NYC Major Thefts Up 43.5% - Robberies Up 41.5% - Burglaries Up 39.4%
Big Apple shootings dipped as April crime surged - but gunplay still nearly twice pre-pandemic levels
Big Apple gun violence fell last month compared to April 2021, although the number of shootings was still nearly double pre-pandemic levels - and overall city crime continues to surge, NYPD data shows.

Major crimes were up 34.2% overall, fueled by jumps in felony assaults, robberies, burglaries and thefts, according to the April crime statistics.

The Big Apple logged nearly 400 more robberies, felony assaults and burglaries -or 41.5%, 20.9% and 39.4% increases, respectively - last month compared to April 2021, according to the data. Nearly 1,200 more major thefts were reported, too, a 43.5% jump, and roughly 200 more cars were stolen, an uptick of 26.8%, the data shows.

Shootings did tick down by almost 30% - or 105 last month vs. 148 in April 2021. But last month's incidents of gun violence remained nearly double the same period in 2019, NYPD data shows.

City and police officials have made shootings a priority in terms of crime-fighting - with the NYPD launching special anti-gun teams about two months ago and roving extra nightly patrols this week to combat the scourge.

Meanwhile, murders were down by 38% last month compared to April 2021 - or 31 vs. 50 - and rape complaints saw a slight decrease, according to the data. Overall, major crime for last month compared to April two years ago was up by 37.3%..

Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell said in the release that the department is "making noticeable headway" through its increased patrols and Neighborhood Safety Teams and touted the NYPD's return to "Broken Windows" policies, which focus on lower-level quality of life offenses, such as littering and fare evasion. nypost.com

Georgia's New ORC Law
Gov. Kemp Signs Inform Consumers Act to Combat Organized Retail Crime
Today, Governor Brian P. Kemp signed SB 332, also known as the Inform Consumers Act, which prevents criminals from selling goods stolen from retail stores on any online marketplace platform. The legislation establishes financial and contact information requirements for high-volume sellers to online marketplaces and requires that such platforms establish an option for consumers to report suspicious activity.

It also requires sellers to provide their contact information to consumers when their annual revenue on the marketplace exceeds $20,000. Sellers who do not comply will be prohibited from using the online marketplaces further, and the Attorney General is now empowered to enforce compliance with these disclosure requirements.

"Here in Georgia, we will do everything possible to curb crime and make life difficult for those who break the law," said Governor Kemp. "With SB 332, we're dealing another blow to the organized gangs that steal from Georgia shops and stores by making it much harder for them to profit from their heists.

"I want to thank Senator John Albers as well as Representative Houston Gaines for carrying this legislation and seeing it across the finish line. I also want to thank the members of the General Assembly who voted for this bill to help us keep up the fight against criminals." einnews.com

Security Officers on High Alert
Organized Fuel Thefts on the Rise Amid Nationwide Price Increase
With gasoline in many places now hitting well over the $5.00 mark, especially diesel, fuel thefts are on the rise, once again. Everything from a few gallons to hundreds of gallons.

Security officers patrolling residential communities, shopping centers, and malls, and really, just about any place where vehicles are parked, or gasoline is stored or sold, should be on high alert.

While you may think of this as a petty, small-time crime, in some cases it's much more. Some have turned it into a profitable, large-scale multi-area, and in some cases, high-tech caper.

Recently, a security officer in Loveland Park Colorado was patrolling the parking area of a business complex in the middle of the afternoon. He observed a man who he thought was probably an employee of one of the businesses, kneeling in between vehicles.

As he walked towards the area to ensure that everything was alright, a second man popped up from behind another vehicle, two aisles over. The security officer noticed the doors of a commercial van were open. He had stumbled upon a large-scale gasoline heist.

Similar thefts in the past few months have been reported in Florida, Connecticut, and Michigan. Thieves are coming up with novel ways to steal from gas stations. While theft of a few gallons of gasoline is a misdemeanor, the theft of hundreds or thousands of gallons of gasoline would most likely be a felony in most states. privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com

Kroger Sued After Firing Employee Who Stopped Alcohol Theft
Why a long-time Kroger worker who confronted shoplifter says she was fired
A Michigan Kroger worker who confronted a shoplifter trying to steal a cart full of liquor spoke about why she lost her job after more than three decades with the company. Beverly Bennett, 61, worked at the Kroger in Lincoln Park and spent 31 years with the company.

Bennett said she was working last fall when a man who hadn't paid tried to exit the store with a grocery cart full of hundreds of dollars' worth of liquor. She said all employees had received instruction on how to approach shoplifters because items were being stolen every day.

When the alarm went off at the exit, Bennett asked the man for a receipt, she said. She stood in front of his cart and swung a basket at the grocery cart, she claims. The man ran off, and Bennett's coworkers celebrated her, according to attorney Greg Rohl.

"They congratulated her for stopping that level of theft," Rohl said. "She was considered, I guess that day, to be a hero." Bennett said she lost her job because of that incident. Specifically, she was fired for swinging the basket at the man's grocery cart, Bennett says.

Now, her attorney has filed a lawsuit against Kroger on her behalf. Bennett said she didn't violate any company policies. She said her employee record over the past 31 years is spotless. clickondetroit.com

Protecting Businesses Amid Rising Crime & Fewer Cops
Champaign, IL approves bringing in security firm for police patrol help
Champaign leaders have approved hiring a security firm to help police with patrols as law enforcement deals with staffing issues. Police leaders have said they need temporary help to be sure the city is safe.

Deputy Chief Geoffrey Coon said the department is severely understaffed, as it is down 19 officers as of early May. The goal is to be sure businesses are protected while Champaign works to hire more officers and put them through the academy. Business owners said action is needed now to combat issues.

"We have minors walking up and down the street with open container alcohol," said Jacklyn Sampson, the owner of a downtown business. "We have people manning our doors threatened with violence for not letting minors into our building. We have no control over the street."

To address council concerns about transparency, the AGB officers will be required to have on body cameras. They will not be armed with a firearm, stun gun or pepper spray. wandtv.com

Feds Cracking Down on Violent Crime in Minneapolis
U.S. Attorney Announces New Federal Violent Crime Strategy
MINNEAPOLIS - U.S. Attorney Andrew Luger, along with federal, state, and local law enforcement partners, today announced a new federal strategy to address violent crime in the Twin Cities metro area.

The federal violent crime strategy announced today establishes expanded capacity within the U.S. Attorney's Office to prosecute violent crime cases. Every federal prosecutor in the office will now take on violent crime cases. The U.S. Attorney's Office will also be hiring additional prosecutors to assist in these efforts. With this expanded capacity, the office will prioritize the intake of all adult federal carjacking cases; cases involving the illegal possession of firearms and/or ammunition; firearms trafficking cases; straw purchasing cases; as well as cases involving the illegal possession of auto sears and ghost guns. Finally, U.S. Attorney Luger has created a new gang prosecution team that will work directly with law enforcement in addressing the gang violence that is plaguing the metro. justice.gov

Majority of voters disapprove of Mayor Eric Adams' handling of NYC crime

Photo Capturing Still The Achilles Heel For Facial Recognition Tech (FRT)
DHS Biometric Rally 2021 results show accuracy gains, but masks and equality still challenges for some
Three quarters of the errors encountered by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) in its latest biometrics rally occurred during the photo capture part of the process, compared to only one in four during matching.

The results of the 2021 Biometric Technology Rally, held at the Maryland Test Facility (MdTF), have been released for public review. Masks were a particular focus of the 2021 Rally.

DHS led 601 participants with diverse demographics through six steps, from informed consent to reporting, and analyzed the results according to anonymized vendor, but also gender and skin tone. The scenario tested for is a high-throughput identity check, meaning less than five seconds per person, without staff operation of equipment.

People without masks were correctly identified an average of 95 percent of the time, across all systems, while people wearing masks were correctly identified 86 percent of the time. The median system in the 2020 Biometric Rally identified people wearing masks 77 percent of the time.

The latest edition of the U.S. National Institute of Standard and Technology's (NIST's) Face Recognition Vendor Test (FRVT) 1:N report, dated April 28, shows continued improvement among newly-submitted algorithms not just in biometric accuracy, but also size and speed. biometricupdate.com

Retail's Response to Roe v. Wade Uproar
Levi Strauss to reimburse abortion travel for employees
Levi Strauss & Co said on Wednesday it will reimburse travel expenses for its full- and part-time employees who need to travel to another state for health care services, including abortions. The apparel company best known for its jeans is the latest U.S. company to offer the benefit as various states clamp down on access to abortions.

And now, the U.S. Supreme Court looks set to vote to overturn the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide, according to a leaked initial draft majority opinion published by Politico on Monday.

"Given what is at stake, business leaders need to make their voices heard and act to protect the health and well-being of our employees. That means protecting reproductive rights," the company said in a statement.

Other companies have pledged to offer similar support to their U.S. employees who need to travel out of states like Texas and Oklahoma that have restricted access to abortion services. Amazon.com Inc, the second-largest U.S. private employer, on Monday told employees it will pay up to $4,000 in travel expenses yearly for non-life threatening medical treatments, among them elective abortions.

Crowd-sourced review platform Yelp, Inc said it will start in May to cover expenses for its employees and their dependents who need to travel to another state for abortion services.  reuters.com

Pharmacies may face challenges over abortion pills - Future Risks?
Abortion Pills Stand to Become the Next Battleground in a Post-Roe America
Medication abortion allows patients to terminate early pregnancies at home. Some states are moving to limit it, while others are working to expand access.

If the Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, the legal and culture wars over abortion that have consumed the United States for decades would increasingly be fought on a new front: abortion pills. nytimes.com

Fighting Off the Union Push
Starbucks to hike wages, double training for workers as CEO Schultz tries to head off union push

Starbucks said it will hike wages for tenured workers and double training for new employees as it seeks to beat back the union push from its baristas.

Starbucks said it will hike wages for tenured workers and double training for new employees as the company and its CEO, Howard Schultz, seek to beat back the union push from its baristas.

However, the coffee giant will not offer the enhanced benefits to workers at the roughly 50 company-owned cafes that have voted to unionize. Such changes at unionized stores would have to come through bargaining, Starbucks said.

In total, Starbucks plans to spend $1 billion on wage hikes, improved training and store innovation during fiscal 2022, which ends in the fall. On Schultz's first day back at the helm of the company, he suspended its buyback program to invest in workers and stores. cnbc.com

DOJ: Kohl's & Walmart to Pay $5.5M in Combined Penalties for Alleged Deceptive Violations of Textile Act & Rules & FTC Act Around the Use of Bamboo
Today, the Department of Justice, together with the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), announced that Kohl's Inc. (Kohl's) and Walmart Inc. (Walmart) have agreed to pay $2.5 million and $3 million in civil penalties, respectively, in as part of settlements to resolve allegations that Kohl's and Walmart violated the Textile Fiber Products Identification Act (Textile Act) and associated rules (Textile Rules) and the Federal Trade Commission Act (FTC Act) by making deceptive claims about products supposedly made of bamboo when such products were actually made of rayon and did not contain bamboo fibers. justice.gov

On the Look Out - New Retailer Booming - LP Needs & Jobs in Future?
Watch out Sephora

Dallas-based beauty retailer Miss A taking its $1 prices to 200 stores in 5 yrs.
The company, which has 300 employees and is growing by reinvesting profits, had sales of well into the eight figures last year from its shopmissa.com e-commerce business and a dozen Miss A stores in Dallas-Fort Worth and Houston.

The retailer has already opened three stores this year and now has eight in D-FW, six in Houston and one in Albuquerque, N.M. Fifteen more stores are planned this year, including in Austin, San Antonio, Tulsa, Oklahoma City and Rogers, Ark. Miss A, which is named for the owner Jean Baik's Korean middle name Jin-Ah, can sell items for $1 because it sells directly to the consumer "without a middleman." dallasnews.com

Apple retail employees in Atlanta to hold union election in June

Mother's Day spending to increase 13 percent - hit $32 billion

American Dream lost $60M last year


Quarterly Results

CVS Q1 store comp's up 10.7%, pharmacy comp's up 10.1%, front store comp's up 13.2%,

Yum Brands Q1 comp's up 3%, digital sales up 15%, sales up 8%

Rent A Center Q1 Business Segment down 1.2%, Acima Segment up 31%, Franchise down 34.6%, Mexico up 8.4%, revenue up 11.9%

EZCORP Q1 Consolidated results PLO up 39%, total revenue up 17%, net revenue up 13%

Dine Brands Global Q1 Applebee's domestic comp's up 14.3%, IHOP comp's up 18.1%, consolidated sales up 13%

Brinker Q3 systemwide comp's up 13.5%

Central Garden & Pet Q2 net sales up 2%

ebay Q1 Gross Merchandise Volume (GMV) down 20%, revenue down 6%
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director of Security and Health & Safety job posted for Shopify (Remote, Americas)
As the Director of Security, Health and Safety, you will lead the development, execution and on-going improvements of a 360-degree, comprehensive program to enable the business and ensure the security and safety of the company's workforce and assets around the globe. The work you will be doing can be challenging. The ideal candidate isn't a bystander. You are curious and engaged, willing to jump in to solve problems and make data-driven decisions even when things feel very ambiguous. jobs.smartrecruiters.com

Senior Security Director job posted for GH Group in Venture, CA
In this newly created position, the Senior Security Director is responsible for the direct management of the development, installation, execution and maintenance of all security systems and protocols for the Company. The Senior Security Director role supports driving consistent results through strategic practices developed in partnership with the CFO, Cultivation, Manufacturing, Distribution, Retail and Corporate Heads of each division. indeed.com
 

New York, NY: Jewelry Shop Smash-And-Grab Heist Tied to At Least 18 NYC Thefts, Netting Thieves $250K
Surveillance video showed a sledgehammer-wielding thief smash his way through the front window of a Bronx jewelry store, part of a string of at least 18 connected NYC robberies in which police said nearly $250,000 in merchandise has been swiped. The video, from around 4 p.m. Sunday, shows the man dressed in all black take a sledgehammer to the front window of the M&NP Jewelers store on White Plains Road in the Pelham Parkway section during broad daylight. "All of a sudden we hear a boom, a loud boom. The last thing I had in my mind was that we were gonna get robbed," said store employee Yailin Reyes, who was working inside at the time. Reyes and her coworkers can be seen jumping back when the hammer first hit the window. She somehow had the presence of mind to run to the front gate and pull it down. The total loss was $20,000, but Reyes' boss knows it could have been much worse. He told them to close the gate in case of a burglary. Police said the incident is part of a citywide jewelry store robbery pattern the last few months. At least 18 stores have been hit, with the robbers getting away with more than $247,000 in goods have been stolen. In the latest incident, on Fifth Avenue in Manhattan, police said that the same crew broke into a store just a day after the Bronx heist, and got away with more than $187,000 in jewelry. nbcnewyork.com

Aventura, FL: Serial Shoplifter hits Saks OFF 5th Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls and Old Navy
Detectives are investigating a serial shoplifter who was arrested for targeting stores in Aventura. Surveillance videos show Nestor Jimenez stealing four pairs of Balenciaga sunglasses from Saks OFF 5TH and 25 pairs of jeans from Old Navy, according to Sgt. Hans Maestre. He fled in a white BMW. Officers arrested Jimenez on Friday and he appeared in Miami-Dade County court on Saturday to face charges for thefts at Nordstrom Rack, Marshalls, and Old Navy. local10.com

Charlotte, NC: Nordstrom of SouthPark Mall employee accused of diverting $10,000 in online orders to her home

Visalia, CA: 3 arrested for stealing chainsaws from local Hardware store; $2000 in items recovered

Yonkers, NY: Macy's Cross County Robbed of $2500 in perfume

Portage, IN: Police investigating theft at Strack &Van Til Grocery store