The Great Debate: How to Fight the ORC Wave
Op-Ed: Lawmakers should address retail theft at scene of the crime, not online
Smash and grab robberies are not only plaguing Alabama, but the country as a whole. It's up to Alabama's lawmakers to make sure they respond with policy that is tough on crime. However, the only parties bills like HB 318 will be tough on are our local small business community.

While the intent behind HB 318 is admirable, there's little evidence to suggest that it will actually be effective in halting the wave of organized retail crime in its tracks.

If HB 318 becomes law, it will force small businesses to provide a home address and other personal information for the entire internet to see, undermining the very reason many sellers choose to work from home in the first place. Exposing online sellers' personal information won't curb in-store organized retail crime, but it could lead to home break-ins, stalking, identity theft, and other forms of harassment.

During challenging times like these, we should be supporting the people of Alabama, not tying them up with more regulations and red tape. More rules mean less freedom for our Virtual Main Street to thrive and survive in an economy that is already suffocating under sky-high inflation and a supply chain crisis.

Instead, let's address the problem at its source: the stores organized retail crime bandits are targeting in the first place. What we really need are common-sense legislative solutions that are tough on crime. This is an opportunity for Alabama to be leaders in empowering our law enforcement amid a clarion call to defund the police. Let's make sure our men and women in blue are rich in the resources they need to do their job to crack down on actual crooks, not hardworking business owners.

Retail theft needs to be addressed at the scene of the crime, not online. Lawmakers aren't elected to make life more difficult for Alabama small businesses. If safety truly is the priority here, let's not put Alabama businesses at risk in a misguided attempt to address retail crime. There's a better solution to the in-store retail theft problem-supporting our local law enforcement. altoday.com

Retail Workers Face Violence & Harassment
Another Troubling Crime Trend: Violence Against Retail Workers
The NRF found that 69% of retailers said the "pandemic resulted in an increase in overall risk for their organization." Workplace violence was specifically mentioned.

More than 60% of retailers reported that organized retail crime (ORC) gangs were showing "higher levels of aggression and violence." A few of the top cities included Los Angeles, Chicago and New York. Not all instances involve ORC.

In a survey with 4,300 workers, by Our Fair Wage, 39% of workers were leaving, or already left their job because of concerns with "hostility and harassment from customers." The survey was conducted between October 2020 and May 2021.

Our Fair Wage also found that 80% of employees "experienced or witnessed hostile behavior from customers" when staff tried enforcing COVID-19 safety measures. Overall, 49% experienced it weekly.

Almost 50% "experienced or witnessed a noticeable change in overall levels of unwanted sexualized comments from customers," Our Fair Wage stated.  At the Journeys in the Deptford Mall, one of the managers stated that one of their associates, who is a minor, regularly gets harassed by men. Not all of the harassment comes from customers.

Hunter Hansen, another manager at Journeys, experienced harassment from someone trying to apply in 2019 when he worked at a Journeys location in Virginia.

"With the size and scope of these threats continuing to grow, it is clear retailers need support from additional external resources," the NRF said. thewhitonline.com

NYC's Shoplifting Surge
Big Apple shoplifting skyrockets 81% compared to last year
Shoplifting complaints in the Big Apple have skyrocketed 81% this year compared to last as the city continues to reel from a crime surge that's eclipsing pre-pandemic levels, data released Wednesday show.

So far this year, there's been more than 5,000 petty larceny, grand larceny and robbery complaints stemming from shoplifting incidents citywide, Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael LiPetri said during a Wednesday crime statistics briefing.

"We've seen an increase of 81% of shoplifting complaints that includes petty larceny, grand larcenies and robberies where individuals go in and continue to steal merchandise, and then are confronted by a worker and then they get assaulted," LiPetri said.

That's up from about 2,100 shoplifting complaints recorded during the same period last year when many New Yorkers were at home avoiding the post-holiday, winter COVID-19 surge.

Of those arrested for shoplifting related offenses over the past two years, 2,000 are recidivists who've been cuffed three or more times and 379 have been taken into custody three or more times for shoplifting crimes specifically, LiPetri said.

Drug stores across the Big Apple have been reeling from a recent rash of thefts - some of which have turned violent. nypost.com

NY Strengthens Bail Law & Tightens Rules for Repeat Offenders
New York Toughens Bail Law in $220 Billion Budget Agreement
Faced with rising concerns over crime in an election year, Gov. Kathy Hochul and New York State legislative leaders on Thursday reached agreement on an expansive budget that included measures to strengthen bail restrictions and tighten rules for repeat offenders.

Under the agreement, Ms. Hochul, a moderate Democrat running for her first full term this year, managed to persuade a largely reluctant Democratic-led Legislature to enact changes to a 2019 bail law that barred judges from setting bail for defendants charged with less serious crimes.

The revised law will direct judges to consider new factors - including whether a defendant is accused of seriously harming another person or has a history of gun use - in setting bail.

The changes are a significant win for Ms. Hochul, who faced fierce pushback on her bail proposals from a range of opponents, including fellow Democrats and public defenders. But the governor, in negotiating her first budget, held firm with the more progressive Democratic lawmakers who had strenuously objected to any rollback.

The outcome reflected the latest efforts by Democratic leaders in New York to address voter concerns about public safety ahead of elections in November, when Republicans are expected to perform strongly.

Democratic leaders in Albany have argued that the 2019 changes are not to blame for an increase in violence in New York City. But they have also said that they hoped that alterations would improve public safety. nytimes.com

NYC 'Headed Backward' on Crime?
Shootings Rise in New York, Coloring Perceptions of City's Safety

Homicides were down in the first quarter, but the statistics don't stem anxiety that the city might be regressing to a violent past.

Shootings in New York City rose during 2022's first quarter compared with the same period last year, even as homicides declined, police officials said Wednesday afternoon, the continuation of a drumbeat of violence that emerged early in the pandemic, and has not ebbed with the virus.

Shooting incidents increased from 260 to 296 in the first quarter of this year compared with the same period last year, according to the latest Police Department statistics, which include the first three days of April.

In the two years since the Police Department's last full briefing on crime statistics, pockets of New York have seen upticks in shootings and murders, underscoring concern that America's most populous city could be headed backward.

Mayor Eric Adams has made reversing that trend the central goal of his administration. "The N.Y.P.D. will use every resource and opportunity to secure this city," Commissioner Sewell said, but "reversing years will not take weeks." nytimes.com

Retail Crime Wave a Top Concern Among Americans
Americans more worried about crime amid violence, retail crime wave

After a major spike in violent crime in recent years and a wave of retail theft, Americans are growing more concerned about crime.

Newly released Gallup polling found that 53% of surveyed Americans worry a "great deal" about crime, the highest level since 2016. The poll found an additional 27% of Americans are worried a "fair amount" about crime, with women, Republicans and city residents among the most concerned.

The poll comes after a major violent crime wave in recent years. Now retail theft is going unchecked in parts of California where viral videos have shown thieves walk into stores and fill garbage bags with merchandise only to walk out unhindered.

San Francisco has become a focus for this concern where retail crime has become so pervasive that Walgreens shut down 22 locations in the city.

"Organized retail crime continues to be a challenge facing retailers across San Francisco and we are not immune to that," Walgreens said in a statement. "Retail theft across our San Francisco stores has continued to increase in the past few months to five times our chain average. During this time to help combat this issue, we increased our investments in security measures in stores across the city to 46 times our chain average in an effort to provide as safe environment."

Other stores have reported similar problems, in large part due to a recent law in California that treats any thefts under $950 as a nonviolent misdemeanor. Those crimes are hardly ever prosecuted, and the boldness of thieves has continued to increase in California cities. New York has also seen a rise in retail crime which comes on the heels of a spike in violent crime in recent years. thecentersquare.com

Retail Crime Hurts Companies & Makes Inflation Worse. What Investors Should Know.

Savannah mayor addresses recent gun violence, officer-involved shootings

PetSmart Biometrics Lawsuit
Class action challenges PetSmart's use of voice recognition tech
A former PetSmart employee in Illinois filed a putative class action challenging the company's use of voiceprint and voice recognition technology. The suit claimed PetSmart's practices violate the state's Biometric Information Privacy Act.

PetSmart required warehouses workers to use the technology to create an individual voiceprint, unique to each person, the complaint alleged. Workers then carried out orders sent from a central computer by interacting with voice recognition software, which responded based on their voiceprint. The voiceprints, stored in a file containing the worker's name and employee number, could have been subject to hacking and put the workers at risk for identity theft, according to the lawsuit.

Petsmart violated BIPA, the suit claimed, by: failing to obtain workers' written consent to collect their voiceprints; failing to inform them in writing of the length and purpose for which their voiceprints would be collected, used and stored; and failing to timely destroy the voiceprints. Petsmart did not respond to requests for comment.

Employers are increasingly using biometric data for timekeeping, security and warehouse operations. But legislators and regulators have taken note and are working to put limits on that use.

Passed in 2008, Illinois' BIPA restricts the use of biometric information and biometric "identifiers," which include retina, fingerprint, voiceprint, hand or face geometry scans, but not writing samples or written signatures. It requires that covered entities provide notice to and obtain a written release from a person before they can collect, use or store biometric information. retaildive.com

Is Your Emergency Response Plan Up to Date?
4 Reasons Why You Should Dig Out Your Emergency Response Plan

No matter the weather, keep your employees safe by planning for disaster.

It's important for companies to have the right safety and communication technology so they can protect their employees and property in the event of a weather emergency.

Step 1: Audit your current practices and systems.
Making sure your plan is fresh and up-to-date with your facility's current infrastructure guarantees that when an emergency arises, you are prepared.

Step 2: Integrate your technology.
Companies that can integrate their existing technologies in a more efficient way have a competitive advantage when triaging emergencies. For instance, companies can integrate all their existing safety systems onto a single platform with an emergency alerting platform.

Step 3: Customize your alerts.
The alerts are entirely customizable, including from which end users they are sent to and the information they contain. This allows for the quick and direct dispersal of information during an emergency.

Step 4: Bolster communication.
Automated emergency alerting isn't the only way to keep your company informed during an emergency. A mass notification platform is another great tool that can allow companies to keep their employees informed about any situation. ehstoday.com

No End in Sight to Retail Closures in Russia
Levi's chief sees no end to Russia closures 'any time soon'

Moscow could grab famous jeans trademark after company suspended operations

Levi Strauss does not expect to be able to reopen in Russia this year, its chief executive said on Wednesday, a month after the California jeans maker suspended operations there "temporarily" in response to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine.

Conditions for western companies in Russia were "really difficult", Bergh said, noting authorities had assumed powers that could allow them to nationalise the operations of businesses that stop supplying Russian customers.

Levi's is still paying more than 800 employees in Russia, and has kept a couple of outlet stores open "to flush inventory", he said, but "every day when you open the newspaper the situation looks worse".

Few CEOs have made any public projections of how long they might be frozen out of Russia's market, however. ft.com

'Just Walk Out' Expands with 27th Store
Amazon targets Virginia for cashierless grocery store expansion
Amazon has opened a new Amazon Fresh store in Virginia, and it's just the beginning of a planned expansion in the state.

Amazon's newest high-tech Amazon Fresh store in Fairfax, Va. is its second location in Virginia and its 27th overall. Open as of Thursday, April 7, 2022, the store measures approximately 30,000 sq. ft. The company is also now hiring for hundreds of employees across three new Amazon Fresh locations planned to open in Northern Virginia in Lorton, Manassas, and Arlington.

The new Fairfax store is also the first Amazon Fresh store in Virginia to feature Amazon's "Just Walk Out" technology. Customers who opt for Just Walk Out shopping can enter the store by scanning the in-store QR code in their Amazon app, use the Amazon One proprietary palm payment solution, or insert a credit or debit card linked to their Amazon account to open the Just Walk Out gates. chainstoreage.com

The Smaller, Smarter 'Store of the Future' Trend Is Real
The embrace of the smaller, smarter, store-of-the-future trend is underway, and it carries benefits for consumers and retailers alike.
 
N.L.R.B. counsel calls for a ban on mandatory anti-union meetings
The meetings are a common response by companies like Amazon and Starbucks to union drives among workers. The full labor board will make the decision.

Macy's warns that consumers may choose vacation over shopping

Online brands open stores in suburbs to be closer to customers

Surging inflation compelling small businesses to raise prices
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Leader of the CVS AP Analytics Team
Asset Protection - Lead Director job posted for CVS Health in Cumberland, RI

This position will report to the Executive Director of Asset Protection Strategy & Profitability with consistent exposure to senior leadership.

As the leader of the Asset Protection Analytics team, the Lead Director of Asset Protection will be leading a team of analytical professionals and work streams at all levels to help formulate mitigation plans against loss /shrink. This involves developing, validating and scaling analytics driven strategies through testing, measuring, and learning across a variety of programs and initiatives. Identifying potential risks and subsequent mitigation strategies when developing recommendations. linkedin.com
 

Trenton, NJ: Five men convicted for $2 million perfume cargo heist
New Jersey authorities say that five men were convicted on charges related to a scheme to transport over $2 million worth of stolen perfume products out of New Jersey to Florida. On Wednesday, April 6, Carlos Duvergel, 57, of Texas, and Juan Crespo, 45, Felix Castillo, 49, Asnay Fernandez, 31, and Ismael Manzano-Suarez, 24, all of Hialeah, Florida, were convicted in a federal court in Trenton, New Jersey, with conspiring to transport stolen property in interstate commerce and transportations of stolen property in interstate commerce. The charges were issued in connection with a cargo theft incident that occurred in November 2017. Authorities say that the defendants broke into a warehouse in Edison, New Jersey, and drove away with two tractor trailers filled with stolen perfume products worth more than $2 million. The defendants were arrested in May 2018 while attempting to break into another perfume warehouse in East Brunswick, New Jersey. Sentencing for all five defendants is scheduled for September 27, 2022. The count of conspiring to transport stolen property in interstate commerce carries a maximum penalty five years in prison. The count of transportations of stolen property in interstate commerce carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Both charges also carry a $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offenses, whichever is greatest. cdllife.com

Orange County, CA: 2 sought in $200,000 smash-and-grab jewelry robbery at Westminster Mall
Authorities are seeking the public's help to identify two men who stole over $200,000 worth of jewelry from the Westminster mall. The suspects entered the Kay Jewelers store at the Westminster Mall at about 3:50 p.m. Monday and used a sledgehammer to smash glass cases before grabbing the jewelry and fleeing in a rented sedan, according to the Westminster Police Department. ocregister.com

Athens, GA: Smash and grab burglary at Athens jewelry store
The Athens Police Department is investigating a Tuesday morning burglary at Kay Jewelers. Police said three suspects broke into the back door of the business about 5:25 a.m. Tuesday. That set off an alarm, and the offenders were gone when police arrived. The store is still conducting inventory to determine what was taken, according to Capt. Brett Constable. The investigation is ongoing. youtube.com

Nashville, TN: Accused serial shoplifter arrested following $21K Gucci theft
A woman in custody is accused of shoplifting tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Nashville retailers. Angela Simpson, 26, of Nashville, was arrested by Metro Nashville Police on Thursday night for theft of merchandise from Gucci at the Mall at Green Hills twice, and Carters on Sawyer Brown Road. The businesses estimate that Simpson stole an estimated $23,580 worth of items. Police say that Simpson stole 11 Gucci purses on March 18. The retailer tells them that she is the same person that stole purses on February 22. Also on March 18, Carters reported to police that two women came into the store and placed numerous items into bags and left without paying. Police say they were in the same vehicle and wearing the same clothing in the Gucci theft. Simpson has a lengthy criminal history of theft of merchandise. fox17.com

Los Angeles, CA: Burglars steal thousands of dollars in collectible sports cards from Encino shop Mamba Cards
Burglars were caught on camera stealing a valuable stash of sports trading cards, emptying the shelves at Mamba Cards in Encino Tuesday. Surveillance video shows the masked burglars taking box after box of valuable merchandise. They grabbed whatever they could get. "They were looking for our sealed inventory - stuff that was sealed and stuff they can easily just grab," said Leor with Mamba Cards. But at the same time they also grabbed items that were not worth much, says Daniel, also with the store. He thinks the burglars were amateurs hoping to get a score. "We also saw them take items that don't have any value, which tells me that they may not know what they were taking," he said. abc7.com

Youngstown, OH: Sports Collectables valued at over $10,000 the target for burglars
The rash of hobby shop thefts continues with police now connecting at least two southeast Ohio burglaries. About 3:15 AM Wednesday, someone broke through a glass front door at Youngstown Sports Cards and stole around $10,000 worth of cards and other merchandise. Owner George Samonas told WKBN-TV he was still compiling inventory, though. The burglar was inside the shop for less than three minutes. sportscollectorsdaily.com

Odessa, TX: Repeat offender admits to Walmart theft; charged in 2021 with $30,000 ORC theft
An Odessa man is behind bars after police said he was caught stealing from Walmart. Jason Rae Lemoine, 39, has been charged with Theft. According to an affidavit, on April 1, officers with the Odessa Police Department responded to Walmart at 2450 NW Loop 338 after employees said they caught a man with a backpack full of unpaid merchandise. A Loss Prevention employee said he saw the suspect, later identified as Lemoine, driving a motorized cart through a sporting goods aisle. Lemoine grabbed about $225.00 worth of goods from the section and then drove over to the hardware aisle where he filled his backpack. When officers spoke with Lemoine, he admitted to the theft and admitted that wasn't his first time stealing. In fact, jail records indicated that Lemoine was charged with Credit Card Abuse in October of 2000. He was charged with Theft by Check in April of 2004 and again faced the same charge in January of 2005. In 2017, he was charged with Burglary. Then, in January of last year, he was charged with Organized Retail Theft resulting in losses of more than $30,000. yourbasin.com

Boulder, CO: Update: Boulder Police recover stolen Bicycle prototypes valued at $80,000 with help from local retailer

Beaumont, TX Man wanted for stealing $1200 of electronics from Target

Port Charlotte, FL: Woman spotted in attempted Ace Hardware $750 theft

Mount Vernon, TX: Burglars flee with duffle bags filled with cigarettes

Hamden, CT: Man and Woman Arrested After Stealing From Store in Hamden Plaza