Theft Heists Straight Out of a Hollywood Blockbuster!
Inside the Mojave Desert train heists targeting Nike sneakers

A string of at least 10 heists targeting BNSF trains in California and Arizona since last March have resulted in the theft of about $2 million worth of Nike sneakers. The crime wave has continued even after the arrest of a man authorities described as a ringleader.

Theft crews typically scout high-value merchandise on rail lines that parallel Interstate 40 by boarding slow-moving trains, such as when they are changing tracks and opening containers, said Keith Lewis, vice president of operations at Verisk's CargoNet and a deputy sheriff in Arizona.

Lewis said the thieves are sometimes tipped off to valuable shipments by confederates working at warehouses or trucking companies. Other times they simply look for containers with high-security locks, which they cut with reciprocating saws or bolt cutters, a Homeland Security Investigations special agent said in affidavits filed in federal court.

Once the desired loot is found, the thieves alert "follow vehicles,” which track the train. The stolen goods are tossed off the train after it comes to a halt - either for a scheduled stop or because an air hose has been cut or control wires inside signal boxes have been sabotaged, said the federal agent, Brynna Cooke.

The cargo is then loaded into box trucks, or hidden in nearby brush until they arrive - provided the surveillance crews that are following the train don't detect law enforcement, Cooke said. These tactics are often employed by transnational criminal groups that consist primarily of Mexican citizens from Sinaloa, she said.

There were at least 65,000 railroad cargo thefts last year, a 40% increase from 2023, according to industry estimates compiled by the Assn. of American Railroads. The thefts - which are typically classified as burglaries because they don't involve directly confronting victims, as with robberies - are believed to have cost the nation's largest rail companies more than $100 million, according to the trade group.

Those figures may be an undercount, because railroads don't publicize all thefts, Lewis said. Details typically emerge publicly only when arrests are made and criminal complaints are filed. latimes.com


Shopping Centers Opening Police Substations to Fight Crime
Aurora police now has a permanent presence at shopping center hit by crime
Aurora Police opened a new substation at the Gardens on Havana shopping center. The Havana Business District was one of the biggest retail theft targets in the country. As the plaza continues to struggle with theft, officers will be present steps away.

This new substation provides officers with a fully functional workspace within the heart of the shopping center. It allows them to be closer to the community while enhancing visibility and public safety in a large commercial area.

The property manager of the Gardens on Havana is providing retail space to the Aurora Police Department for free for five years. Their presence has already made a difference. Business owners in the area say crime started to ramp up during COVID-19. Some are finally starting to see improvements with more police.

City attorney Pete Schulte says the substation will add to the city's goal of safer shopping. New penalties mandating jail time for most shoplifting offenses have already led to improvements.

"We asked the (city) council, and we asked the business owners and said that if we're going to do this, we need you to report these cases of shoplifting," said Schulte. "We think there's been an impact. There's been a slight decrease in retail theft."

APD says having the substation there makes reporting crimes easier, for workers and customers. Davenport says he's grateful the support came before it was too late. cbsnews.com


Stores Band Together to Ban Shoplifters from Entering Stores
Explosive growth of collective store bans for shoplifters in the Netherlands
A growing number of retailers in the Netherlands are uniting to combat shoplifting by implementing collective store bans, which are quickly gaining traction across the country. These bans, which have expanded rapidly, were in place in 15 shopping areas at the start of 2024, with 27 now in effect. Additionally, another 24 shopping areas are awaiting approval from the Dutch Data Protection Authority (Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens).

Martijn Wildeboer, an advisor at the Center for Crime Prevention and Safety (Centrum voor Criminaliteitspreventie en Veiligheid), is credited with developing the collective store ban system. Wildeboer explained that individual store bans were ineffective because offenders would simply target other nearby shops. "A thief would go to a neighboring store and continue to steal, even if they had been banned from multiple individual stores,” he said.

Under the new system, if a person shoplifts at a store like a clothing retailer, they face an individual ban at that particular store but also a collective warning for all other retailers. Should the individual commit theft at another store within the year, a full ban is applied to the entire shopping center.

The system, which has been approved by the Dutch Data Protection Authority, operates with minimal police involvement. Enforcement of the bans is handled by the business owners themselves. nltimes.nl


States Continue to Take Action Against ORC
Missouri bill cracks down on 'organized retail theft'
A proposed Missouri law recently heard in the state senate suggests cracking down on organized retail theft from businesses, a growing concern in St. Joseph and nationwide. HB 277, sponsored by Missouri House of Representatives Rep. Lane Roberts (R-Joplin) creates a new defense within state legislature to deter retail theft.

Language in the proposed legislation states if the amount stolen in 120 days is between $1,500 and $10,000, the crime becomes a class C felony and if the value is over $10,000, it becomes a class B felony. The bill additionally applies to anyone who commits the offense of organized retail theft if they attempt to return the merchandise to the merchant for value or resells, trades, or if they barter the merchandise for value in any manner, including, but not limited to, through the use of an internet or network site.

For smaller law enforcement agencies such as the St. Joseph Police Department, prosecuting these cases can be complex and time-consuming. With a full plate of responsibilities, SJPD struggles to keep up with the increasing number of retail thefts. newspressnow.com


Businesses Hurting from Break-Ins & Other Challenges
Mayor, City Council want a new plan to help small businesses rebound
With Long Beach small businesses facing rising rent, insurance costs and break-ins, the City Council wants to explore new strategies to help them - with the goal of investing more than $1 million to recruit, retain and reinforce local businesses.

The recommendation, which passed unanimously at Tuesday's City Council meeting, requested that City Manager Tom Modica begin working with the city's Economic Development Department on a Small Business Rebound initiative that would be part of next year's budget.

Ideas include waiving first-year business license fees, offering low-interest loans through the city's Grow Long Beach Fund and offering grants for businesses to purchase shatter-proof windows, security cameras and "cash-free store" stickers to deter burglars. lbbusinessjournal.com


Judge Orders Walmart Shoplifters To Wash Cars as Punishment

Leesburg, Va. police chief addresses organized retail theft and department changes
 

Retail Closures Exceed Openings for First Time in Years
Bankruptcies have driven "a clear acceleration of closure announcements”

Store closures outpace openings amid 'historic shift' to service-based tenants

But the outlook isn't all bad, as the real estate churn may open up 140 million square feet of retail space in a market where high quality storefronts are in short supply, a JLL report says.

For the first time in recent years, retail store closures are exceeding openings, JLL said in its Q4 real estate report. JLL tracked over 9,900 announced retail closures from 2024 through mid-February but just 7,700 openings. The discount, dollar, drug store and apparel sectors are seeing the largest number of closings.

Bankruptcies have driven "a clear acceleration of closure announcements" in recent months as distressed retailers have indicated they will close part or all of their brick-and-mortar store portfolios. Nearly 700 Party City store leases went up for auction in January, while earlier this month, Joann said it will close over 500 stores.

Additionally, demand for mall space has softened. JLL said space vacancies have risen while move-ins declined, resulting in a net absorption decline of 3.3 million square feet for all U.S. markets in 2024. Malls currently have an 8.7% vacancy rate, which is the highest among all retail property types. retaildive.com


DEI Rollback Boycott Hits Target
Target Continues To Experience DEI Rollback Fallout. Here's the Latest Group To Call for a Boycott
Target recently decided to roll back its DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion) initiatives, which has proved costly for the retailer. In addition to experiencing decreased sales, the retail giant is now facing calls for a boycott from a very powerful lobbying group.

USA Today reports that to protest businesses that have abandoned diversity measures, Black religious groups urged pastors to encourage their congregations on Sunday to participate in a 40-day boycott of Target.

“We've got to tell corporate America that there's a consequence for turning their back on diversity,” said Bishop Reginald T. Jackson. "So let us send the message that if corporate America can't stand with us, we're not going to stand with corporate America.” retailwire.com


Retailers Step Up Efforts to Hire & Retain Employees
Best Buy launches free degrees for full- and part-time workers

The consumer electronics retailer said it will provide immediate access to the program on the first day of employment.

Best Buy is expanding its education benefits to offer no-debt, no-cost pathways to college degrees for all full- and part-time employees in the U.S., according to a Feb. 13 announcement.

The consumer electronics retailer said it will provide immediate access to the program on an employee's first day of employment. The benefit operates through Strayer University's Degrees@Work program, which includes coursework for certificates or associate, bachelor's or master's degrees.

Best Buy has offered tuition discounts and reduced fees for more than a decade, according to the announcement, but the expansion is intended to help more employees access education and develop skills. retaildive.com


Starbucks lays off 1,100 corporate employees as coffee chain streamlines
Starbucks plans to lay off 1,100 corporate employees globally as new Chairman and CEO Brian Niccol streamlines operations.

In a letter to employees released Monday, Niccol said the company will inform employees who are being laid off by mid-day Tuesday. Niccol said Starbucks is also eliminating several hundred open and unfilled positions.

“Our intent is to operate more efficiently, increase accountability, reduce complexity and drive better integration,” Niccol wrote in the letter.

Starbucks has 16,000 corporate support employees worldwide, but that includes some employees who aren't impacted, like roasting and warehouse staff. Baristas in the company's stores are not included in the layoffs. apnews.com


J.C. Penney, Eddie Bauer operator lays off 5% of corporate staff
About 250 people at Catalyst Brands, which also runs Aéropostale, Brooks Brothers, Nautica and Lucky Brand, were let go.

US retailers set to close stores in 2025: Macys, Best Buy, Victoria Secret, JCPenney

Ikea to open 8 new US stores this spring, summer
 

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Who's watching the meat at Big Y? A loss prevention specialist and a lot of cameras