Register Now: New Webinar from Agilence & Progressive Grocer
How Grocers Can Win The Loss Prevention War

Thursday, Apr 15 @ 2:00 PM EDT

The disruption food retailers experienced during the pandemic touched all areas of operations, including loss prevention and asset protection. New challenges emerged and existing ones intensified thanks to the growth of e-commerce, increased organized retail crime and rapid adoption of frictionless store experiences such as self checkout. However, retailers are fighting back with new approaches and new tools to win the loss prevention war. Join Progressive Grocer and industry leaders in the space as we share insights and explore:

● The current state of LP/AP, top threats and methods of deterrence to bolster the bottom line.
● How the rise of e-commerce and usage of third party delivery services are impacting shrink.
● The surge of self-checkout and best practices to thwart theft.
● New technologies, tools and techniques to reduce loss.

Click here to register

 

Protests & Violence

More than 100 Americans a Day Are Murdered

2020 was the deadliest gun violence year in decades
Shootings never stopped during the pandemic
Until two lethal rampages this month, mass shootings had largely been absent from headlines during the coronavirus pandemic. But people were still dying - at a record rate.

In 2020, gun violence killed nearly 20,000 Americans, according to data from the Gun Violence Archive, more than any other year in at least two decades. An additional 24,000 people died by suicide with a gun.

The vast majority of these tragedies happen far from the glare of the national spotlight, unfolding instead in homes or on city streets and - like the covid-19 crisis - disproportionately affecting communities of color.

Last week's shootings at spas in the Atlanta area and Monday's shooting at a grocery store in Boulder, Colo., killed a combined 18 people and rejuvenated a national effort to overhaul gun laws. But high-profile mass shootings such as those tend to overshadow the instances of everyday violence that account for most gun deaths, potentially clouding some people's understanding of the problem and complicating the country's response, experts say.

Shooting deaths in 2020 outpaced the next-highest recent year, 2017, by more than 3,600. The rise resembles other alarming trends: Last year, the United States saw the highest one-year increase in homicides since it began keeping records, with the country's largest cities suffering a 30 percent spike. Gunshot injuries also rose dramatically, to nearly 40,000, over 8,000 more than in 2017.

"More than 100 Americans are killed daily by gun violence," Ronnie Dunn, a professor of urban studies at Cleveland State University, said, using a figure that includes suicides. "The majority are in Black and Brown communities. We don't really focus on gun violence until we have these mass shootings, but it's an ongoing, chronic problem that affects a significant portion of our society."

Researchers say the pandemic probably fueled the increases in several ways. They also note the apparent collapse of public confidence in law enforcement that followed the police killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis.

Click here to continue reading

Civil Unrest Becoming Top Risk for Businesses Worldwide
Companies need to prepare for more political disturbance
Companies need to prepare for more political disturbances and violence in the months ahead, according to a report by Allianz Global Corporate & Specialty (AGCS).

Damage, disturbances and losses from riots, vandalism or other forms of civil unrest are now among the top political risk exposures for companies, and the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic will likely fuel further unrest, AGCS said. The insurer said that business continuity planning needs to proactively address political violence risks - especially in highly exposed sectors like retail.

"Fortunately, large-scale terrorism events have declined drastically in the last five years. However, the number, scale and duration of riots and protests in the last two years is staggering, and we have seen businesses suffering significant losses," said Bjoern Reusswig, head of global political violence and hostile environment solutions at AGCS. "Civil unrest has soared, driven by protests on issues ranging from economic hardship to police brutality, which have affected citizens around the world. And the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic is making things worse - with little sign of an end to the economic downturn in sight, the number of protests is likely to continue climbing."

According to the Allianz Risk Barometer 2021, an annual global risk survey, civil unrest incidents are becoming a more significant risk for companies. In this year's survey, "political risks and violence" hit the top 10 risks for the first time since 2018.

That trend is supported by recent research that predicts the number of global protesters will increase over the next two years. Research firm Verisk Maplecroft expects 75 countries to experience an increase in protests by late 2022. Of those, more than 30 - largely in Europe and the Americas - are likely to see significant activity.

COVID likely to drive further violence - Need for business continuity planning insurancebusinessmag.com

Another Bill Aims to Crack Down on Protests
Arizona bill aims to give police more power to punish protesters
The bill, HB2309, would create a new felony offense and significantly increase the penalties for minor crimes if officers declare that an assembly is unlawful and violent. Rep. Bret Roberts said he introduced the bill because of the protests immediately following the police killing of George Floyd.

"This bill is intended to give those individuals that choose to partake in what's supposed to be a peaceful protest, and give them a moment of pause and ask themselves, 'Do I want to attend this event?'" Roberts said during a recent committee hearing. "I need to ask myself, 'Is there the potential that this could go awry and people's lives and property could be in jeopardy?' That's the intent of the bill." abc15.com

LA riot cops clash with protesters while clearing huge homeless tent city
Scores of police moved into the Echo Park encampment at around 10 p.m. Wednesday - and were met by more than 200 protesters opposing the sweep, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Protesters threw bottles and objects at the lines of officers in clashes over the encampment that has grown to hundreds of tents and has sparked alarm over rising crime, drug use and trash, the paper said.

Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore told the LA Times that homeless residents inside the park could stay overnight - but that no one else can enter. The encampment residents must leave within 24 hours, he added. nypost.com

How COVID will make Chauvin's trial in George Floyd's death look like no other

What we know about the jurors in the Derek Chauvin trial
 

Criminal Justice Reform

The Progressive DA Movement in America
Calif. Names Progressive DA State AG/Is Manhattan Next?

Judge Stops LA's Progressive DA Policy Changes
The Ultimate Battle Begins

'It's a showdown': California district attorneys battle over criminal justice reforms
Criminal justice reformers nationwide rejoiced when L.A. County voters chose George Gascón to lead the nation's largest prosecutor's office, celebrating a big win in a years-long campaign to replace traditional law-and-order district attorneys with ones intent on change.

And just hours after being sworn in, Gascón delivered to his backers: He announced a slew of policy directives that barred prosecutors from seeking the death penalty, trying juveniles as adults, attending parole hearings or filing most sentencing enhancements that can increase a defendants' prison term.

Nearly as quickly, the news instigated a brawl among California's public prosecutors, with the organization representing 57 out of the state's 58 district attorneys questioning both the legality and wisdom of Gascón's mandates. Now, many of the state's old guard of district attorneys are openly sparring with reformer colleagues in a power struggle that could shape criminal justice in California and other states.

"It's a showdown of exactly how much power one branch of government has to override other branches," said Sacramento County Dist. Atty. Anne Marie Schubert, who opposes Gascón's reforms as overreach thats ignore victims' rights. "We are elected to enforce the law, not make the law."

Although the movement to replace traditional district attorneys has gained momentum since the 2017 win of criminal defense attorney Larry Krasner as Philadelphia's top prosecutor, the anger and protests unleashed by the death of George Floyd while in police custody hardened the battle lines in Los Angeles and helped propel Gascón to power. But his immediate orders weren't well received by a staff that had questions for a boss it barely knows.

The union representing L.A. County line prosecutors - those who handle cases day to day - sued Gascón last year hoping to stall some of his changes. Monday a judge ruled largely in their favor. The decision will almost certainly be appealed and could ultimately reach the state Supreme Court.

Becton believes if Gascón ultimately loses, it could have a "chilling effect" on the authority of public prosecutors to implement reforms and decide who will face a judge and how serious charges will be - even in places where line prosecutors don't have the power of a union. latimes.com subscription required

California Governor Names Progressive DA for State AG
Rob Bonta named California AG, would be first Filipino American in role
Gov. Gavin Newsom on Wednesday appointed Democratic Assemblyman Rob Bonta as California attorney general, picking a leading advocate for criminal justice reform who has campaigned to abolish the death penalty and eliminate cash bail for many offenses.

"Rob represents what makes California great - our desire to take on righteous fights and reverse systematic injustices," Newsom said Wednesday. "Growing up with parents steeped in social justice movements, Rob has become a national leader in the fight to repair our justice system and defend the rights of every Californian."

On Wednesday, he said that the criminal justice system is "fundamentally broken."

In the Legislature he has led efforts to change the state's criminal justice system, including a bill now pending that would mostly eliminate cash bail for misdemeanors and many nonviolent, low-level felonies.

It is his second attempt on the issue. In 2018, Bonta won passage of a reform bill but the bail industry qualified a referendum on the measure and voters rejected the changes last year.

His appointment was hailed by advocates for criminal justice reform, including Cristine Soto DeBerry, executive director of Prosecutors Alliance of California, a group of district attorneys that supports addressing inequities in the criminal justice system. latimes.com

The Next Manhattan DA Could Be a Progressive
The ripple effect could impact retail shoplifting & ORC cases

Manhattan's next DA could be a Democratic Progressive
Up for election now with an incumbent not running there's eight Democratic district attorney candidates running in the June 22 primary. No Republican with strong appeal has emerged.

Because Democrats outnumber Republicans about nine to one in Manhattan, the Democratic primary winner is expected to prevail in the November general election.

Running on the most reformist platforms are three candidates.

However all of them are campaigning on an overhaul of the justice system with promises that were once on the political fringes but are now hallmarks of the progressive prosecutor movement.

Manhattan's next top prosecutor will take office amid a rise in violent crime, a continuing pandemic and in the wake of a summer of mass protests for racial justice. And run a ship as huge as the Manhattan DA's office, which has a full-time staff of more than 1,500 and a $126.1 million budget.

Nine elected progressive prosecutors are supporting Lucy Lang. wsj.com

 

COVID Update

130M Vaccinations Given

US: 30.7M Cases - 558.4K Dead - 23.1M Recovered
Worldwide: 125.5M Cases - 2.7M Dead - 101.3M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 279   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 275
*Red indicates change in total deaths

CDC Issues Warning
CDC Blames Spring Breakers & Eased Restrictions for COVID Uptick
Top US health officials say they're encouraged by the accelerating Covid-19 vaccinations. But not enough Americans are fully vaccinated yet to suppress the spread of the virus -- and eased restrictions across the country coupled with spring break crowds could spell trouble, one expert said Wednesday.

The coming weeks are especially critical: Covid-19 cases in the country have seen a slight increase, according to Walensky, while a highly contagious -- and potentially more deadly -- variant is circulating. Some experts have warned that by getting lax with safety measures, the country could see infections surge again.

"If we choose to invest in prevention right now, we will ultimately come out of this pandemic faster and with fewer lives lost," the CDC director said. cnn.com

Thermal Cameras - Tracking Collars - Digital Vaccine Passports
Cuomo's COVID Vaccine Tracking Technology Draws Privacy Concerns

A New York state system for proving that you've been vaccinated uses overhyped blockchain technology - and leaves many privacy questions unanswered.

Technology firms are leaping at the chance to use the Covid-19 pandemic to ply dubious products, from thermal cameras to tracking collars. The latest comes courtesy of New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo, who entered the state into a partnership with IBM to put citizens' Covid-19 vaccine and test data on perhaps the most over-hyped technology of all: blockchain.

Cuomo's office announced on March 2 that testing had begun on the joint IBM system, known as Excelsior Pass. The "pass" itself is a smartphone app that displays a QR code to be scanned before entering an indoor business or other public gathering place; when verified by another device, it attests that the bearer has been vaccinated against Covid-19 or received a recent negative test result. The idea is to offer streamlined access to indoor businesses as they begin to reopen, similar to plans in other parts of the country and throughout the world.

But the governor's office and IBM, neither of which provided comment for this article, have been stingy with details, like how exactly the app works behind the scenes or why New Yorkers should trust this software with their sensitive health information. The answer to both of these questions is simply: blockchain. The press release from Cuomo's office assures users that "robust privacy protections are woven throughout the digital health pass solution" without giving any details whatsoever as to what these protections are or what might make them robust. IBM's public material about the system is similarly devoid of specifics. theintercept.com

Risks for Employers Requiring Vaccine Proof
Digital Vaccine Passports and the Legal Risks For Employers
While requiring proof of vaccination may be legal, businesses and employers should carefully evaluate potential legal consequences and practical considerations pertinent to their industry.

Recent guidance issued by the EEOC reminds employers that employees can be required to show proof of vaccination before returning to work-with certain important exceptions. Many employers have long been requiring workers to submit temperature checks and health questionnaires before entering the premises. This right, however, is not absolute. Even in the context of digital vaccine passports, employers must be prepared to accommodate situations where employees are unable to receive the vaccine for disability-related or religious reasons. law.com

Businesses Nationwide Offering Freebies to Encourage Vaccinations
Free with your Covid shot: beer, arcade tokens & Krispy Kreme doughnuts
Businesses across the United States and beyond are offering free food, merchandise and other stuff to people who receive a Covid-19 vaccine. The perks include complimentary rides, doughnuts, money, arcade tokens and even marijuana.

Chobani is providing free yogurt at some vaccination sites. And Krispy Kreme said on Monday that for the rest of the year, it would give one glazed doughnut a day to anyone who provides proof of a Covid-19 vaccination.

In a promotion it is calling "Tokens for Poke'ns," Up-Down, a chain of bars featuring vintage arcade games, is offering $5 in free tokens to guests who present a completed vaccination card. Cleveland Cinemas, a movie-theater chain in Ohio, is offering a free 44-ounce popcorn at two of its locations to anyone who presents a vaccination card through April 30.

The Market Garden Brewery in Cleveland is offering 10-cent beers to the first 2,021 people who show a Covid-19 vaccine certificate. At the Greenhouse of Walled Lake, a medical marijuana dispensary in Michigan, anyone 21 or over who gets a Covid vaccine can pick up a prerolled joint until the end of the month. nytimes.com

'Breakthrough Infections' After Getting Vaccinated
Minnesota reports 89 COVID-19 cases in vaccinated individuals
None are among Minnesota's 6,798 COVID-19 deaths, including nine deaths reported Wednesday, and doctors said even those who were hospitalized after being vaccinated had milder illness.

State infectious disease director Kris Ehresmann said the fraction of fully vaccinated people who still contract infections was expected. Clinical trials suggested the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines were 95% effective.

"We should not be fooled into seeing such a case as a reason to doubt the vaccine effectiveness," said Ehresmann, noting that the breakthrough cases represented less than one-tenth of one percent of people who have been fully vaccinated. startribune.com

Employers should offer paid leave for vaccine recovery, CDC says
Employers should offer paid sick leave to employees with "signs and symptoms" following COVID-19 vaccination, according to guidance updated March 16 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Employers should consider on-site vaccination programs if they have a large workforce with predictable schedules and enough space to run a clinic that meets social distancing requirements, CDC said. Employers that choose to offer vaccinations should record each offer and employees' decisions. Employers should consider off-site vaccination if they are a small- or medium-sized organization lacking the resources to host a vaccination clinic, it said.

The agency also said that whether an employer may require COVID-19 vaccinations is a matter of state or other applicable law but noted that exemptions may apply: Medical exemptions for people who are at risk for an adverse reaction because of an allergy to one of the components used in the vaccine or a medical condition; and religious exemptions for people who reject being vaccinated because of their religious beliefs. hrdive.com

Cuomo reportedly secured early virus tests for the well-connected, including family members
 

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INFORM Act & Buy Safe America Coalition Getting More News Coverage
Retailers embrace Senate effort to fight fakes sold through marketplaces
Several retailers and retail organizations on Tuesday applauded the introduction of congressional legislation aimed at curtailing the sale of fake and stolen goods through online marketplaces.

They include the American Apparel & Footwear Association, the Retail Industry Leaders Association and the Buy Safe America Coalition (a RILA effort that includes retailers, consumer groups, wholesaler-distributors, and manufacturers including Walgreens, Dick's Sporting Goods and the Toy Association, among others). Not among them so far is the National Retail Federation, which declined to comment Wednesday.

Support in the industry is broad, and the effort in Congress is bipartisan. The "Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act," or INFORM Consumers Act, was introduced in the Senate Tuesday by Senators Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana), with cosponsors including Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Chris Coons (D-Delaware) and Thom Tillis (R-North Carolina).

"We need common-sense transparency to protect consumers from the sale of fraudulent, expired, defective and unsafe products," Buy Safe America Coalition spokesperson Michael Hanson said in a statement. "The INFORM Consumers Act will make it much harder for scam artists and criminal enterprises to peddle illicit goods to unsuspecting American consumers."

Bill supporters from Buy Safe America tied the 44% rise of U.S. e-commerce during the pandemic to attempts by "criminal networks [targeting] unsuspecting customers with the sale of stolen, counterfeit, expired, dangerous and defective products," with links to a slew of news stories to demonstrate that. Many of those stories feature Amazon, which faces chronic issues of counterfeit and stolen goods sold through its marketplace. Amazon, which last year was pressed by the Buy Safe America Coalition to support the effort, on Wednesday didn't immediately return requests for comment. retaildive.com

Francis D'Addario recognized as Protective Intelligence Thought Leader

D'Addario co-leads global next-generation leader talent development, operational work groups, and solution innovation consulting services at SEC

The Security Executive Council congratulates Emeritus Faculty of Strategic Innovation Francis D'Addario for being recognized as a Thought Leader in the inaugural Protective Intelligence Honors from Ontic's Center for Protective Intelligence. Ontic is an SEC Solution Innovations Partner.

Francis co-leads global next-generation leader talent development, operational work groups, and solution innovation consulting services at SEC. The former Starbucks Coffee Partner and Asset Protection Head collaboratively helped operationalize people protection and enterprise all-hazard risk mitigation with over a decade of persuasive multi-million dollar returns on investment. Prior to Starbucks, D'Addario led cross-functional teams in the convenience store and quick service restaurant industry sectors where Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design (CPTED) implementations reduced average violence by 89% with hundreds of millions of dollars of cost avoidance. securityinfowatch.com

Jobs Market Bouncing Back
Weekly jobless claims tumble to lowest level in more than a year
First-time claims for unemployment insurance unexpectedly fell sharply last week amid signs that hiring has picked up in the U.S. economy, the Labor Department reported Thursday.

Claims totaled 684,000 for the week ended March 20, the first time the number has been below 700,000 during the Covid-19 era. The level was a substantial decline from the 781,000 from a week ago and was the lowest since March 14, 2020, just as the pandemic had begun. cnbc.com

Travel Demand is Climbing
United Airlines will add more than two dozen flights as leisure travel picks up
United Airlines plans to add more than two dozen new flights starting Memorial Day weekend, the latest sign that demand for leisure travel is picking up as the national vaccination rate moves higher.

Most of the new flights will connect cities in the Midwest to tourist destinations, such as Charleston, Hilton Head and Myrtle Beach in South Carolina; Portland, Maine; Savannah, Ga.; and Pensacola, Fla. United also said it planned to offer more flights to Mexico, the Caribbean, Central America and South America in May than it did during the same month in 2019. nytimes.com

Starbucks apologizes to Black customer asked to wait outside
Starbucks is facing another incident of alleged racial discrimination, this time in California where a Black man said he was told to leave one of the coffee chain's San Jose locations because it was overcrowded under COVID-19 restrictions.

Bryce Ward told an ABC News affiliate that he left the store at the request of a Starbucks manager. Other customers, who were not Black, then walked into the store and were not asked to leave, KGO-TV reported. Ward, a barber from San Francisco, said the incident happened March 15 and that he believes he was asked to leave the store because he's Black. cbsnews.com

Addressing 'Zoom Fatigue' Head-On in the Future of Team Conferencing

Beauty and bargain retail could be the biggest winners in 2021


Quarterly Results
At Home Q4 comp's up 30.8%, net sales up 41.3%, FY 2020 comp's up 19.4%, net sales up 27.3%

Game Stop Q4 comp's up 6.5%, global e-commerce sales up 175%, net sales up 12%
Game Stop FY 2020 global e-commerce sales up 191%, net sales down 21% (closed 693 retail stores in 2020)
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director, Asset Protection NF4 job posted for Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) in Quantico, VA
The incumbent serves as the Director of Asset Protection and is responsible for coordinating and implementing asset protection and loss prevention policy and programs for MR-directed programs and support services. Supports the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) governance and oversight processes and performs tasks in support of policy development, compliance and risk management functions, asset protection, and strategic analysis. Serves as the subject matter expert and principal author for MR policy pertaining to MCCS Asset Protection. Develops, documents, and evaluates policies and procedures for inventory management, warehouse and receiving operations, cash handling, property control, security, loss prevention, safety, and other business processes. usajobs.gov