market, as crime syndicates tend to hop from mall to mall across the country, says Glaeser. By applying artificial intelligence to its growing database of images, the company can automatically notify a shopping centre when, for instance, a recognised criminal is shown on a video screen entering the premises.

The algorithm allows a camera to "continuously record a cashier's workspace and combine this information with point-of-sale transaction data to prevent fraud or theft by the cashier or customer", Glaeser says

While some retailers employ security personnel to check customers' till slips when they exit, Glaeser says these staff members are sometimes in on the crime or fail to notice when slips do not reconcile with the contents of shopping bags. businesslive.co.za

Best Practices for Recruiting & Retaining Women in Security
Gender diversity can help fill the security talent gap
Connect women with cybersecurity early on
Outreach with free cybersecurity classes and certificate training for underrepresented populations, for example. Another example is Palo Alto Networks' partnership with the Girl Scouts' cybersecurity badge.

Recruit from academic institutions with a higher enrollment of women
Check out colleges such as the The University at Buffalo, Florida Institute of Technology, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which partner with Women in Science and Engineering and the Graduate Consortium in Women's Studies. Consider recruiting from women's colleges like Bryn Mawr, Smith, and Wellesley.

Look to internal career-changers
Existing employees with risk and technology or business chops who bring risk management skills as well as communications and creativity strengths.

Join forces with HR
Human Resources plays a major role in selecting job candidates, so work with HR to be sure you're on the same page on diversity of hiring and the type of qualifications needed.

Mentoring programs
Encourage security staff to mentor women both inside and outside the organization.

Track data on your diversity in hiring, promotions
How many women are in technical security jobs? How many have applied for open security positions? "Work with your HR department to dig into behaviors that may be holding candidates or employees back, and be honest about what needs to change," the report says.

Provide training to deal with internal unconscious bias issues
DCI Consulting, Paradigm, and PDT, are examples of firms that offer unconscious-bias training services to help organizations set policies and procedures to remedy those problems.

Offer family-friendly benefits for all employees
Flexible maternity and paternity leave, breastfeeding rooms, and working remotely.

Formal mentoring programs
Professional support, career path assistance.

Culture improvements as a performance metric
Make employees accountable for helping foster a diversity culture.

Foster cultural change at cybersecurity events
Help encourage better harassment reporting, more representation of women speakers and panelists. darkreading.com

Cisco Finds 42 Percent Of Companies Hit With DDos 'Burst Attacks'
So-called "burst attacks" are a rising threat to organizations as they grow in complexity, frequency and duration. In fact, one study found that 42 percent of organizations experienced this type of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack last year, Cisco said in a new report.

A "burst attack" affects different organizations in different ways. A business that presents web pages for information may find the attack to be an inconvenience. But organizations where session integrity and continuity is crucial to service access, monetization and customer loyalty - such as online banking, gaming and streaming - a "burst attack" could be as devastating as a continuous, non-pulsed attack.

"We are observing that the attack capability of well-managed, pulsed botnet DDoS can be many times more damaging as many in the industry might think," Stephenson said. pymnts.com

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission Updates Cybersecurity
Disclosure Guidance
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) released, on Feb. 21, 2018, updated guidance regarding public company cybersecurity disclosures. The guidance updates the Commission's 2011 non-binding guidance and reiterates much of the same information. In addition, the 2018 guidance seeks to address items not specifically raised in the 2011 guidance, including concepts pertaining to cyber policies and procedures as well as insider trading in the cyber context. lexology.com

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

Fraud Blacklists:
What They Are, And Why You Shouldn't Rely On Them
Those on the front lines of this ongoing war against fraudsters are the analysts tasked with screening out the fraudulent transactions. They have to satisfy conflicting requirements: brief turnaround time for order accept/decline decisions, minimizing chargeback losses, and keeping the total cost of fraud prevention low.

It's no surprise that merchants are quick to adopt and hesitant to abandon tools that are simple, quick, cheap, and seem to do a good job of rejecting fraudulent orders while accepting the legitimate ones. This is how we ended up with e-Commerce fraud prevention tools like blacklists.

When merchants approve an order that results in a chargeback, they add that order's details (like the shipping address or name) to a list, so when another order comes in that has the same address or customer name, it's automatically rejected, thwarting both repeat abusers of the chargeback process (i.e. "friendly fraud") and criminals using stolen card info.

In theory, blacklists sound like an effective tool, similar to how some email spam filters work (mark an email as spam and both that sender and all similar emails are permanently blocked). That analogy actually uncovers the main shortcomings of blacklists. Simple spam filters based on blacklists of keywords or sender names are terrible at blocking spam. Spammers are able to bypass them just by slightly misspelling the products or "deals" they're pitching. retailtouchpoints.com

BoxLock keeps your packages safe from 'porch pirates'
The $129 BoxLock, which is available for preorder on its website, is a padlock with a technological edge. You put the BoxLock on a container big enough to hold delivery boxes and connect the lock to the internet via Wi-Fi. Once you've set up the lock and the app (available for iOS and Android), a delivery person is supposed to use the lock's built-in scanner to read your package label.

The BoxLock uses its internet connection to verify the package is out for delivery with one of the major shipping companies and that you are the intended recipient. If your package meets those requirements, the BoxLock will open, the delivery person puts your order in the container and re-locks the BoxLock. If not, the BoxLock won't budge. Either way, you'll receive a notification on your device. cnet.com

Register Now!
Live Webinar: How To Catch a Fraudster
Wednesday, February 28, 2018 | 11AM PST/2PM EST
Fraud is getting harder for the good guys and easier for the bad guys. As merchants have dozens of rules to follow related to fraud and chargeback management, fraudsters have only two rules; 1) make money and 2) don't get caught. Don't be reluctant to pursue criminal charges and take action by sending a message to underground fraud rings.

Attend this webinar to learn what is needed to pursue and submit charges for criminal prosecution. We'll discuss:

● Investigation and due diligence for building a case
● How to send a message to fraudsters
● First-hand success stories for criminal prosecution
● Fraud detection strategies to assist with catching a fraudster kount.com

E-Commerce Chargeback Costs Reach $40 Billion Per Year

Wayfair's e‑commerce sales jump 48% in Q4

Walmart Cites Operational Issues in Q4 Ecommerce Slowdown

New Study Forecasts Growing Pains and Future Gains for Small and Medium Ecommerce Businesses

Walmart has a plan to sell more furniture online

Amazon Fined $1.2 million for Selling Illegal, Misbranded Pesticides Online

San Francisco, CA: Burglar stole $250,000 in jewelry an 'unnamed' Department Store
In Stonestown Galleria. Toby Kessler is accused of robbing the same jewelry store three different times this year. Police have not said which store was targeted, only that it was in the Stonestown Mall. The most recent robbery happened last Friday. Employees called the police, and they were able to track Kessler down. cbslocal.com



Wheaton, IL: 4 charged with panty raid at Victoria's Secret store; $2,000 in merchandise
A Chicago couple and two juveniles are facing felony charges after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars in merchandise Wednesday from a Victoria's Secret store in west suburban Wheaton. A man, woman and the juveniles were each charged with felony counts of retail theft. Officers responded to the Victoria's Secret on East Loop Drive after three of the suspects left the store with more than $2,000 worth of stolen merchandise and took off in a waiting car. fox32chicago.com


Natick, MA: Police looking for 2 women in Professional Booster theft
Police are searching for two women they said recently used a unique way to shoplift a large amount of clothing from a local store. A video posted on the department's Facebook page shows a woman hiding what appears to be a large bag between her legs, which she and another woman fill up. After the bag is full, the woman put her skirt down and then left the store. wickedlocal.com


Coal Township, PA: Repeat Offender busted after 7 thefts at Walmart totaling nearly $4,000
A 28-year-old man currently in Northumberland County Prison has been charged with stealing approximately $4,000 in merchandise from Walmart between Jan. 5 and Feb. 7. The stolen items included women's and men's clothing, gloves, bandannas, socks, boxers, towels, groceries, domestic items, housewares, a vacuum cleaner, knives, cosmetics, toilet paper, paper towels, boots, CD player, batteries and a hat. newsitem.com



Wappingers Falls, NY: Man Stole $3K In Merchandise From Hudson Valley Home Depot
N.Y. State Troopers responded to the Home Depot in the for a larceny reported by Loss Prevention on Wednesday, Feb. 21 at approximately 2:10 p.m. A subsequent investigation determined Anthony Gray of the Bronx stole the thousands of dollars of merchandise. dailyvoice.com


Gardnerville, NV: Two arrested after crashing Fire Door with a tote of Camera equipment from Walmart
On Feb. 17 , Deputies responded to Wal-Mart in Gardnerville for a shoplifting incident. Upon arrival they were told three suspects, two males and a female, left the store with a gray plastic tote containing cameras and camera equipment. The suspects fled out the rear fire door and left in a gray Kia with Nevada plates driven by a female. nevadaappeal.com

Wise County, VA: Man pleads Guilty to multiple shoplifting charges and Recruiting children to steal
Joseph Michael Mullins, 39, pleaded guilty Feb. 20 in Wise County Circuit Court to four counts of felony shoplifting, six counts of misdemeanor shoplifting and eight counts of contributing to the delinquency of a minor. His potential sentence is up to 96 years in prison. thecoalfieldprogress.com

Shootings & Deaths

Batavia, IL: Police seek man charged with attempted murder in
Steak n' Shake shooting
Police are searching for an Aurora man who is facing 13 felony charges, included attempted murder, in connection with a shooting Tuesday night at a Steak n' Shake in west suburban Batavia. Terry W. Hunter, 27, is charged with three counts of attempted murder, seven counts of aggravated discharge of a firearm, and counts each of aggravated battery, armed violence and unlawful use of a weapon by a felon. Officers responded about 6:25 p.m. Tuesday to a call of a shooting at the Streak 'n Shake restaurant after medical staff at Delnor Hospital reported that a 17-year-old boy said he'd been shot in the leg while waiting in the drive-thru lane. fox32chicago.com

East Houston, TX: Parking lot Shooting near sports bar kills one, injures another

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How Improv, Activities, Continuing Education
Can Boost Employee Engagement
 

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Submit Your Group LP Selfie Today!

We've all got great ideas and plans. The problem lies in putting them together, rolling them out and maximizing speed to market. Making it happen quickly and efficiently - that's the key to success. The first obstacle is always fear of risk. Making an idea a reality requires risk taking and sometimes you've just got to make it happen if your inner self, or the bird on your shoulder, tells you it's the right thing to do. I was writing this e-newsletter for a year before one morning in 2010, on March 25, I walked in and just said hey we're doing it. Yes, I was absolutely fearful of all the critics and naysayers, but I took the risk and made it happen. There will always be torpedoes in the water and sometimes they hit. But to make things happen you've got to jump in the water and swim as fast as you can.

Just a Thought,
Gus

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