Lax Prosecutors & Progressive Reforms Fueling Retail Crime & Lawlessness
They're also fueling the belief that downtowns are too dangerous to work and shop.

Editorial: With Walgreens locking down its product, the scourge of shoplifting is in all our faces
The pandemic ushered in a lot of trouble for downtowns across the country, including an explosion in brazen theft from retail outlets. Stores left empty as shoppers stayed home were made especially vulnerable after public officials charged with keeping the peace decided to deliberately ignore small-scale property crimes.

In 2016, Cook County State's Attorney Kim Foxx kicked off her controversial tenure as the Chicago area's top prosecutor by drastically raising the bar for charging shoplifters with a felony crime. The idea was to reduce the number of petty thieves holed up in Cook County Jail, long a dumping ground for impoverished defendants endlessly awaiting their day in court.

Past studies had found no correlation between the felony threshold and property crime rates. So, in her first major policy move, Foxx felt empowered to open the door for crooks to clean out store shelves without meaningful consequences. Other liberal-minded, big-city prosecutors also decided to look the other way, and the result, predictably, was a surge in lawlessness.

Criminals have taken full advantage, creating well-organized gangs that target high-value items like beauty products, ink cartridges, baby formula and cold medicine. They pose a violent threat to anyone who tries to stop them, and some use the proceeds to fund drug trafficking, gunrunning and other plagues that cause problems of their own.

Faced with gangland-style attacks on their premises, merchants like Walgreens and Target have put more and more goods under lock and key. Some have ordered their employees never to intervene when a robbery is in progress, for safety's sake. Workers who step in can face termination, which is a sensible policy under the circumstances but hard on retail clerks with integrity, who don't feel right about standing by during a crime.

The criminals, in short, have been winning, making it increasingly difficult for brick-and-mortar stores to stage a post-pandemic comeback, adding to the surge in inflation and contributing to a belief that urban downtowns are too dangerous for everyday people to work and shop there.

A justifiable backlash has been building, and we're hoping common sense will prevail again. Foxx, for one, has decided to step down when her current term ends. We'd like to see other lax prosecutors in cities still in recovery mode similarly make way for public officials more dedicated to protecting businesses than thieves.  chicagotribune.com


Retailers in San Francisco Fight Back Against Crime
San Francisco Safeway locations receive high tech upgrade
It's no secret some San Francisco businesses have been hit hard by rampant theft and shoplifting. One grocery chain has installed gates inside some of their high-theft San Francisco stores where customers have to scan their receipts to exit.

Safeway shopper Peter Thurston noticed the new device earlier this week at the Webster Street Safeway store. "It's a new system that they're trying out. Time will tell if they are going to be successful or not," said Thurston.

Thurston and other regulars said theft is rampant. "Everyday. You see (shoplifting), you just mind your own business," said Thurston.

At least two San Francisco Safeway stores have the new sliding gates, including the Mission Street store in the Excelsior District. "Oh, it's the best. It's going to cut down on the crime. I guarantee it cuts down on the crime," said shopper Norman Simpson.

Some shoppers also worried about store closures due to high theft. That was why many seemed to support it despite the early glitches.

A Safeway spokeswoman wrote in a statement to KPIX 5, "recent changes were made at select Safeway stores in the Bay Area... given the increasing amount of theft. Those updates include operational changes to the front end of the stores to deter shoplifting."

Safeway has tried many security measures in recent years, including metal gates to prevent people from leaving through closed registers and long metal poles attached to shopping carts so people can't just run out with a cart full of products. cbsnews.com


'The Bad Year Continues' for Mass Killings & Gun Violence
US on grim pace for gun violence, mass killings in 2023
The United States frequently reaches horrific new highs of the gun violence epidemic. The latest way: A deadly six months in what figures to be the most mass killings in a year.

There have been 30 mass killings in 2023 - more at this point in the year than any other since at least 2006, according to the USA TODAY/Northeastern University/Associated Press Mass Killings Database. A mass killing is defined as four or more people killed, not including the perpetrator. Of those 30 mass killings, 29 involved a gun.

"The bad year continues," said James Alan Fox, a professor at Northeastern University who has studied mass killings for 40 years. "If the second half of the year is anything like the first half, this will be a high watermark."

Of those mass killings, eight happened in public places. The attacks - all shootings - left 50 people dead and 60 injured, according to the database. The nation typically sees six public mass shootings annually, and the most the country has ever witnessed was nine in a year, Fox said.

"We're one below the total year number maximum, and we're only halfway through," Fox said.

This year, there have been at least 377 mass shootings across the nation, leaving more than 400 people dead and more than 1,500 injured, according to the archive.

Mass shootings have happened in nearly every state, according to the database. Only ten have not witnessed a mass shooting: Alaska, Delaware, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, West Virginia and Wyoming.  usatoday.com


The Defund Movement Has Created a 'Dangerous Doom Loop'
'No rule of law': Defund movement in this town was a 'dismal failure' that lead to more crime and lawlessness
"So the reason that Oakland is not safe and livable is because of the failed policies of our neo-progressives who have come to dominate our local government," Scott, founder of the nonprofit Neighbors Together Oakland, told Fox News. "The defund movement was a dismal failure."

"No one feels safe to go outside, businesses are failing, and we created a dangerous doom loop," the safe neighborhood advocate continued. "The luxury politics of our elite who don't live with the consequences of their policy is absolutely destroying our city."

There were nearly 500 homicides in Oakland from 2018 to 2022, according to the San Francisco Chronicle, making the town the most dangerous city in the Bay Area. From July 6 to 12, Oakland police reported 251 larceny cases, 146 motor vehicle thefts, 43 robberies, 94 assaults and 50 burglaries, according to city data.

The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services' standards mandate 90% of 911 calls should be answered in 15 seconds or less. Oakland police, in the first three months of 2023, answered only 55% of calls in 15 seconds or less.

"We've got a big fat target on our backs, and we have organized crime outfits coming forward, organized retail theft and car theft, etc.," Scott said. "Because they know we have no rule of law and the cops aren't going to come do anything about it." wfin.com


Across the Pond - Public & Private Groups Partnering Together
UK: Dorset businesses experiencing a shoplifting epidemic

It's partly due to hardship but also down to organized crime gangs

An "epidemic" of shoplifting is hitting Dorset business - some caused by hardship, some by organized crime gangs

Incidents of 'steaming' are said to have become more common, where a gang enters a target shop at the same time, blatantly taking as much as they can get their hands on and then running.

Shop staff are often terrified to tackle the thieves and those businesses who do have security find there is little one person can do against such tactics.

"From what I have been told the shop keepers are finding this very, very frightening," said Weymouth councillor Pete Barrow at a meeting of the Dorset Police and Crime Panel.

Support is now being offered in a business-to-business scheme with the county's Police and Crime Commissioner, David Sidwick, offering to pay the expenses for 200 firms to sign up to a nationally recognized scheme.

A limited pilot project is already underway in central Bournemouth for a dozen licensed premises and is said to have been making some inroads against know criminals.

Joining the Safer Dorset Business Partnership where steps are being made to improve reporting and target the thieves who now often steal to order, sometimes passing the stolen goods on to other retail outlets, prepared to knowingly receive stolen goods.

Mr Sidwick said he was also backing the national UK Partners Against Crime initiative which offers a platform for businesses to share information and intelligence, including allowing the police to share information about who to look out for.

He said that his office would fund up to 200 businesses across Dorset to join their platform and with training and support.  planetradio.co.uk


Oakland police advise residents to reinforce doors as home invasions increase
In a public safety advisory issued Wednesday, the Oakland Police Department recommended residents reinforce their doors and install security cameras amid a spate of home invasion robberies in the East Bay city.

Thieves are ransacking homes, even when residents are present, and the department reported an increase in these break-ins across several neighborhoods, including Laurel, North Hills, Joaquin Miller and the Greater San Antonio area. sfgate.com


41% of New Yorkers have 'never' been this concerned about their safety, poll finds

San Francisco crime is now spreading to one of the richest neighborhoods in US

Cleveland, OH: Beachwood reaches settlement with officer over 2019 mall shooting

Fentanyl - One of the Top Reason's for America's ORC Crisis

DOJ: "Fentanyl is now the number one killer of Americans between the ages of 18 and 49. More than cancer, car accidents, or gun violence. It is a law enforcement crisis and a public health crisis. And we are doing everything we can to stop it."

Fed. Charges for Dealers: One count of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl and alprazolam, carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison, and two counts of distributing and possessing with intent to distribute fentanyl, each of which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison. *There is no parole in Federal Prison.

DOJ: Statement Of U.S. Attorney Damian Williams On The Arrest Of Sophia Marks

Sophie Marks: 'Percocet Princess' busted in death of Robert de Niro's grandson has sold to kids as young as 15 years old: cops
 

Facial Recognition Helping Stores Track Criminals
This Connecticut supermarket is watching for known offenders with biometric equipment
A sign posted in a Vernon ShopRite supermarket warning about the use of biometric equipment in the store is raising concern about whether shoppers should be subject to facial recognition and monitoring.

The sign alerted customers of the ShopRite in the Tri-City Plaza that biometric identifier information is being collected at the store.

"It is one tool that is used in conjunction with traditional store video surveillance to help deter organized retail theft at the store level," said Karen O'Shea, a spokeswoman in ShopRite's corporate office in New Jersey. "And like so many other retailers nationwide that are using video surveillance tools today, many ShopRite stores are beginning to implement biometric technology."

O'Shea said the chain's stores "that have implemented biometric software are using facial recognition, not voice recognition or retinal scanning." O'Shea did not say how many ShopRite stores are using the biometric software.

O'Shea said that ShopRite stores in Connecticut that use the technology want to be in compliance with the Connecticut Data Privacy Act. Biometric identifiers can include facial and voice recognition as well as retina scanning.

Burt Flickinger, managing director of the New York City-based consulting firm Strategic Resource Group, said collection of biometric identifiers has become more prevalent because of escalating retail thefts as well as well as concerns about the safety of employees and customers.

"Stores are finding that shoplifting is not pervasive across the entire customer base," Flickinger said. "It is being done by more organized groups, professional gangs of thieves that take the merchandise and then resell it."

... "Everybody is the retail sector is looking into it," he said. "It's how our society has evolved. The retailer started using biometric identifiers because they saw the airlines and the government doing it."

Kaleigh and Yamiel Zea weren't aware of that their biometric identifiers were being collected when they visited the Vernon ShopRite on Thursday. But the Vernon couple took the news in stride.

"A camera is a camera," said Yamiel Zea. "It's no big deal."

"Having a grocery store do it doesn't bother me," Kaleigh Zea said.

Editor's Note: Biometric information gathered by retailers for "security and safety purposes" is limited to that use. Fears about what COULD happen pale in comparison to what IS happening: Violent crime that threatens both customers and employees. A relatively small group of criminals is causing massive negative effects to all citizens. Identifying these criminals and taking steps to mitigate their threat is a timely solution.  Continue Reading Full Article


States Outlaw Noncompete Agreements
A growing number of states have banned noncompete agreements, leaving employers to grapple with a patchwork of different state-level requirements and federal actions.

"We are seeing a very clear trend of increasing hostility to the use of noncompete agreements," said Daniel Kadish, an attorney with Morgan Lewis in New York City. "It has been a significantly growing trend over the last four or five years. We've seen this pick up speed."

Four states-California, Minnesota, North Dakota and Oklahoma-have banned noncompete agreements entirely, and many other states have enacted restrictions, such as setting a compensation threshold or requiring advance notice.

The New York Legislature recently passed a bill that would ban noncompete agreements, but Gov. Kathy Hochul hasn't signed it yet.

The state laws primarily targeted noncompete agreements that apply to low-wage workers. "It's an effort to solve for those situations," Werner said.

Some state laws allow noncompete agreements for employees whose salary is above a certain threshold, and others don't. Some state laws permit noncompete agreements in connection with the sale of a business, and others don't.

The state laws don't clearly define what a business competitor is, which can make things confusing for employers that use noncompetes, Prokott said. shrm.org


McKinsey & Company
Retail reset: A new playbook for retail leaders
In light of unprecedented industry disruption, a retailer's actions today could determine whether it spends the next 20 years as a leader or a laggard. Here are four must-dos for retail executives.

It now sounds like a cliché, but that doesn't make it any less true: the retail sector has experienced as much disruption in the past five years as it has in the previous 25. Consider this: perhaps never before in the history of the industry has every single one of retail's primary stakeholder groups-customers, suppliers, employees, and investors-dramatically changed their behavior and expectations, all at the same time.

Consumers aren't browsing like they used to and are abandoning their once-preferred brands; they're also demanding speed and sustainability. As retail ecosystems evolve, suppliers are, in many cases, becoming customers. Employees are seeking workplace flexibility, which retail jobs traditionally haven't offered. And, amid all this disruption, shareholders expect profitable growth. The pace and magnitude of change have been jarring to even the most seasoned retail leaders.

This confluence of challenges calls for a radical rethinking of long-held beliefs and practices-a retail reset. In this article, we explore the major trends shaking up the industry and recommend a set of focus areas for the retail C-suite. Now is a critical juncture: a retailer's actions in the next two to three years could position it for success in the next 20.

Why a new playbook? Keep Reading?


Lawsuit: St. Cloud mall owners haven't paid loan in nearly three years, owe $84 million
U.S. Bancorp initiated foreclosure proceedings against the owners, Brookfield Properties, of Crossroads Center mall.

Brookfield's musical landmark, the Brill Building in Times Square, was taken over by the lender last week as well. startribune.com


2023 Video Surveillance Deep Dive Report

SSI's new security research report highlights installations, prices, profits, verticals, challenges and technologies.

Get your free copy of SSI's 2023 Video Surveillance Deep Dive Report today!

 
Lululemon lays off 100 amid Lululemon Studio integration

Eight U.S. retail, restaurant chains make "100 Most Influential Companies" list
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Dir. Security Governance & Standards job posted for Walmart in Bentonville, AR
The Director, Security Governance & Standards position is a critical role charged with directing the governance and standards designed to mitigate risks that pose threats to Walmart's associates, customers, brand, reputation, and operations. The Director of Security Governance & Standards will help to enhance security governance and will work with a team of subject matter experts focused on preventing, detecting, and responding to threats by establishing best practices and collaborating with cross functional teams. walmart.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com

Director, Safety & Security job posted for CJ Logistics America in Des Plaines, IL
The Director, Safety and Security is responsible for leading initiatives related to safety with an additional focus on security. These initiatives help create a stronger culture by working with Operational Leadership teams as well as the responsible parties within the Safety Department. This role is responsible for teaching, mentoring and guiding the operations leadership teams to execute Company policy, identify best practices and implement those best practices. indeed.com

Retail Profit Protection Manager job posted for Trulieve in Tempe, AZ
The Profit Protection Manager is responsible for maintaining the highest profit protection standards for internal & external theft of both Trulieve product inventory and cash procedures throughout the hub. The Profit Protection Manager will oversee the Profit Protection Specialist team strategically placed throughout your geographical hub. careers.trulieve.com
 

Last week's #1 article --

LP Alert: Calif. About to Pass Workplace Violence - Active Shooter - Shoplifting Bill

SHRM: Workplace Violence Prevention Rules are Coming for California Employers

Here's the Society for Human Resources take on CA Senate Bill 553

Ransomware Crypto Payments Poised to Set New Record in 2023

Crypto Cybercrime Falls 65% Overall, But Ransomware Projected to Hit $899M

Cryptocurrency is the lifeblood of ransomware gangs, and their illicit use of crypto could hit record numbers this year. While overall crypto proceeds, including from crimes such as scams, fell dramatically over the past year, ransomware funds are expected to hit $899 million in 2023.

Crypto transfers to known illicit entities such as scam sites, darknet markets and fraud shops plummeted 65% this year compared to last, while risky entities such as mixers and high-risk exchanges saw a 42% decline, Chainalysis said in a midyear report.

But ransomware-related funds continue to grow in 2023, the researchers said. Attackers extorted $175.8 million more in 2023 than they did during the same period in 2022.

Cybercriminals focused on big-value attacks, increasing the number of both very large and very small attacks and extorting at least $449.1 million through June this year. If the pace continues, they are likely to extort $898.6 million by the end of the year, trailing only 2021's $939.9 million.

"Big game hunting - that is, the targeting of large, deep-pocketed organizations by ransomware attackers - seems to have bounced back after a lull in 2022," Chainalysis said. The rebound is seen in payments and attacks.

"The payment size distribution has also extended to include higher amounts compared to previous years," the company said.

For instance, Clop had an average payment of $1.7 million and a median payment of $1.9 million, while BlackCat had $1.5 million and $305,585, respectively. Dharma had $265 and $275, and Phobos had $1,719 and $300.

Amateur hackers typically use low-level ransomware-as-a-service strains such as Dharma and Phobos to attack smaller targets in "spray and pray" attacks. They use sophisticated strains such as BlackBasta and Clop to hit bigger organizations for more money.

Factors such as improved cybersecurity and data backup practices by large organizations, law enforcement efforts, increased availability of decryptors, and sanctions against services offering cashout services to ransomware gangs are helping to mitigate attacks to some degree, Davis said. The trend of companies opting to not pay ransom also continues. bankinfosecurity.com


Microsoft Accused of Helping Enable Chinese Espionage Operation
Chinese hacking operation puts Microsoft in the crosshairs over security failures

Security deficiencies and business practices have researchers and officials furious at Microsoft for enabling an espionage operation.

Revelations that hackers in China used a Microsoft security flaw to execute a highly targeted, sophisticated operation targeting some two dozen entities, including the U.S. commerce secretary, have officials and researchers alike exasperated the company's products have once again been used to pull off an intelligence coup.

What's worse, U.S. cybersecurity workers only discovered the operation this week thanks to a premium Microsoft logging service that costs customers extra and without which the attack likely could not be detected.

As the Biden administration pushes a so-called "secure by default" approach to cybersecurity as a part of the White House National Cybersecurity Strategy, the fact that Microsoft up-charges customers for security features - even to discover its own flaws - has some officials questioning the reliance on huge tech firms that play a central role in Washington's broader computer security initiatives.

It is unclear what the operation, which security officials describe as remarkably stealthy, netted the hackers, but two White House officials told CNN that they believe the breach offered Beijing insights about Blinken's June visit to China. And while it is also unclear what the hackers obtained from Raimondo's inbox, the commerce secretary has helped craft highly restrictive U.S. export controls cutting China off from advanced semiconductors. Raimondo is expected to soon travel to China.

To pull off the operation, the hackers appear to have obtained an encryption key used to create user tokens - the ephemeral digital access codes that allow users to come and go to a computing service in the cloud. How the hackers obtained that key represents a major mystery and a major security failure by the company. cyberscoop.com


NIST Cybersecurity and Privacy Program
Help us build bridges between researchers and practitioners!
If you are a cybersecurity/IT practitioner or developer or a human-centered cybersecurity researcher, we want to hear from you!

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is conducting a survey to understand the interactions between human-centered cybersecurity researchers and practitioners, including if/how practitioners use human-centered cybersecurity insights.

The survey results will lead to the creation of mutually beneficial "bridges" between the research and practitioner communities that facilitate the relevance and application of research findings to real-world practice.

We invite you to share your thoughts and experiences by responding to our survey, which is open through July 31:

PRACTITIONERS - Take the survey here: https://usability.gov1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_80us9OFNHPPjiPs?so=govdel

(Note: You don't have to be familiar with human-centered cybersecurity to take the survey.)

Contact Susanne Furman susanne.furman@nist.gov (through July 21) or Clyburn Cunningham (after July 21) at clyburn.cunningham@nist.gov should you have any questions about the study. We also encourage you to forward this email to your colleagues. govdelivery.com


Are Malicious Meta App Fakes on the Way?
Meta's Threads app used as a lure
Apps exploiting the Threads brand have been popping up on Apple's App Store, confusing users into downloading them. Mysk security researchers have noted that, after repeated complaints, Apple recently took down one of those and has suspended the account of the developer (Tel Aviv-based SocialKit Ltd).

Named "Threads for Insta", the app has managed to rack up over 300,000 downloads in a few days. According to TechCrunch, it was a content generator that allowed users to make posts via AI-powered models. There's no mention of it being outright malicious, but the developer did misuse the Threads brand to make the app more "downloadable".

Researchers with cybersecurity startup Veriti are also warning about "over 700 domains related to Threads being registered daily" in recent weeks, offering an Android version of the app for download outside of Google's official app store - often from a cloud-based file hosting service such as MediaFire or third-party app stores. helpnetsecurity.com


White House plan for implementing cybersecurity strategy faces roadblocks

Attack Surface Management: Identify and protect the unknown