'Californians Against Retail Crime' Day Recap
Retail Theft Day at the Capitol - Cal Retailers Testifies on Bills and Participates in Press Conference

Hearings and Press Conference Part of Assembly Leadership's "Californians Against Retail Crime" Day

CRA President and CEO Rachel Michelin participated in a press conference this morning, hosted by Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and featuring Attorney General Rob Bonta, which focused on all of the Retail Theft bills in the Assembly's "Retail Theft Reduction Act" package heard today in Assembly Public Safety Committee. Rivas and Michelin were joined by the authors of the bills in the Assembly Retail Theft package and other stakeholders including Asssemblymembers Rick Chavez Zbur (Chair of the Assembly Select Committee on Public Safety), Kevin McCarty (Chair of the Assembly Public Safety Committee), Juan Alanis, Marc Berman, Jacqui Irwin, Reggie Jones-Sawyer, Esmeralda Soria and California Chamber of Commerce President Jennifer Barrera.

Michelin also gave lead testimony in Assembly Public Safety Committee on several Retail Theft bills that are part of the "Retail Theft Reduction Act" package. All of these bills passed out of committee.

CRA's Testimony in Assembly Public Safety | CRA's Testimony in Senate Public Safety

The Prop 47 Debate Rages on in California

11th Hour Effort By Criminal Justice Advocates to Kill Retail Theft Bills
SEIU and Wealthy Donors Trying to Kill California's Retail Theft Reform Bills

Doesn't retail theft impact everyone in the state?

The SEIU has thrown down its cards and is now trying to kill retail theft reform bills - even the bills authored by Democrats. And they are joined by the wealthy spouses of real estate developers, tech billionaires and daughters of oil barons - people who live behind tall walls and secured gates. Their cars and homes aren't broken into.

Yet because they don't shop at Target, Walgreens, Home Depot, Walmart, or even Nordstrom and Macy's, somehow the bills targeting repeat retail theft, organized retail theft, enhancing penalties for selling fentanyl, and making it easier to prosecute car thieves, just aren't of interest to them - so much so that they are trying to kill them.

Doesn't retail theft impact everyone in the state - not just the supporters who are collecting signatures to overturn parts of Proposition 47? Nearly 50% of the stores in San Francisco have closed and residents are fleeing the city.

Escalating crime throughout California's cities and communities has taken its toll on the state's residents and businesses. Because of Proposition 47, there is no accountability when it comes to these crimes, theft is underreported and some stores are even told not to report theft crimes. And we all are paying the price for the rampant thefts.

The proposed ballot initiative to amend Prop. 47 is currently collecting signatures for the November 2024 ballot. However, as Politico reports: "Criminal justice reform advocates are mobilizing to thwart a ballot initiative that would reverse California's recent turn away from tougher criminal penalties.

The counteroffensive signals that those advocates fear the initiative to crack down drug and property crimes, backed by prosecutors and major retailers, has a strong chance of landing on the November ballot. If it does, it could unravel a series of recent political victories seeking to overhaul sentencing and incarceration. californiaglobe.com


Retailers Donate Millions for Campaign to Roll Back Prop 47
Campaign to Roll Back Prop 47 Criminal Justice Reforms Could Head to Voters
A campaign by prosecutors and retailers to roll back parts of Proposition 47, California's landmark 2014 criminal justice reform, could soon move forward. Backers say they believe they have enough signatures to qualify for the November ballot. The deadline for the group to submit the 546,651 signatures needed is April 23.

Meanwhile, lawmakers in Sacramento are pushing forward on legislation that Gov. Gavin Newsom and Democratic leaders say would solve the problems critics see with Proposition 47, without a need to go back to voters. On Tuesday, Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas plans to introduce what he's calling a "comprehensive, bipartisan legislative package," to attack retail theft.

Proposition 47 reduced charges for personal drug possession and for theft of anything worth less than $950 from a felony to a misdemeanor. It also required that the money the state saved from keeping people out of prison and jail, about $800 million so far, be invested in rehabilitation programs.

But critics blame Proposition 47 for a host of issues, from an increase in drug use and homelessness to what they say is a spike in shoplifting and retail theft, even though state data doesn't fully support that claim.

The proposed measure wouldn't entirely repeal Proposition 47, but it would gut some of its key provisions, which were aimed at keeping lower level criminals and drug users out of jail and prison. The proposal would make it easier to charge repeat offenders with a felony and increase penalties for organized retail theft rings.

Backers have raised more than $7 million, mostly from large retailers like Walmart, which has donated $2.5 million, and Home Depot, which cut a $1 million check last month. And many prosecutors in California, who have long been critical of Proposition 47, helped write and are backing the ballot measure. kqed.org


Most Californians Want to Roll Back Prop 47
CA sheriff blasts Newsom's 'failed leadership' on crime, proposes solution

Polling shows the majority of Californians support changes to Prop 47

Riverside County, California, Sheriff Chad Bianco is helping lead an effort to reverse a 2012 ballot measure he says is directly contributing to the homelessness and crime crisis in the Golden State and is calling on Democratic Gov. Gavin Newsom to get on board.

Prop 47, passed in 2012, reclassified a number of felonies, including retail and property theft, as misdemeanors. Under Prop 47, petty theft of goods valued under $950 is classified as a misdemeanor, even for multiple offenses. It also took a broad swath of narcotics possession offenses that were previously felonies and converted them to misdemeanors.

The ballot measure Bianco is hoping will be on the ballot this November, which he calls the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, will undo the lowering of narcotics possession penalties from felonies to misdemeanors, will allow judges to recommend rehab for drug and substance abuse, and will allow prosecutors to add the value amount of multiple thefts together in order to meet the $950 threshold set by Prop 47 thus cracking down on serial thefts.  foxnews.com

   Related Coverage of California's Retail Crime Debate

   • Will California Assembly retail theft plan satisfy opponents?
   • Commentary: Addressing Organized Retail Theft While Upholding Civil Liberties
   • California Democrats bring down the hammer on crime - or try to


DHS Launches Task Force to Combat Chinese Organized Crime Gangs 
The gangs are engaging in "card draining," in which thieves use stolen or altered card numbers to siphon off money before the owner can spend it

Chinese Organized Crime's Latest U.S. Target: Gift Cards
Federal authorities are investigating the involvement of Chinese organized crime rings in gift card fraud schemes that have stolen hundreds of millions of dollars or more from American consumers.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has launched a task force, whose existence has not previously been reported, to combat a scheme known as "card draining," in which thieves use stolen or altered card numbers to siphon off money before the owner can spend it. The initiative has been dubbed "Project Red Hook," for the perpetrators' ties to China and their exploitation of cards hung in store kiosks on "J-hooks."

This marks the first time that federal authorities have focused on the role of Chinese organized crime in gift card fraud and devoted resources to fighting it. Homeland Security Investigations, a DHS agency, began prioritizing gift card fraud late last year in response to a flurry of consumer complaints and arrests connected to card draining.

Over the past 18 months, law enforcement across the country has arrested about 100 people for card draining, of whom 80 to 90 are Chinese nationals or Chinese Americans, according to Adam Parks, a Homeland Security assistant special agent in charge based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Parks, who is leading the task force, estimates that another 1,000 people could be involved in card draining in the U.S., mostly as runners for the gangs.

Federal investigators believe multiple Chinese criminal organizations are involved in card draining and are using the proceeds to fund other illicit activities, from narcotics to human trafficking, according to Parks. ProPublica recently revealed Chinese organized crime's involvement in the illegal U.S. cannabis industry and the laundering of cocaine, heroin and fentanyl profits. ProPublica has also exposed how Walmart and other retailers have facilitated the spread of gift card fraud and has revealed the role of Chinese fraud rings in gift card laundering.

Last November, they convened a two-day summit at DHS headquarters in Washington, D.C., attended by many of the country's top retailers and gift card suppliers. Federal authorities pushed the industry to share information and help thwart the gangs. The agency then issued a bulletin in December alerting law enforcement across the country about the card-tampering tactics. Parks said about 15 Homeland Security agents are now spending most of their time on Project Red Hook. propublica.org


Is Illinois' SAFE-T Act Letting Criminals Slip Through the Cracks?
Lawmakers want changes to SAFE-T Act to avoid criminals 'slipping through the cracks'
The SAFE-T Act is again making headlines in Illinois with the pretrial release of an individual accused of being under the influence and crashing his vehicle into a sheriff's deputy's vehicle, killing her.

State Rep. Dennis Tipsword, R-Metamora, who also serves as the Woodford county chief deputy sheriff, said what Nathan Sweeney, 44, who was apprehended following the death of Dekalb County deputy Christina Musil, did was on the list of detainable offenses. Sweeney, however, was released with the judge citing the SAFE-T Act.

"Reckless homicide is a detainable offense. However, it is very clear in the SAFE-T act that every person is expected to be released unless there are clear and convincing reasons they should be held. Two of those are a danger to society or a flight risk," Tipsword told The Center Square. "A person who is on that combination of narcotics is inherently a danger to society. If he's already flagrantly violating the laws to where he's on that kind of a cocktail of drugs, how can we believe he's not going to go out the day after and do the same thing. This was just a head shaker. This person should have been detained."

"The SAFE-T act is not perfect but it can be perfected," Buckner told The Center Square. "We have put together a few trailer bills that have changed some of the language [within the SAFE-T act] based on what we're seeing in the criminal justice space. If there are ways to strengthen this law and keep folks safer and make sure people aren't slipping through the cracks and we are maintaining the spirit of what we tried to do with this bill, now four years ago, then we should absolutely do it."

Republican members of the TIPS working group have unveiled a flurry of bills like House Bill 5120, which would expand detainable offenses pending trial based on the severity of the offense and determination of whether the defendant poses a real threat to individuals or the community. Tipsword said all of the bills have fallen on deaf ears. thecentersquare.com


Hundreds of 'Burglary Tourists' Nationwide Stealing & Selling Stolen Goods
How so-called 'burglary tourists' use visa waivers to target luxury US homes
Prosecutors say the break-in is part of a larger issue in which so-called "burglary tourists" enter the United States from countries that qualify for visa waivers, allowing a visit of up to 90 days without a traditional tourist visa. When the suspects arrive - most often from South America, prosecutors say - they join sophisticated burglary rings that prey on luxury homes.

Spitzer said the stolen goods are often sold quickly and the money is sent back to the suspect's home country. Most often, that's Chile, he said, which is now the only remaining South American country that qualifies for the Department of Homeland Security's waiver program, known as the "Electronic System for Travel Authorization," or ESTA.

The problem extends beyond California. Last month police in Scottsdale, Arizona, reported they arrested three Chilean nationals in connection with what authorities called a "burglary series" in the city.

Within the last year, police in Baltimore, Maryland; Raleigh, North Carolina; and Nassau County, New York, were among those announcing arrests in cases of luxury home burglaries linked to Chilean nationals in the US on visa waivers.

While there is no formal tally of the number of crimes committed by "burglary tourists," the number appears to be, at minimum, in the hundreds. Ventura County, California, alone attributed 175 residential burglaries to "transnational theft groups" between 2019 and mid-2023. cnn.com


Chicago crime: Assaults up 7% for year, as women targeted
Chicago's total assaults during the past year through March increased from the previous 12 months, from 21,416 to 22,948 - a 7.15% increase.

This is as the city is experiencing an increase in seemingly random violence, primarily against women. Several women this year have reported being targeted on the sidewalk, a trend also occurring in other major cities such as New York. illinoispolicy.org
 

Public-safety bills from Memphis legislators make progress in Nashville
 

Changes Coming to Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act?
Illinois Senate passes changes to state's Biometric Information Privacy Act

The Illinois Senate has passed legislation that would make changes to the liability guidelines in the Biometric Information Privacy Act.

Senate Bill 2979 from state Sen. Bill Cunningham, D-Chicago, would limit the number of claims accrued should an employee bring a lawsuit against a company for a violation of BIPA. If a certain biometric identifier is collected by the same employer in the same manner, only one violation would accrue.

"The businesses that have failed to follow the law by getting consent to use biometric materials should be held accountable, but it is important that the punishment fits the crime," said Cunningham. "Right now, I don't think the law in this state accomplishes that."

The Illinois Supreme Court upheld the "per-scan" damages in a lawsuit against White Castle, but noted that the technicality could be damaging for Illinois businesses. "We decided to remain focused on the invitation we got from the Supreme Court to address the questions about liability and damages," said Cunningham.

State Sen. John Curran, R-Downers Grove, said he wishes there were more changes to BIPA, but something had to be done to at least tweak the law. "We are a true outlier in this country," said Curran. "This is not a law that other states are saying Illinois got it right and we are going to follow suit and model the Illinois law." thecentersquare.com


Effort to Salvage 99 Cents Only Stores
Should the 99 Cents Only Stores Retail Chain Be Saved?
Chris Wells from Alvarez & Marsal has been appointed as the chief restructuring officer to oversee this process, while the interim CEO, Mike Simoncic, is stepping down. Simoncic explained that the decision was difficult but necessary due to enduring challenges in the retail sector, including the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, shifting consumer preferences, increased shrinkage, inflation, and broader economic difficulties. Despite exploring various alternatives, the company concluded that a systematic wind-down was the best approach to maximize asset value.

In response to the announcement of the 99 Cents Only Store closures, communities have flooded locations to stock up on what the retailer has to offer at low prices. With 143 locations in Southern California facing closure, there's a push to salvage what's left of this discount haven.

Mark J. Miller, CEO of Pic 'N' Save Bargains and former Big Lots president, is spearheading efforts to rescue the chain after the company announced it was closing all stores and winding down its business operations in California, Texas, Arizona, and Nevada. He's gathered a consortium of investors, including former 99 Cents Store executives, in hopes of acquiring the Southern California stores and maintaining their community service. retailwire.com


Connecticut AG launches inquiry into grocery prices

Profits are at a 70-year high, and Senate bill would give the attorney general more powers against price gouging

A Federal Trade Commission (FTC) report accusing big grocery chains of price gouging opened the eyes of Connecticut State Senate Majority Leader Bob Duff.

After hearing the report, he went straight to Connecticut Attorney General William Tong, and on Thursday Tong announced the state was conducting an inquiry on food and grocery prices.

Both large and small grocers will be included in the inquiry, which could be multi-faceted and include food producers so the Connecticut state legislature can get a clearer picture of the grocery marketplace.

"We won't stop," said Tong during a press conference announcing the inquiry. "We will keep going until we have an understanding of this market." supermarketnews.com


Coach vs. Gap Lawsuit
Coach files trademark and unfair competition complaint against Gap

The complaint takes issue with some Old Navy-branded T-shirts, which attorneys for the Tapestry-owned brand say are meant to make consumers think there is an association between the brands.

Coach has filed a trademark infringement complaint against Gap Inc. over the use of the word "coach" on various Old Navy brand products, according to a court filing last week.

Attorneys for Coach say that the brand has "suffered substantial damages" as a result of the products and say that the Gap products "are likely to create a false impression and deceive consumers, the public, and the trade into believing that there is a connection or association between" the brands. retaildive.com


First Look: JCPenney opens its first new store in eight years

Papa Johns to add 50 new stores through new agreement

Cybersecurity Professionals' Salaries
How Much Do U.S. Cyber Professionals Make?
One of the first questions one might ask when choosing a career is, "Does it pay well?" When it comes to cybersecurity, the answer is "Yes!" with an average reported salary of $147,138 in the U.S. Not only is cybersecurity a challenging career with a mission that benefits us all, but it is also financially lucrative for many in this high-demand field.

Our annual workforce study received more responses than ever before, close to 15,000 participants. About a third of these respondents came from the U.S., giving us a robust participant pool from which to confidently share insights around U.S. salaries. For this article, we focus on cybersecurity salaries in the U.S. only, where we asked participants to share their base annual salary before taxes. All currency is expressed as U.S. Dollars.

Digging Deeper: Salaries by Seniority

Not surprisingly, salaries vary across experience and job levels, with a steady progression from entry- and junior-level roles to C-Suite and executives. We also see significant disparity between genders, underlining the continued existence of the gender pay gap in cybersecurity:

• Entry- and junior-level respondents report an average annual salary of $86K
• Nonmanagerial, mid-advanced staff earn an average annual salary of $137K
• Managers earn an average of $149K
• Directors and middle managers earn an average of $175K
• C-suite and executive management earn an average of $215K

The U.S. salary rates at each of the seniority levels are highly encouraging, especially when compared to the median U.S. wage of $59,428, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. isc2.org


C-Level Execs Recognizing Importance of CISOs
CISO role shows significant gains amid corporate recognition of cyber risk

A report from Moody's Ratings shows CISOs and other senior-level cyber executives have become key decision makers within the C-suite.

CISOs and other management level cybersecurity executives are gaining more influence and importance as companies have begun to recognize the need for strong cyber governance and oversight, according to a report from Moody's Ratings.

About 90% of cybersecurity managers now report to a top level company executive, compared with 62% in 2021. A higher percentage of these cybersecurity executives now report directly to company CEOs, according to the report, which is based on a survey of more than 2,000 organizations around the world that issue debt, including 1,100 in North America.

"The role of the CISO has risen in seniority and visibility within organizations," Steven Libretti, assistant VP and analyst at Moody's Ratings, said via email. "This means more direct reporting lines from the cyber manager to the C-suite executives and more frequent cyber briefings to the CEO."

Moody's identified a more regular cadence within organizations of CISOs and other cybersecurity managers providing updates to the C-suite and board of directors. About 40% of cyber managers conduct monthly meetings with their CEO, according to the report. cybersecuritydive.com


To Pay or Not to Pay Ransomware Groups?
Ransomware group maturity should influence ransom payment decision
Your organization has been hit by ransomware and a decision has to be made on whether or not to make the ransom payment to get your data decrypted, deleted from attackers' servers, and/or not leaked online.

The decision will depend on a variety of factors but, according to GuidePoint Security, an important one should be the overall maturity and prominence of the ransomware operators who pulled off the attack.

Immature ransomware groups: A distinct threat

While law enforcement and governments around the world advise organizations not to pay the ransom, we all know that many do and will, despite knowing that paying may not result in a hoped-for resolution of the problem.

GuidePoint researchers have offered additional advice: "Consider the known history, credibility, and plausibility of ransomware groups and the claims of their operators in order to reach an informed decision regarding ransom payment or non-payment."

Unlike established RaaS outfits like LockBit, Alphv, or Black Basta, immature, opportunistic groups are more likely to lie, re-extort victims, and not deliver functioning recovery tools (e.g., decryptors).

"We note that re-extortion may be driven by greed, but also as a means to cover up technical shortcomings, such as an inability to decrypt encrypted files - if the threat actor can continue demanding payment until the victim declines, a plausible explanation exists that avoids 'tipping the hand' of a technically inept actor," they noted. helpnetsecurity.com


CISOs must evolve cyber strategies as future threats loom
Prioritizing quality control checks, robust risk management strategies, and investment in employee training are essential steps to mitigate the risks

The cybersecurity industry is becoming more complex, especially as bad actors gain new skill sets and there are more opportunities for significant exploitation due to quickly advancing technologies like AI. It is not surprising that chief information security officers (CISOs), who are charged with taking on these threat actors, are increasingly looking at AI as a new promising tool to help them level the playing field and turn the odds in their favor. But while AI has shown great promise in security, CISOs must realize that adopting it requires a new playbook with a heavier emphasis on due diligence, more rigorous management of data, and thoughtful use of automation. securityinfowatch.com


Leveraging AI for enhanced compliance and governance

Inside AWS's Crusade Against IP Spoofing and DDoS Attacks