Crime Isn't Going Down - But Reporting Is
Opinion: The Media Say Crime Is Going Down. Don't Believe It

The decline in reported crimes is a function of less reporting, not less crime.

Americans think crime is on the rise, but the media keep telling them they're wrong. Journalists purport to refute this by citing official crime statistics showing a downward trend. Americans aren't mistaken. News reports fail to take into account that many victims aren't reporting crimes to the police, especially since the pandemic.

In 2022, 31% of police departments nationwide, including Los Angeles and New York, didn't report crime data to the FBI. In addition, in cities from Baltimore to Nashville, Tenn., the FBI is undercounting crimes those jurisdictions reported.

Another reason crimes reported to the police are falling is that arrest rates are plummeting. If victims don't believe criminals will be caught and punished, they won't bother reporting them. According to the FBI, if you take the five years preceding Covid-19 (2015-19) and compare them with 2022, the percentage of violent crimes in all cities resulting in an arrest fell from 44% to 35%. Among cities with more than one million people (where violent crime disproportionately occurs), arrest rates over the same period plunged from 44% to 20%.

Arrests for property crimes dived even more sharply. FBI data show that in 2022, 12% of reported property crimes in all cities resulted in an arrest. In cities of more than one million people, only 4.5% of reported property crimes in 2022 resulted in an arrest.

Based on the National Crime Victimization Survey, only 42% of violent crimes, such as robberies or aggravated assaults, and 32% of property crimes, such as burglary or arson, were reported in 2022. While the Justice Department doesn't track the number of prosecutions, the percentage of arrests that resulted in a prosecution appears to have fallen that year as well.

In large cities, the arrest rate in 2022 compared with the 2015-19 average fell 38% for murders, 50% for rapes, 55% for aggravated assault and 58% for robberies.

It isn't surprising that affluent people can insulate themselves from spikes in crime-but that doesn't mean it isn't happening. Americans aren't simply imagining that our streets have become more dangerous. wsj.com

 
Stores Continue to Take Hands-Off Approach
WSJ Opinion Letters: Our New Shoplifting Policy

Employees are being told not to confront store theft.

I agree with John Lott ("The Media Say Crime Is Going Down. Don't Believe It," op-ed, April 25) that crime is up but not reported. After a friend retired after 30 years as a military and federal security officer, he took a part-time job in the liquor department of a large grocery store. He says the store policy is not to confront shoplifters. He explained the lack of punishment after shoplifters are apprehended hasn't deterred shoplifting. The store therefore concluded that the time invested in detaining offenders until law enforcement showed up was wasted.

I asked him if that meant I could come in, pick up my wine of choice and walk out without paying. "I'd probably say something to you about not paying, but I wouldn't stop you," he answered. wsj.com


Failed City Leadership Led to Oakland Missing ORC Money
'No one knew who was in charge of applying' for theft prevention grant

Lack of Oakland leadership led to missing retail theft prevention grant deadline
A lack of leadership by Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao and a lack of guidance led to the city missing the deadline for applying for California's retail theft prevention grant, according to a report released Tuesday by the Office of the City Auditor.

In the report, auditors detailed the events that led the beleaguered city to potentially miss out on funds that would have bolstered efforts to curb retail theft.

The city learned about the Organized Retail Theft Prevention (ORTP) Grant Program in April 2023 and the Oakland Police Department immediately started preparing an application requesting $5 million to buy automated license plate readers, security cameras and vehicles, the report stated.

Oakland's Economic and Workforce Development Department (EWD) learned of the ORTP grant in early June 2023 and began working on a new application without first consulting the police department, auditors said. After nearly a month of working on the second grant application, EWD became aware of Oakland PD's application efforts on June 20.

With the July 7 deadline less than two weeks away, Oakland PD staff organized a meeting with the police department, EWD and the city council president. From that meeting, the application's request went from $5 million for equipment - which the audit notes is in line with other successful applications - to $15.6 million to include "safety ambassadors, staff for crime prevention through environmental design, and staff dedicated to analyzing data and problem solving."

In the end, the audit found that no one knew who was in charge of applying and both departments struggled to submit different elements of the application, even beyond the deadline. kron4.com


California Crackdown Continues to Lead to Arrests & Recoveries
Protecting the Central Valley: Results Show Initial Success in CHP's Operations to Take Down Crime

Builds on the Administration's Efforts in Other Parts of the State to Keep Communities Safe

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: Governor Newsom's newly announced enforcement effort in Bakersfield produces initial results in stopping crime and improving public safety - with 211 arrests and 127 stolen vehicles recovered in the area in recent weeks.

BAKERSFIELD - After Governor Gavin Newsom announced a regional enforcement effort between the California Highway Patrol (CHP) and the Bakersfield Police Department to address crime, initial 6-week results show meaningful progress in the area.

This localized work in Bakersfield is part of a larger effort to bring continued resources to the area. In particular, through the Organized Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program, the state awarded the Bakersfield Police Department $6.2 million to prevent and respond to organized retail theft, motor vehicle or motor vehicle accessory theft, and cargo theft. The statewide grant program is the largest single investment to combat organized retail crime in state history.

Building on the Newsom Administration's efforts to improve public safety in key parts of California, including Oakland and San Francisco, the state continues to make significant steps to ensure the safety of local communities. Through the CHP's Organized Retail Crime Task Force, since January 2024, the state has conducted 185 investigations, leading to 474 arrests and recovering more than 160,000 stolen goods valued at $4.2 million. gov.ca.gov


Store Managers Fight Back Amid Theft Surge
Grocery store thefts on the rise as managers look for ways to slow down five-finger discounts
Every day, Esposito Market manager Normand Shannon goes over the "Most Wanted" list with his staff, including screen grabs of shoplifters taken from the store's surveillance cameras. Thefts in grocery stores are on the rise, and stores are searching for new ways to stop them.

Big-ticket items like wine, cheese and beef are the most popular items to lift.

Confronting thieves can be dangerous and is not recommended, so some grocery chains have taken action by installing more security measures in self-checkout lines or adding anti-theft stickers on meat.

"You see barriers on the exits and anti-theft devices on products," said Dalhousie University professor Sylvain Charlebois. "I think we need to have a broader conversation about what's actually happening right now."

Charlebois said that grocery store chains and the Retail Council of Canada should release data on the number of thefts occurring so consumers understand why they are seeing these kinds of measures.

While Shannon understands that consumers are struggling with inflation, he is going to continue to keep an eye out and hopes that, eventually, prices and thefts will go down. montreal.ctvnews.ca


How Politics is Influencing America's Crime Debate
Commentary: Lawmakers are overreacting to crime

Crime rates are falling. Why are lawmakers passing tough-on-crime bills?

There can be a big disconnect between actual crime trends and how people feel about them. According to a Gallup poll, for example, the share of Americans who believe that crime is an "extremely" or "very serious" problem afflicting the country recently hit an all-time high - 63 percent in 2023, up from 48 percent just five years earlier.

But the crime data paints a very different picture: According to the FBI, after an uptick in crime in the immediate aftermath of the pandemic, crime rates have actually been falling across the country, with murders declining by 13 percent between 2022 and 2023. In New York City, one of the cities Republicans often point to as a supposed example of lawlessness, shootings are down 25 percent, and homicides are down 11 percent.

But a slew of cities and states have started adopting laws that hark back to the tough-on-crime approach of the 1980s and '90s, a trend that has crossed party lines. Some jurisdictions, for example, have dramatically increased police presence, cracked down on homeless encampments, and imposed harsher penalties for petty crimes.

Many of these bills are getting enacted after crime began falling, which not only means they're likely unnecessary, but they could also potentially pave the way for a reinvigorated era of mass incarceration. Part of the tough-on-crime trend can be explained by the fact that an election is coming up, and politicians are concerned that the public's sentiment about crime might sway voters.

In recent years, the number of people in prison has been starting to creep back up, increasing by 2 percent nationally between 2021 and 2022. The shoplifting panic, for example, prompted many states and local prosecutors to impose harsher penalties on offenders, despite the fact that shoplifting, like other crimes, was trending downward. vox.com


Are You Prepared for an Active Shooter in the Workplace?
SLC 2024 Preview: An Active Shooter at the Workplace

Stop thinking it can't happen to you. Here's what you need to know to be prepared for an active shooter situation.

Greg Pass, director of safety at YKK Corporation of America, knows all too well what can happen when you assume "It can't happen to me." Several years ago, an active shooter came to his workplace. It was an employee.

Gun violence is a hot-button issue. How do you address it in the context of workplace safety?

Gun violence is only one part of a workplace violence program. Companies must develop materials to address other types of workplace violence, from harassment to bullying, as well as conflict resolution materials. Human resources has to play a role in training, offering assistance, and establishing open door policies and hotlines.

It's up to the politicians to take up any legislation, but what are some steps employers can take to make workplaces safer?

 During the investigation stages, we hired an outside consultant to review our facilities. I thought I understood the risks and had the corrective actions in place. I wasn't even close. I will discuss more about what I learned at the conference, but a few examples of the things I was asked include:

• How many manufacturing facilities have preventive maintenance programs for external lighting?
• Are they on timers that never get changed during spring or fall to account for daylight savings time?
• Who is responsible for looking at all the external lighting after dark, parking lots and doors?
• Do companies allow employees to have visitors for lunch? ehstoday.com


Gov. Hochul signs new law for more protections against retail theft

PA: Retail thefts in University City have doubled over past 5 years, DP analysis finds
 

DOJ: Friday, April 26, 2024

Feds 'Finally Unravel' The $68M+ Williams Sonoma Internal Fraud Case Against Former VP Facilities & Real Estate
This VP had it all going down - From fake accounts-contracts & shell companies to kickbacks & rebate frauds. He was a busy criminal.

CFO Of Two New Jersey Companies Charged With Participating In Multi-Million-Dollar Kickback Scheme To Defraud Williams Sonoma, Inc.

Superseding Indictment Alleges Domenick Nardone Helped Arrange Millions of Dollars in Kickbacks to a Former Williams Sonoma Executive to Obtain Lucrative Contracts for His Businesses

OAKLAND - Domenick Nardone appeared in federal court in Oakland last week to face conspiracy, wire fraud, money laundering, and related charges for his alleged role in a kickback scheme that defrauded Williams Sonoma, Inc. (WSI) of millions of dollars./

According to a superseding indictment returned by a federal grand jury on March 12, 2024, Nardone, 66, of Port St. Lucie, Florida, conspired with others to pay millions of dollars in kickbacks to Eric Marsiglia, a former WSI executive and co-defendant in the case, to ensure Marsiglia would direct additional business to two New Jersey companies controlled in part by Nardone as Chief Financial Officer and minority owner. Nardone was arrested in Florida on March 29, 2024, and made an appearance in federal court there shortly thereafter. He was released on a $250,000 bond.

Continue here to see the depth and follow the case history


New BDO Survey of 600 CFO's: Retail's Lagging at the Bottom
CFOs See Growing Role as ESG Strategies Mature
Companies embedding sustainability into their overall business strategies are better positioned to drive value and enhance resilience. Download the 2024 ESG Risk & ROI Survey to discover:

The emerging ESG issues associated with generative AI, along with recommendations for risk mitigation.

Why ESG strategies are evolving - and how CFOs are integrating their business and ESG goals.

The proportion of CFOs integrating ESG concerns into core business strategies has soared in the past year.

Judging by a new survey of 600 finance chiefs from BDO, not until now has a majority of CFOs focused on sustainability and other aspects of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) as key strategic activities.

However, the retail sector is lagging at the bottom of the six sectors surveyed, in its ESG maturity and integration. With 62% still labeled as ESG Reactive.

"The least mature of the sectors, by a significant margin, is retail, with only 38% of retail companies being ESG-mature. It suggests that "retail CFOs put sustainability on the back burner in 2023," said BDO, adding that notably, 87% of the retailers surveyed reported that they either broke even or suffered financial losses for the year."

The report notes the regulatory environment around sustainability is intensifying, thanks to initiatives including the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting directive, the SEC's climate-related disclosure rule, and California's requirements for corporate climate disclosures.

"CFOs are bracing for a year in which ESG risks are not just a boardroom buzzword, but a critical business reality," BDO wrote. cfo.com bdo.com


Don't See This Often: 'Welcome to the white-collar recession.'

Main Street Businesses Are Outperforming the US Economy
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Vice President, Retail job posted for Reitmans Canada Ltée/Ltd in Montreal, QC
As an integral member of the brands executive management team, you will partner effectively with peers to develop and enhance the brand vision and initiate short- and long-term strategic initiatives to drive the business forward in an ultra-competitive and rapidly changing retail landscape where an integrated and seamless Omni-channel experience is our customer's expectation. linkedin.com