Retailers Deploy Armies of Investigators to Tackle ORC
Secret surveillance, mining customer data: How retailers help bag shoplifting kingpins

National chain stores employ their own investigators who build criminal cases against shoplifting rings. But legal experts say concerns abound.

Robert Whitley smiled wide as he showed off the mountains of merchandise inside his sprawling warehouse. He may not fit the profile of a crime boss, but federal prosecutors have described Whitley, who goes by Mr. Bob, as the leader of a multimillion dollar shoplifting ring.

From 2011 to 2019, he sold more than $6 million worth of stolen goods - everything from razors to Rogaine to teeth-whitening strips - on Amazon and other online marketplaces, according to court papers. Prosecutors say he paid professional shoplifters to steal specific items from drug stores, supermarkets and big box retailers across Georgia.

The case against Whitley was built not just by federal agents but corporate investigators with CVS, Target and Publix, representing the kind of collaboration that has grown more prevalent amid what industry groups say is a historic spike in organized retail crime.

National retailers have filled the void with their own armies of seasoned investigators. They spend months and sometimes years gathering evidence against shoplifting rings and present nearly fully formed criminal cases to law enforcement.

Many of the country's major retailers - Target, Walgreens, CVS, Walmart, Home Depot, Lowe's and Publix supermarkets - now employ former police officers and sheriff's deputies who go to such lengths as secretly tailing people whom they believe are part of a shoplifting enterprise, according to a NBC News review of more than 50 organized retail theft prosecutions over the last 10 years.

"We only follow someone if we think they are part of a ring worth $1 million or more," said Ben Dugan, who heads CVS' investigative arm, which started to surveil Whitley four years before his indictment. "We don't do small cases."

Since 2020, an increasing number of states have launched organized retail crime task forces that pair corporate investigators with police and prosecutors. State attorneys general have created teams in Florida, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Illinois. Plans are in the works in Connecticut and Michigan.

These corporate cops use many of the same tactics as law enforcement officers - they surveil and question suspected shoplifters, run license plate searches, and collect large amounts of personal data. But constitutional restrictions that bind the actions of police and federal agents don't apply to retail investigators. nbcnews.com

San Francisco's Retail Theft Crackdown
Confidence shook as efforts to crack down on retail theft continue
Law enforcement from the state level to cities here in the Bay Area say they are cracking down on retail theft. Despite the crackdown, retail theft continues to be an ongoing problem that impacts multimillion dollar businesses and small shops alike.

Video of brazen thefts are all too common. Now, California Attorney General Rob Bonta says the California Highway Patrol, working with local law enforcement, has taken down one of the organized retail theft rings which has victimized businesses in the South Bay.

In San Francisco, District Attorney Chesa Boudin announced that an ongoing undercover operation targeting retail theft rings yielded one arrest; Allala Mouaizi and another suspect, Said Mahtout. The DA said the suspects operated out of Zain's Liquor store purchasing goods stolen from Nordstrom. Authorities said Allala Mouaizi and Said Mahtou purchased stolen goods from undercover agents on two separate occasions.

Investigators zeroed in on the pair after the California Department of Alcohol and Beverage Control received a tip about the suspects from the San Francisco Police Department and Nordstrom's loss prevention team. While news of the arrests is welcome, recent crime victims said they've lost faith that those responsible will be caught or held accountable.

Shackleton said she doesn't want to close her doors, but with two burglaries in eight months, and other businesses closing up shop, she has considered it. "We don't want to be one of those businesses. But, the city's not making it easy."

Overnight, San Francisco police confirm that a man broke a window at the Louis Vuitton store on Union Square in the city, an unsettling reminder of the thefts caught on camera November of last year. ktvu.com

How CVS is Driving Down Retail Crime & Protecting Employees
Nevada Attorney General, CVS announce safety measures to prevent robberies

The Nevada Attorney General's office and CVS Health have introduced a new measure meant to prevent pharmacy robberies.

All 97 CVS Pharmacies in Nevada are now using time-delay safe technology, described as a way to help reduce organized retail crime and prevent on-demand access to certain narcotics.

The technology electronically delays the time it takes for pharmacy employees to open the safes. CVS says it introduced these safes at locations in Indianapolis in 2015 and saw a 70% drop in pharmacy robberies.

Time-delay safes are now used in 22 states and Washington D.C., and CVS says that's resulted in a 50% decline in robberies.

"The new security measures being implemented by CVS Health will help protect Nevadans," Attorney General Aaron Ford said in a press release. "These new safes will help reduce retail crime, protect employees and keep opioid medications off the street."

The time-delay function can't be overridden, according to CVS, and all locations in Nevada will have signs warning that the safes are in use. mynews4.com

California's ORC & Violence Surge
Which path will California take on criminal justice?
Last holiday season, cities in California reported increased organized retail theft, as shocking videos of "smash and grab" robberies circulated widely on social media. Mass shooting events are still too common, including the tragic incident near the state's Capitol just weeks ago.

Searching for the causes, many across the state are eager to blame the past decade of criminal justice reforms and prison-downsizing efforts more generally - including those intended to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 - which significantly reduced the size and scope of California's correctional system. But is this blame misplaced? How are these reforms and crime connected, if at all?

Perhaps more than any other state, California is immersed in a period of fundamental reform to its criminal justice system. Since 2011, the state has passed a series of reforms to downsize its massive prison population. The COVID-19 pandemic furthered this trend, as the state reduced prison and jail populations to slow the spread of the virus. California's incarcerated population is currently at its lowest level in over 30 years.

Research shows these reforms had no impact on violent crime and only a modest impact on property crime. And, while some types of crime have increased during the pandemic, overall rates in recent years remain at near historic lows.

Despite increased investments, crime rates have not fallen proportionately, suggesting the state is reaping diminishing crime-control returns on its incarceration investments. The big question is: what's next? ocregister.com

Battling Retail Crime & Violence Across the Pond
Convenience store groups welcome introduction of new shopworker protection law

A new law which brings tougher penalties on those who attack shopworkers has come into force.

The Police, Crime, Sentencing and Courts Act was given royal assent on 28 April. It sees new provisions come into force that make attacking individuals who serve the public an aggravated offence.

The ACS and NFRN have welcomed the passing of the new law, which alongside other groups, such as Usdaw, have been campaigning to better protect shopworkers who face abuse when doing their job.

Levels of abuse reached new highs during the pandemic, as figures from the ACS 2022 Crime Report showed that in the past year, 89% of colleagues working in convenience stores have faced abuse in their job. More than 35,000 incidents of violence have taken place, with over 16,000 incidents including the use of a weapon.

ACS co-ordinated with over 100 retailers and other trade bodies the Home Office-backed ShopKind campaign, urging customers to be respectful of colleagues in stores. Polling conducted for the campaign showed that more than a third of consumers had witnessed violence and abuse against shopworkers.

NFRN national president Narinder Randhawa said: "Attacks against store owners and their staff have been increasing for a number of years, so I am pleased that we are now being given the same protection in law as other frontline workers." thegrocer.co.uk

Crime Concerns: Overblown or Underreported?
How does Seattle feel about crime? It's complicated
Crime gets a lot of airtime in Seattle these days. Headlines abound about retail theft and gun violence. Crime rates have increased. But perceptions of crime and safety can vary greatly from reality.

Respondents were asked whether they think crime is exaggerated, underplayed or accurately portrayed by the media. The city is nearly evenly split on the question: 35% said the media exaggerates how bad the city's crime is, 32% said crime is being underreported, 25% said reports are accurate and 8% have no opinion.

Those views of crime weren't formed in a vacuum. The Seattle Police Department's 2021 crime report showed there were 5,340 reports of violent crime in 2021, up 20% from 2020's 4,466 reports. There were 42,049 reports of property crime in 2021, a 9% increase from 2020's 38,714. crosscut.com

Opinion: New Orleans violent crime demands serious solutions, not partisan swipes

US: 83.2M Cases - 1M Dead - 80.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 514.7M Cases - 6.2M Dead - 469.4M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 355   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 765
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Cases Continue to Tick Upward

Predicting the Next Significant COVID Surge
Most Americans have now had Covid - but experts are predicting the next surge
In the next few weeks, the US is likely to record its 1 millionth reported Covid-19 death, a number that is so staggering it seems unbelievable. There is an uptick in cases in the US and hospitalizations are up 10% since last week. Hopefully the rate of deaths continues to fall.

The warning from Dr. Deborah Birx -- the White House Coronavirus Response Task Force coordinator during the Trump era, who is out with a new book -- is that we can expect surges in cases in the South in the summer and in the North in the winter.

"Each of these surges are about four to six months apart. That tells me that natural immunity wanes enough in the general population after four to six months -- that a significant surge is going to occur again," Birx said. cnn.com

COVID's Retail Impact
What Hy-Vee has learned from COVID
Retailers learned some valuable lessons about the need to stay flexible, the importance of putting the employee and customer safety first, and the critical role supermarkets serve in times of crisis. Here's what a couple of Hy-Vee execs had to say about what the pandemic taught them about produce operations.  thepacker.com

Click here to see the full graphic

The Pandemic Has Permanently Altered Retail
How Fashion Can Work With Shoppers to Move Beyond COVID
It's been more than two years since COVID-19 shut down the world and turned life, including retail, on its ear. Stores and brands scrambled to serve customers while operating within mandated restrictions or safety protocols. But now that we've gone through the virus' Delta strain and made it past the Omicron variant, restrictions are being lifted in most states. And that's good news for retailers - as long as they take the lessons learned during COVID to reset how they do business going forward.

Already, the majority of consumers (77 percent) have shopped for clothes in physical stores and more than half (53 percent) have returned to spending time at malls and shopping areas, according to the Coronavirus Response Survey (Wave 10).

Going forward, the majority of consumers say they want clothing stores to continue with some of the practices that began during the pandemic. They want retailers to offer online ordering with curbside or in-store pickup (76 percent), according to the Coronavirus Response Survey. They also want apparel retailers to offer same day delivery (69 percent), close in-person locations when case numbers surge (66 percent), space clothing racks, display tables, etc., apart to allow for social distancing (66 percent), ensure all staff wear face masks (68 percent), require customers wear face masks (63 percent), and limit in-store occupancy (59 percent). sourcingjournal.com

Return to the Office Not Going As Planned?
Just weeks after returning to the office, many Apple workers are unhappy and ready to quit
A few weeks after Apple started requiring workers to spend at least a couple of days in the office, many employees are unhappy.  Seventy-six percent of Apple workers surveyed said they were dissatisfied with Apple's return-to-office policy that was implemented after the COVID pandemic started waning.

The findings show that Apple may be having a tough time with its hybrid work plan, which started on April 11, that requires corporate workers come into the office once a week. Under the policy, in-office attendance is set to increase on May 23, when workers must go into the office three days weekly.

Up until mid-April, many Apple employees had been working entirely from home for two years. Now, accustomed to no commute, they're now balking at having to return to the office and say they will seek jobs at other tech companies that offer more flexible work arrangements.

A sizable number of workers-56%-claimed they are looking to leave Apple expressly because of its office requirement. It's unclear how many actually will carry through. fortune.com

What to Wear to Return to the Office? Retailers Have No Idea.
Work wear reflects how people feel about their jobs and the economy as a whole. So it makes sense that dressing for the office is all over the place.

New descendants of Omicron variant begin to drive their own coronavirus waves

Private Security Contractors Boosted by Police Shortage
Police shortage prompts U.S. Capitol to use security contractors
Contract security officers will start work Monday as part of a new program to help alleviate staffing shortages within the Capitol Police, according to a letter from the Capitol Police Board to lawmakers and staff obtained by CQ Roll Call. The new Capitol security officers will be unarmed and have a uniform of gray dress pants and a navy blue blazer. They will be positioned inside secured buildings and within existing patrol areas.

The move "will free up the USCP officers to focus on their critical mission to protect the Capitol complex," according to the announcement from House Sergeant at Arms William Walker, Senate Sergeant at Arms Karen Gibson and Architect of the Capitol J. Brett Blanton. Since the Jan. 6, 2021 insurrection, officers leaving and forced overtime have been a constant strain on the department.

The Capitol Police department lost between 140 and 150 officers from Jan. 6, 2021 to Jan. 6, 2022, an attrition rate double that of other years, Chief J. Thomas Manger has said. As of late March, there are around 1,849 officers, approximately 300 short of what the Manger has said is necessary. pilotonline.com

Another Retail Union Effort Picks Up Steam
Apple Store workers in Maryland begin union drive

It's the third store to effort a campaign, setting up a potential labor battle with Apple.

Workers at an Apple store in Maryland are taking steps to unionize, CNBC confirmed Tuesday. It's the third store to effort a campaign, setting up a potential labor battle with Apple.

Organizers at the Towson Mall location, which is near Baltimore, have been coordinating with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers. The group has signatures from more than 65% of employees who would likely be eligible to vote, according to The Washington Post, which first reported the news.

The group would organize as the Coalition of Organized Retail Employees, or AppleCore, the outlet said. They notified Apple CEO Tim Cook of their plans and intend to file paperwork with the National Labor Relations Board in the coming days, according to the Post.

Worker activism has surged since the Covid-19 pandemic hit the nation in early 2020, leading to a strained labor market. Workers have seized the moment to demand higher wages and improved benefits. cnbc.com

'The Great Resignation' Ramps Up Again
More Americans quit their jobs in March than ever before
The Great Resignation, in which companies across the United States are experiencing historic turnover, is showing no signs of slowing down. In fact, the mass exodus ramped up last month.

More Americans than ever before - 4.54 million - quit their jobs in March, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported on Tuesday. That's an increase of 152,000 from February and higher than the former record of 4.53 million in November 2021. The professional and business services sector, as well as the construction industry, saw the most resignations.

Job openings in the labor and hospitality industry declined by 45,000, a drop of 2.6% on a monthly basis, while hiring increased by 40,000. The sector has an unemployment rate of 5.9%, still a bit higher than its pre-pandemic level, CNBC reported. As for other fields, retail and manufacturing job postings rose, while government jobs and positions in transportation, warehousing and utilities decreased, CNN Business reported. hcamag.com

Retailers Struggling to Make Rent
A third of small retailers can't pay rent as financial struggles spike again
The share of small retail businesses that couldn't make rent rose to 34% in April, up six percentage points from February, according to survey data from Alignable.

Those surveyed cited inflation, including gas price spikes, supply chain issues, labor shortages, reduced revenues and increasing rent. Of those small businesses surveyed by Alginable, 46% said their rent was higher than six months ago.

Trouble making rent varied from state to state. Across all industries, New Jersey, Illinois and Maryland had the largest share of small businesses that couldn't pay. Other states, including New York and Texas, saw improvement in businesses' ability to pay. retaildive.com

American Importers Accuse Shipping Giants of Profiteering

Carriers are exploiting the supply chain chaos to breach contracts and jack up rates, importers say in asking for federal intervention.

The frustrations are part of a chorus of grievance directed at the 10 companies that dominate international shipping, all of them based outside the United States. In a global economy long dependent on cheap ocean cargo, the chaos roiling the seas has provoked accusations of monopolistic practices by the shipping giants, prompting businesses to prepare complaints they plan to file at the Federal Maritime Commission, which regulates the industry. It has also triggered legislation in Congress aimed at beefing up the commission's authority to challenge abuses by shipping firms. nytimes.com

Job openings hit a record high March as businesses still struggle to find workers

Macy's to broaden Reebok apparel assortment in expanded deal


Quarterly Results

Murphy USA Q1 merchandise up 18.4%, food & bev. up 14.6%, retail gallons up 7.8%,

Publix Q1 comp's up 11.7%, sales up 13.5%

Starbucks Q2 Global comp's up 7%, U.S. comp's up 12%, consolidated net revenue up 15%

Camping World Q1 revenue up 6.7%

Canada's Loblaw Q1 Retail segment sales up 3.2%, Food Retail comp's up 2.1%, Drug Retail (Shoppers Drug Mart) comp's up 5.2%, E-commerce down 9.8%, revenue up 3.3%

Canada's Metro Q1 Food comp's up 0.8%, Pharmacy comp's up 9.4%

More COVID Protest Clashes
Canadian police face off with protesters opposed to mandates
Police wearing helmets and shields made several arrests Friday night in Canada's capital after facing off against protesters opposed to COVID-19 mandates.

Big-rig trucks attempted to make their way to Parliament Hill as part of the "Rolling Thunder" rally, organized by Freedom Fighters Canada, a group dedicated to speaking out against COVID-19 mandates.

Many of the protesters were also part of the three-week Freedom Convoy demonstration that gridlocked Ottawa's downtown earlier this year with big rigs, prompting Canada's federal government to invoke the Emergencies Act for the first time. That protest ended after hundreds of police officers moved in to disperse the crowds, making dozens of arrests.

Ottawa police promised earlier Friday that protesters would not be allowed to get a foothold for a prolonged occupation.

More than 800 reinforcements were called in from the RCMP, Ontario Provincial Police and regional police services to guard every major downtown intersection and prevent protesters from bringing vehicles into the core. ctpost.com

The Pandemic & Workplace Safety
COVID-19 still a work safety concern
Over the course of the ongoing pandemic, an increase in COVID-19 related claims has been reported by BC's workers compensation board, WorkSafeBC. According to their website, 12,619 claims relating to COVID-19 were submitted over the past 14 months. Only 72% of these were accepted. While healthcare and education are the two subsectors with the highest amount of claims, retail and service businesses don't trail far behind. These businesses have had their own set of challenges.

With over 3.7 million total cases recorded in Canada so far, and 510 million worldwide, completely avoiding the pandemic while on the job is simply not possible for the vast majority of workers in Merritt, and all over.

Although employers in BC are no longer required to have a WorksafeBC approved COVID-19 Safety Plan, they must now follow communicable disease guidance to ensure the wellbeing of workers and customers alike.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been top of mind for most people in the business community, leaving many struggling to keep up with ever-changing restrictions and protocols. From an increased need for mental health support, to keeping six feet apart in smaller spaces, the challenges can be felt in Merritt businesses and beyond. merrittherald.com

As mask mandates end, Canada's Atlantic provinces see a virus resurgence
In Canada's Atlantic provinces, once a refuge of sorts from the pandemic, there has been a resurgence of known coronavirus infections at a time when most provinces have ended mask mandates and scaled back data surveillance on virus transmission.

The four eastern provinces - Newfoundland and Labrador, Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island - were relatively shielded, in part by their location, from the rampant virus transmission that gripped the rest of Canada during previous waves. Part of the strategy was to limit out-of-province travelers in what came to be known as the Atlantic "bubble."

The "bubble" has burst, but inter-province travel is less of a concern for public health experts than the effects of recently ended mandates. nytimes.com

Canada needs a stronger COVID-19 detection system, experts say
 

Columbus, GA: Update: Columbus residents found guilty after stealing over $900K in multi-state Sam's Club theft ring
Several Columbus-area residents involved in a multi-state Sam's Club theft ring amounting to $900,567 in loss to the company were sentenced to federal prison for their crimes. The following suspects were found guilty:

● 46-year-old Brian Cowman, of Fortson, was sentenced to serve nearly four years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release. Cowman previously pleaded guilty to two counts of conspiracy to transport stolen goods.

● 68-year-old Marcel Crawford, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve nearly three years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release.

● 55-year-old Ernest Mitchell, of Columbus, was sentenced to serve just over four years in prison to be followed by three years of supervised release after they previously pleaded guilty to one count conspiracy to transport stolen goods.

● 48-year-old Mildred Alarcon, of Fortson, previously pleaded guilty to one count of false statements and was sentenced to three years of probation.

According to court documents, Cowman and Crawford conspired to transport and sell stolen goods taken from numerous Sam's Club stores located throughout the southeastern and midwestern United States between March 2018 and Feb. 2019, with the assistance of the remaining co-defendants.

Court documents say Crawford and his co-conspirators traveled to Sam's Clubs stores in Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, South Carolina, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky, where they would steal various items including ink cartridges, Bose speakers, razors, DVDs, and tick and flea medications and collars for pets.

The co-defendants often committed their crimes by emptying large boxes filled with inexpensive paper goods and filling them with more expensive items, paying only the cost of the boxed item and walking out of the store with the pilfered goods. wtvm.com

Warsaw: Man and woman tied to Statewide Walmart thefts arrested
Two Rochester residents tied to a statewide series of thefts have been arrested after a month long investigation at the Warsaw Walmart. The investigation began March 28 after an Asset Protection employee contacted the Wyoming County Sheriff's Office. The employee reported multiple incidents in which a male and female enters the store with fraudulent receipts, which they allegedly used to steal merchandise and return stolen items. The stolen items added up to $3,680.76 in value, deputies said.

Deputies identified the suspects as Rodqrick McGowan and LaShainda Baker, both of Rochester. Deputies responded to the store on Sunday after a report that McGowan was inside, trying to return a stolen item with a fraudulent receipt. They took him into custody in the parking lot. A search of his rental truck revealed a stolen trap shooter and 164 fraudulent Walmart receipts. The vehicle also allegedly contained forgery equipment including a blank roll of Walmart receipt paper, a paper cutter, and a copier/ printer which was operational and powered up in the rear seat. thedailynewsonline.com

Chicago, IL: Reputed 'Four Corner Hustler' charged with thefts in Will County
A man who pleaded guilty to committing racketeering activity for the Four Corners Hustlers gang in Chicago was charged in Will County with several financial crimes involving Home Depot. On April 19, Dandre Spann, 44, was booked into the Will County jail on charges of continuing a financial crimes enterprise, burglary and retail theft. A grand jury returned an indictment that alleged Spann committed fraud and retail theft against Home Depot stores across the Chicago area and burglary at a Home Depot store in Bolingbrook. The indictment alleged the thefts committed by Spann were "part of a continuing course of conduct in different jurisdictions that have been aggregated in one jurisdiction with at least one of the thefts being committed in Will County, Illinois."

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul's office is prosecuting the case against Spann. Will County Judge Dave Carlson initially set Spann's bond at $1 million when the indictment was filed. On April 21, Carlson lowered it to $100,000 following a bond reduction hearing the same day. On that day, Spann's attorney, Tod Urban, motioned for a lower bond by arguing Spann was not a flight risk and he was charged with a non-violent crime. Assistant Attorney General Daniel Weiler objected to a lower bond. Weiler argued Spann committed the thefts alleged in the indictment while on supervised release in a federal racketeering conspiracy case involving the Four Corner Hustlers gang. On Jan. 8, 2020, Spann was sentenced to 48 months in prison after he pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy, given credit for already serving that time in custody and was then sentenced to three years of supervised release. shawlocal.com

El Cajon, CA: Arrest made in East County theft series
A man is in custody on suspicion of a series of thefts in East County, El Cajon Police Department announced Tuesday. 32-year-old Sterle Sisco was identified as the suspect in a string of shoplifting and robberies in El Cajon, and is facing charges of grand theft, robbery and a felony warrant for a probation violation. On Monday, May 2, Sisco allegedly filled a suitcase with merchandise at the Target store located at 250 Broadway in El Cajon. He proceeded to exit the store with the merchandise-filled suitcase and a Schwinn bicycle, ECPD Lt. Randy Soulard said. A Target loss prevention employee recognized Sisco from previous theft attempts, police said. After police were notified from Target, they searched for the suspect in a drainage canal in the 1200 block of Grave Ave. fox5sandiego.com

Waterford, CT: Man caught on camera stealing hundreds of dollars worth of cable from Waterford Home Depot

New Hartford, NY: Man accused of stealing over $1,100 in merchandise from Market 32

SDORCA General Membership meeting - Tuesday, May 10, 2022