How the Retail Industry is Taking on ORC
Retailers increase efforts to fight organized retail crime

Retail Gets Real 264: Think LP's Tony Sheppard on the resources and technology needed to fight ORC

What comes to mind when you think of organized retail crime? Tony Sheppard, director of loss prevention solutions at ThinkLP, says the meaning has evolved over the years but is simply defined as stealing from a retail location and converting those stolen goods to cash. ORC can include credit card fraud, stealing a product and returning it for cash or reselling it. Retailer loss prevention departments are growing as they track the flow of goods from where they've been removed and where products end up.

The rise in ORC incidents is a result of more online shopping from increased demand for products in online marketplaces during the pandemic. Demand for online products has unfortunately led to demand for stolen products as well.

To combat these issues, retailers have historically used alarm tags and anti-resale tags, put GPS trackers in some products and locked up items to make it harder to buy them in bulk, but Sheppard says the issue is getting more complicated for loss prevention professionals.

"You need the resources and the technology to be able to manage through some of those cases and do a lot of the work that quite frankly, years ago, law enforcement used to do," Sheppard says. That includes investing in vehicle surveillance and enhanced technology to help track stolen goods.

Reducing and preventing ORC also includes education and ensuring it is understood at the law enforcement and federal level that ORC is not a petty crime.

"We as an industry need to make sure we are classifying it as organized retail crime ... the onus is on the retailer to continue to educate," Sheppard says. "You have to define the difference to get that these are professional thieves ... typically they're involved in other criminal activity too."

Tune into the episode to learn more about the pandemic's impact on retail security and how retailers are combatting ORC and planning for the future. nrf.com

ORC is Funding Terrorists, Cartels & The Mafia
Organized Shoplifting Taking Bite Out of Retailers' Profits

Stolen razors are funding criminal organizations in the United States.

Given the small dollar amounts traditionally involved, shoplifting long has been viewed as a petty crime. But now, large-scale criminal enterprises are utilizing seemingly small crimes like shoplifting on a massive scale to help fund other more nefarious crimes. In the process, corner markets in neighborhoods across America are becoming the front lines in the battle against organized crime and terrorism.

Between 2001 and 2003, the Ghali organization - a shoplifting gang - recruited hundreds of members to steal over-the-counter medicinal products and other items such as infant formula, glucose test strips, razors and pregnancy test kits for an estimated value of $5 million. This organized retail crime (ORC) ring then funneled some of the money overseas to countries such as Jordan and Egypt.

At the time, ORC was seen as an anomaly. But two decades later, ORC is at an all-time high and much more dangerous criminal organizations - including terrorist cells, major drug cartels, and the mafia - are reaping the benefits.

COVID was not the only factor driving the increase of ORC. Criminals are taking advantage of communities where shoplifting is not prosecuted. Due to jail overcrowding, many states raised felony thresholds for shoplifting, effectively decriminalizing theft in some jurisdictions and resulting in fewer arrests and prosecutions. With this prosecutorial shift, organized criminal enterprises that previously relied on violent and drug-related income have repositioned and/or broadened their criminal operations to target retail.

The explosion of e-commerce has also played a large role in the uptick of ORC. Whereas a pawn shop or other physical location was often required for these operations a decade ago, criminals have now moved online. Today, many online marketplaces make it relatively easy to sell a large volume of stolen products quickly and anonymously with little or no oversight.

Fortunately, state policymakers are increasingly exploring regulatory options to require online marketplaces to collect and verify third-party sellers' information. The federal Integrity, Notification and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM) Act is still making its way through Congress and could be another tool in the fight against criminal organizations involved in this activity. csnews.com

'One of the Strongest Actions in the U.S.' to Fight ORC
Illinois lawmakers pass bill to combat organized retail theft

Retailers call it one of strongest responses in nation, GOP says it doesn't do enough

A measure aimed at addressing high-profile "smash-and-grabs" and other organized retail crime was among the scores of bills passed during the General Assembly's final sprint toward its Saturday morning adjournment.

Its backers, among them the Illinois attorney general and the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, called it one of the strongest actions in the nation to define organized retail crime while increasing prosecutors' ability to hold criminals accountable.

Republicans, for the most part, voted for the bill, but several GOP lawmakers called it watered down and removed their names as cosponsors after a late amendment was filed to appease crime victims groups and civil liberties organizations.

House Bill 1091, which will still need approval from the governor to become law, defines "organized retail crime" in state law with the intent of reducing offenders' ability to avoid prosecution.

Sen. Suzy Glowiak Hilton, D-Western Springs, chief sponsor of the bill in the Senate, said it is aimed at trying to prevent "the big fish from coercing the small fish into stealing."

Senate Amendment 4 changed the focus of the bill to identify ringleaders, or "managers," of organized retail crime rings, creating greater penalties for them than for the low-level individuals who steal from stores and may be victims of human trafficking.

The effort to address organized retail crime is also backed by a $5 million investment within the state budget, allowing the attorney general's office to award grants to state's attorneys and law enforcement agencies that investigate and prosecute organized retail crime. capitolnewsillinois.com nprillinois.org

Dallas Police Chief's Violent Crime Plan Showing Early Positive Results
Dallas police say they've prioritized the city's south side. Can the community feel it?

Public safety in southern Dallas is top of mind for residents and the Dallas Police Department after two mass shootings in two weeks with 2 dead and 25 injured.

As communities across southern Dallas grapple with the aftermath of two mass shootings in only two weeks, police Chief Eddie García remains adamant that his officers care about the region and are actively planning to better protect its people. He said many of the small grids where the department heightened its presence in recent months were in southern Dallas, which has helped violent crime drop there overall.

Department statistics updated Thursday show that even with the recent shootings, violent crime is down in the region's three police divisions. Across the city's southeast, south central and southwest divisions, there have been 1,493 violent crimes this year - 215 fewer than this point in 2021. Neighborhoods in those divisions include north, west, east and southeast Oak Cliff, Red Bird, Mountain Creek, South Dallas, southeast Dallas, Pleasant Grove and Rylie.

The murder count across southern Dallas is about the same as last year (38 down 1). Police tallied 1,129 aggravated assaults, 118 fewer than last year, & 277 robberies, a decrease of 29 from 2021, down 9%.

García said 23 of the 47 grids in Dallas where police focused efforts the past 90 days as part of the chief's violent-crime plan are in southern Dallas. He said officers have been out across the area not only weeding out crime, but also infusing positivity so people don't only see police "in a moment of crisis."

Local Retailer Sees "Notable, Intentional Effort" to Better Community Relations.

Akwete Tyehimba, the 59-year-old owner of the Pan-African Connection Bookstore and Resource Center in east Oak Cliff, said she has noticed not only an increased police presence in the past six months, but "a notable, intentional effort" to better community relations.

"It's not about a lack of officers - it's a lack of mental health resources, a lack of education, a lack of support for the youth in this community," Tyehimba said. "These streets are telling them who they are before they have a chance to decide for themselves. Police can't change that. Only community can change that." dallasnews.com

Subway Security Malfunction Hampers Search for Mass Shooter
Subway security cameras malfunctioned, Adams says after Brooklyn attack
Security cameras apparently malfunctioned at the station where a gunman opened fire on Tuesday morning, shooting 10 and leaving another 13 injured in a rush-hour attack that left commuters bleeding and screaming.

Mayor Eric Adams said there was a problem with the camera system at the Sunset Park subway station. He said they were looking into the issue. As of September 2021, all of New York City's subway stations had been equipped with cameras. Some of the cameras broadcast in real-time to the subway's security center, while others record locally and can provide footage that can be used in criminal investigations.

MTA Chairman and CEO Janno Lieber said there are 10,000 cameras in the system and 600 along the N line in Brooklyn.

Police and FBI agents canvassed businesses nearby for video on Tuesday. They also asked witnesses and riders to share any video they had of the attack. FBI agents and members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force surveyed nearby businesses, interviewing witnesses and searching for surveillance footage.

Police and officials have urged anyone with video or information to come forward. The suspect remained on the run Tuesday evening. A $50,000 reward was offered for information that leads to an arrest and conviction in the case. pix11.com

Richmond, VA hiring 'violence interrupters' to help curb gun violence

Calif. AG Provides Remarks on Biden Rule to Protect the Public from Ghost Guns

US: 82.1M Cases - 1M Dead - 80M Recovered
Worldwide: 501.2M Cases - 6.2M Dead - 451.4M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 354   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 754
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID & Drugs Drove Deadliest Year in American History
COVID-19, overdoses pushed US to highest death total ever

Federal data confirms that 2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history

2021 was the deadliest year in U.S. history, and new data and research are offering more insights into how it got that bad. The main reason for the increase in deaths? COVID-19, said Robert Anderson, who oversees the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's work on death statistics.

The agency this month quietly updated its provisional death tally. It showed there were 3.465 million deaths last year, or about 80,000 more than 2020's record-setting total. Early last year, some experts were optimistic that 2021 would not be as bad as the first year of the pandemic - partly because effective COVID-19 vaccines had finally become available.

COVID-19 deaths rose in 2021 - to more than 415,000, up from 351,000 the year before - as new coronavirus variants emerged and an unexpectedly large numbers of Americans refused to get vaccinated or were hesitant to wear masks, experts said. abcnews.go.com

More Than Two Dozen States See Surge of COVID Cases
Mask mandates return as COVID-19 cases rise across U.S.
More than two dozen states across the country reported a jump in cases over the last eight days, although hospitalizations and deaths have not seen a commensurate rise. Nearly 1 million Americans have died of COVID-19, with an average of 500 people succumbing to the disease every day, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Philadelphia health commissioner Dr. Cheryl Bettigole said in a press conference on Monday that residents would have to dig up their masks again. The city will enforce a mask mandate starting April 18, requiring people to wear facial coverings inside all businesses in Philadelphia.

Bettigole noted that COVID-19 cases have increased by more than 50% in a 10-day span. Although hospitalizations remain low due to COVID-19, she expects another wave of the disease linked to the Omicron BA.2 subvariant, which is now dominant in the U.S.

Some Philadelphia business owners have objected to mask rules, saying they cause tension between them and customers who don't wish to cover their faces. But Bettigole reiterated that business and public health interests are actually aligned. cbsnews.com

CVS-DOJ COVID Vaccine Settlement
DOJ: United States Reaches Agreement with CVS Pharmacy, Inc., to Ensure Online Access to COVID-19 Vaccine Registration for People with Disabilities
The United States Attorney's Office for the District of Rhode Island and the Justice Department announced today that they have reached a settlement agreement with CVS Pharmacy, Inc., (CVS) to ensure that people with disabilities can get information about COVID-19 vaccinations and book vaccination appointments online. C

Following investigation, the United States determined that CVS's COVID-19 vaccine registration portal, currently located at https://www.cvs.com/immunizations/covid-19-vaccine, was not accessible to people with certain disabilities, including those who use screen reader software or have a hard time using a mouse.

Under the terms of the agreement, CVS will facilitate accessibility by conforming its web content about the COVID-19 vaccine, including the forms for scheduling an appointment to get the vaccine, to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), Version 2.1, Level AA. WCAG is a set of voluntary industry guidelines for making information on a website accessible to users with disabilities. justice.gov

Apple begins requiring in-person work starting today with hybrid plan
Apple employees have officially started returning to in-person after working remotely since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic in March 2020. Apple's decision to return to in-person, albeit on a very limited basis for the time being, has not been without criticism, but the company has pressed ahead with its plans.

After multiple starts and stops due to increases in COVID-19 cases, Apple officially set its April 11 date for return to in-person last month. Starting today, corporate employees are now required to work in person at least one day per week. Starting three weeks from today, on May 2, employees will be required to work from the office two days per week.

Then, starting on May 23, employees will need to be in the office three days per week. This is the start of Apple's so-called "hybrid" work plan. Apple has not revealed how long it will have this hybrid work plan in place, but Tim Cook has described it as a "pilot." This implies that it could change sometime, and the company could eventually require employees to return to full-time in person. 9to5mac.com

C.D.C. extends mask mandate on planes and public transit another two weeks
Despite great pressure from airlines, the hospitality industry and Republican lawmakers to lift the rule requiring masks on planes and trains, in airports and on some buses, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said it would extend the federal transportation mask requirement for two weeks on Wednesday, five days before it was set to expire. The mask mandate is now set to expire on May 3, the agency said in a statement.

The C.D.C. cited the spread of the Omicron subvariant of the coronavirus known as BA.2, which the agency said now makes up more than 85 percent of new U.S. virus cases, in its decision to extend the mask requirement. nytimes.com

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RCC Retail LP Forum Recap

RCC's Retail Loss Prevention Forum Explores the Growing Complexities of Protecting People, Property, and Assets

Retail Council of Canada's virtual Retail Loss Prevention Forum, hosted on April 12, 2022, examined how retail loss prevention and risk management teams are evolving their roles, responsibilities, and empowering their staff with the new skills and approaches required to be effective in today's retail environment.

The forum opened with an interview with Chris Strongman, Vice President, Enterprise Risk Management with Aritzia about benefits and challenges of moving from a loss prevention to an enterprise risk management model. Chris shared his experience with the strategic transformation at Aritzia, and how Aritzia's leadership is supporting these new priorities in decision-making to protect its business.

The evolution of retail was evident in many sessions including the changing in-store experiences. Calandra Guiry, Director Loss Prevention, Sephora Canada and Paul Trickett, National Director of Asset Protection and Health & Safety at Staples Canada chatted with the Voice of Retail Podcast's Michael LeBlanc. Guiry and Trickett shared how their teams are shifting their focus to better support and protect new types of in-store experiences while reducing potential losses by rethinking traditional asset protection.

The forum closed with one of the most important ongoing conversations, collaborating on organized retail crime. Chris DaCosta, Senior Manager, Central Investigations with The Home Depot Canada, Tony Sheppard, ORC expert, and Director, Loss Prevention Solutions with ThinkLP and Supt. Robert Gourley of Halton Police discussed how retailers can work together. Collaboratively retailers can change perceptions and block the impact of organized retail crime at a time when collaboration between retailers, law enforcement, and justice has never been more important.

RCC's Rui Rodrigues, Executive Advisor for Loss Prevention and Risk Management, highlighted strategic next steps the Retail Council of Canada's Loss Prevention Advisory Committee is taking including the Manitoba LP Taskforce pilot project. Based out of Winnipeg, working with police, businesses, government, industry partners, and RCC, the taskforce is focused on identifying prolific and more serious retail incidents.

Learn more about RCC initiatives supporting the loss prevention and risk management community on their website. For more information about these programs or the Retail Loss Prevention Forum please contact events@retailcouncil.org.