'State of Emergency' for NYC Stores?
Man fatally stabbed after running into NYC bodega for help as violence plagues Big Apple stores
A man was viciously stabbed to death late Saturday after running into a Queens bodega for help - the latest burst of violence that has neighborhood stores in the Big Apple in "a state of emergency."

"The [workers] who were here last night, they quit," said Ali Alzokeri, a cashier at Sammy's Gourmet Deli in Jamaica, to The Post on Sunday. "They don't want to work here no more. It was bad."

The fatal assault occurred around 9:40 p.m. when the unidentified 40-year-old victim ran into the small deli on Jamaica Avenue in Jamaica looking for help and was stabbed multiple times in front of horrified store clerks, according to police and a rep for small-shop merchants. Police sources said the slaying stemmed from a dispute that spilled into the store.

For bodega owners, the bloody brawl was just the latest chapter in an ongoing onslaught plaguing their stores. "Bodegas are not equipped to save lives, and that must change," Fernando Mateo, head of the United Bodegas of America, said in a statement Sunday. "UBA has declared a state of emergency.

"We must remember bodegas are community centers to many of these communities," Mateo said. "Selling eggs, milk and beer is 65% of what we do. The other 35% is helping our community and helping the NYPD solve crimes."

The safety of bodega workers has been a constant concern in the Big Apple.

In January, Gov. Kathy Hochul announced a $40 million plan to help bodega and small-business owners, including about $5 million to beef up security and police presence to combat shoplifting and violence at the neighborhood stores. But Mateo said he's yet to see the investment.

According to NYPD stats, robberies at bodegas and small stores in the city had already more than doubled midway through 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, with the small-time merchants repeatedly calling for help from City Hall. nypost.com
 

Philadelphia's ORC Explosion
ORC operations can take in more money than big box stores

Organized retail crime explosion prompts city, suburbs to coordinate responses in crack down of thefts
Organized retail theft, smash and grab, takeovers - this type of crime has been around for years, but it's reached unprecedented levels. According to data publicly available on the Philadelphia District Attorney's website, there were 13,595 reported thefts in 2022, 16,362 in 2023 and, so far in 2024, more than 18,000.

Law enforcement doesn't call this type of theft shoplifting. It's "organized retail crime."

"This is not randomly going into a store and stealing something, say, because you're hungry or you're trying to bring something home to your family to feed them that day. This is targeted," says Kimberly Esack, Assistant DA and Supervisor of the Organized Retail and House Theft Task Force with the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.

Esack says those responsible for fencing the stolen goods create LLC names and pop up online quickly to start selling online merchandise and can make millions of dollars.

"They can take in more money than one of your big box stores like Target or Walmart in a three-month period. They outpace them in the amount of revenue that they're taking" says Esack. "In three months, they are outpacing stores that have been around for years, so that tells you, this is something different than we've ever seen before."

The crimes are hitting big box stores hard, like Home Depot. "The last four to five years, the increase that we've seen is unprecedented," says Sean Browne, Senior Manager of Asset Protection. However, small businesses are not exempt from the issue.

According to the Department of Homeland Security's website, it is estimated that the average American family will pay more than $500 annually in additional costs due to the impact of organized retail crime.

In 2021 alone, Pennsylvania suffered $5.5 billion worth of retail loss due to ORC. About 10 percent of offenders caused 60 percent of the retail loss, according to the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Office. They say eight in 10 retail crimes have violence associated with them. fox29.com


Will California Add A Second Crime Initiative on November Ballot?
Lawmakers in the state continue to battle over Prop 47

Gov. Newsom, Legislative leaders consider putting new crime initiative on November ballot
Gov. Gavin Newsom and some Democratic lawmakers are now considering placing a crime-related measure on the November ballot to compete with an initiative that has already qualified meant to enhance penalties for drug traffickers and repeat thieves.

Five sources close to the situation but who are unauthorized to speak publicly about it confirmed to KCRA 3 that it is an effort to continue negotiating the measure that would reform parts of Proposition 47 off of the November ballot.

A decade ago, Proposition 47 loosened penalties for drug and theft crimes. Law enforcement, business groups and elected leaders on both sides of the aisle have blamed it for the state's rise in crime and homelessness.

Democratic lawmakers in the Assembly were briefed about the plan to place a separate, legislative crime initiative on the ballot in a closed-door meeting Saturday morning, three sources inside told KCRA 3.

It's unclear what exactly the legislative crime initiative would do. Lawmakers were provided few details other than that the Governor's office and Democratic legislative leaders intend to move quickly.

The Secretary of State has until June 27 to finalize which citizen initiatives land on the ballot. kcra.com


Bloody Weekend of Mass Shootings Across the U.S.
240+ Mass Shootings So Far in 2024

Series of US mass shootings brings weekend of death and mayhem

One dead and 34 wounded as incidents in New York, Alabama, Missouri and Ohio swell 2024 mass shooting tally

A series of mass shootings rocked the US early on Sunday, leaving at least one dead and 34 others wounded in just four cases reported in New York, Alabama, Missouri and Ohio.

The shootings came amid a broader spate of recent mass shootings, including the one at an Arkansas grocery store on Friday that left four dead and nine wounded - as well as another at a nightclub in Kentucky on Saturday that killed one and injured seven.

The violence brought the number of mass shootings in the US so far this year, as of Sunday, to more than 240 - an average of more than one daily, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

The non-partisan archive defines a mass shooting as one in which four or more victims are wounded or killed. theguardian.com


Video: Retails stores are dealing with increasing theft issues

Thornton, CO: City leaders work to combat retail theft
 

Peruvian Robbery Crew Hitting Consumers & Retailers Nationwide
DOJ: Peruvian National Pleads Guilty to Identity Theft Charge Stemming from Distraction Theft Scheme
United States Attorney for the District of Conn. announced ANGEL EUGENIO BANCES CHAPONAN, 60, a citizen of Peru last residing in Queens, New York, pleaded guilty before in Bridgeport to aggravated identity theft.

According to court documents and statements made in court, the FBI and local law enforcement agencies in Connecticut and elsewhere have been investigating a series of distraction thefts of wallets from victims at Trader Joe's grocery stores, TJ Maxx stores, and other retail stores in Connecticut, Rhode Island, Virginia, and elsewhere. The investigation revealed that Bances Chaponan and others rented vehicles to travel throughout the U.S. in order to steal wallets from unwary victims and then use the victims' credit and debit cards to purchase electronic devices and other items.

Bances Chaponan was arrested on March 13, 2024, shortly after he used a stolen credit card to purchase a MacBook for approximately $2,850 and an iPad Pro for approximately $1,050. He has been detained since his arrest.

Judge Underhill scheduled sentencing for September 12, at which time Bances Chaponan faces a mandatory term of imprisonment of two years. justice.gov


San Mateo County, CA: Four suspects arrested for Organized Retail Theft at Hilldale Shopping Center
Authorities in San Mateo County arrested four individuals connected to a brazen midday theft at a Lululemon store within the Hillsdale Shopping Center last Thursday, according to a statement by the San Mateo Police Department. Suspects allegedly made off with nearly $10,000 worth of merchandise before fleeing in a stolen white Subaru Outback toward Highway 101. The Subaru was later found abandoned in San Francisco, and all four suspects were eventually detained with support from the San Francisco Police Department. The culprits were discovered attempting to offload the stolen goods in the city's Tenderloin District. Alongside the recovered merchandise, authorities confirmed that the vehicle used in the theft had been reported stolen earlier that day. Notably, the rapid response and collaboration of the joint task force played a pivotal role in apprehending the suspects and recovering the stolen items and vehicle.  hoodline.com


Lomita, CA: Another Southern California LEGO store falls victim to burglars
Bricks & MiniFigs, a nationwide chain of franchised LEGO stores, have experienced break-ins at several locations over the last several months, the most recent taking place in Lomita early Tuesday morning. The crime was all caught on camera, with surveillance video showing two people, faces covered, entering the store after shattering the glass of the front door. Once inside, they grabbed several LEGO boxed sets; one of the burglars even came back for more before leaving. "[They] took somewhere around $5,000 or more," said Miguel Zuniga, the store's owner. "The lowest sets they were taking are around $100 and there were about 14 sets that we've counted so far."  ktla.com


Ventura County, CA: 19 arrested in retail thefts
Nineteen people were arrested recently in a "blitz operation" conducted by a local task force formed to combat organized retail thefts in Ventura County. An estimated $5,000 in stolen merchandise was recovered along with a loaded firearm, a false government identification card, burglary tools, methamphetamine, fentanyl and prescription pills, officials said. Local police agencies along with retailers and security personnel at the Camarillo Premium Outlets joined up to conduct the blitz from May 31 through June 2, officials said.  vcstar.com


Vancouver, WA: Clark County Sheriff's Office Cracks down on Retail Theft, Arrests 8 at Vancouver Fred Meyer

Upper Gwynedd Township, PA: Woman with history of shoplifting charged with a felony in $200 Weis Market theft

Richmond County, GA: Walmart shoplifter kicks deputy after learning her theft was a felony