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Death at the hands of security guards also under scrutiny

Mich. AG may be asked to review 2014 Northland Mall death
in light of George Floyd case

The Michigan Attorney General's Office may be asked to review a 2014 incident in which a Ferndale man died during an altercation with mall security guards - a case with similarities to last month's death of George Floyd.

McKenzie Cochrane, 25, died from position compression asphyxia on the floor of the Northland Shopping Mall in Southfield on Jan. 28, 2014. Cochrane, an African-American, was asked to leave the mall, which closed in 2015, after an employee reported he was acting suspiciously inside and outside a jewelry store.

In a subsequent struggle with guards, Cochrane was pepper sprayed and pinned to the floor during which he could be heard gasping, "I'm not resisting - I can't breathe."

His final words were nearly identical to those of Floyd, who died May 25 after a Minneapolis police officer held his knee on Floyd's throat for more than eight minutes, noted Gerald Thurswell, an attorney who represented Cochrane's family in a civil case ultimately settled out of court.

Southfield Police Chief Elvin Barren said Tuesday he has spoken with an attorney for Cochrane's family but the family would have to make a direct request to reopen the case.

In September 2014, Oakland County Prosecutor Jessica Cooper said there was no crime because there was no intention to kill and no chokeholds by guards. The Oakland County Medical Examiner's Office ruled Cochrane's death was an accident.

Thurswell said a cellphone video shows Cochrane was pinned on the floor by three security guards, with one guard's knee to his back.

"He could be heard saying he couldn't breathe and was dying and asked that someone call 911," the attorney said. "One of the guards told him, 'If you can talk, you can breathe.'"

Southfield police were called by the mall guards but given wrong directions to where the incident occurred inside the mall, Thurswell said. When police arrived, Cochrane was seated on the floor, handcuffed to a pillar. He was dead.

"They were security guards and not trained like police officers but they have many of the same powers," Thurswell said. "But they acted improperly. They acted as judge, jury and executioners."

A month after the death, Cochrane's family filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Oakland Circuit Court seeking more than $800 million in damages from the mall, two related corporations and security officers. The civil complaint was ultimately settled out of court. detroitnews.com

CVS & Walgreens join Walmart in no longer locking up black beauty products

'If you lock up products for black people and you aren't doing that for products for white customers, that is discriminatory'

Drugstore chains Walgreens and CVS Health say they will stop locking up beauty and hair care products aimed at black women and other women of color, joining Walmart in ending a practice at some stores that has drawn the ire of customers.

"We are currently ensuring multicultural hair care and beauty products are not stored behind locked cases at any of our stores," Walgreens said in a statement emailed to The Associated Press late Thursday.

Walmart on Wednesday said it would ban the practice, which took place at a dozen of its 4,700 stores and became the focus of a federal discrimination lawsuit filed in 2018 that was dropped a year later.

Many stores have had a long-standing policy of locking up items that have high theft rates like batteries and razor blades. But experts say that locking up items catering to black customers, particularly in black neighborhoods, is widespread and retailers need to abolish it. They also say that stores lock up more items in black neighborhoods compared to white neighborhoods. marketwatch.com

Read the Daily's June 11th coverage of Walmart ending lock-up policy

Starbucks bows to 'boycott' pressure, will let staff wear BLM protest gear as it cranks out its own
Starbucks (SBUX) announced on Friday it would allow employees to wear apparel in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, bowing to an intense social media campaign even as the company moves to crank out over 250,000 specialty shirts of its own.

This week, Starbucks was hit with online backlash and renewed calls for a boycott, following reports that it has banned employees from wearing pins and t-shirts at work in support of Black Lives Matter protests.

However, the reason for the policy is pretty technical, despite accusations to the contrary. To address the issue, Starbucks is planning to crank out hundreds of thousands of apparel items in support of a movement demanding change - but will also let its employees wear their own gear immediately. yahoo.com

What Defunding May Look Like
These drawings replace the police with other public service workers
who truly 'serve and protect'

Meet the workers of the new Department of Food Security and Department of Crime Deduction.

When we picture the cops responding to calls, we have an archetypal image of what that looks like-even if it doesn't turn out that way in practice. As activists push for the defunding of police and the investing of funds into other city departments that can build up communities, it can be hard to imagine how those different services will act differently. A list of alternatives to the police is easy, but getting people to picture who comes when you call for help is more complicated.

To help spark people's imaginations, graphic novelist Ezra Claytan Daniels illustrated some examples. Inspired by posters explaining alternatives to policing that have been shared widely in the wake of George Floyd's death and nationwide protest against police brutality, Daniels designed uniforms for new public service departments. fastcompany.com

Nike adds Juneteenth to list of annual paid holidays
Juneteenth, which takes place on June 19, commemorates the day that slaves across America learned of the Emancipation Proclamation.

Sephora commits 15 percent of its shelf space to black-owned brands
 

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Looting Fallout Continues
FBI Tracking Stolen Goods - More Charges

Lawmakers, FBI working to track down items looted during protests
Amazon, eBay working to detect stolen items re-sold online
Businesses in many cities around the country are picking up the pieces, quite literally, after a number of peaceful protests over the death of George Floyd turned violent. Looters broke windows and stole merchandise - leaving hundreds of thousands of dollars-worth of damage and stolen goods.

FBI director Christopher Wray says agents are working with local law enforcement to comb through videos and images hoping to identify the looters, who may be trying to re-sell the stolen items online. Already, companies like Amazon and eBay are working to detect stolen goods on their sites. The FBI says every tip is helpful and can be submitted through the FBI's website. wate.com

NYC: Looters bagging over $375K in purses from NYC shop caught on video
Thieves clutched handbags by the armful as they swiped more than $375,000 worth of Hermes, Fendi, Louis Vuitton and Balenciaga swag in SoHo during looting early last week, new video released by the NYPD on Thursday shows.

The free-for-all at the Rebag store on West Broadway happened around 11:30 p.m. June 1 as looting at commercial establishments raged - with the Manhattan neighborhood known for high-end shopping hit particularly hard. Video from the store that sells new and used designer handbags shows multiple masked men grabbing boxes and bags after breaking in through the front door.  nypost.com

Milwaukee, WI: 10 charged with burglary in connection with looting of stores during protests

Brooklyn, NY: Individual Charged with Setting NYPD Vehicle On Fire

Washington State Man Charged With Smashing Police Car Window During Protests

Houston, TX: Man charged for impeding law enforcement during protest
 

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Loss Prevention Research Council Releases Riot & Looting
Resource Page for Retailers

The Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) has released a resource page with pertinent links, files, and more to aid retailers during the nation's civil unrest. In addition, the LPRC research team will answer questions and provide additional research and literature for those who inquire through the page's contact form.

Resources include:

• Crowd-related crime information
• Crowd management strategies
• Federal links
• Public relations guide

NEWEST RESOURCE:

The LPRC gathered 40 participants from over 20 retail chains on a call to share intelligence and discuss effective security strategies and tactics in the wake of the social unrest that led to the recent riots and looting incidents. The full report, which compiles the intelligence and strategies discussed, can be accessed on the new LPRC resource page.

Click here to view the LPRC resource page
 

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NRF Announces Target Corp. Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell
as Next Guest in Retail Leadership Series

WHAT: The NRF Retail Leadership Series is a virtual program featuring candid conversations between NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay and CEOs from retail brands and leaders across the economy. Shay and Cornell will discuss how Target is facing pain with purpose in the wake of the pandemic and recent protests, working to advance social justice, and evolving for the future of the industry.

WHO: Moderator: Matthew Shay, president and CEO, NRF
Guest: Target Corp. Chairman and CEO Brian Cornell

Other upcoming guests will include Marvin Ellison of Lowe's, John Furner of Walmart U.S., Jeff Gennette of Macy's Inc., Kevin Johnson of Starbucks, Patrice Louvet of Ralph Lauren, Chris Nassetta of Hilton, Sonia Syngal of Gap Inc., and many more.

WHEN: Thursday, June 18, 2020, at 11 A.M. EST

REGISTER: Register here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar.
 

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Coronavirus Tracker: June 12

US: Over 2.1M Cases - 116K Dead - 818K Recovered
Worldwide: Over 7.6M Cases - 425K Dead - 3.8M Recovered

Fallen Officers From the COVID-19 Pandemic: 47 | NYPD Deaths: 45
Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 135+

COVID-19 spikes, but most governors signal they're staying the course

Coronavirus is spiking across more than a dozen states, but many governors are signaling they have no interest in bringing back restrictive stay-at-home orders almost regardless of what happens.

Even governors with detailed metrics for reopening have shown little appetite to plan for the inevitable virus surges. Public health experts say there are less drastic measures to take than reimposing lockdowns, but as the virus rages, they warn time may be running short.

"Once you see cases rise, it's too late. [A rising] number of cases signifies a spread that's already happened," said Jen Kates, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation.

The average number of confirmed cases over a two-week period has doubled or more in Arizona, Arkansas, Oregon and Utah. South Carolina, Nevada, North Carolina and Florida have all set new highs over a seven-day rolling average.

Fewer than a quarter of intensive care unit beds in Alabama and Georgia are available. California, Mississippi and Arkansas are all also reporting record levels of hospitalizations.

In Texas, the number of people hospitalized with coronavirus has grown more than 40 percent since Memorial Day. There are currently more than 2,000 people hospitalized, an all-time high in the state, but Gov. Greg Abbott (R) is moving ahead with easing even more restrictions. thehill.com

Your Customers - Employees - Stakeholders Are Watching
Why Visitor Management is Critical for Business Continuity During & Post-COVID-19
They also need to allow their employees, contractors and visitors onto their premises while being fully accountable for everyone's health and safety. Aside from the basic benefits that a visitor management system affords you-efficiency, branding, security and compliance-there is also the need to uphold visitor privacy. Not only is data privacy now touted as being a basic human right, but it's also critical going forward as we are required to collect health-related information.

Crucial First Steps Need to be Taken

If you need to adopt severe measures according to government directives around safe working practices, then most of them will likely start at the entrance of your business sites.

1. Take a phased approach in your return to work plan:
2. Implement a touchless check-in process:
3. Perform health and safety screenings ahead of time:
4. Customize the check-in process:
5. Integrate watchlists for monitoring visitors:
6. Safely and easily retrieve data:
7. Real-time emergency lists:

Be Proactive and Stay Ahead of the Crisis

It's not too late to put a cloud-based visitor management system in place. In fact, it's no longer a nice-to-have in this era but a must-have to future-proof your business. Your business continuity planning should include visitor management at each step in order for your organization to deliver what you've promised to your internal and external stakeholders alike. securitymagazine.com

The Robin Report: What the CEO's Read
78% of Millennials & Gen Z Expect Businesses to Protect Employees
Young consumers' trust, and engagement with brands during shutdowns will play a factor in what brands they choose to patronize when stores reopen. Let's review three NextGen consumer concerns during Covid and what retailers can do to address them:

1. Employee Protection is Table Stakes
The Edelman Trust Barometer found that 71 percent of consumers agree that if they perceive that a brand is putting profit over people throughout the outbreak, they will lose trust in that brand forever. According to Edelman, 78 percent of consumers expect businesses to act to protect their employees and their communities, while 73 percent expect businesses to adapt their human resource policies either to give employees paid sick leave or prevent at-risk employees from coming to work.

Now, the above stats were pulled by polling consumers across generations. And since Gen Z is the most socially conscious consumer demographic (closely followed by their millennial predecessors), they'll hold brands particularly accountable. NextGen consumers will base their post-Covid purchasing decisions on each brand's employee experience during shutdowns.

2. Social Media as a Vehicle for Mental Health | 3. Delivery Takes Precedence After the Outbreak therobinreport.com

ThirdChannel Debuts Real-Time Safety Auditing System
Boston-based ThirdChannel Inc., a specialist in optimizing retail execution and in-store customer experience, says it has unveiled the industry's first real-time safety auditing system developed on the latest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), World Health Organization (WHO) and evolving state and local guidelines, among others.

The mobile auditing system, Retail Safety Auditor, addresses head on retailers' top priority: ensuring a safe environment for workers and shoppers during the COVID-19 pandemic. The solution also provides a crucial and defensible audit trail to reduce business and legal risk for brands as they begin to reopen and work to stay open. As scores of new safety protocols are put in place, the key to remaining open lies in how disciplined stores are at consistently and effectively executing them. Especially for large retailers, this proposes a challenge. theshelbyreport.com

Lessons from crisis managers: How to lead a customer service team in times of crisis

Why Are So Many N.Y.P.D. Officers Refusing to Wear Masks at Protests?

Florida, South Carolina coronavirus figures are the states' highest yet for a single day

 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Department Head - Asset Protection and Associates Safety for Ocean State Job Lot, North Kingstown, RI
As the Department Head of Asset Protection and Associate Safety this executive level position leads, develops, facilitates, oversees and directs asset protection and safety related strategies for all OSJL.

Administer and facilitate the Company's Enterprise Risk Assessment (ERA) and Enterprise Risk Management (ERM) processes. 139 stores, operating stores in all of New England, New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. oceanstatejoblot.com
 

Shoppers Surprise Retailers by Returning to Stores

Sales at reopened Macy's and Kohl's locations dropped less than executives expected

Macy's, Chief Executive Jeff Gennette said sales at reopened stores are down by about half compared with before the pandemic, which is better than the 85% decline the company had predicted.

At Kohl's stores are doing about three-quarters of their pre-pandemic sales volume, up from about two-thirds in late May, Chief Executive Michelle Gass said. wsj.com

Recall Furloughed Workers Lawfully
Employers recalling furloughed workers should plan carefully to avoid legal hazards as they determine who will return to work and what to include in recall letters. They should also have a coherent return-to-work plan for returning employees.

The recall process can be an opportunity to reset work expectations. "The pandemic has given many employers an opportunity to re-evaluate their staffing levels and business models," said Andrew Sherrod, an attorney with Hirschler in Richmond, Va. "If payroll cost reductions are implemented, be careful when using salary level as a basis for decision-making. Doing so could lead to age-discrimination claims if older workers are disproportionately affected."

Selecting Who to Return to Work - Recall Letters - Return-to-Work Plan - Background Checks shrm.org

Coresight Research:
Retail Store Databank Week 24
4,140 2020 YTD Closures
3,351 2020 YTD Openings

Starbucks is closing up to 400 stores and expanding takeout options

Children's Place to shutter 300 stores as it shifts focus to digital sales

3,600 UK jobs go in sweeping retail closures

Billionaire investor: A 'wave' of layoffs is coming for $100,000/year white-collar jobs

Unemployment claims climbed by 1.5 million last week, despite jobs gains in May

Mnuchin: White House seriously considering second round of stimulus checks


Quarterly Results

Party City Q1 comp's down 0.9%, total retail sales down 20.3%
lululemon athletica - declined to report same-store sales - Q1 revenue down 17%, digital sales up 70%
 

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EPA tells Amazon and eBay to stop selling fake coronavirus-killing products

Including banned chemicals and a product called 'Virus Shut Out'

The US Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Amazon and eBay to stop selling pesticides that falsely claim to kill the novel coronavirus. The order applies to some products the EPA has already declared illegal, like a supposed disinfectant called "Virus Shut Out," as well as chemicals like methylene chloride, which is hazardous and partially banned in the US. In addition to coronavirus claims, the order applies to inflated safety claims and other false advertising.

The orders are based on consumer tips dating back to 2018, and they follow an earlier EPA settlement with Amazon, which was found to be distributing illegal pesticides. Amazon, eBay, Walmart, and other retailers met with the EPA in April to discuss fraudulent and restricted disinfectant sales, but an agency press release claims "Amazon and eBay have thus far failed to consistently keep unregistered, misbranded, or restricted-use pesticides, and pesticide devices off their websites." It stops short of issuing fines or other penalties. theverge.com

Amazon Price-Gouging Crackdown Worsened Shortage of Sanitizer, Wipes

Merchants afraid of being accidentally kicked off the site, simply stopped selling some in-demand items at the pandemic's height.

When Americans couldn't find hand sanitizer, toilet paper and disinfecting wipes on Amazon.com Inc., many assumed the products had run out thanks to surging demand from home-bound shoppers. In fact, in some cases the products were available, but merchants had pulled them to avoid getting caught up in Amazon's price-gouging crackdown-even though they weren't raising prices. bloomberg.com

Buy online pick up in store purchases surge 248% compared with before the pandemic

Sam's Club rolls out curbside pickup program