Big City Stores Hiring Off-Duty Cops to Stand Guard
NYC Businesses Hire Off-Duty Police to Blunt Uptick in Violent Crime

Similar programs in places like San Francisco, New Orleans have raised concerns around a lack of fairness, potential for fraud

Businesses in New York and other big metro areas are beefing up security in response to an uptick in violent crime - by paying the city's own police force to work at their stores and office buildings.

New York City has long administered its own program for off-duty officers to stand guard outside private businesses - badge, gun and all - and taken a 10% cut of the fees. But after the pandemic hit, spending for the paid detail program shot up to its highest amount in more than a decade.

The money New York derives from the program jumped by nearly 70% to $3.2 million in fiscal year 2021 from four years before, according to data from the city's Independent Budget Office. The additional hours standing watch in front of Manhattan office towers like the General Motors building, Duane Reade pharmacies or Whole Foods supermarkets translated to roughly $32 million in officers' pockets in 2021, given the structure of the fees.

Officers are active, NYPD-trained and uniformed. Unlike private security guards, officers are armed and able to make arrests. They can use the NYPD radio to converse with police stations and call for backup. The city, rather than the businesses, can hold liability if something goes wrong.

Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc., which owns the Duane Reade pharmacy chain, said it hires off-duty uniformed and plain clothes police officers to add an extra layer of protection for customers and employees. Amazon.com Inc.'s Whole Foods Market did not respond to requests for comment and Boston Properties Inc., which owns the GM building, declined to comment.

It's not just New York. Lawmakers in San Francisco, which administers a similar paid detail program, recently approved legislation in December to allow sheriff deputies to work off-duty security shifts after retail thefts and flash-mob style raids rattled San Franciscans. Salesforce.com Inc., Nike Inc. and other businesses in San Francisco have paid officers around $100 an hour to stand guard. bloomberg.com

Another State Looks at Changing Shoplifting Laws
Organized retail crime is a sophisticated business run by thieves
It's called organized retail crime and crime is on the rise. Thefts involving groups of people smashing windows or wheeling loaded shopping carts past security guards are on the rise.

"We've seen organized retail crime grow over the years across all of retail," said Christine Cornell, a spokesperson for Home Depot. Cornell says that these are sophisticated groups of criminals who are creating a business and making a living stealing and reselling stolen items, including items from the Home Depot in Huntsville.

"We certainly have been seeing organized retail crime grow at the Home Depot and we know that it's growing across retail," said Cornell.

The theft rings are well structured but in the state of Alabama most retail theft is considered a petty crime. Currently, the state does not have a specific law that establishes shoplifting as a crime.

"We certainly need increased security like we've been doing in our stores. But we also need the help from lawmakers to make sure that the avenue for which these items get sold is not available to them," said Cornell.

Security experts in Alabama would prefer to deal with these types of mobs the old fashion way: "When you have your flash mobs coming in like that you would be better off to have someone with open carry and security gear where they know you are there and i think that would deter them a lot," said a security expert from Track-N-Trace.

Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Home Depot and other retail stores have seen a lot of their items in online marketplaces. As part of security measure, Home Depot launched a line of power tools that won't work until they're first scanned and activated at the checkout register.

Retailers in the state of Alabama believe that the shoplifting crime laws in the state need to change. whnt.com

ORC Audit in Seattle
Seattle Councilmembers Announce Audit to Address Organized Retail Crime

Two Seattle City Councilmembers want to try a new approach to stop organized shoplifting rings and it starts by auditing current efforts.

Councilmembers Andrew J. Lewis and Lisa Herbold announced today the City Auditor is beginning work on an audit of organized retail crime (ORC). Since the pandemic, downtown Seattle has been adversely affected by organized retail crime. In response, this audit will examine:

● the current state of organized retail crime in Seattle;
● emerging practices from other jurisdictions; and,
● potential opportunities for the City to better address organized retail crime.

Councilmember Lewis originally requested an audit of the City's retail theft program in March 2020. However, due to the COVID pandemic and workload issues, the City Auditor has been unable to initiate the audit until now.

Organized retail crime is a subset of overall retail theft that involves organized efforts to steal and resell high-value items, often through online marketplaces. During the pandemic, the characteristics of retail crime have shifted, and there is emerging evidence that ORC has increased during the pandemic due, in part, to increased use of online marketplaces for selling stolen goods. Several national retail organizations agree that ORC is more effectively dealt with away from the stores and at the level of the people reselling the stolen goods.

As a part of the exercise, the City Auditor will create an opportunity to engage with local businesses in order to directly learn from their experiences. The goal will be to better protect their businesses through a coordinated plan of action between the City, state, online marketplaces, and other agencies. council.seattle.gov  komonews.com

   RELATED: Seattle businesses fatigued by shoplifting cases, with no end in sight

New ORCA Partners with Law Enforcement in Wisconsin
Organized retail theft; Wisconsin group taking action
Organized retail thefts are increasing across Wisconsin, and law enforcement and businesses are fed up - working together to stop the crime. Law enforcement officers from all over southeastern Wisconsin are sitting down with retailers in an effort to combat crime. Officers say retail thefts have been on the rise for some time.

For the first time, the Wisconsin Organized Retail Crime Association (WIORCA) hosted a conference Wednesday at the Kohl's Innovation Center. It allowed police and retailers to network, sharing stories and knowledge about thefts.

"Having all of us together talking about this, sharing our ideas, sharing our struggles, will hopefully get us all together and put some faces to the names, so we can reach out and know who to talk to when we need help," said Caponera.

All parties hope to create a safer environment for employees and customers. They hope to enact stricter laws - like a statute specific to organized retail crimes.

"In general, what we're trying to do is try to stiffen the penalties in terms of felony thresholds and the level of which it's prosecuted," said Telly Knetter, WIORCA president. Knetter said theft costs retailers $720,000 per every $1 billion in sales - a statistic the group hopes to change.

"I want the criminals to know we're banding together because we're tired of dealing with this, and we're going to do what we need to do to eliminate it," Caponera said.

Officials said the increase in organized retail thefts is not just a Wisconsin issue, but happening nationwide. fox6now.com

New York's Crime Surge
From 'Defund' to 'Refund': Will more police flatten a wave of gun violence?
Amid this violence, New York has become a case study for a nation grappling with demands for public safety and calls to reform police. Following the death of George Floyd, a black man who died in police custody in Minneapolis, Minnesota, in 2020, racial justice protests gripped the US, and there were widespread calls to defund the police.

But that same year during the pandemic, the United States experienced its greatest annual increase in murder on record, according to FBI data. Homicide rates are still on the rise today. When voters in progressive New York City went to the ballot box in the 2021 mayoral election, they selected a former police captain with a platform of cracking down on crime to restore the city to pre-Covid times.

Mayor Eric Adams has now released his "Blueprint to End Gun Violence," that promises more police in the streets. Mr Adams's plans are not only a test for his new administration, but one for Democrats, for whom policing has become a flashpoint that has divided the party.

Some Democrats worry that this means the era of "tough on crime" policies is back. Councilwoman Kristin Richardson Jordan's office is a stone's throw away from the 32nd precinct, where memorials for two slain officers, Jason Rivera and Wilbert Mora, have been set up.

But their deaths haven't made her question her belief that the NYPD should one day be abolished. Instead, she's doubled down on her views. Progressive policies, she feels, haven't been given the time and money needed to give them a real shot to work. In her view, the officers' deaths were preventable if the city had invested more in mental health services and reducing poverty. bbc.com

OPINION: Liberal crime policies backfiring due to 'false assumption' about racism

Retail's RFID Expansion
Will RFID Help Loosen Amazon's Grip On Retail?
Amazon can't be happy about Walmart's decision to dramatically expand the use of RFID in its fleet of stores. Here's why.

Retailers typically struggle to maintain an accurate view of the precise inventory holdings of each of their stores. This is a huge problem in some merchandise categories, and less so in others. For companies with large store fleets, this has traditionally been treated as a cost of doing business.

Brick and mortar retailers also struggle to effectively manage - and in some cases even find - the inventory residing in their stores. This too has been shrugged off as a cost of doing business. And let's not forget another chronic drain on profit. Theft of store inventory by organized criminals, petty shoplifters, and dishonest employees.

RFID is already helping Walmart fix these issues in several General Merchandise categories (Apparel, Footwear, Sunglasses, Watches, Jewelry) with more now on their way. Elevating inventory accuracy and visibility benefits Walmart's e-commerce business too, not merely the stores.

Simply put, some longstanding advantages enjoyed by Amazon over Walmart are in the process of being diminished. What will hurt Amazon even more is if other competitors similarly begin leaning harder on RFID. Or in the case of retailers like Kohl's, who are quite late to this party, simply begin leaning.

The Bottom Line: The longer it takes retailers to fix the inventory management issues in their stores, the longer Amazon will keep laughing all the way to the bank. forbes.com

First-Ever 'Just Walk Out' Whole Foods Store
Whole Foods opens first store with Amazon's 'Just Walk Out' technology

The technology allows shoppers to scan into the store and skip the line for the cashier altogether.

Whole Foods Market announced the opening of its first-ever store touting Amazon's Just Walk Out technology in Washington D.C. on Wednesday.

The technology from Whole Foods allows shoppers to skip waiting in line for the cash register altogether, although there will also be a self-checkout option for customers as well.

The 21,500-square-foot store is situated in D.C.'s Glover Park neighborhood. Whole Foods Market has announced that the store will carry over 800 local products, garnered through partnerships with 100 local suppliers. The Glover Park store will be staffed with Whole Foods Market employees.

The "Just Walk Out" service requires shoppers to scan in with an in-store code at the store's entry gate. Customers are expected to bag their own groceries as they shop. In-store sensors track these selections and the total cost of the basket. Then shoppers scan out of the store and receive an emailed receipt. Shoppers who wish to opt out of the service can access the store through a gate labeled "pay at register," which allows them to pay via self-checkout. businessinsider.com

Pro-Union Starbucks Workers Get Another Win
Starbucks Strategy for Responding to Union Elections Is Dealt a Setback

The National Labor Relations Board ruled that single Starbucks stores, not multiple locations in an area, were the proper jurisdictions for unionization votes.

The National Labor Relations Board dealt a blow to Starbucks's legal strategy in response to a growing union campaign on Wednesday, rejecting the company's argument that workers seeking to unionize in a geographic area must vote in a single union election.

In a ruling involving an election in Mesa, Ariz., the board noted the longstanding presumption that a single store is an appropriate unit for a vote - as union supporters have insisted.

Starbucks workers at more than 100 stores nationwide have filed for union elections and workers at two stores in Buffalo have already unionized.

Unions typically prefer smaller elections, which tend to increase their chances of winning, albeit on a smaller scale. Workers United, the union seeking to represent Starbucks employees, has complained that Starbucks has repeatedly resisted store-by-store elections despite gaining little traction on the issue as a way to delay votes and stop the union's momentum. nytimes.com

Curbside Pickup vs. At-Home Delivery
Survey: Most consumers still prefer at-home delivery - especially this group
Retailers are expanding curbside pickup options, but at-home delivery remains king for shoppers. That's according to Pitney Bowes' recent BOXpoll survey in which 64% of consumers, when asked how they want to collect their items, said they prefer home delivery, while just 23% prefer curbside pickup when given a choice between the two options. Twelve percent had no opinion.

The only category for which consumers preferred curbside pickup over home delivery was groceries (44% vs. 39%). In all other categories, no more than 25% of consumers preferred curbside pickup.

Baby boomers have an especially strong preference for home delivery. Almost three-quarters of the demographic (73%) prefer delivery over curbside. Also, there was a 35% difference between those who are much more likely (54%) and those who are somewhat more likely (19%) to choose delivery. chainstoreage.com

Target's Curbside Continues to Evolve
Target to test Starbucks orders, returns with curbside pickup
Target on Wednesday announced that it is rolling out an option for shoppers to add a Starbucks order and make returns through its Drive Up service, according to a company announcement. Pickup time windows and membership fees are not required.

These services will debut in select cities in the fall, with more locations added in 2022. The retailer also expanded its "backup item" function, where shoppers can designate secondary item substitutions for Drive Up and Order Pickup. retaildive.com

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Update: Manteca, CA: Police Recover $5000+ Worth Of Stolen Items
The Manteca Police Department arrested two people after recovering thousands of dollars worth of stolen merchandise. On Feb. 21st, 27-year-old Tyres McGhee and 39-year-old Corryn Graves grabbed two Kohls carts and gathered merchandise valued at $3,176, and started to push the carts out of the Manteca location. Kohls Loss Prevention recognized them from their prior theft attempts and quickly contacted Manteca Police.

The suspects were arrested without incident by an officer while trying to run to their vehicle. Police discovered an additional $2000 worth of Big Lots and Harbor Freight stolen merchandise inside the vehicle. Both suspects admitted to being involved with organized retail theft for the past year between Manteca and the bay area targeting Kohls, JCPenney, Home Depot, Lowes, Walmart, and Ross multiple times a week. The suspects are in custody at the San Joaquin County for multiple felony charges. sacramento.cbslocal.com

Hammond, LA: Ulta Beauty store robbed twice 15 minutes apart, Police search for suspects
The Hammond Police Department is investigating two thefts that happened on Tuesday at an Ulta Beauty in Hammond. According to police, the Ulta Beauty on Hammond Square Drive was robbed twice on the same day. The first theft occurred at 1:40 p.m. The suspect allegedly filled a bag with $2,927 worth of men's and women's fragrances. The police say the individual left the store without paying in a black Honda Sedan or Accord. The suspect was seen wearing blue scrubs, having long curly hair, and tattoos on both hands. The second theft happened 15 minutes later at 1:55 p.m. Two people entered Ulta Beauty and filled a bag with $783 dollars worth of women's and men's fragrances. The suspects left the store and were seen getting into a black Hyundai SUV. brproud.com

Akron, OH: Robbers attack Dollar General clerk, run her over with shopping cart
A worker trying to stop two women stealing two shopping carts full of items from a Dollar General ended up being kicked in the head several times and run over by a shopping cart, police say. The incident occurred at about 9:35 a.m. Monday at the Dollar General on the 500 block of East Exchange Street near downtown. The 46-year-old victim tells police the two women entered the store and loaded two carts, then attempted to leave the store. It's unclear if the clerk suffered injuries in the attack. Police say Monday's robbery is similar to an incident that occurred Sunday at a Walgreens on the 1100 block of South Arlington Street. The Walgreens manager attempted to stop two people from leaving with carts full of unpaid items and was scratched and spit on by a suspect. cleveland.com

Charlotte, NC: Owner Of A Local Gun Store Says Suspects Rammed Two Stolen Cars Into His Business During An Attempted Robbery
Would-be thieves targeted Watchdog Tactical in North Charlotte. The owner of the gun store, Chris Lawhorne, says he got a call from his alarm company around 11 pm Monday. "I understand with the business I'm in, and I understand that criminals do, you know, want to try to get guns however way," says Lawhorne. He rushed to his business off Old Statesville Road and found the entrance glass door shattered. He says surveillance video shows young people ram two stolen cars into his store and then take off. Lawhorne says that the guns were locked up in safes, so the suspects didn't get away with any firearms. wccbcharlotte.com

Lancaster, PA: $1,200 in clothes stolen from Under Armour outlet store
Police in Lancaster County are looking for three women who allegedly stole more than $1,200 worth of merchandise. East Lampeter Township Police say at approximately 5:05 p.m. on Feb. 21, the group of women entered the Under Armour outlet store at Tanger Outlets on Lincoln Hwy East. Each female took a reusable store bag, filling them with clothing, and grabbed more clothing in their arms before fleeing the store.  abc27.com

Warrington, PA: 4 Arrested In Target Theft
Four men stand accused of stealing crafting and cutting machines from Target on Friday, Warrington police announced in a news release. The 401 Easton Rd store called the Warrington Township Police Department just before 11 a.m., saying four men were seen taking several Cricut machines from the shelves and leaving without paying. A loss prevention officer "was assaulted" when he tried to stop the men and they were able to leave, Warrington police said. Officers arrested four Philadelphia men. Police said Target loss prevention positively identified the men. All four were arraigned on robbery and retail theft charges and sent to Bucks County Correctional Facility, police said. patch.com