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Stream
Episode 14 Now!
'Retail Crime Uncovered' Podcast Presented by Sekura Global
The fascinating podcast hosted
by
Emmeline Taylor, Professor of Criminology
supported by Sekura Global.
Retail theft insights from leading crime and loss experts, shop staff and
policing bodies. Hard-hitting interviews with ex-offenders and retail criminals.
In this episode
of Retail Crime Uncovered,
Emmeline outlines the 'dark figure of crime' and draws upon some examples of
industry surveys that have been conducted to fill the gap between police record
crime figures and actual rates of crime.
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The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact
How ORC is Fueling NY's 'Shadow Economy'
Retail theft surge fuels $4.4 billion shadow economy in New York state
Amid the bustling streets of New York,
a surge in shoplifting
has cast a shadow over the retail industry,
culminating in a staggering annual loss of
$4.4 billion for local
businesses.
The growing crisis transcends the act of petty theft,
spiraling into a vast shadow re-sale economy that stretches from digital
marketplaces to the corners of neighborhood bodegas.
The statistics are alarming:
Shoplifting rates in
New York City have skyrocketed 64% between June 2019 and June 2023,
reports the Council on Criminal Justice. Last year alone, the state's losses
were pegged at $4.4 billion - a figure that New York Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul highlighted in a February address.
Retail owners and law enforcement insiders have voiced their concerns to The New
York Post, shedding light on the
intricate underground
networks that fuel this illicit economy.
Thieves, alongside their intermediaries, are
using prominent resale
platforms such as eBay and Facebook Marketplace to unload
their stolen merchandise, while surreptitious pawn shops serve as storage hubs
for the ill-gotten goods.
The problem extends beyond non-perishable items; even perishable goods are being
trafficked, with high-end ice cream brands like Häagen-Dazs being peddled
directly to small grocery shops. Among the more sophisticated schemes,
pilferers are making
away with valuable goods from national retailers, only to return them at another
location in exchange
for store credit. By selling these credits at a discount right outside the
store, they convert their loot into quick cash.
To further complicate matters, individuals deeply entrenched in this shadow
economy often disguise their activities on online marketplaces. They mimic
legitimate sellers by posting single items at a time, managing
multiple virtual
profiles to evade detection, and operating continuously to sustain the facade.
washingtontimes.com
Retail Economy 'Under Attack' from Organized
Crime
'Rampant
theft' is leading to closures, layoffs and higher prices
Commentary: Retail sector on rise, but so is crime
How much larger would the U.S. retail economy be
if it weren't under attack from crooks, counterfeiters and organized crime?
"I am quite concerned with the prospects in the retail sector," said Joel
Griffith, an economist with The Heritage Foundation.
Dollar Tree plans to
close 1,000 stores due in part to the effects of inflation and crime.
Other retailers like
Target and Walmart are
ending self-service
registers because of theft.
Griffith blamed the closure of a Walmart in the District of Columbia on
rampant theft.
Target also shut three stores in California's Bay Area because of theft.
Alysa Erichs of United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade said consumers
should pay attention. "Those losses impact business models," she said. "The
business model then has to make up for that loss in some way, and it could be
higher prices, it could
be closing stores, it could be layoffs
of employees."
The problem of
organized retail crime,
mass shoplifting and smash-and-grab robbery
is no secret to Americans who watch cable news. Meanwhile, counterfeit goods
continue to flood the U.S. market, many made in China. And while retailers have
long been forced to deal with fake goods,
new technology has
given counterfeiters a new tool to move their products.
Griffith saw warning signs for the future of the retail industry. "There are
540,000 current job
openings listed ... down by more than 50% over the last year and a half or so,"
he said. "You have to go all the way back to the shutdown era - back in the
middle part of 2020 - to find a month in which there were fewer job openings in
the retail sector.
These are some low
numbers, and I am concerned that this could end up translating into some job
losses."
Despite the headwinds, the
NRF remained optimistic.
"The retail industry continues to expand in every way possible, from the number
of jobs it supports to the number of retail businesses and its total impact on
GDP," said NRF president and CEO Matthew Shay.
thetelegraph.com
Foreign 'Crime Tourists' & Burglary Crews
Stealing Millions Across the U.S.
South American 'crime tourists' target the rich in at least half of US states:
Thefts 'way, way up'
South American "crime
tourists" who exploit the US visa system to enter the country and commit
burglaries have now
infiltrated at least half the states in America and taken "millions of
untraceable" goods, The Post has learned.
The
organized groups of burglars and jewel thieves, particularly from Chile,
Ecuador, Colombia and Peru,
have been targeting wealthy homes across the US for decades, but their crimes
have spread - and recently soared in some cities, authorities say.
"They travel to cities across the nation - including in Maricopa County - and
steal millions in
untraceable items,"
said Maricopa County Attorney Rachel Mitchell.
The
crooks hone in on the
US government's tourist visa program,
which is friendly to their countries and allows them to fly into the US without
a background check, authorities say.
They are then
careful to commit
nonviolent property offenses because the bar to be held on bail in most states,
including New York, is high,
so they are able to flee the country or disappear into oblivion afterward - and
before they can be tried and convicted, Mitchell said.
Burglars linked to the so-called
"South American Theft
Group" - a broad term
given by law-enforcement agencies to the rings - have been responsible for
hundreds of US break-ins so far this year alone, officials say.
They have been
tied to burglaries in
major US cities, small towns and gated communities
alike in states such as
New York, New Jersey, Connecticut, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Arizona,
California, Florida, Ohio, Nevada, Michigan,Tennessee, Georgia, West Virginia
and the Carolinas,
among many others, a Post analysis shows.
nypost.com
Progressives Are Split On How to Fight Retail
Theft
But none of
them want to touch Prop 47
California Democratic lawmakers seek ways to combat retail theft while keeping
progressive policy
Facing mounting pressure to crack down on a retail theft crisis,
California lawmakers
are split on how best to tackle the problem that some say has caused major store
closures and products
like deodorants to be locked behind plexiglass.
 Top
Democratic leaders
have already ruled out
reforming progressive policies like Proposition 47,
a ballot measure approved by 60% of state voters in 2014 that reduced certain
theft and drug possession offenses from felonies to misdemeanors to address
overcrowding jails. But a growing number of law enforcement officials, along
with Republican and moderate Democratic lawmakers, said
California needs to
consider all options, including rolling back the measure.
Democratic
Gov. Gavin Newsom, a
champion of Proposition 47
who has repeatedly argued California already has tools to sufficiently go after
criminals, rejected calls to reform the measure in January. He instead urged
lawmakers to
bolster existing laws
and go after motor vehicle thefts and resellers of stolen merchandise.
Following Newsom's directions, Democratic leaders in both chambers at the
Capitol also have shut down calls to repeal the measure.
Meanwhile,
major retail groups and
the California District Attorney Association, along with Democratic mayors of
San Francisco and San Jose, have thrown their support behind a ballot initiative
to stiffen penalties for repeat thieves,
among other things. The groups are still collecting signatures to qualify for
the November ballot before the April deadline.
apnews.com
RELATED: Proposed bill, new team aim to combat
retail theft and repeat offenders
LA's ORC Task Force: 546 Arrests, $8.3M in Stolen
Merchandize Recovered
LA County Sheriff's Department's organized retail theft crime task force
conducts major fencing bust
The Task Force has 555 felony and 72 misdemeanor
cases since October
There is now a bipartisan effort to change Proposition 47. It's a criminal
justice reform measure which lowered the penalties for many theft crimes from
felonies to misdemeanors. Critics of the policy have long said the
voter-approved measure
is leading to thieves believing they can commit theft crimes without facing any
consequences. In the
meantime, retail theft remains a big problem in California.
LAPD says shoplifting rates jumped 80 percent from 2022 to 2023.
The LA County Sheriff's Department augmented the Burglary Robbery Task Force in
October by adding additional resources from various stations to create 3 teams
to work through this area. The new task force is now called the Organized Retail
Task Force.
The sheriff's department says, "These
new teams are allowing us to increase the case load,
conduct more
surveillance operations, arrest the growing number of suspects involved in
retail crimes,
after-hours responses, weekend call-outs, and conduct "blitz."
The
task force also works
closely with the LAPD and CHP Task Forces
to combat the organized retail crime. Since October, the task force has
conducted multiple operations.
A department spokesperson says, "Since inception of our task force, we have
555 felony and 72
misdemeanor cases ...
We have arrested a total of 546 suspects related to retail theft crimes, served
334 warrants, recovered
48 firearms, and recovered over $8,260,000 worth of stolen merchandise."
foxnews.com
Analyzing Shopper Behavior to Detect Theft
AI is helping businesses stop shoplifting in their stores
Veesion's anti-shoplifting AI technology analyzes shopper gestures to try to
determine when someone is stealing
At the Wild Duck Wine & Spirits store in Boston,
shoplifting is a daily
problem, and managers have turned to cutting-edge AI technology
to try to stop it.
Managers have tried to monitor the dozens of security cameras in the store, but
it's a daunting task. So, they've added another layer of artificial intelligence
to them. All 24 of them
feed into an AI system developed by a French tech company called Veesion.
It
analyzes the video feeds for
specific movements that suggest someone is stealing.
Veesion's Pablo Blanco explained how it works.
The algorithm doesn't care what someone looks like,
it's just recognizing gestures.
It
alerts store employees in
about 15 seconds
by sending out a video alert of the suspicious incident, so they can
stop thieves before they leave
the store.
We asked him what specific gestures the technology picks up on. The
technology also picks up the motion of putting something into a backpack or tote
bag. If a store
employee receives a video alert, they can confront the shopper or watch to see
if they bypass the register.
Veesion says its system
is used widely across Europe.
They only launched it in the United States a year ago, and
now have 500 stores equipped
with it. Currently only
about 30 of them are in Massachusetts, but they say that number will triple in
the coming months.
nbcboston.com
New police digital complaint system launched by SF Sheriff's Office
Crime calls up 2,900% at hotel converted to homeless shelter in Denver
Moscow Terrorist Attack
ISIS Attacks Russian Shopping Mall &
Entertainment Complex
133 Killed in ISIS Attack at Concert Hall & Shopping Mall Site Outside of Moscow
Images show the scene of what could be the deadliest attack in Russia in
decades. Multiple gunmen killed at least 133 people in an assault in the
capital's outskirts.
 A
group of gunmen stormed a concert venue on the outskirts of Moscow on Friday
night, killing at least
133 people and wounding more than 100,
Russia's top security agency said, according to state news agencies.
The authorities in Russia have yet to identify who was behind the attack, though
U.S. officials said they believed that a branch of the Islamic State, Islamic
State-Khorasan, or ISIS-K, the branch of the group based in Afghanistan, was
responsible for the attack.
The assault also led to explosions and an enormous fire at the venue, Crocus
City Hall, which is one
of the largest and most popular concert halls in Moscow and
the site of a shopping mall.
The Russian authorities said Saturday that they had
arrested the four people who
carried out the mass killing and arson.
Russia's Investigative Committee, the country's equivalent to the F.B.I., said
it had opened a criminal case into a terrorist act.
On March 7, the U.S.
Embassy in Moscow issued a security alert
warning that its personnel were "monitoring reports that
extremists have imminent plans to target large gatherings
in Moscow, to include concerts."
The attack took place within a sprawling shopping and entertainment complex
on the outskirts of Moscow. Firefighters worked on putting out the blaze at the
concert hall. Security personnel directed people outside the concert hall.
The US State Department has now
warned all Americans to avoid
concerts or shopping malls and to stay in place following the latest violence,
he added.
nytimes.com
US Says No Sign Of Ukraine Role In "Terrible" Moscow Mall Attack
Maps and Diagrams of the Moscow Concert Hall Attack
Will 'the Steal' Slow Self-Checkout and Frictionless Commerce?
 By
Tony D'Onofrio - President,
Sensormatic
"(Self-Checkout)
It's facilitating errors, and in some cases, the steal." -
Santiago Gallino, Associate Professor at the Wharton School
According to the latest
NRF Security Survey,
retail shrink
represents $112.1 billion in losses, up nearly 20% from the previous year.
Similar high shrink growth rates can be seen in other countries such as the UK
where in the latest
British Retail Consortium research,
customer theft, doubled
to just shy of £2 billion ($2.5 billion).
As I predicted many years ago,
the problem of retail shrink is on a collision course with frictionless commerce
consumer trends.
This growing challenge actually bring new positive opportunities for to both
retail and the loss prevention function.
The shrink challenging counter revolution taking place in the retail industry,
led by younger generations, is frictionless commerce. "Over
50% of
consumers will switch to a merchant with less friction in the shopping
experience. And, 41% of
all consumers will pay more for simple, fast and efficient shopping
experiences."
Specifically to self-checkout, the
2024 Digital Commerce Index
found that
43% of consumers favor
self-checkout when shopping in a grocery store.
By age range, that preference is even more interesting with 55% of 18-29 years
old favoring it, 30-44 at 51%, 45-60 at 40%, and those aged 60+ at only 26%.
The genie is out of the bottle in terms of increased frictionless commerce in
all retail sectors. To understand its impact in the apparel industry, read one
of my previous article titled "Let's
Get Phygital and Get the Future of Retail Party On."
This article explores deeper the challenges at retail shrink at self-checkout
and the accelerated adoption trends of frictionless commerce.
Click here to read Tony's full article
Store Policies Fueling Return Surge?
Return policies sway customer behavior: survey
Store customers return less than online shoppers,
and some rules are boosting in-store returns of online orders, according to the
ICSC.
Retailers' return
policies
influence the purchasing decisions of 82% of consumers
responding to a recent survey from ICSC, which represents shopping centers.
Across all retail categories,
6.2% of in-store customers
returned items they bought, while about a third of online shoppers did so.
Among apparel shoppers, 6.2% of in-store customers returned their merchandise,
but over a fifth (22%) of online apparel shoppers returned theirs, the survey
found.
When faced with charges for online returns,
almost eight in 10 shoppers
said they would be more likely to return an item in stores,
and 77% said they would go to a store to purchase, the survey found.
The ICSC's survey adds to the evidence that
e-commerce means higher levels of returns.
A great majority of consumers who purposely over-order online are shopping for
apparel: 87% of those
surveyed said they order extra items to try on at home and return what they
don't want. Some
retailers are instructing shoppers to keep items they want to return, with six
in 10 survey respondents saying that retailers had given them full refunds and
told them to keep their unwanted online purchases.
retaildive.com
Ames Making Nationwide Comeback
Ames Department Stores to open 35 brick-and-mortar locations across US
Ames Department Stores announced plans to
open dozens of locations of
its stores again
starting in June 2026 across the United States. Ames said on its website that it
will be opening seven distribution locations by store locations to help handle
deliveries, will create
a new website for online orders,
there will be an Ames Cafe at all 35 locations and some locations will have a
pharmacy. Thirty-five locations are planned to open starting in June 2026
through the end of 2027. There are also
plans to open more locations
in 2028, the company
said. A list of planned Ames locations has not been released, WFXT reported.
Former Ames Chairman and CEO Joseph R. Ettore announced in 2002 that all 327 of
its locations would close, according to the news outlet.
The new stores would be a
comeback for Ames. The
closures led to 20,000 workers becoming unemployed. The New York Times reported
in 2002 that Ames closed its stores a year after filing for bankruptcy
protection after having difficulty competing with stores like Walmart, Target
and KMart.
wftv.com
Untuckit in store expansion - here are the upcoming locations
Nestlé Recalls 440,500 Starbucks-Branded Holiday Mugs Due to Potential Hazards
Last week's #1 article --
NYC's Subway Crime Surge is Impacting Retail
Retail giant blames NYC subway crime for breaking lease for shops at FiDi
station
According to the MTA, Westfield - the company that manages the retail space
inside Fulton Center - gave notice last month of
plans to break its lease over
concerns about crime in the NYC subway.
Nicholas Ritacco, portfolio manager and director of finance at IB Global Real
Estate Funds, believes Fulton Center has a dual problem, beginning with
location.
"Between the office tailwinds of people not coming back and not really
frequenting that location as much,
combined with the security
concerns, security perception is reality, it's very difficult for retailers to
want to stay at that location,"
Ritacco said.
The NYPD reports
transit crime is up, just over 13% year to date.
To address transit safety concerns, the NYPD deployed 1,000 officers to support
the MTA's police force.
fox5ny.com
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Did Amazon Engage in 'Quiet Firing' Before Mass
Layoffs?
Amazon sharply upped 'performance improvement plans' for workers. Then came tens
of thousands of layoffs
In the months before
Amazon laid off tens of
thousands of workers,
it also
put a large number of
employees on performance improvement plans,
known as PIPs, according to a new report.
The details were uncovered in a set of documents from Amazon's HR department
obtained by Business Insider. According to documents from early 2023, Amazon
placed thousands of employees a month into the initial phase of its PIP process
in the months leading up to multiple rounds of layoffs it conducted from
November 2022 to March 2023, when
the company cut a total
of 27,000 employees.
Performance improvement
plans, common at large companies, are a way to formally tell workers they need
to improve, and being
put on a PIP is commonly understood as a step toward termination. (When done
correctly, though, PIPs can be an effective way to provide proper guidance to a
struggling employee and help them keep their job.)
In April 2022,
about six months before
the layoffs started, Amazon placed less than 2,000 employees into the first
phase of its PIP, which
it internally calls Focus. At the end of the year, once the layoffs had
commenced, upwards of 3,300 staffers a month were on such a plan. The following
January the number continued to climb even higher, according to Business
Insider.
Over the same time period, the number of employees who entered into the second
stage of Amazon's PIP programs, called Pivot, doubled.
Some consider these
changes in management
policy to be an effort to push certain employees out the door
without going through costly and morale-lowering layoffs-a
practice known as "quiet firing."
If companies can create conditions that make some employees leave the company,
they are likely to save money on severance costs. The risks of such a strategy
are that talented employees may be
pushed out of the
company rather than offered the necessary coaching to thrive.
fortune.com
The Fake Review Surge Continues
Online reviews are increasingly fake, say researchers. Here's why, and how to
spot them
Many are written for pay, says former U.S. federal investigator
We turn to online reviews to help with everything from shopping for shoes to
finding a dentist. But a former U.S. federal criminal investigator says so many
reviews are fake - written by people paid to post - that she
no longer believes
anyone should rely on them.
"My recommendation to everyone is actually get back to the tried-and-true method
of getting your information from real people, because
you just don't know,"
Kay Dean, now a consumer advocate, told The Current host Matt Galloway.
Dean, who has
spent more than five
years investigating the issue and runs a YouTube channel called Fake Review
Watch, said she's seen
fake reviews "across every profession you can imagine, from law firms to
surgeons, piano teachers, wedding DJs, lactation consultants - you name it."
Sometimes the fakes are
facilitated by brokers
or marketing companies
who have numerous businesses as their clients, she says. Or, if a business wants
to save money, it "just gets on social media and barters and
trades reviews with
other businesses."
cbc.ca
DoorDash, Giant Eagle offer on-demand delivery
Meet Cherry, an AI shopping assistant that helps you discover products using
screenshots or images |
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LA County Sheriff's Department's organized retail theft crime task force
conducts major fencing bust; over $500,000 of merchandise recovered
 Fox
News embedded with the LA County Sheriff Department's Organized Retail Theft
Crime Task Force during a major fencing bust in what appeared to be a shopping
center in a crime-ridden area near downtown Los Angeles. The location was
actually a hidden storefront for a retail crime ring. Dozens of LA County
Sheriff's deputies swarmed the area, detaining several people including a man
they believe was helping run the operation. Investigators are still sorting
through the vast amount of store products found during this fencing bust. Once
finished, they believe they will have recovered more than $500,000 in stolen
merchandise from a variety of retailers, including Nordstrom, Rite Aid,
Walgreens, Sephora, Nordstrom and Food 4 Less.
yahoo.com
Pittsburgh, PA: Update: Ohio Man Convicted in High-Stakes Pharmacy Heists Across
Pennsylvania
Abdulrahman Abdelaziz Jamea, a 26-year-old from Columbus, Ohio, has been found
guilty of orchestrating a daring string of pharmacy robberies across
Pennsylvania. The federal jury in Pittsburgh delivered its decision on March 21,
2024, after mulling over the evidence for roughly two and a half hours, marking
the end of a high-profile trial that has captivated the state. Jamea faced a
litany of charges, including conspiracy to commit armed pharmacy robbery,
conspiracy to possess with the intent to distribute controlled substances, three
counts of armed pharmacy robbery, and two counts of pharmacy robbery. The case
was presided over by United States Senior District Judge Arthur J. Schwab, who
is now tasked with sentencing the convicted felon on July 31, 2024. Over the
course of the four-day trial, 19 witnesses took the stand, painting a vivid
picture of Jamea's criminal exploits between September 2018 and July 2019. The
jury was riveted as tales unfolded of Jamea and his band of co-conspirators
targeting pharmacies in Beaver, Bridgeville, Edinboro, Erie, and Pittsburgh's
Oakland area. Their modus operandi? Brandishing firearms to terrify pharmacists
and technicians into surrendering highly addictive opioids and stimulants from
locked safes. But Jamea didn't stop at theft. The court heard how he then
peddled these stolen narcotics on the streets of Columbus, Ohio, fueling the
opioid crisis and putting countless lives at risk. With the most serious offense
carrying a maximum penalty of 25 years behind bars, along with a possible fine
of up to $250,000, Jamea's future looks bleak. His sentencing will take into
account the gravity of his crimes and his previous brushes with the law,
including a current sentence of more than 40 years for multiple counts of
felonious assault with a firearm in Ohio state court.
mychesco.com
Fort Lauderdale Man Accused as Mastermind of $460K Theft Scheme Targeting Home
Depot
A Fort Lauderdale man has been pegged as the ringleader of an elaborate theft
operation swindling Home Depot out of $460,000. Jereome Downing, 26,
orchestrated a scheme involving phony rentals and online sales of heavy
machinery, according to the Broward Sheriff's Office. Arrested on Tuesday and
now cooling his heels in the Broward County jail, Downing is accused of duping
Home Depot stores across the sunny state of Florida. The scam made use of fake
names for the rental of 21 pieces of heavy equipment, which authorities say was
then hawked on the internet. The accused led his crew to various stores,
including those in West Park and Oakland Park, Local 10 reported. The heist
didn't go unnoticed, with Home Depot taking a financial hit to the tune of
almost half a million dollars. "the scam led to a loss of $460,000 due to the
theft of 21 pieces of machinery." per the law enforcement authorities. But the
sting of justice might soon spread, as deputies have hinted at more arrests on
the horizon. Downing's current accommodations come courtesy of the BSO Main
Jail, where he remains detained on a St. Lucie County hold, for a charge of
organized scheme to defraud, according to online jail records.
hoodline.com
Thieves tunnel into Santee Alley shops in downtown LA
Thieves tunneled from shop to shop overnight Wednesday in a heist that netted
thousands of dollars worth of stolen jewelry at Santee Alley in downtown Los
Angeles. The burglars bashed through the wall of Jair Refugio-Guzman's jewelry
shop. Security camera video showed the intruders ransacking Gilded Jewelry,
taking chains, earrings, bracelets and rings. He estimates about $6,000 worth of
merchandise was stolen. The burglars also left large holes in shop walls. Five
men appeared to be part of the burglary crew that broke into his shop around
midnight, Refugio-Guzman said. They had tools, which were used to tunnel into
his store and other shops, that were left at his shop when the security alarm
sounded. No arrests were reported Friday morning.
nbclosangeles.com
Charles County, MD: Burglar seriously injured after robbing pawn shop, crashing
car
The Charles County Sheriff's Office (CCSO) said a burglary at a pawn shop ended
with one of the burglars crashing a car and being flown to a hospital. On Friday
around 3:39 a.m., officers headed to the 2200 block of Crain Hwy. in Waldorf for
a report of an ongoing burglary. CCSO said a car had
rammed into the back door of
the pawn shop and at least three suspects got out and burgled the store.
When officers arrived, they saw two cars getting away. They lost sight of one of
the cars but tried to stop the other one. That driver refused to stop, and
officers lost sight of the car until they saw sparks and a downed telephone pole
near the intersection of Livingston Road and Route 210. An officer headed to the
area and saw the car had crashed. The driver was flown to a hospital with
serious injuries. CCSO said several guns were stolen from the shop.
dcnewsnow.com
Tracy, CA: Update: 3 Contra Costa men among 4 arrested for Tracy jewelry store
$150,000 smash-and-grab robbery
Norridge, IL: Police investigate smash-and-grab robbery at jewelry store; 3
suspects wanted
Bakersfield, CA: Police searching for suspects who allegedly stole from Ulta
Beauty store
King County, WA: 5 Suspects, 2 cars connected to a spree of break-ins in Maple
Valley
Springfield, OR: Police arrest 10 suspects in retail theft crackdown; $6,000 of
merchandise recovered
f%20(1).png) |
Shootings & Deaths
 Rockford,
IL: Man faces murder charge for killing Walmart employee
An 18-year-old Walmart employee has passed away from injuries he sustained in a
stabbing inside a Walmart Sunday evening. The Rockford Police Department
responded around 6:05 p.m. to the Walmart on Northridge for a reported stabbing.
Officers found an 18-year-old had a life-threatening stab wound to the back. He
was taken to a local hospital but passed away a short time later. Police later
identified the suspect as 28-year-old Timothy Carter of Rockford. He faces a
First-Degree Murder charge. He is lodged in the Winnebago County Jail.
wifr.com
Brewer, ME: Police Chief on leave after fatal shooting of Walmart Armed Robbery
suspect
A robbery suspect was shot and killed by Brewer Police Chief Jason Moffit after
brandishing a firearm and failing to comply with commands during an incident at
a local Walmart on Thursday morning. According to a media release from the
Brewer Police Department, the incident occurred at 10:26 a.m. when police
received a robbery complaint from the Walmart in Brewer. The suspect reportedly
did not follow Moffit's commands and seemed to be reaching for a weapon when
Moffit discharged his firearm, resulting in the suspect's death. Following the
shooting, City Manager Bost placed Chief Moffit on administrative leave,
adhering to standard protocol for police-involved shootings. The Maine Attorney
General's Office - Investigation Division has taken over the investigation into
the use of deadly force. The investigation is ongoing. The identity of the male
subject involved has not been released.
newportdispatch.com
Fort Lauderdale, FL: Officer Wounded, Gunman Dead in Hotel Shootout Amid Spring
Break Chaos
A Fort Lauderdale Police officer was shot Thursday morning at a local hotel,
following a call from a man claiming to have committed a murder, said Police
Chief Bill Schultz. The shootout at the Holiday Inn Express, 1500 SE 17th St.,
ended with the officer wounded and the suspect deceased. The suspect has been
identified as 46-year-old Karl Chludinsky of Margate, reported Local 10 News.
The incident unfolded shortly after 7:30 a.m. when Officers attempted to
absolutely ensure the safety of those inside the hotel, swiftly entering the
room where Chludinsky had barricaded himself. A gunfire exchange occurred,
resulting in the officer's injury and Chludinsky's death by the time SWAT
officers entered the room, as confirmed by Police spokesperson Casey Liening.
The injured officer, now released from the Broward Health Medical Center, is
expected to make a complete recovery. A second officer also sustained minor
injuries during the incident but was not shot.
hoodline.com
Indianapolis, IN: Suspect killed and 5 injured, including IMPD officer, in
shooting on Indy's east side
One person was killed and five others were injured, including an IMPD officer,
in a shooting on the east side of Indianapolis early Sunday morning. Police said
the incident happened in the 9400 block of East Washington Street, near North
Mitthoefer Road, around 1:30 a.m. March 24 when two off-duty officers were
working security in full uniform at a nearby bar and heard a disturbance in the
parking lot. According to IMPD, there was an exchange of gunfire between the two
officers and at least one suspect. In the shooting, five men - including the
officer - and one woman were injured. The officer and four other victims were
described by police as "stable." Police said the civilian victims are two
45-year-old men, a 42-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman. One man, later
identified as the suspect, died at a local hospital from his injuries shortly
after the shooting.
wthr.com
Indianapolis, IN: Update: Man charged in shootout at west Indianapolis Wingstop;
employees and customer exchange gunfire
A man has been charged after a shootout at a Wingstop restaurant on Indy's west
side in January. Lawrence Sneed is facing charges of criminal recklessness for
shooting into a building, battery by means of a deadly weapon and battery.
According to court documents, police were called to the Wingstop in the 5300
block of West 10th Street on Jan. 12. When police arrived, they found the front
glass of the building was shattered by bullet holes. There were shell casings in
the parking lot and more damage inside. Officers found bullet holes in the
counter and an interior wall, with plaster blown from the wall. According to
witnesses and employees, Sneed came into the business and appeared intoxicated.
There was an argument between him and the employees over their system being down
and him needing to order online. As the argument escalated, Sneed was told to
leave. An employee said Sneed pushed him in the face, but he was able to get the
door closed. The employee told officers as he went to lock the door, he saw
Sneed reach to try and open the door and pull out a gun. He said his fellow
employee then started shooting at Sneed and Sneed fired back. In the court
documents, police said they looked at surveillance video and saw Sneed arguing
with employees before the shooting. Video also allegedly showed one of the
employees firing from inside the restaurant at someone outside. The employee
told police he was "trying to protect his co-workers." Employees told police
they were concerned Sneed was going to try and hurt them.
wthr.com
Tampa, FL: 2 Holland America Line crew members on Florida-bound ship killed in
'onboard incident'
Robberies, Incidents & Thefts
Torrance, CA: Police warn public about planned 'takeover' at Del Amo Fashion
Center
Police are warning that yet another planned youth "takeover" at a local mall
could be in the works for Saturday. In a statement posted on social media, the
Torrance Police Department said youth from around Los Angeles County are
planning to take over the Del Amo Fashion Center on Saturday. Police Chief Jay
Hart pointed toward last week's gathering at The Pike Outlets in Long Beach,
where about 200 young people gathered for a planned fight between two females. A
boy was shot nearby, though he is expected to recover. Hart said Torrance police
are being proactive to prevent similar outcomes on Saturday. "We remain
committed, in partnership with Del Amo Fashion Center leadership, to providing a
safe experience for all visitors," he said. "We will not accept criminal
behavior, and our Department will have zero tolerance for those who come to our
community and cause harm." Del Amo introduced a controversial chaperone policy
earlier this month. Anyone under 18 must be accompanied by an adult aged 21 or
older at all times after 3 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. One adult can
accompany up to four minors.
yahoo.com
Longmont, CO: Man wanted for theft in multiple jurisdictions is behind bars
A man wanted for jewelry thefts in multiple jurisdictions in the Denver Metro
area - that happened while he was on parole - is back behind bars. A
spokesperson for the Longmont Police Department told 9NEWS that James Margulis
is in the Adams County Jail. He's accused of stealing from at least eight
jewelry stores between Dec. 13 and Jan. 25. According to court records, he has
seven open cases against him for theft or robbery, including two in Boulder and
Larimer counties and one case in Jefferson, Broomfield and Adams counties. Those
same documents show Margulis has a pattern. He acts like a typical customer
coming in during business hours to shop for a family member. Sometimes it's his
anniversary and other times it's a birthday or graduation. According to
investigators, when he sees an opportunity to grab and run, he goes for it. And
that's not all, Department of Corrections records show that he's currently on
parole after being sentenced for nine prior convictions in multiple counties in
2022. He was released on June 26, 2023, according to a Department of Corrections
spokesperson. His sentence discharge date was March 12, 2025. That is when his
parole for the prior cases would have ended.
9news.com
Oakland, CA: In-N-Out Closes A Store For The First Time In 75 Years Due To
Robberies
Famous fast food chain In-N-Out closed down one of its stores this weekend -- a
first for the burger joint since it was founded in 1948. On Sunday, the In-N-Out
in Oakland, California, permanently closed after it started serving customers as
store 193 in 2005 along 8300 Oakport St. The reason for the store closing --
crime on the property. "Despite taking repeated steps to create safer
conditions, our Customers and Associates are regularly victimized by car
break-ins, property damage, theft, and armed robberies," Chief Operating Officer
Denny Warnick said in a statement in January. "This location remains a busy and
profitable one for the company, but our top priority must be the safety and
wellbeing of our Customers and Associates -- we cannot ask them to visit or work
in an unsafe environment."
enstarz.com
Tokyo, Japan: Tokyo Police arrest two men for theft of $32,000 in Yu-Gi-Oh! card
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