Philly Becoming Hotspot of 'Very Dangerous' Shoplifting Surge
Philadelphia businesses 'closing left and right' over increase in shoplifting

Philadelphia business owners say it's 'very dangerous' to run a business in the city

Convenience stores in the Philadelphia area are "closing left and right" in response to an increase in brazen shoplifting incidents, merchants in the city say.

"Right now we have a lot of problems with the city of Philadelphia. We are closing left and right," Manzoor Chughtai, the president of the Franchise Owners Association, said, according to WPVI. "Robbers are coming in, they're just robbing the place left and right."

Chughtai said 15-20 stores in the city have closed in recent days, noting that people aren't stepping up to take over a store and run it.

"We have now lost about 15-20 stores in the city of Philadelphia. Nobody wants to take over the store. Nobody wants to run the business in the city of Philadelphia. Very dangerous," said Chughtai.

"It's a scary situation. Sooner or later somebody is gonna get really hurt out there," Emmanuel said.

Similar issues with rampant shoplifting have affected other cities in the country, most notably San Francisco. Walgreens shuttered more than a dozen locations in the Bay Area as of last year, citing "ongoing organized retail crime."

"Due to ongoing organized retail crime, we have made the difficult decision to close five stores across San Francisco," a Walgreens spokesperson told FOX Business in a statement in October. "Each store will transfer prescriptions to a nearby Walgreens location within a mile radius and we expect to place the stores' team members in other nearby locations."  foxbusiness.com

Illinois AG Applauds New Statewide ORC Legislation
Attorney General Raoul Applauds Signing of Legislation to Combat the Rise in Organized Retail Crime

"By advancing the Organized Retail Crime Act, Illinois is enacting one of the most comprehensive crime-curbing efforts in the nation."

Attorney General Kwame Raoul today applauded Gov. J.B. Pritzker for signing legislation Raoul initiated to combat the rise in organized retail crime and disrupt the criminal enterprises that engage in and profit from organized retail theft.

Raoul, in partnership with the Illinois Retail Merchants Association (IRMA), initiated House Bill 1091 to address organized retail crime throughout the state of Illinois. The new law closes gaps in current Illinois law by defining the offense of organized retail crime, which will provide law enforcement with more tools to investigate and prosecute the actors who orchestrate these criminal activities.

"Serious criminal activities, including gunrunning and drug trafficking, have been funded using proceeds from the sales of merchandise stolen through organized retail crimes. This is not just a criminal problem - this hurts consumers as well. That is why we need online marketplaces to do their part. Online marketplaces must use their intellectual resources to make sure criminals are not selling stolen products on their sites, which will help us protect consumers," Raoul said.

He added, "This law strengthens the authority of my office and other law enforcement agencies to disrupt criminal enterprises that are directly responsible for the rise in organized retail crime."

"This new law represents another important step to fight crime and advance public safety in Illinois," Governor Pritzker said. "This is how we protect store workers and customers, prevent militarized storefronts and empty commercial corridors, and across the board, make communities safer for all who call them home. And I look forward to furthering our work to shape a public safety system that works for all of us, including ensuring the victim rights advanced today are carried throughout our justice system."

"Organized retail crimes across the state have disturbed residents, wreaked havoc on businesses and stunted growth within local economies," Glowiak Hilton said. "By advancing the Organized Retail Crime Act, Illinois is enacting one of the most comprehensive crime-curbing efforts in the nation." illinoisattorneygeneral.gov

North Carolina Lawmakers Propose Tough Retail Theft Penalties
House Bill 1005 would step up penalties for organized retail theft

House Bill 1005 would strengthen penalties associated with organized retail theft.

Organized retail theft could carry stiffer criminal penalties, under a bill filed this week at the N.C. General Assembly. Some offenses could lead to prison sentences of up to 15 years. North Carolina already criminalizes organized retail theft. H.B. 1005 expands on existing law.

It creates a new Class F felony for a person who conspires with someone else to steal $50,000 or more in property from one or more retail stores over a 90-day period, "with the intent to sell that retail property for monetary or other gain, and who takes or causes that retail property to be placed in the control of a retail property fence or other person in exchange for consideration."

Authorities could charge the same felony for someone who conspires with at least two other people "as an organizer, supervisor, financier, leader, or manager to engage for profit in a scheme or course of conduct to effectuate the transfer or sale of property stolen from a merchant."

If the amount stolen tops $100,000 over a 90-day period, the charge could jump to a Class C felony, which carries a sentence of 44 to 182 months in prison. Those sentenced at the upper end of the scale would spend more than 15 years behind bars.

H.B. 1005 also would create new felony crimes for organized retail theft that causes more than $1,000 in property damage or involves an assault on a store employee or law enforcement officer.

Carolina Journal reported last December on the negative impact of "smash-and-grab" crimes linked to organized retail theft. Thieves hit stores particularly hard during the last Christmas shopping season, even the small businesses barely recovering from the pandemic, labor shortages, and supply chain problems. carolinajournal.com

Justice Department's Post-Buffalo Hate Crime Crackdown
DOJ vows ramped up effort against hate crime after Buffalo shooting
The Department of Justice (DOJ) is vowing to ramp up efforts to confront hate crime, a pledge that comes amid growing concerns that the white nationalist ideology behind the deadly Buffalo shooting has increasingly moved from the political fringes into the mainstream.

Attorney General Merrick Garland on Friday addressed the racially motivated rampage, saying the department would use "every legal tool at our disposal" to investigate the attack and combat what he described as the "evolving" threat of hate crime.

"Unfortunately, we are gathered today in the shadow, in the wake of another horrific attack," Garland told an audience in Washington. "We commit to using every resource of the Department of Justice to prevent these kinds of acts of hate, to hold accountable those who commit them and to support the communities that are damaged and terrorized by them."

The shooting spree at a Buffalo supermarket in a predominantly Black neighborhood on May 14 killed 10 and injured three others; all but two of the victims were Black. The alleged assailant, 18-year-old Payton Gendron, has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of first-degree murder.

The DOJ said it was investigating the attack as a hate crime and an act of racially motivated violent extremism. The federal government last year reported 8,305 hate crimes in 2020, the highest recorded figure in roughly two decades.

The DOJ's determination to probe the Buffalo shooting as a hate crime was based in part on a 180-page manifesto the suspect allegedly posted on the internet two days before the attack in which he described being motivated by white nationalism. thehill.com

Cracking Down on Gun Violence Epidemic Following Buffalo Store Shooting
Senators demand gun shipment stats from trucking, rail companies following series of mass shootings

Carriers' lax security could be contributing to gun violence epidemic, Democratic lawmakers say

Five Democratic U.S. senators have asked 22 trucking and logistics companies and the country's six Class 1 railroads to divulge firearms shipment data out of concern that security loopholes are contributing to rising gun violence.

In a letter sent on Thursday to the freight and parcel carriers - including J.B. Hunt, U.S. Xpress, Landstar System and UPS - the lawmakers, led by Ed Markey, D-Mass., said that gun sales and shipments have skyrocketed since the beginning of the pandemic as a result of exemptions provided to firearm manufacturers and dealers, also known as Federal Firearms Licensees (FFLs).

"This decision allowed dealers to sell more guns than ever before. To meet this demand, firearm manufacturers and dealers shipped guns across state lines in huge numbers, providing new opportunities for criminals to exploit the weak regulation and lax security measures in the shipment process.

"For these reasons, we are concerned that [carriers] are not taking the necessary steps to protect firearm shipments and do their part in addressing the gun violence crisis facing this country."

The senators point out that just days after two deadly mass shootings in Buffalo, New York, and Laguna Woods, California, new federal data released this week shows gun production tripled in the U.S. since 2000.. freightwaves.com

Gun violence leaves Deep Ellum wary
Police and business owners step up security as entertainment district faces the latest wave of fear about crime.

Gun-detecting dog now on patrol at Columbiana Centre Mall

Op-Ed: Hochul's racial huckstering after Buffalo ignores NY's violent-crime surge

Ex-Gov. Andrew Cuomo 'sickened' by Buffalo mass shooting, pushes for gun laws

US: 85M Cases - 1M Dead - 81.6M Recovered
Worldwide: 527.8M Cases - 6.3M Dead - 498M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 358   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 772
*Red indicates change in total deaths

New COVID Wave Picks Up Steam
COVID cases rise in almost every state

The COVID wave is accelerating across the U.S., with Maine being the only state to report a slight decline in the last two weeks.

Why it matters: A 53% jump in cases and a rise in hospitalizations reflects how case growth has moved beyond the Northeast, with metropolitan areas with high vaccination rates increasingly accounting for a higher share of disease spread.

That hasn't appreciably changed public behavior, with one in three Americans now saying the pandemic is over, according to the latest installment of the Axios/Ipsos Coronavirus Index.

Concern among Americans ticked up slightly, the poll showed. "But there's absolutely no behavior change. If anything, behaviors are moving in the other direction.".

By the numbers: There were roughly 96,000 new daily cases over the last week, up more than 50% from about 62,500 two weeks ago. States with some of the biggest recent case jumps include Hawaii, Michigan, New Jersey and Delaware. axios.com

Post-COVID Retail Comeback
Century 21 Store Returns to NYC After Pandemic Closure and Bankruptcy

A retailer that has come to represent the resilience of NYC is making a comeback.

Century 21 will be returning to its flagship location in downtown Manhattan in spring 2023 and is teaming up with retail operator Legends to again showcase a selection of off-price luxury goods. The store will occupy four floors of 22 Cortlandt St. and will offer men's, women's and children's designer apparel, footwear, outerwear, handbags, accessories and fragrances.

Legends, which operates retail and concessions for venues including Yankee Stadium, SoFi Stadium and the World Trade Center's One World Observatory, will also be creating an e-commerce experience for the company.

"Century 21 is, and always will be, a New York City brand," Raymond Gindi, Century 21's co-chief executive officer, said in a statement Tuesday. "In our 60-year history we have only closed our doors twice, once after the devastation of 9/11 and then again during the Covid-19 pandemic. But like the true New Yorkers we are, we have persevered. We could not be more excited to bring Century 21 back home." bloomberg.com

COVID Gave Workers More Leverage - A Recession Could Eliminate It
What a recession means for return-to-office battle between workers & companies
Amid various business challenges ranging from market volatility, rising inflation, lagging revenue and a high risk of recession, companies are slowing hiring and, in some cases, letting workers go.

A quickly shifting employer-employee dynamic could give companies the ammunition to take a harder line against the full-time work-at-home arrangements that many employees have pushed for, according to corporate policies experts. In fact, they say more companies are likely to start pressing staffers to come back to the office - at least a few days a week.

"The hybrid workforce is not going to go away, but the situation where employees refuse to come to the workplace at all is not likely to hold," said Johnny C. Taylor Jr., president and CEO of The Society for Human Resource Management.

Before the pandemic, about 10% of the U.S. workforce worked fully remotely, according to SHRM data. "By the end of 2024, we believe that the number of fully remote workers will go to about 20%. But that still means 80% will be working in the office in some way," Taylor said. cnbc.com

The Rules for Hybrid Work Were Always Made Up
As more and more workplaces pause or end the expectation of three days a week in the office, a large-scale return may never be on the horizon.

As cases rise, Americans are 'checked out' on COVID-19

California coronavirus spread significantly worsens; cases doubling in some areas

Pfizer says 3 COVID shots protect children under 5

Bloomingdale's Security Evolution
How Bloomingdale's pivoted its security strategy amid COVID & civil unrest
So much of the retail environment has changed over the last two years due to COVID-19, civil unrest and increasing cybersecurity threats. Loss prevention executives have had to adapt to all those changes.

Peter Chie, Bloomingdale's operating vice president of asset protection and risk management, spoke with NRF about how Bloomingdale's adjusted its security plans in the face of civil unrest and protests and what can be done to counteract the rise in organized retail crime.

What were some of your key loss prevention goals two years ago and what are the goals today?

With the onset of the pandemic, we had to pivot quickly in several different aspects of our strategy. First, we clearly placed much more emphasis on health and safety, rapidly becoming experts in pandemic response protocols. Second, when civil unrest issues cropped up throughout the country, we focused on keeping our colleagues and customers safe with additional physical security fortification measures and training.

Finally, with the shift to more omnichannel business opportunities including ecommerce and buy online, pick up in store, we took a closer look at the increased fraud and cybersecurity implications associated with these different channels of business.

Protests and demonstrations swept through the U.S. in the summer and fall of 2020, along with workplace violence in light of COVID-19 masking and social distancing requirements. How did Bloomingdale's adjust security plans to consider and plan for potentially volatile events both inside and outside stores?

When the first protests and civil unrest scenarios started to unfold, we executed a four-prong plan to address. First, we ensured that we had a robust communication/notification system in place to stay abreast and current on all potential events. Second, we engaged and enhanced our collaborative efforts with our mall REIT partners, other retailers and law enforcement to ensure we approached these issues holistically from all angles with the support required to address.

Third, we reinforced our current colleague training including personal safety, de-escalation, protest mitigation and incident response. Finally, we ramped up our physical security fortification efforts already in the works, moving up our timeline for completion. This included installation of security measures such as roll-down gates, window laminate and CCTV system enhancements/upgrades. nrf.com

Largest Counterfeiting Transceivers Operation Ever Seized in U.S.
Bergen County Man Charged for Participating in Multimillion-Dollar Counterfeit Trafficking Conspiracy
Musa Karaman, 35, of North Arlington, New Jersey, arrested Friday on charges of participating in a multimillion-dollar conspiracy to traffic counterfeit computer networking devices

From at least September 2017 through May 2021, Karaman, Israfil "David" Demir and another an uncharged conspirator, formed and operated numerous entities in the business of selling computer networking equipment, particularly, networking devices manufactured by Cisco Systems Inc., a major U.S. technology conglomerate that were in fact counterfeit Cisco devices that the conspirators procured from various illicit suppliers based in China.

In May 2021, federal agents executed a search warrant at a Woodland Park, New Jersey warehouse used by Karaman and his conspirators as their business headquarters and discovered thousands of counterfeit Cisco devices, including 7,260 counterfeit Cisco transceivers with a total manufacturer's suggested retail price of approximately $13.77 million. Cisco informed law enforcement officials that this is one of the largest volumes of counterfeit Cisco transceivers ever seized in the United States, and that the total value of the seized counterfeit Cisco transceivers was unprecedented.

Karaman faces 20 years. justice.gov

$100M Baby Formula Fraud Scheme
Fraud Scheme Involving Baby Formula Leads to 18-Year Federal Prison Sentences for Swindlers
A federal district judge in Miami has sentenced each of three South Florida residents to 220 months in prison after a jury found them guilty of orchestrating an elaborate fraud scheme that cheated U.S. manufacturers of infant formula, eye-care products, and other FDA-regulated items out of more than $100 million.

Between 2013 and 2018, Johnny Grobman, 48, Raoul Doekhie, 53, and Sherida Nabi, 57, secured deep price discounts for infant formula and other items by lying to the U.S. manufacturers of the products. Doekhie and Nabi (who are married) told the manufacturers that they were purchasing the products to ship overseas, to Suriname, often in connection with purported government procurement contracts they held in Suriname. In fact, the defendants did not have government procurement contracts and never intended to export the products to Suriname. Instead, Grobman and others sold the products in the United States for millions of dollars, which the three defendants later split among themselves.

The defendants hid their activity from the U.S. manufacturers of the FDA-regulated products in one of three ways. The first was to send "dummy" shipments abroad. The dummy shipments did not contain the products purchased from the manufacturers, but they did generate documentation to prove that an export occurred. The second method was to "U-turn" the products: The products were shipped abroad, generating export documentation. As soon as they arrived overseas, they were shipped back to the United States. The third method was to create fraudulent export shipping documentation showing that the products were exported when they actually never left the country. justice.gov

'Operation Fly Formula' Seeks to End Formula Shortage
A shipment of 78,000 pounds of infant formula arrives in U.S.

President Joe Biden allowed the use of Air Force planes for "Operation Fly Formula."

A military plane carrying enough specialty infant formula for more than half a million baby bottles arrived Sunday in Indianapolis, the first of several flights expected from Europe aimed at relieving a shortage that has sent parents scrambling to find enough to feed their children.

President Joe Biden authorized the use of Air Force planes for the effort, dubbed "Operation Fly Formula," because no commercial flights were available. The formula weighed 78,000 pounds, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters aboard Air Force One as Biden flew from South Korea to Japan.

The flights are intended to provide "some incremental relief in the coming days" as the government works on a more lasting response to the shortage, Brian Deese, director of the White House National Economic Council, said Sunday.

The Biden administration has struggled to address the nationwide shortage of formula, particularly hypoallergenic varieties. The crisis follows the closure of the nation's largest domestic manufacturing plant in Michigan in February due to safety issues. politico.com

Walmart Deploying Robots to All 42 Distribution Centers
Walmart and Symbotic Expand Partnership to Implement Industry-Leading Automation System

Walmart in installing robotics & automation tech in all 42 of its distribution centers.

Symbotic LLC, a revolutionary A.I.-powered supply chain technology company, and Walmart Inc. announced an expanded commercial agreement to implement Symbotic's robotics and software automation platform in all 42 of Walmart's regional distribution centers over the coming years. This is an expansion of Walmart's prior commitment to deploy Symbotic Systems in 25 regional distribution centers.

The end-to-end software-enabled high-density robotics platform plays a strategic role in supporting the retailer's goal of modernizing its vast supply chain network and allows Walmart to transform its regional distribution centers to provide faster responsiveness to store orders, increased inventory accuracy and higher capacity for receiving and shipping freight to stores. The technology's ability to build palletized loads of department-sorted inventory ultimately enables Walmart to get products onto shelves at its more than 4,700 stores more quickly, while also making one of the toughest aspects of supply chain work - material handling - safer and simpler. It also creates new, tech-enabled jobs, such as cell operator and maintenance technician, that offer widely applicable skills in robotics and technology.

Walmart has already begun embedding Symbotic's technology in select regional distribution centers throughout its network. The retrofitting process of all 42 regional distribution centers is expected to be completed over the next 8+ years. businesswire.com forbes.com

First Trader Joe's Store to Seek Union
Trader Joe's workers push to unionize amid wave of organizing efforts

Branch in Hadley, Massachusetts, would be the first unionized store out of more than 530 locations in the US

Organizers have begun a unionization campaign at the upscale supermarket chain Trader Joe's after workers at a branch in Hadley, Massachusetts, announced they were forming a union and intend to file a petition with the National Labor Relations Board to hold an election.

It would be the first unionized Trader Joe's store out of more than 530 locations in the US. Workers are organizing independently, citing the similar framework of the Amazon Labor Union, which is not affiliated with traditional, established labor unions.

"We organized ourselves. With the same instinctive teamwork we use every day to break pallets, work the load, bag groceries, and care for our customers, we joined together to look out for each other and improve our workplace together," workers wrote in an announcement letter to Trader Joe's CEO, Dan Bane. theguardian.com

Jif peanut butter recalled over suspected Salmonella outbreak
The outbreak at Jif's Kentucky factory has affected 12 states and hospitalized two people. The FDA and CDC said the peanut butter should be thrown away and surfaces sanitized.

Anti-money-laundering innovations & evolving financial crime risks

eBay opens a sneaker store in Los Angeles

Consumers Aren't OK. Why April Retail Sales Are Misleading.


Quarterly Results

Richemont FY 22 Jewellery Maisons up 49%, Specialist Watchmakers up 53%, Online up 27%, sales up 46%

Children's Place Q1 comp's down 16.9%, net sales down 16.8%


Last week's #1 article --

Suspect worked at hometown market in months before attack

Modesto, CA: Arrests Made In String Of Sunglass Hut Thefts totaling $2M
Three suspects were arrested in a string of Sunglass Hut thefts that occurred at the Vintage Faire Mall in Modesto, said the Modesto Police Department. This investigation has been ongoing for some time due to repeated grand thefts and robberies at this particular store, police say. On Thursday afternoon, detectives believed that they had found the main suspects and were surveilling them when they witnessed the three suspects exit a stolen Acura SUV at the Vintage Faire Mall.

The suspects entered the mall with hoods and masks and walked towards the Sunglass Hut. Employees met them and stood in front of the entrance, blocking the suspects from entering. Next, the suspects walked away from the store and entered a Macy's where they stole approximately $10,800 worth of cologne and other merchandise.

As the suspects left the store to return to their vehicle, detectives surrounded them. All three of the suspects attempted to flee, so detectives deployed a bean bag as well as a taser to stop them, successfully taking all three into custody. Corey Wyatt, 25, of Vallejo, has been named as the primary suspect in this case. Rayquan Murray, 22, of San Leandro, was identified as the SUV's driver, and Jada Aikens, 19, of San Francisco, was identified as the third suspect. During the search of their stolen vehicle, detectives also located a loaded firearm. Detectives were successful in getting Wyatt's bail increased to $500,000. According to Sunglass Hut's Loss Prevention, Wyatt is responsible for taking over $100,000 in merchandise and an estimated $2 million dollars in merchandise from Sunglass Hut locations around the state. sacramento.cbslocal.com

"Operation American Steal" Busts Theft Scheme
DOJ: Windsor Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Federal Prison for Role in Northeast "Grab and Go" Theft Scheme
Vanessa Roberts Avery, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that on May 20, 2022, JAHLIIL PARROTT, also known as "Stretch," 24, of Windsor, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Vanessa L. Bryant in Hartford to 30 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for participating in an extensive commercial larceny spree.

This case stems from "Operation American Steal," a long-term multi-agency investigation into numerous "grab and go" thefts from various retail fashion stores in Connecticut and nearby states. A "grab-and-go" scheme is a type of theft where one or more perpetrators enter a retail store, grab as many items of clothing or other goods as they can carry, leave the store without paying for the merchandise, and depart in a waiting getaway vehicle.

Parrott was part of a network of individuals who in 2019 and 2020 committed more than 50 grab and go thefts from Polo Ralph Lauren, T.J. Maxx, Balenciaga, Burberry, Macy's, Marshalls, Dick's Sporting Goods, Tommy Hilfiger, Sephora and other stores in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, and New York. They then transported the stolen merchandise to Connecticut and sold the items on the internet or the street. Victim retailers suffered more than $100,000 in losses during the scheme.

Parrott participated in at least 34 thefts resulting in losses of more than $98,000. During one of the thefts, he bit a loss prevention officer who apprehended Parrott as he attempted to steal merchandise. justice.gov

Brandon, FL: Robber steals more than $30,000 worth of jewelry from Zales
The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office is working to identify a suspect who stole more than $30,000 worth of jewelry from a store inside the Brandon Town Center Mall. Deputies say the suspect entered the Zales Jewelry Store shortly after 1:30 p.m. on Saturday. According to HCSO, the man implied that he had a weapon and forcefully removed 10 gold necklaces and one gold ring from a display cabinet before fleeing the scene. fox13news.com

Santa Ana, CA: 3 of 4 alleged smash-and-grab robbers captured after striking Jewelry store
A Santa Ana jewelry store fell victim to smash-and-grab robbers on Sunday, police said, though three of the four suspects have been captured. Four men broke into Don Roberto's Jewelry Store in the 1600 block of West 17th Street at 1:09 p.m., and they made off with about $7,000 worth of jewelry, according to Cpl. Maria Lopez of the Santa Ana Police Department. ktla.com

Carson City, NV: Man admits stealing $2800 of tools from Home Depot

Brookfield, WI: LensCrafters theft, 6 pairs of glasses worth $1,805

Avon, OH: Three people arrested with more than $700 in stolen items