How retailers are leveraging video in the fight against shrink
As
retailers continue to adapt in Covid-19 world, they're also noticing a rise in
shrink. Opportunistic theft in particular is growing, as criminals seem
to be taking advantage of retailers being distracted by the pressures of running
stores under strict safety guidelines.
New advances in video technology are helping retailers up their ante in the
fight against shrink while providing a safe, secure shopping environment in a
Covid-19 world. Today, retailers can leverage their existing video equipment
for even more value with insights to help manage shrink, improve safety and
streamline operations.
In the UK, grocery chain Asda is already taking advantage of this integration.
Its alarm data is reported through
Sensormatic Shrink
Management as a Service, uncovering insights about Organised Retail Crime (ORC).
According to Andrew Rees, Asda's senior manager for asset protection, "we wanted
to see if we could track a pattern of these organised crimes. We have an
intelligence centre in our department where we can look at closed-circuit
monitors of each store and see what's happening with each alarm."
Read more here
The Loss Prevention
Foundation (LPF) & the International Organization of Black Security Executives (IOBSE)
Team Up for Education
LPF and IOBSE focus on advancing loss
prevention and asset protection through scholarships
During
the IOBSE Spring Conference on April 21 -22, 2021, the LPF awarded 22 LPQ Course
Scholarships to deserving college students. These scholarships will provide the
opportunity for the students to graduate college with not only their degree, but
also an industry recognized certification in Loss Prevention/Asset Protection.
"The International Organization of Black Security Executives (IOBSE) is excited
to once again partner with the Loss Prevention Foundation for our virtual 2021
IOBE Spring Conference," said Kim Hooper, MBA, Director of the Student Education
Committee for IOBSE. "One of our pillars is to provide education and training to
keep students abreast of current trends in security operations and technology.
There is no better way to do this than to partner with the Loss Prevention
Foundation!"
Tyson Robertson, LPC, Chair of the Loss Prevention Foundation Advisory Council
commented, "I am both very excited and honored to support the partnership
between LPF and IOBSE and look forward to celebrating the success stories I am
certain these young professionals will achieve in pursuit of their ambitions."
Read more
here
Violence, Crime & Protests
Violence Escalating & Businesses Still
Destroyed One Year Later
A year after George Floyd's death, Minneapolis remains scarred, divided
A
year after George Floyd's death sent millions across the country into the
streets in some of the largest sustained protests in American history, the
city at the center of that movement continues to struggle with its own reckoning
over policing, equality and racial justice.
Colorful signs featuring Floyd's name and face still decorate front yards across
this Upper Midwestern city in a collective demand for justice. Visible scars
also remain from the unrest that erupted after his death, leaving scores
of buildings damaged or destroyed.
While the city breathed a collective sigh of relief last month when a jury
convicted former Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin of murder and
manslaughter in Floyd's death, the sensation was fleeting.
As Minneapolis prepares to mark the first anniversary of Floyd's death Tuesday,
it remains a city in turmoil, with many of the racial inequities highlighted
during last year's protests unresolved. The police department is in crisis -
woefully understaffed, its officers demoralized and its practices and culture
under investigation by the Justice Department. At the same time, there has
been a pronounced increase in crime while the relationship between the police
and residents remains fractured.
Adding to the anxiety is escalating violence in the
city, including a dramatic spike in shootings in its Black community.
A 6-year-old girl was killed and two other children gravely wounded in shootings
in recent days, shocking residents and prompting a war of words among elected
officials and community leaders, including some who have sought to link the
violence to calls to defund the police in the aftermath of Floyd's death.
Three more people were fatally shot in two incidents late Friday and early
Saturday, including a shootout outside a downtown nightclub that left two dead
and eight injured. No arrests have been made in any of the recent incidents,
according to police.
The city remains deeply divided over the future of its police department,
which some city council members want to replace with a public safety agency,
a proposal that is likely to be on the ballot in November.
washingtonpost.com
Violence Continues to Surge in NYC
NYC sees nearly 30 shot this weekend alone
Nearly
30 people have been shot across New York City this weekend - with nearly half a
day left to go, law-enforcement sources told The Post on Sunday.
As of around 2 p.m. Sunday, 29 victims had been struck by gunfire - one fatally
- since Friday, with 11 wounded in just the hours after Saturday ended, sources
said.
A veteran NYPD source blamed most of the shootings on gang warfare,
saying, "These kids are having running gun battles and innocents are getting
shot."
"Nobody is interested in hearing how many shots are fired but if people knew how
many shootings occurred where there are no victims - it's by the grace of God,"
the cop said.
There were also two killings Friday that didn't involve guns, with one
man fatally stabbed in northern Brooklyn and another beaten to death in the
northeastern Bronx, sources said.
nypost.com
DOJ Civil Disorder Charges Surge Amid Protests
& Violence
DOJ Uses Civil Rights-Era Law To Charge Protesters And Insurrectionists
In
the last year, the Justice Department has turned extensively to civil disorder,
a once rarely used law, to crack down on crimes they say were committed
during protests and other unrest.
During the last 30 years, civil disorder was used in roughly a dozen cases
nationwide. Federal prosecutors filed it in response to crimes the
government says occurred during a variety of protests, including actions over
the Dakota Access Pipeline and the Baltimore police killing of Freddie Gray.
In the last 12 months, the Justice Department turned to the charge more than
125 times.
First, during protests that followed George Floyd's murder by police in
Minneapolis. Prosecutors filed civil disorder cases in North Dakota, Alabama,
Wisconsin and Minnesota. Through the end of last year, the majority of the
charges were filed in Oregon, where protesters in Portland took to the
streets for more than 100 nights of direct action against police violence.
Since Jan. 6, federal prosecutors have brought hundreds of cases against
people who stormed the U.S. Capitol. About a quarter of those charged in the
attack face civil disorder.
While the cases are very different, the charge - civil disorder - is the same.
For months, attorneys representing racial justice protesters have been trying to
get those charges thrown out. Their arguments serve as tests for those facing
civil disorder after the Capitol attack.
npr.org
Anti-Protest Law in Texas
Texas cracks down on protesters who block traffic: 'Won't be tolerated'
A bill that would increase penalties for protestors blocking roads and
obstructing emergency vehicles is on the way to Texas Gov. Greg Abbott's
desk. And the two term GOP governor who's running for re-election next year says
he'll sign the measure into law.
"I will sign soon," Abbott tweeted this weekend. "Peaceful protest doesn't
include blocking roadways & preventing emergency vehicle access. That chaos
won't be tolerated in Texas."
The governor sent his tweet soon after the Texas Senate voted 25-5 to pass the
bill, which would toughen penalties and calls for jail time for protestors who
purposefully block emergency vehicles from passing through a roadway, or
obstruct a hospital entrance.
The measure, which passed the Texas House a few weeks ago by a 90-55 vote,
came in response to last year's nationwide protests over police brutality
that were sparked by the death of George Floyd in Minnesota by now-former
Minneapolis police officer Derek Chauvin, who was convicted of murder.
foxnews.com
Anti-Jewish Attacks Across the Country
Biden condemns attacks on U.S. Jewish community as 'despicable'
.S. President Joe Biden condemned violence against Jewish communities in the
United States and abroad on Monday after a string of attacks amid the conflict
between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers.
Physical or verbal assaults were reported against Jews in New York City, Los
Angeles and South Florida during the 11 days of fighting in the region.
"The recent attacks on the Jewish community are despicable, and they must stop.
I condemn this hateful behavior at home and abroad - it's up to all of us to
give hate no safe harbor," Biden wrote in a Twitter post.
Gilad Erdan, Israel's ambassador to the United States, tweeted his thanks in
response and said he hoped the assailants were swiftly brought to justice and
hate crimes deterred.
yahoo.com
Post-George Floyd police reforms in Chicago 'disappointing,' activists say
They continue to push for civilian oversight of the
police department and non-police alternatives to respond to mental health crises
and provide public safety in schools.
Dozens Arrested Friday After Conflict in Gaza Leads to Clashes in Times Square
5 Ways Officials Have Cracked Down on Protests Since the Floyd Uprisings
COVID Update
285.7M Vaccinations Given
US: 33.9M Cases - 604K Dead - 27.5M Recovered
Worldwide:
167.5M Cases - 3.4M Dead - 148.6M Recovered
Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember &
recognize.
Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 279
Law
Enforcement Officer Deaths: 300
*Red indicates change in total deaths
300 Law Enforcement Officers Have Died from COVID Throughout Pandemic
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first
responders throughout the country have contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide
pandemic due to requirements of their job.
Unfortunately, the number of law enforcement officers who are now confirmed
to have died from the virus while on duty stands at 300, according to
Officer Down Memorial Page.
ODMP continues to work with dozens of other agencies that have suffered COVID-19
related deaths as they work to make confirmed or presumed determinations of
line-of-duty status.
See the
full list here
Another Promising Vaccine
Milestone
Half of US states have fully vaccinated at least 50% of adults
At least 25 states -- plus Washington, DC -- have now
fully vaccinated at least half of their adults, data published Sunday by the
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention shows.
Those states are Alaska, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Hawaii,
Iowa, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nebraska, New
Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island,
South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Washington state and Wisconsin.
The state with the highest proportion of adults who have been fully
vaccinated against Covid-19 is Maine -- with more than 62% of people 18
and over having completed their shots. Across the US, roughly 61.3% of
American adults have received at least one Covid-19 vaccine dose and about
49.6% are fully vaccinated, CDC data shows.
cnn.com
'You wonder, do they really have their COVID
shot?'
Retail, grocery employees are nervous as co-workers, customers go maskless
An abrupt relaxation of mask policies has left workers at supermarkets and
other stores reeling as they try to sort out what the new environment means for
their own safety and relationship with customers.
Kroger, the country's largest grocery chain, became one of the latest to
announce that, as of Thursday, workers and customers can stop wearing masks in
states where mandates are no longer in effect. Other companies that have adopted
similar changes include Amazon, Walmart, Best Buy, Macy's, Costco, Home
Depot, Trader Joe's and Target, following updated guidance from the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention.
The new CDC guidance has left retailers, grocery stores, restaurants,
hospitals and other employers scrambling to decide whether and how to adjust
their own policies. Some companies, including Trader Joe's and Macy's, are
allowing vaccinated customers to drop their masks but not employees. Meanwhile,
some grocery chains like Safeway are leaving their mask requirements in place.
Some workers worry they have been left to bear the fallout of a confusing jumble
of policies. John Bartlett, a meat manager at a Safeway in Steamboat Springs,
Colorado, said he is personally relieved that, for now, his store is still
requiring masks for everyone but he worries that the policy will make dealing
with anti-mask customers even more difficult.
chicagotribune.com
Retail Workers Continue to Speak Out Against
Easing Mask Restrictions
Kroger union strikes back at recently announced mask changes
The
labor union representing Cincinnati-based Kroger's frontline workers
wants the grocery giant's CEO to assure the public that the majority of people
in its stores will continue to wear masks despite recent announcements of
loosening mandates.
Marc Perrone, president of the United Food and Commercial Workers International,
issued a statement May 19, warning that despite the fact that retailers like
Kroger - the country's largest grocery chain with nearly 2,800 stores - are
allowing customers to refrain from mask wearing if they have been vaccinated
against Covid-19, more than 200 million Americans have not been fully
vaccinated and the pandemic is still ongoing.
The UFCW's statement
came the same day that Kroger announced a loosening of its mask requirements
in its store locations. Starting May 20 the grocery chain no longer required
vaccinated associates or customers to wear masks.
Customers who have not been fully vaccinated are asked to continue wearing
masks, but Kroger put no mechanism in place to ensure that unvaccinated
customers would wear masks.
wlky.com
Spotting Counterfeit Vaccine Cards
Fake, stolen vaccination cards have become commonplace in recent weeks
Oregon
announced Tuesday that
fully vaccinated people now can go maskless in public indoor spaces, but only
with proof that they've been inoculated against COVID-19. Some other
states are considering similar approaches as they too fully reopen their
economies.
Anticipation of this development is surely one of the reasons fake
vaccination cards have been selling briskly on eBay, Etsy and other internet
sites for weeks.
"We are seeing these vaccination cards being sold on many social-media
platforms, including Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even TikTok," FBI
Special Agent Jeanette Harper
said in a press statement last month.
An official vaccination card, which is a 3-x-4-inch piece of common heavy-stock
paper with straightforward printing on it, is relatively easy to fraudulently
reproduce. Selling (or buying) fake vaccination cards could result in a
prison sentence of up to five years, as well as a fine, the FBI says.
oregonlive.com
The Post-COVID Retail Comeback
Are malls and department stores really springing back to life?
"You would think it was the day before Christmas," Phibbs said. "There
were so many packages and people."
Phibbs is not just a shopper -- he runs a retail consultancy, The Retail Doctor.
He said it's clear people are ready to get out and shop and shop in malls. "And
this idea that all malls are dead, and no one will go to physical
shopping, and online is going to do 50% [of all sales] in one year," Phibbs
said. "It just didn't pan out. It didn't even pan out in the pandemic."
Still, consumer habits have shifted. Bill Lewis, a director at the consulting
firm AlixPartners, said that the pandemic certainly accelerated some of those
shifts and retailers recognize that. "So they're still making digital an
important part and a growing part of their business. But at the same time,
they're prepared to integrate the physical and digital even more than they did
in the past," Lewis said.
He added that COVID-19 lockdowns might have had a positive effect on
retailers, forcing them to gain a better understanding of what customers want
and how they want to get it.
marketplace.org
Post-Vaccination Impulse Shopping
Americans get vaccinated and then go shopping
Retail stores offering COVID-19 vaccinations to the
public find that people treat themselves to purchases after they get their
shots.
UK Shopper Numbers Surge as COVID Lockdowns Ease
Top 5 Physical Security Trends in Retail to Watch in 2021 and Beyond
By
Tony D'Onofrio, Global Retail Influencer &
Prosegur's CEO & Managing
Director, Global Retail Business Unit
On many fronts, 2020 was a challenging year for the retail industry. During the
early days of strict lockdowns to slow the spread of the coronavirus,
governments around the world categorized some retailers as "essential" and
others as "nonessential," leading to a
$285 billion transfer of wealth from nonessential retailers to essential
retailers and a $250 billion transfer of wealth from small retailers to
larger companies. This created a massive shock to the worldwide economy with GDP
levels initially dropping 30% or more.
Even with widespread store closures, the United States saw an increase in
retail fatalities and violent incidents in brick-and-mortar retail stores.
In 2020, 485 violent incidents, up 14% from the previous year, led to 523
fatalities, up 5% from 2019. Customers, store
associates,
and security personnel made up 76% of the victims with the remaining 24% being
suspects (Source:
D&D Daily).
Managing new health and safety policies to fight the pandemic and violent
incidents in retail stores elevated the importance of physical security in the
retail industry. As with all other sectors, security was also impacted by
the acceleration of digital trends that were already underway prior to COVID-19.
The security "new normal" will include these top 5 physical security trends in
retail to watch in 2021 and beyond.
Read more here
Game-Changer for the Security Industry?
Security app operates like Uber but dispatches a security patrol vehicle instead
It's a new on-demand security service that would work something like
ride-hailing app Uber, but instead of a driver, the app summons a
security detail. The product would, for example, let you request a security
guard to escort you while walking late at night, according to a Citizen
spokesperson, who described the test as a "pilot project."
The test was reported earlier Friday by Motherboard, which cited leaked internal
documents. Such a feature would represent a significant expansion of the
company's current services, which let users of its app report "incidents"
that can trigger localized safety alerts in the form of notifications pushed
to other nearby users.
Citizen confirmed in an emailed statement to CNET that it has partnered with
private security firm Los Angeles Professional Security, or LAPS, which is
providing security staff for the limited test program.
According to Motherboard, Citizen also contacted the Los Angeles Police
Department, which reportedly responded in an email that such a service could
be a "game-changer" in addressing the LAPD's mounting backlog of property crime.
privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com
Equality in the Workplace
SHRM Blue Ribbon Commission Issues Report, Strategies to End Workplace Racism
New research and a DE&I Action-to-Change
Toolbox can help employers make tangible differences
Workplaces are struggling to stay solvent, safe and inclusive as they face the
coronavirus pandemic, social unrest and economic uncertainty, the Society for
Human Resource Management (SHRM) points out in a new report issued today by its
Blue Ribbon Commission on Racial Equity (BRC).
The 13-member commission is part of
Together Forward @Work, an initiative SHRM launched in 2020 to increase
learning and collaboration on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) and social
justice.
"While we do not believe we have all the answers," the BRC added, "this report
presents solutions that can be duplicated in different workplaces under varied
circumstances."
SHRM leadership and the BRC will continue to work on these issues. The
report includes a manifesto in which the BRC pledges to:
●
Define a 21st century approach to address bias in organizational culture.
●
Outline a robust set of actions to drive a long-range agenda on inclusion and
bias.
●
Develop metrics aimed at ensuring accountability at all levels of an
organization.
●
Charge HR professionals to be change agents and leaders on behalf of inclusive,
equitable workplaces.
shrm.org
Did COVID Actually Delay the Retail
Apocalypse?
The pandemic might have saved brick-and-mortar shopping as restrictions lift and
customers head back to stores
COVID-19 and a year of staying at home may have saved some brick-and-mortar
stores from the retail apocalypse, or at least slowed its advances.
Some of the country's biggest retailers, including Walmart, Macy's, Target,
and Home Depot, said sales are strong and shoppers are returning to stores
as pandemic restrictions ease and the country reopens. Some experts predict that
after more than a year of staying at home because of the lockdowns, people will
again embrace shopping in person, kickstarting a new life for some traditional
retailers.
This is a period of "retail reinvention," Cowen senior equity research
analyst Oliver Chen told Insider. "There were winners and losers" in the
pandemic, he said. "The survivors are getting stronger" and taking more
market share, he told Insider, pointing to Walmart and Target as examples.
Shoppers are likely to continue heading out to stores as more states lift
mask requirements, allowing vaccinated customers to shop without a face
covering.
businessinsider.com
Customers Returning in Droves
Discount retailers TJX, Ross stage a comeback as shoppers crave 'treasure
hunting' for clothes again
Any
doubts about whether shoppers would return to discount retail stores to rummage
through racks in the hunt for bargains were crushed this week when TJX
Companies and Ross Stores reported their first-quarter earnings.
Both companies' sales surged past analyst estimates, as consumers started
packing back into their stores to look for new outfits, shoes, luggage and
home goods as pandemic-induced lockdowns eased.
TJX and Ross cited a pent-up demand from shoppers, many of whom have been
armed with extra stimulus dollars in recent months, but also a desire among
many people to still look for good deals. So-called treasure hunting in stores
could be something that many consumers end up craving more than they did before
the Covid health crisis.
"We believe the appeal of our entertaining, treasure-hunt shopping experience
gives consumers a compelling reason to shop us," TJX CEO Ernie Herrman said in
an earnings conference call. "In-store shopping is not going away."
cnbc.com
National Urban League & NRF collaborate to discuss race, business and jobs
Victoria's Secret experiencing a major comeback after years of declining sales
Foot Locker to convert, wind down most Footaction stores
Retailers now struggling to sell excess hand sanitizer
Gorillas ultra-fast delivery operator to make US debut in New York City this
month
Senior LP & AP Jobs
Market
VP - Loss Prevention job posted for Michaels Companies in Irving, TX
Develop,
implement and maintenance pro-active Loss Prevention and Safety programs in
partnership with stores, distribution centers and corporate personnel. Control
losses due to internal and external theft or losses caused by administrative or
operational errors. Direct, train and inform Zone Vice Presidents on Loss
Prevention and Safety Programs; Pro-actively direct and assist in the
development, administration and maintenance of Loss Prevention and Safety
Programs for all low margin stores.
michaels.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
Director - Store LP job posted for Michaels Companies in Irving, TX
The
Director - Store Loss Prevention will lead the field organization in the
protection of assets and the reduction of financial loss, achieving industry
leading results, while maintaining industry leading rates of expense; Own
strategy and oversee implementation of programs designed to both reduce shrink
and protect company assets from loss due to internal, external theft and fraud.
michaels.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
Last week's #1 article --
Widespread Mask Confusion Leads to More
Aggressive Customers
Store manager threatened and nearly attacked after customer refuses to wear mask
inside store
A
store manager was threatened and nearly attacked in Hampden on Sunday after a
customer became irate when she was repeatedly told to put on a mask inside the
store.
Surveillance video captured the customer getting in the face of one their
employees and calling her names after the customer refused to put on her
mask. At one point in the video, the customer is seen slamming her fist on the
counter behind the cash register.
At least three different times, the video shows the customer charge at
Schisler, shouting at her and pointing her finger in Schisler's face.
"It was completely uncalled for," Schisler said. "There was no reason you
speak like that any one. I was just doing my job."
Last week, Governor Larry Hogan lifted the state's mask mandate, but
still gave local jurisdictions and businesses the power to keep it in place.
Baltimore decided not to lift its indoor mask mandate, saying more people
need to be vaccinated.
wmar2news.com
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