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 3/24/22

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Wolf Ahonen promoted to Sr. Manager, Security and Loss Prevention (U.S. & Canada) for Levi Strauss & Co.

Wolf has been with Levi Strauss for eight years, starting with the company in 2014. Before his promotion to Sr. Manager, Security and LP (U.S. and Canada), he served as Regional Security Manager. Prior to joining Levi Strauss, he spent more than two years with Maurices as Regional LP Manager. Earlier in his career, he held LP roles with TJX Companies, Pacific Sunwear, Pacific Eyes and T's & Beyond the Beach, and Robinsons May. Congratulations, Wolf!


See All the Executives 'Moving Up' Here   |   Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions or New Position
 
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Advice from Loss Prevention Experts
- A Retail Analyst Roundtable

Tuesday, March 29, 2022 - 1:00 p.m. EST


When it comes to improving loss prevention or asset protection strategies, there's no more valuable resources than an experienced colleague. That's why we're bringing together some of the brightest minds in retail to discuss their best practices and detection methods. Agilence's Gabrielle Nankervis will be joined from LP experts from Barnes & Noble, Sally Beauty Holdings, and BJ's Wholesale Clubs to discuss:

What's it's like to be at the forefront of LP/AP as an analyst
How the pandemic has shifted priorities
Their most-impactful investigations and use cases
The impact of a digitally driven world and the future of LP

 


 



The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact


The D&D Daily's Gus Downing Discusses ORC Trends
Organized retail crime strikes Suffolk County, New York
Organized retail crime, a nationwide retail theft phenomenon, has reached Suffolk County.

Last week, four individuals from Newark, New Jersey, were arrested by the Suffolk County Police Department for their alleged involvement in an
ORC ring that stole $94,000 worth of luxury handbags from a Balenciaga store in East Hampton on March 3. Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney (R) held a press conference shortly after the arrests were made, announcing that those responsible for the theft will be prosecuted.

ORC refers to the
coordinated shoplifting carried out by professional theft rings.

Gus Downing is publisher and editor of The D&D Daily, an online publication that follows retail trends and raises public awareness for these issues. According to him, ORC has proliferated in recent years due to the rise of the online resale marketplace.

"Organized retail crime has been around a long time,
but the internet and third-party selling online is really what took this into the stratosphere," he said in a phone interview. "When you look at the internet and third-party sellers, and then you tack on the opioid epidemic and the cartels flooding the United States with fentanyl, and then you tack on the surge in crime generically, you've got a heck of a problem that is spiraling out of control."

Downing said that
a considerable proportion of mainstream opioid users require a revenue stream to finance their habit. According to him, ORC and drugs are inextricably linked together.

"
It's really all about drugs," he said. "That's what drives a person into a store to steal. They have to get the money, and what's the easiest place to get it when you have millions of people online that would love a deal?"  Continue Reading Full Article


Prop 47 Repeal Effort Blocked - Again
California lawmakers stop another effort to reform Proposition 47

A measure that would have lowered California's threshold for felony theft from $950 to $400 failed to make it out of a committee in the State Legislature

Assembly Bill 1603, introduced by Assemblymember Rudy Salas, D-Bakersfield, aimed to reform Proposition 47, a 2014 voter-approved measure that reclassified certain low-level drug and property crimes from felonies to misdemeanors.

Under Proposition 47, property theft under $950 is a petty theft misdemeanor, punishable by up to six months in prison and fines. Salas' bill would have lowered that threshold to $400 - back to the amount it was before voters approved Proposition 47. The bill failed to pass the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday.

Salas' proposal came after a series of smash-and-grab robberies were reported throughout the state, leaving critics of Proposition 47 claiming that California's existing statutes failed to hold individuals accountable for theft.

Before Tuesday's vote, Salas said business owners across the state have anecdotally seen an increase in theft since Proposition 47 passed, sharing that businesses are seeing people coming in and stealing "because they know there's no real repercussions."

The bill was also opposed by Assemblymember Reginald Jones-Sawyer, D-Los Angeles, chair of the Public Safety Committee, who said Tuesday that lowering the threshold could lead to a rise in the state's prison population.

The bill's failure is the second time in recent weeks that the Public Safety Committee declined to advance a measure that would make changes to Proposition 47. The committee killed a bill by Assemblyman Kevin Kiley, R-Rocklin, earlier this month that would have repealed Proposition 47. thecentersquare.com

Summer of Deadly Violence is on the Horizon
'We Can't Endure This': Surge in U.S. Shootings Shows No Sign of Easing

A deadly weekend was an ominous harbinger for the summer months ahead, which is typically America's most violent time.

All told, in a single weekend when the calendar turned to spring, there were at least nine mass shooting events - defined by at least four people shot - across the country, as well as many more with fewer victims. It was an ominous harbinger for the warmer summer months ahead, which is typically America's most violent time.

The surge in gun violence in the United States that began in 2020 as the pandemic set in and continued through a summer of unrest following the murder of George Floyd, shows no sign of easing. Homicides were up 30 percent that year, the largest annual recorded increase.

While in most places gun violence has not reached the record levels of the 1990s, and other types of crime have remained low during the pandemic, the continued drumbeat of shootings has forced officials like those in Miami Beach to take extraordinary measures at a time when gun ownership has soared, and as some states have moved to pass laws to allow easier access to firearms.

"When picnics and outside events like this car show, when all that happens that's a kickoff" to a period of violence, said Mark Bryant, the founder of the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit organization that collects data on shootings. "And I'm just afraid the kickoff was this weekend."

Mayor Eric Adams, who took office at the start of the year after campaigning on a message of public safety, has focused on the prevalence of firearms on city streets, attempting to curtail their spread through legislative and policing changes. He has repeatedly asked the courts and state lawmakers to treat weapon offenses with harsher penalties, calling for decreasing the minimum age that someone can be charged as an adult in certain situations and for revising the state's 2020 bail reform laws. nytimes.com

The Return of 'Broken Windows' Crime Policies to NYC
NYPD revives 'broken windows' policies as Adams fumes over weekend shootings
Mayor Eric Adams called police brass on the carpet over the two dozen shooting incidents that took place this past weekend - sparking the NYPD to scramble to get more cops on the streets in a revival of some "broken windows" policies, The Post has learned.

Adams summoned Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell and Chief of Department Kenneth Corey to City Hall on Tuesday to answer for the surge in bloodshed that left 29 people wounded ahead of his planned news conference on the NYPD's new anti-gun units, law-enforcement sources said Wednesday.

Behind closed doors, Adams - a former NYPD captain - fumed that the department wasn't doing enough. During the meeting, Corey spoke with a sense of urgency in his voice as he ordered to the 100-plus supervisors to stop the bleeding by putting extra cops on patrol, sources said.

In addition, local "neighborhood coordination officers" will be shifted from helping detectives investigate unsolved crimes to enforcing quality-of-life offenses, including littering and fare evasion, sources said.

Those moves mark a return to the zero-tolerance, "broken windows" policing strategies that were widely credited with reducing crime in the Big Apple during the 1990s. The redeployments of the NCOs and YCOs will put more than 500 cops on the streets for at least part of their shifts, sources said. nypost.com

LA Crime: Armed Robberies Up 60% - Homicides Up 50%
How bad is crime in L.A.? Here are the numbers behind the mayoral race rhetoric
Crime was one of the big issues discussed Tuesday during a debate by the top candidates running for mayor of Los Angeles.

While many of the candidates talked about an uptick in crime, billionaire businessman Rick Caruso gave a particularly dark view of public safety: "Everybody in this city - at every corner of the city, no matter where you live, what your background is - is scared to walk out their doors."

So what is the truth about crime in L.A.? While crime has ticked up, violent crime is nowhere near its peak of the 1990s. Homicides in Los Angeles hit 397 in 2021, the most in more than a decade and a 50% increase from 2019 - but well short of the 1,000 deaths reached during years in the 1990s.

LAPD Chief Michel Moore told the civilian Police Commission on Tuesday that robberies involving firearms were up 57% from 2020 and 60% from 2019 - with hundreds more incidents so far this year than last.

Through the middle of March, property crime was up more than 5% over last year, with car thefts again a major concern. Compared to this point in 2020, vehicle thefts are up nearly 44%. latimes.com

Honolulu: Recent crime wave has community increasing security

Hamden, Connecticut shopping center riddled with crime


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COVID Update

558.9M Vaccinations Given

US: 81.5M Cases - 1M Dead - 63.6M Recovered
Worldwide: 476.6M Cases - 6.1M Dead - 412M Recovered


Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 354   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 732
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Cases Down in All U.S. Regions - But for How Long?


Deltacron COVID Wave Coming?
Fourth Covid wave? US-based epidemiologist warns about Deltacron driven surge
As state authorities are scaling down the pandemic by taking back restrictions and allowing free movement, a US-based epidemiologist has lashed out at making it look like the pandemic is coming to an end. Dr Eric Feigl-Ding has warned the world that it is at the brink of yet another wave.

America has recently closed several testing centers, the UK has taken back travel restrictions for foreign travelers. Other countries too are easing measures to open economy. Australia, known for its strictest restrictions too has been consulting health panels to relax quarantine rules for closed contacts.

Dr. Ding's warning comes a day after another hybrid variant of SARS-CoV-2, a recombinant of Delta and omicron called the Deltacron was detected across Europe and the US. The health economist predicts that the US is just weeks behind the Europe that has witnessed the Deltacron surge. financialexpress.com

COVID's Historic Death Toll
Census Bureau: COVID drove largest spike in U.S. deaths in a century
COVID-19 drove the largest death spike in a century, with 535,000 more deaths in 2020 than in 2019, according to newly released U.S. Census Bureau data.

Why it matters: The new data shows how profoundly the pandemic has impacted the U.S. population, as Americans died or fled cities for the sanctuary of cheaper or less populous areas.

By the numbers: There was a 19% jump in the number of U.S. deaths between 2019 and 2020. Before then, the largest increase of the decade had been just 3.3% in 2015. The U.S. death toll remained high in 2021, according to the latest provisional data for the year, and the pandemic has disrupted what were once predictable, seasonal mortality trends.

The overall rise in mortality contributed to deaths outpacing births in more than 73% of U.S. counties between mid-2020 and mid-2021 - a record high and up from 56% the year before and 46% in 2019. axios.com

COVID's Impact on Work Will Be Permanent
Remote vs. On-site Work: What Do Employees Prefer as COVID Subsides?
The number of COVID-19 cases continues to decline in the United States - at least this week - but the pandemic's impact on work life appears to be entrenched in the minds of many Americans. That's especially true of remote work, which most employees want to keep doing even after COVID is no longer a major health threat, according to a new survey from Willis Towers Watson.

The WTW survey of more than 9,600 U.S. employees, conducted during December 2021 and January 2022 and released last week, found that 58% of respondents want to work remotely either most of the time (36%) or in a hybrid arrangement (22%) that splits time between remote and on-site work. Only 42% would rather work on-site all the time.

That's the case even though employees have had varying experiences working remotely. About 70% of employees said working remotely helped them achieve a better work/life balance, while nearly two-thirds (65%) said their job performances were evaluated fairly. However, more than half (52%) said working remotely left them feeling disconnected from their teams, and 44% said they are worried that working remotely will negatively affect their careers.

The key advantages of working remotely were split between those who cited less time commuting (44%), those who saved money by not having to go on-site (37%), and those who were able to better manage household commitments by working from home (33%). gobankingrates.com

Store Shortages Worse Now Than at COVID's Peak?
Grocery Shoppers Are Complaining That Shortages Are At An All-Time High
Inflation is reaching new heights each month and rising grocery store costs are forcing shoppers to make some changes. But this isn't the only hurdle they are facing at the moment-nearly three-fourths of shoppers say that out-of-stocks are worse now compared to two years ago.

With continued supply chain problems, the conflict in Ukraine, droughts, and staffing shortages, it is no secret that shelves at supermarkets aren't back to what they looked like before March 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic started. But new data published by Retail Insight published on March 21 shows that not only do 71% of the 1,000+ shoppers surveyed think there are more shortages than ever, but 61% think online stock is worse, too.

The latest reports say that milk, canned goods, cream cheese, pasta, and a few others are the items that are the hardest to find at grocery stores. While 66% of survey respondents believe better pay and working conditions for warehouse and store employees would help, instances around the world are only adding to the problems. eatthis.com

Report shows consumers returning to normal on foodservice and retail

A tale of two Covid Americas: can the US unite behind a pandemic strategy?

Sources: NYC Mayor to roll back private-sector vaccine mandate for pro athletes


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Walmart vs. BJ's: Self-Checkout Lawsuit
Walmart sues BJ's Wholesale claiming it stole self-checkout technology

In the lawsuit, Walmart claims BJ's launched a self-checkout feature in its mobile app that's nearly identical to Sam's Club's Scan & Go.

Walmart and its big-box warehouse subsidiary Sam's Club accused rival retailer BJ's Wholesale Club in a lawsuit filed Tuesday of stealing technology that powers a popular self-checkout option in the Sam's Club mobile app.

The suit, filed in federal court, claims Walmart worked for years to develop Scan & Go, a feature that lets Sam's Club customers ring up purchases on their smartphones while walking through the store, allowing them to avoid a checkout line.

It also notes that Walmart holds multiple patents protecting the intellectual property for the self-checkout feature, which debuted in 2016. Scan & Go has become more popular since the Covid-19 pandemic began in the U.S. in early 2020 as shoppers adopted social distancing and contactless checkout.

Walmart alleges its "innovations were simply taken without permission" by BJ's, which launched its contactless offering, ExpressPay, in late 2021. "Express Pay is an apparent copy of Sam's Club's Scan & Go, merely changing the in-app colors and changing the name from Scan & Go to Express Pay," the lawsuit says.

As a result, the suit claims, BJ's has infringed on Walmart's patent rights, causing "significant damages and irreparable harm." cnbc.com

NRF's Top 50 Global Retailers
A look at the 2022 Top 50 Global Retailers

Stalwart leader Walmart remains, though value retailers like Amazon, Schwarz Group, Aldi and Costco are tapping into new markets

The second year of the global pandemic challenged global retail in 2021 as it did in 2020. And, just as in 2020, global retail emerged with far more revenue and profit as it managed changes in shopper needs and routines.

Extreme lockdowns still occurred but were more of the exception in most countries even with the onset of the delta and omicron variants. Nations chose to live with COVID-19 as they backed aggressive vaccination programs and encouraged widespread mask use.

Walmart continues to be the world's largest retailer, both domestically and internationally, with a significant commitment to a new online marketplace and fulfillment model. But it faces challenges within the Top 10 from Amazon, Schwarz Group, Aldi and Costco, all of which are tapping into new markets for value shopping. Major Chinese online retailer Alibaba is still among the Top 50 but regulatory changes in its home market have limited its advantages in financial technology. nrf.com



Click here to view the full list


Hundreds of Companies Ditch Russia
Over 450 Companies Have Withdrawn from Russia-But Some Remain
Since the invasion of Ukraine began, over 450 companies have announced their withdrawal from Russia-but some companies have continued to operate in Russia undeterred. When this list was first published the week of February 28, only several dozen companies had announced their departure.

Originally conceptualized as a simple "withdraw" vs. "remain" list, our new list of companies now consists of five categories:

1) WITHDRAWAL - Clean Break: companies completely halting Russian engagements/exiting Russia;

2) SUSPENSION - Keeping Options Open for Return: companies temporarily curtailing operations while keeping return options open;

3) SCALING BACK - Reducing Activities: companies scaling back some business operations while continuing others;

4) BUYING TIME - Holding Off New Investments/Developments: companies postponing future planned investment/development/marketing while continuing substantive business;

5) DIGGING IN - Defying Demands for Exit: companies defying demands for exit/reduction of activities



See the full list here


Another Retailer Fizzles Out in Russia
Lush CEO Expects Its Russian Business to Run Out of Stock, Wind Down
Cosmetics maker Lush Ltd. has stopped sending supplies to Russia and expects its business in the country to fizzle out. It won't, however, force the closure of its local stores, illustrating the many complications multinational companies face as they try to sever their business ties to Russia.

Lush, a private company based in Poole, England, has 500 employees in Russia and runs 48 branded stores, which continue to operate, even though management doesn't plan on retrieving any funds, Chief Executive Mark Constantine said. wsj.com

Nestlé suspends the sale of more of its brands in Russia

Petco CEO says company's growth is inflation-proof as Americans splurge
 
GameStop hit with $30M lawsuit from turnaround consultants



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LP Meets It - Literally
Building the future-proof retail store with SASE

Digital transformation and changing user demands are driving the retail industry into one of the largest overhauls it has ever seen.

An average consumer today expects seamless services across multiple platforms. They walk into a store and expect a secure in-store Wi-Fi connection to social media or mobile payment gateways, quick checkouts and interaction with rich media. Users have set high standards for instant gratification and a rapid, yet personalized, shopping experience.

Modernizing retail environments comes at a security cost

For the retailer, it means the need for integration between online and offline services has never been more important. Retail security teams now need to ensure that their business-critical applications perform reliably, 24/7, all across different sets of channels, devices and platforms. Cloud-based applications for businesses and users, big data analytics, Internet of Things (IoT) devices (RFID, sensors and CCTV cameras), mobility and social media have all added new dimensions to the way retailers approach the shopping experience.

Dealing with a retail data breach

Security has emerged as one of the biggest points of concern in retail. In 2021 alone, the list of significant retail security breaches included Bonobos and Guess (clothing retailers), Hobby Lobby, Carter's (baby clothes), Wegmans (supermarket chain), Volkswagen and more. The average cost of a retail data breach in 2021 was $3.27 million, up from an average of $2.01 million in 2020, according to the 2021 Cost of a Data Breach Report. That represents a 62.7% increase, but it's important to remember that the costs are much more than money stolen from the company or its users. Retail data breach costs also include compensating users with credit monitoring and identity monitoring services, litigation if a class-action suit occurs, and of course fixing the breach and preventing future attacks. Clearly, the reputation cost and lost consumer confidence of a breach affecting customer privacy can eclipse the lost revenue from business disruption.

Retail cybersecurity with SASE and SD-WAN

Whether the retail organization decides to expand to new geographical locations by opening new branch offices or through acquisitions/mergers, cybersecurity leaders' roles are critical in quickly onboarding new locations. SD-WAN's centralized administration and console make it easy to integrate new services and locations while adjusting policies remotely for immediate results, without having to worry about the cost, resources and logistics associated with setting up a new cybersecurity infrastructure at a new location. securitymagazine.com

Cybercrime Losses Surge 64% Since 2020
FBI: Cybercrime reports saw 'unprecedented' rise last year, costing nearly $7B
An FBI center that collects cybercrime complaints said Wednesday that it received 847,376 of them last year, with estimated potential losses totaling $6.9 billion - a 64% increase from 2020.

The total number of crime reports tallied by the FBI's Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) only rose 7%, a fact that only highlights the increased costliness of the attacks that the IC3 did receive complaints about. Not all victims disclose that they were struck to the FBI, a constant source of pleas from the bureau.

"In 2021, America experienced an unprecedented increase in cyber attacks and malicious cyber activity," wrote Paul Abbate, deputy director of the FBI. "These cyber attacks compromised businesses in an extensive array of business sectors as well as the American public."

Business email compromise, a kind of attack where the criminal poses as a legitimate company official to order unauthorized money transfers, led the pack once more as the costliest crime, tallying $2.4 billion in adjusted losses, according to the IC3.

Investment schemes ($1.5 billion), romance scams ($956 million), personal data breaches ($517 million) and real estate scams ($350 million) rounded out the top five most expensive reported crimes.

There wasn't a lot of overlap between cost of attacks and the most common kinds reported to the FBI. The top five kinds to tally the most victim reports were phishing and its variants (323,972), non-payment (82,478), personal data breach (51,829), identity theft (51,629) and extortion (39,360).

Cryptocurrency played a greater role in estimated 2021 cybercrime losses, the IC3 said, totaling $1.6 billion compared to $246 million in 2020 despite a lower number of victims from year-to-year. The Biden administration and Congress have been trying to uproot cryptocurrency's role in illicit finance. cyberscoop.com

Cyber Insurance & War Exclusions
What Security Pros Should Know as Russia's Cyber Threat Grows

Here's what a cybersecurity lawyer thinks security pros need to know in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

AdvertisementCyber-insurance policies typically have "war exclusion" or "hostile act exclusion" language built into them. This language essentially says that insurers cannot defend against acts of war. In the first quarter of this year, cyber-insurance markets were already tightening war exclusion provisions to deny coverage. In light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine - and the anticipated cyber fallout - security professionals should review their cyber-insurance coverage with an eye toward determining coverage gaps.

Earlier this year, Lloyd's of London released four new variations of cyber war and cyber operation exclusion clauses, each with varying levels of coverage available to an insured. Other cyber-insurance carriers followed suit, and war exclusions in cyber insurance can now be seen as tighter contractual language.

These exclusions provide that the insurer will "not cover any loss, damage, liability ... directly or indirectly occasioned by, or happening through or in consequence of a war or a cyber operation" (see Lloyd's Exclusion No. 1). Each of these terms is heavily defined - with war meaning "the use of physical force by a state against another state ... whether war be declared or not." The term "cyber operation" is defined as "the use of a computer system by or on behalf of a state to disrupt, deny, degrade, manipulate or destroy information in a computer system of or in another state."

The issue then becomes: How does one determine attribution for a cyber operation or war to another state? The Lloyd's policies provide a method for this, including determining whether the "government of a state (including its intelligence and security services)" makes attribution "to another state or those acting on its behalf."

Thus, if a new malware threat is attributed to a government, and a company gets hit because of the difficulty in containing such malware, a cyber insurer could deny coverage. darkreading.com

Okta says 366 customers potentially affected in data breach
Okta, the identity authentication company whose customers were targeted by a prolific cybercrime group in a late-January breach, said Wednesday that 366 customers' accounts were potentially accessed as part of the incident.

In a nine-minute Zoom call Wednesday, the company's chief security officer, David Bradbury, said that number represents the maximum of customer accounts accessed by third-party contractors during a five-day window when hackers had gained entry to a contractor's laptop. cyberscoop.com

Tech Leaders Must Raise Awareness & Build Trust To Close Cybersecurity Gap


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Solving the Cannabis Crime Problem
As WA marijuana shops see more armed robberies, owners and politicians say there is a simple solution
While robberies at retail marijuana stores in Washington are not formally tracked statewide, the Craft Cannabis Coalition, which represents over 50 retail stores in the state, keeps an informal tally with reports from members, said the association's executive director, Adán Espino. It is possible some robberies are missing from the association's tally.
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According to the association's count, there have been around 67 armed robberies so far in 2022. In 2021 and 2020, the association counted 34 and 27 armed robberies. Pot shops have long been targets for robberies because of the large amount of cash the businesses have on hand and because there is still a lucrative black market for marijuana, Espino said.

While recreational marijuana was legalized in Washington in 2012 and most Americans live in places where marijuana is legal in some form, the industry has been shut out of traditional banking services like accepting credit cards since marijuana is still illegal federally.

In the years after the first retail marijuana stores opened, the industry has grown to $1.4 billion in sales and over a half-billion in tax revenue annually, said Washington State Treasurer Mike Pellicciotti. Forcing the industry to deal primarily in cash no longer makes sense from a public safety and government perspective, he said.

One fix that Pellicciotti is advocating for is the SAFE Banking Act, which would effectively open traditional banking services to retail marijuana stores. The act is currently being considered in the U.S. Senate Banking Committee.

Owners and industry groups largely agree passing the act would reduce the amount of cash on premise at a given time and help prevent criminal activity. Espino said access to credit card processing and safe banking would solve "the bulk of our problems."

"How much longer do we have to put our employees in danger before we do something about this?" he said. "People are starting to get shot." seattletimes.com

Cannabis Stores in Canada Hit with Robbery Surge
Calgary cannabis store owners call for change to display rules after spike in robberies
Calgary cannabis store owners are pushing for changes to Health Canada's rules on product displays in an effort to make the businesses safer for staff and patrons.

The film on windows that covers most cannabis stores is not mandated, but it is one way for them to comply with sections 29 and 30 in the federal Cannabis Act, which prohibits the display of cannabis or cannabis accessories where a young person can see them from street level.

The issue with the coverings, as Justin Woo points out, is the blocked windows act as a cover for thieves when they rob the stores.

"Someone can come into the store and they have more time to do what they want," said Woo, who owns four Bud Bar locations. "In most instances (thieves) can lock the door if they want and no one outside - even if you're on a main road or busy intersection or busy traffic - no one can see inside, so that creates a huge security risk."

Omar Khan is a spokesperson for High Tide Inc., which oversees 113 Canna Cabana dispensaries across the country, including more than 60 in Alberta. He says the number of cannabis store robberies across the country started accelerating at the onset of the pandemic.

Wilsher says CPS and store owners are working with the Alberta Gaming Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) to explore alternatives to window coverings. In a statement, the AGLC says "recent thefts in cannabis retail stores (are) a concern and AGLC is currently working with our stakeholders to see what other options may be available." calgary.ctvnews.ca

Senior Cannabis LP Job
Loss Prevention Director job posted for IGS Solutions in Los Angeles, CA
The Loss Prevention Director will develop and oversee security operations, primarily focusing on retail loss prevention. Responsibilities consist of developing the goals and strategies for protection of a retail location, including their merchandise and other property assets. In addition to analyzing the financial performance of the location, the director will develop an internal theft response policy. IGS merges together cannabis culture with cutting-edge technology to deliver the best possible customer and employee experience(s). indeed.com


How to Choose the Best Cannabis Delivery Software for Your Dispensary


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Workplace Injuries Among Amazon Workers
Amazon warehouse workers suffer muscle and joint injuries at a rate 4 times higher than industry peers

These injuries build up over time and can be difficult to treat, said an ergonomist who's inspected Amazon warehouses.

Data compiled by Washington state's workplace safety regulator reveals a more nuanced understanding than has previously been reported of the types of injuries making up Amazon's workplace safety crisis.

Nationwide, Amazon workers are twice as likely as other warehouse employees to incur a serious injury on the job, federal workplace safety data shows.

Washington state's data, though, shows that the bulk of the injury disparity between Amazon and other warehouse employers is the result of a concentration of musculoskeletal disorders at Amazon warehouses. Musculoskeletal disorders - like carpal tunnel, back pain, and hernias - are the result of accumulated damage to muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs caused by repetitive movement and physical exertion over time.

Between 2015 and 2019, Amazon warehouse workers in Washington state were on average 3.85 times as likely to incur a musculoskeletal injury compared to their peers in the state's warehouse sector, the state's analysis showed. In that same period, Amazon workers were only 1.2 times as likely as workers in non-Amazon warehouses to get a non-musculoskeletal injury - for instance, an injury caused by a forklift collision or fall from a ladder.

Behind the high rate of musculoskeletal injuries at Amazon's warehouses is the company's "very high pace of work," Washington state's Department of Labor and Industries found in four separate Amazon workplace safety citations this year. businessinsider.com

Is the E-Commerce Boom Slowing?
New data underscores a slowing e-commerce market
As 2021 came to a close, data began to indicate that the e-commerce boom was slowing. The question at that juncture was whether we were seeing a reversion to growth norms from the pre-COVID era or if growth would slow even more; in the latter case, it would imply that future e-commerce activity was pulled forward, instead of the larger digital commerce pie growing thanks to long-term changes to the economy.

New data from Pinduoduo, a huge Chinese e-commerce company, and trailing results from Alibaba and others from the fourth quarter of last year hint that the pull-forward model of recent e-commerce growth is the most likely.

For startups, it's somewhat mixed news. Certainly, any startup selling into the e-commerce market has more TAM than ever to, well, address.

But slowing growth means that it will be harder to grow at prior levels, as outperforming the market segment enough to wow venture capitalists will become more difficult. (But certainly not impossible, as today's nine-figure CommerceIQ round makes clear.) techcrunch.com

Instagram's new product tagging option is turning it into an online store


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Charlotte, NC: Charlotte-area retail theft crime ring busted
A retail racketeering ring busted. CMPD said Home Depot investigators identified someone continually stealing from their stores, and their tip resulted in six people behind bars. Police said retail theft is a huge problem for big box stores and the community. "The individuals that are committing these crimes don't care," said CMPD Detective Anthony Finocchio. "Why? They've been arrested 150 times. It's risk-reward."

The frustration is clear. An influx in retail racketeering caused CMPD to launch a task force in 2019. "This isn't just about shoplifting," Finocchio said. "This is a big, big business and they'll do anything it takes to make money." They said thieves steal hundreds of thousands of dollars in items at stores like Lowes and Home Depot and sell tools at a premium on sites like Facebook marketplace or Offerup. "You know it's stolen when it's cheap," said Tom Picard, a general superintendent for a general contractor.

In a recent operation, four agencies arrested six people believed to be in a retail theft crime ring. Police said Steven Vanderburg stole $250,000-$300,000 of tools from Home Depot and Lowes and, along with his accomplices, sold them online at a discounted rate. During a search warrant, authorities found $82,000 in cash, $50,000 worth of new tools and seized three vehicles.

The problem goes much deeper than thefts from big box stores, however. "Every weekend we hold our breath because we know there's going to be materials stolen from our sites," said Jacob Brewer, Project Manager at KO Construction, "and they're turning around and selling it online [at] Facebook Marketplace, stuff like that."

The Home Depot released a statement to Queen City News after the arrests:

"As organized retail crime has grown, online marketplaces have made it increasingly easy to sell stolen products anonymously and with little oversight. We're grateful for the continued partnership with the Charlotte Mecklenburg Police Department and its Organized Retail Crime Task Force that recognize the significant impact these crimes have on our communities." fox46.com

Henderson County, NC: TWENTY PEOPLE INVOLVED IN LOCAL THEFT/DRUG RING; OPERATION CAUGHT RED HANDED
Months long investigation results in arrest of Criminal Enterprise members. Detectives with the Henderson County Sheriff's Office along with Loss Prevention teams from the Home Depot, Lowes, and Wal-Mart conducted an investigation into retail theft involving a criminal enterprise which lead to the sell and distribution of Fentanyl in Henderson County. During this investigation Detectives were able to determine that Anna Morrow was receiving stolen retail property from the aforementioned retail establishments in exchange for Fentanyl. Through extensive investigative work Detectives were able to identify approximately twenty (20) people who were involved in this criminal enterprise. On Wednesday, March 16, 2022, Detectives initiated "OPERATION CAUGHT RED HANDED". This operation was a large scale warrant service involving those associated with this criminal enterprise in and around Henderson County. During "Operation Caught Red Handed " Detectives located, and arrested the following individuals for: Felony Conspiracy to Commit Retail Theft and recovered over $30,000.00 in stolen retail property. kwtx.com

South Miami, FL: Armed Man linked to theft cases stole steaks from Winn-Dixie
Police said they want to catch the man behind a strange steal at a supermarket in South Miami, and this is not his first brush with the law. According to South Miami Police, 27-year-old Nicholas Marino entered the Winn-Dixie at 5850 SW 73rd St., March 15. Investigators said the suspect strolled out shortly after carrying a basket filled with steaks for which he hadn't paid for. When a worker tried to stop him, police said, Marino turned around and pointed a gun at them. Detectives said Marino is wanted in Hialeah for commercial burglary and other theft cases. He was also arrested in Coral Gables for allegedly shoplifting at a Publix. Police said he also has a warrant out in South Carolina for fraud. wsvn.com

Update: Fort Dodge, IA: Man pleads guilty to Walmart burglaries, stole nearly $25,000 in jewelry
A Farnhamville man who was arrested last summer after breaking into Walmart on two separate occasions and stealing nearly $25,000 worth of jewelry has pleaded guilty to amended charges. Joseph Midkiff, 36, entered a written plea of guilty to the Webster County District Court on Monday, pleading guilty to one count of third-degree burglary and one count of second-degree theft, both Class D felonies. Midkiff was arrested on July 15, 2021, for the early-morning burglaries on May 27 and July 11. According to criminal complaints, on each occasion, he entered the store in the early morning hours, damaged glass jewelry cases and left with thousands of dollars of jewelry. The plea agreement reached between Midkiff's defense and the Webster County Attorney's Office included the dismissal of the remaining charges of the cases. The agreement also includes a joint recommendation of five-year suspended sentences for each count of the plea, as well as two years of formal probation, to be served concurrently with the other. messengernews.net

Update: Glendale, AZ: 9 people held hostage during jewelry store robbery at Arrowhead Towne Center, 4 arrested
Glendale Police officials have released new details surrounding an armed robbery incident at a jewelry store on the night of March 16. According to a statement released on March 17, police were called to a Jared jewelry shop near 75th Avenue and Bell Road just before 7 p.m. on March 16, after a woman called 911 reporting the incident. The woman who made the call is an employee who was in the back of the store at the time. She gave police the address, but hid her phone. She did not, however, hang up the call, so police could hear what was going on. She eventually got back on the line with police. "There were four males. They were all African American men," said the woman. "The suspects took both jewelry from the store and personal items from the victims," read a portion of the statement. When officers arrived at the scene, officials say they say three of the suspects running out the front door, while a fourth suspect ran out the back door. All four were subsequently taken into custody.

According to court documents, one employee was forced, at gunpoint, to lead one of the suspects to the safe. Several victims later told police they were tied up with zip ties. The suspects allegedly took personal items, including phones, from the victims, along with cash. "No victims reported any physical injuries, and at this time, a monetary amount of over $1.5 million has been recovered," read a portion of the statement. "Detectives are still [taking inventory of] the recovered items, and the value continues to climb, possibly believed to total over $2 million." Officer Tiffany Ngalula with Glendale Police said if it weren't for that 911 caller, it could have been a very different outcome. "Had it not been for her, we wouldn't have gotten there as quickly had we not had the right information," said Officer Ngalula. "It's a great success story all around, to include the bravery of that one." fox10phoenix.com

Nashville, TN: Serial thief steals more than $15K worth of items from Home Depot
A man accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of items from a Nashville Home Depot now faces several charges. According to Metro police, Travis Thomas Jr, 28, stole from the Home Depot in One Hundred Oaks in the 2300 block of Powell Drive on multiple occasions. A loss prevention employee at the Home Depot stated that Thomas has stolen up to $15,000 worth of items among the total 19 times he stole from the store. wkrn.com

Monroe, GA: Felony shoplifting charge for stealing $708 merchandise from Walmart



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Shootings & Deaths

Green Bay, WI: Update: Suspect in shooting still looking for attorney
The case of a 15-year-old charged in a west-side murder remains on hold as the state public defenders office tries to locate an attorney to take the case. Jeremiah Robinson allegedly fatally shot a 31-year-old man Feb. 18 outside the Walgreens store on the corner of Oneida and Mason streets. During a status conference Wednesday, Noah Kohl said the public defenders office believes it has an attorney for the case, but still needs to verify that. Another status conference is planned for April 1. The next stage in the case will be a preliminary hearing.

According to the criminal complaint, Robinson and another man, Jeromy Finke, got into a confrontation with the victim and another man over money. Robinson told police the dispute carried over to the outside of the store, and he shot the victim in self-defense after being threatened with brass knuckles. The criminal complaint says the victim, identified only by his initials, was shot four times. In Wisconsin, suspects ages 10 and older in homicide and attempted homicide cases are tried in adult court. fox11online.com

Houston, TX: Update: Police release video of suspect in killing of C-store clerk in northeast Houston
Police released surveillance video in the deadly shooting of a store clerk in a robbery of a convenience store on Sunday in northeast Houston. Houston police were called to the V Stop Food Mart on 6566 Homestead Road on Sunday morning and found a store clerk in the back office with a gunshot wound. Paramedics attempted to render aid, but the victim died at the scene. The victim was later identified as John Dias, 26. cw39.com

Seattle, WA: Police arrest downtown homicide suspect, say he's also accused of multiple bank and Pot shop Armed Robberies
Seattle Police, the FBI and US Marshals arrested a suspect accused of shooting and killing a man last month in downtown Seattle. Police said Wednesday 44-year-old Marcus Chaney is also accused of multiple robberies in the Seattle area, including one from Feb. 11 in the SODO neighborhood where a bank employee was shot. Investigators interviewed Chaney and then booked him into jail on March 22 for homicide and multiple counts of robbery. Before his arrest on Tuesday, the King County Prosecutor's Office said Chaney was already charged in a separate felony case regarding an armed pot shop robbery.  q13fox.com

Miami, FL: Police arrest 2 after Family Dollar gunfight
A female employee that was let go from a Family Dollar store Tuesday allegedly came back to the store with a man and that's when shots were fired. No one was hurt or seriously injured at the store in Northwest Miami Dade. Briana Roshika Love, 20, and Jametrius Marsean Burkes, 29, were in bond court on Wednesday facing charges of premeditated murder, aggravated assault with a firearm and battery. According to a woman at the scene, she said her relative is the manager of the store. He had fired the employee on Tuesday morning and returned with a man who confronted the manager and his wife. "I got a call from my daughter this morning saying my granddaughter and her husband were in some type of altercation a shootout ensued, a gunfight," Leslie Taylor said. The altercation then turned into a shooting. The wife of the manager then fired her gun in self-defense. Love has been ordered to stay away from the victims and the store. A judge found no probable cause to keep Love jailed and she was released. She was ordered to appear for an arraignment. local10.com

 



Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Euclid, OH: 'I want my chicken': Woman calls 911 about KFC order
A woman called the Chagrin Valley Dispatch 911 Tuesday saying she wanted help "getting all her chicken" from KFC. The woman told a dispatcher she was at the KFC in Euclid and paid for 8 pieces of chicken and only received 4. "I only got four pieces of chicken and I want my chicken," the woman told the dispatcher. The dispatcher told the woman that was a civil matter, and she would have to take it up with management. "There is not much the police can do about it," the dispatcher told the caller. The woman, however, insisted she wanted to talk to a police officer. An officer was dispatched but told the woman he was unable to help. The Euclid police chief says he would like to remind people to only use 911 when it's an emergency. "While we are here to serve the public an incorrect drive-thru order is not a police matter," said Euclid Police Chief Scott Meyer. fox8.com

Bakersfield, CA: Walmart Robbery suspect leads officers on high speed chase
A robbery at Walmart turned into a high speed police chase and ended in an arrest for the Bakersfield Police Department. BPD responded to a call of a robbery at the Walmart at 6225 Colony Street at 5:20 a.m. on Wednesday. The suspect, Jordan Shelton, 29, raised a knife at store employees when he was confronted while trying to steal pallets, according to officials. Officers said they found Shelton at Panama Lane while fleeing the business in a vehicle at 5:33 a.m. Officers said Shelton did not stop and led them on a car chase that eventually headed northbound on Highway 99 at high speeds. However, since Helton was driving the car in dangerous manner, officers had to stop pursuing him, officials said. Later, officers relocated Shelton while he was parked in the vehicle in the area of Rio Mirada. He was taken into custody without incident. Shelton was arrested for robbery, felony evading, and brandishing a weapon. kget.com

Miami, FL Customers stop attempted sexual assault in Florida Walmart
According to police, 28-year-old Bredan Jamal Harvey "approached the victim from the rear and pulled her dress up while grabbing her buttocks. He pushed her to the ground. The victim began screaming for aid." Customers heard the woman yelling and intervened to stop the attack. Harvey, of Miami Gardens, has been charged with sexual battery. His bond was set at $50,000. This isn't Harvey's first run-in with the law; previous arrests range from disorderly conduct and resisting arrest, to grand theft and armed robbery. Harvey was out on bond for a felony arrest when the attempted assault occurred. wflanews.iheart.com

Burlington, NC: Walmart employee facing Felony charge for cutting coworker
A 60-year-old woman was arrested after Burlington police allege she cut one of her coworkers at Walmart last week. Police were called to the South Graham-Hopedale Road Walmart on Thursday, March 17 in regards to a disturbance between employees. Once officers arrived, they learned a 34 year-old-female employee was "cut multiple times with a bladed weapon" by another employee. A 60-year-old female employee was charged with assault with a deadly weapon inflicting serious injury with intent to kill. She is currently held in the Alamance County jail under a $250,000 bond.  news.yahoo.com

Johnson City, MO: Man arrested for theft of copper, equipment from local business

Green Bay, WI: Man sentenced to 10 years for robbing Walgreens at gunpoint

Bahamas: Little Switzerland Manager Loses $195k Claim Over Alleged Watches Theft

Mason City Former Papa Murphy's Pizza manager accused of stealing more than $15,000

Charleston, SC: Man pleads guilty to $2M theft from North Charleston Armored truck; Guard involved in heist

 

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C-Store - Millbrook, AL - Burglary
C-Store - Parsons, KS - Burglary
C-Store - Walker, LA - Robbery
CVS - Saratoga Springs, NY - Robbery
Dollar General - Summit Township, PA - Armed Robbery
Grocery - Miami, FL - Armed Robbery
Hotel - West Chesterfield, NH - Armed Robbery
LensCrafter - Schererville, IN - Burglary
Liquor - Calverton, NY - Burglary
Marijuana - Tulsa, OK - Burglary
Motorcycle - Fife, WA - Burglary
Restaurant - Pleasanton, TX - Armed Robbery (McDonald's)
Restaurant - Massapequa, NY - Armed Robbery (Dunkin)
Spa - New York, NY - Robbery
T-Mobile - Montgomery County, MD - Armed Robbery
Tobacco - Bangor, ME - Burglary
Walgreens - Hoover, AL - Robbery
Walmart - Bakersfield, CA - Armed Robbery
Walmart - Modesto, CA - Robbery

 

Daily Totals:
• 12 robberies
• 7 burglaries
• 0 shootings
• 0 killed



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Divisional Loss Prevention Manager
Oakville, ON, CAN - posted March 16
This position is responsible for directing loss prevention and security field operational personnel and programs that protect the human and material resources of the Corporation's assets throughout Canada, The Americas Group. This position manages and resolves loss prevention and security related issues...




Loss Prevention Supervisor
Asheville, NC - posted March 10
This position will act as the expert Loss prevention subject matter expert for this building. Loss Prevention Site Lead is to safeguard associates, equipment, and the assets of the organization as well as independently assess the environment, recommend and/or execute appropriate actions in a timely manner to mitigate risks...


Assoc. Manager. Asset Protection
Plano, TX - posted March 10
This role's primary focus will be to serve as the lead for Executive Protection, Major Events Security, and assist with Travel Security programs worldwide. In addition, this position will play a primary role in executing safety, security, and loss prevention programs and policies for all corporate-owned locations...



Area Loss Prevention Manager
Virginia & Maryland - posted March 9
Our Area Loss Prevention Managers ensure safe and secure stores through the objective identification of loss and risk opportunities. Our Area Loss Prevention Managers plan and prioritize to provide an optimal customer experience to their portfolio of stores. They thrive on supporting and building high performance teams that execute with excellence...




Loss Prevention Security Investigator
San Bernardino, CA - posted March 8
Protecting of Company property against theft. Detection, apprehension, detention and/or arrest of shoplifters. Internal investigations and investigations of crimes against the Company. Detect and apprehend shoplifters. Conduct internal theft, ORC and Corporate investigations. Prepare thorough and concise investigative reports...




Regional Fraud Investigator
Dallas, TX - posted March 8
Regional Fraud Investigation Managers are responsible for in total, the receipt of reports of losses of assets, consisting of money and or merchandise causing losses to Signet Jewelers Inc. The position further entails the investigation, determinations of loss causes, individuals responsible for such losses if warranted...



Regional Loss Prevention Manager
Sugar Land, TX - posted March 7
The position will be responsible for: -Internal theft investigations -External theft investigations -Major cash shortage investigations -Fraudulent transaction investigations -Missing inventory investigations -Reviewing stores for physical security improvements -Liaison with local Police Depts. and make court appearances...




Corporate Risk Manager
New Orleans, LA, Memphis, TN, or Jackson, MS - March 9
Summary of Role and Responsibilities: A proactive approach to preventing losses/injuries, whether to our employees, third parties, or customer's valuables. They include but are not limited to cash in transit, auto losses, or injuries...




Loss Prevention Supervisor
West Jefferson, OH - posted March 7
Provides leadership to the LP staff which includes but not limited to performance development, direction on daily duties, and meeting department goals. Supervises Loss Prevention programs and process in the Distribution Center (DC) and partners with DC Management team to ensure physical security, product, equipment and employees meet LP requirements...




Retail Asset Protection Associate
Medford, MA; Brockton, MA; Waterbury, CT;
East Springfield, MA
- posted March 7
The Asset Protection Greeter role is responsible for greeting all customers as they enter the store, ensuring that customers see the Company's commitment to provide a safe and secure shopping environment, as well as deterring theft, shoplifting, or other dishonest activities...




Loss Prevention Specialists (Store Detective)
Boston, MA - posted March 7
Detect and respond to external theft and fraud by working undercover within the store(s) you are assigned to. Working as a team with store management and associates in combating loss in the store(s). Developing and analyzing external theft trends, utilizing information in company reports and information gathered from store management and associates... 




Asset Protection Lead
Brooklyn, NY - posted February 25
You are charged with identification and mitigation of external theft and fraud trends within a specific market and group of stores. This role will conduct investigations focusing on Habitual Offenders, high impact external theft/fraud incidents through the use of company technology (CCTV, Incident Reporting, Data Analysis)...


Regional Asset Protection & Safety Manager
Chicago, IL - posted February 23
Responsible for ensuring application of EHS, occupational safety, and loss prevention programs and policies at the store, region, and cross-regional levels. Works to ensure education, communication, and understanding of safety and loss prevention policies, including how safety and asset protection contributes to profitability and business success...




Regional Asset Protection Manager
Indiana - posted February 22
This role is to lead the Asset Protection business partner model for the two regions of retail stores and serves as a strategic partner to regional operations leadership. The role is responsible for leading a team of market and store asset protection personnel responsible for ensuring the safety of people, the security of assets, compliance with internal and regulatory standards and the prevention of shrink...




Loss Prevention & Safety Business Partner
Sparks, NV - posted February 18
The Loss Prevention and Safety Business Partner (LPSBP) is responsible for effectively delivering on operational objectives and KPI performance across Assets Protection, Associate Safety, Physical Security, and Investigations, in an assigned DC of responsibility, in partnership with the facility leadership and home office team...




 


Loss Prevention Manager
Moonachie, NJ - posted February 16
The Loss Prevention Manager is responsible for supporting the day-to-day operations of our retail locations. This role is responsible for the implementation and coordination of all Loss Prevention best practices. This includes training for store teams to ensure understanding and compliance of physical security, inventory and loss control...
 



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