'Most Violent Period in the 21st Century'
Murders are up. Crime is not. What's going on?

The US is in its most violent period in the 21st century. There are some things we know - and others we don't.

Last year, the US saw the biggest increase in the murder rate in decades. The estimated total number of homicides rose to levels not seen since the late 1990s, even as the overall crime rate declined. So far, the spike has continued into 2021: Murders are up nearly 15 percent so far this year compared to the same period last year, based on data from US cities collected by crime analyst Jeff Asher.

That's what we know. What we don't really know yet is why.

Year-to-year fluctuations in crime and violence can and do happen. But the size of the murder spike has led to broader national attention. The increase is now part of an ideological proxy war - leading to conflicting opinions even within political parties on what to do about the increase in murders, and plenty of finger-pointing over whether the pandemic, protests over police, or guns are to blame.

We don't really know, with certainty, what's behind the rise. All three of those factors likely played a role. And there may even be some unknown factor that researchers won't notice for years; the theory that higher levels of lead in the environment caused higher crime and violence from the 1960s to 1990s took decades to get widespread national attention.

The increase in murder appears to be a uniquely American phenomenon. While murder rates rose in some developed countries last year, like Canada and Germany, the increases are far below the double-digit spikes America is seeing. That's especially notable because the United States already had a higher baseline of murders, after controlling for population.

The good news is there is a lot more agreement among experts about how to bring down the spike than there is about what caused it. But the best evidence suggests stopping murders in the short term will require more and better, though not necessarily more aggressive, policing - a controversial proposal on the left.

The stakes are very high. Nearly 21,000 people were murdered in America in 2020, based on preliminary data. Another increase of 10 percent or more could mean thousands more dead in 2021. vox.com

One Nation Under Fire - A Shooting Every 12 Minutes
A week's glance at gun violence ripping across America
Between Saturday, July 17, and Friday, July 23, the Gun Violence Archive tracked at least 915 shooting incidents -- or, a shooting every 12 minutes -- that left at least 430 people dead and 1,007 wounded. In total, more than 1,000 were wounded or killed this week alone. These numbers are not static, and are constantly updated as data comes in.

Last year marked the deadliest year for shooting-related incidents in the U.S. in at least two decades, according to Gun Violence Archive data with more than 43,000 gun deaths. But GVA's data suggests 2021 is on track to surpass those figures with more than 24,000 gun fatalities reported so far.

Altogether, more than 800 Americans under 18 years old have died from gun violence so far in 2021, with 174 of them under 12, GVA data shows. So far, there have been 18 mass shootings in 12 cities across the U.S. this week, according to the GVA's data, with 19 dead and 74 wounded.

The epidemic of gun violence also includes suicides, which are the cause of about 60% of adult firearm deaths, according to the Department of Justice. In 2019, an average of 66 people each day died by suicide with a gun, according to the Education Fund to Stop Gun Violence. This year alone there have been more than 13,500 suicides by gun, GVA data shows.

ABC News and the GVA's assessment of this past week's gun violence found that in all, two people had been killed and five people had been wounded every hour.

Of all the states, Illinois had the highest number of gun violence incidents, with 109 incidents tracked. Texas followed with 63 incidents, and then Pennsylvania, California and New York, where there were 59, 52 and 48 incidents, respectively, over the last week. abcnews.go.com

California Governor on the Hot Seat Over Rising Violence & Retail Crime
Could the Crime Surge Hurt Newsom in Upcoming Recall Election?

California is seeing a surge of crime, particularly homicides, and advocates of recalling Gov. Gavin Newsom want to make it an issue.

Those who want voters to recall Gov. Gavin Newsom joined crime victim advocates at the state Capitol last Tuesday to accuse the governor of being too lenient on lawbreakers as the state experiences a new wave of crime.

They castigated him for unilaterally suspending executions of murderers and making it easier for felons to win release from state prisons.

"The thing that really alarms me about what the governor did, is that it's a continuation of policies to undermine the criminal justice system, and to put dangerous people back out onto the streets," said Marc Klaas, whose daughter, Polly, was murdered 25 years ago by a recently released felon. The killer, Richard Allen Davis, is one of 737 murderers benefiting from Newsom's death penalty suspension.

A few hours later, Newsom's office announced that he would hold a press conference in Los Angeles Wednesday "on state action to address crime and reduce retail theft in communities across California."

Newsom devoted much of the event to signing Assembly Bill 331, which extends an effort to crack down on organized shoplifting that has plagued California retailers in recent months. But he attributed the sharp increase in violent crime, particularly murders, to "a proliferation of guns on our streets" and noted that "There is not a state that's been spared."

The back-to-back events imply that crime may be a new front in the recall campaign and that Newsom feels the need to defend himself. calmatters.org

Criminal Justice Reform Stalled By Rising Crime?
Advocates Frustrated By Biden's Silence On Justice Reform
One of President Joe Biden's most powerful tools for advancing criminal justice reform is his voice and yet, despite his campaign promises, he has been mostly silent on the issue while in office, frustrating criminal justice reform advocates.

Advocates for ending mass incarceration and mandatory minimum sentencing would have liked Biden to do more than just talk about criminal justice reform in his first six months in office, but they are even more frustrated by the fact that he isn't loudly advocating for reform and isn't letting people know when he will act on his reform promises.

Criminal justice advocates acknowledge that Biden started his presidential term with a full plate of pressing issues to address: the COVID-19 pandemic, an economic downturn, extreme political division and a migrant crisis at the southern border that could have sidelined criminal justice reform in his administration's early days. And now, six months later, Biden's administration is still grappling with these issues in addition to combating a spike in homicides and surges in coronavirus cases in areas with low vaccination rates.

But advocates and experts say that Biden could at least publicly support more criminal justice reform legislation that has been introduced in Congress and dispel myths being perpetuated by some Republican lawmakers that releasing people from prison increases crime. law360.com

'Defund the police' officially on November ballot in Minneapolis

The political committee behind the effort is reportedly fueled by a single $500,000 donation from progressive billionaire George Soros.

A 12-1 vote from the Minneapolis City Council pushed a petition drive to replace Minneapolis' police force with a department of public safety on to the November ballot.

The proposal will ask voters if they want to approve a plan to replace the police department with a new public safety department focused on a "comprehensive public safety approach" that would include police officers "if necessary to fulfill the department's responsibilities."

The plan would eliminate the charter's requirement for a minimum number of police officers and remove the mayor's "complete power" over the department.

The plan's advancement follows a June court order for the 435,000-person city to hire more police officers since it's currently violating its charter by understaffing the department. Many officers quit or claimed disability following the death of George Floyd in police custody. alphanewsmn.com

Civilian oversight for Chicago police wins final approval after yearslong fight

D.C. Police Chief: Marijuana 'undoubtedly' connected to violent crime surge


Another Bloody Weekend in America

Chicago's Gun Violence Crisis Continues
Chicago shootings: 69 shot, 10 fatally, in weekend violence across city

One man was shot & killed while standing outside a convenience store

Sixty nine people have been shot - 10 fatally, including a 17-year-old boy - in Chicago since Friday night. A man was shot and killed as he stood in front of a 24-hour convenience store Saturday evening on a busy street in Chatham on the South Side.

About 8:15 p.m., Theodore Smith was standing outside the store when someone walked up to him with a gun and shot him in the chest, according to Chicago police and the Cook County medical examiner's office.

The 44-year-old was rushed to the University of Chicago Medical Center, where he was pronounced dead, police said. The man was an employee of the store and was smoking a cigarette when he was shot, a person at the scene told the Sun-Times.

At least forty-three others were wounded in citywide gun violence since 5 p.m. Friday. There were 56 shot, 11 fatally, last weekend. last weekend in Chicago. abc7chicago.com

Atlanta's Violent Weekend
10 shot in separate shootings in Atlanta; community searching for solutions
By late Sunday night, Atlanta police had responded to at least 10 people shot in different shootings spread out across the city.

Among the incidents, an officer-involved shooting at a block party near Hamilton E. Holmes Drive, a triple shooting northwest Atlanta and the Saturday afternoon shooting death of 17-year old Jakari Dillard at the Anderson Park swimming pool.

"It's always tough, to understand why it's happening in our community and what more can we do to try and help prevent these things," Durrett said.

Lincoln asked the Mayor's Office why they shut the pools down. It said it was to complete an operational assessment of the outdoor city owned pools. Several sources told Lincoln the decision was spurred by resident complaints about a lack of lifeguards and a need for more security officers.

Last week, Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms proposed a $70 million plan to help reduce crime which includes a plan to hire more police officers. wsbtv.com

Denver & Aurora, CO: 7 shot, 3 dead in 5 separate weekend shootings

Seattle, WA: 3 people killed, 5 injured in shootings early Sunday

Indianapolis, IN: More than a dozen shot, at least 3 stabbed over violent weekend

Columbus, OH: Weekend begins violently with 4 shot and 10th homicide in 9 days

Cleveland, OH: Police deal with multiple shootings, stabbings during violent weekend

Durham, NC: After weekend of shootings and a stabbing, activists seek answers
 

COVID Update

341.8M Vaccinations Given

Store Death Prompts OSHA Investigation
OSHA looking into death at Golden Valley Menards

An employee at a Burnsville store was killed in a similar accident in 2017.

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is investigating the accidental death of an employee at the Menards in Golden Valley Thursday.

James Stanback, 19, was killed in the store's outdoor lumber area at about 10 a.m. when a pallet of lumber fell on a forklift he was driving, Golden Valley police said.

The company released two short video clips from the lumberyard showing wood sliding onto the forklift as it moved close to the pile. The Hennepin County Medical Examiner's office attributed Stanback's death to "mechanical asphyxia."

Minnesota OSHA opened an investigation Friday, OSHA spokesman James Honerman said. "We will inspect work areas for safety or health hazards, try to determine what caused or contributed to the accident and review whether existing OSHA standards were violated."

There is no set time frame for an OSHA investigation, Honerman said. An investigator will also review records showing what types of safety and health training employees have received. OSHA standards detail how the training should be conducted and what it should include.

OSHA records show no previous investigations at the Golden Valley Menards, he said, but an employee at a Burnsville Menards was killed in a similar accident in 2017. startribune.com

UK Government Urged to Boost Retail Staff Protections
Unions call on the UK government to beef up laws protecting retail staff

A UK union called for tighter laws to protect retail workers after a violent brawl in a London store.

A UK union is calling for tighter laws to protect retail staff after a man dressed in a Spiderman suit kicked a store worker in the throat before punching her to the ground. The mass brawl at a supermarket in South London injured six people.

A spokesperson for the formerly Walmart-owned supermarket chain Asda, where the incident occurred, told Insider that it was working closely with the police. "We do not tolerate any form of violence or abuse towards colleagues or customers," they said.

Worker unions say this is not an isolated incident. "Attacks on retail workers are on the increase. Parliament needs to act now to toughen the law," Mark Wilkinson, senior organizer at the union GMB, which represents over 600,000 workers, said in a statement Friday.

UK retailers have been calling on the government to beef up laws to protect workers. In July, a group of 100 retail businesses signed a letter urging Prime Minister Boris Johnson to take action. businessinsider.com

Reporting Inaccurate Financial Info - Fined
Tandy Leather Fined for Faulty Inventory Tracking
Tandy Leather Factory and its former CEO have been charged with using a faulty inventory tracking system, resulting in inaccurate information being included in its financial statements.

According to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the limitations of the tracking system at the world's largest specialty retailer of leather goods distorted Tandy's calculations for inventory, net income, and gross profit for each quarterly and annual reporting period going back to at least 2016.

In June, Tandy restated financial statements for fiscal 2017 and 2018, interim periods for 2018, and the first quarter of 2019 due to the erroneous reporting.

To settle the SEC's allegations, Tandy and former CEO Shannon Greene agreed to pay fines of $200,000 and $25,000, respectively. Greene, 55, served as CFO for 16 years before being promoted to chief executive in February 2016.

The SEC said the key problem with the tracking system, which dated back to 2000, was that it could only hold one cost per stock-keeping unit at a time and did not retain any historical information. cfo.com

From Inmate to Security Executive
Woman goes from tough life in jail to owning security company
Staesha Anderson is one of a few female security service owners. Now that she's thriving, she's helping others, too. Anderson grew up on Colonie Street in Albany. It looked like she would become a product of her environment.

"I started seeing other stuff and got exposed to the streets, and I headed in the wrong direction," she explained.

Her final night of hanging out would land in her jail. That, unfortunately, caused her to miss the last chance to see her aunt who was in the hospital. That was it.

Anderson went from causing trouble to trying to prevent it, by working for a security company. She was hooked. Then she decided to give entrepreneurship a try.

In 2016, she started Anderson Security Services, going from 3 to 40 employees before the pandemic hit. Since she was given a second chance, she never hesitates to give a second chance to those who've had it tough. wnyt.com

Poundland owner Pepco to create 13,000 jobs in next three years

What The Recent Closures Of Kmart And Sears Can Teach Us
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director - AP Investigations (Remote) job posted for Gap Inc.
Develop internal and external investigative strategies, policies, and standards for AP department. Identify and implement industry-leading tools and technology to drive investigative productivity within the AP department. Implement and execute Asset Protection strategy to protect customers, employees, assets, and brands. Lead a team that conducts complex investigations, including organized retail crime cases. Personally responsible for conducting sensitive investigations. gapinc.com

Senior Manager Corporate Security job posted for Mosaic in Tampa, FL
This position will provide leadership and technical expertise for developing, implementing and administering an organization-wide security strategy, business travel, training and overall security program for Mosaic across our Global enterprise and will play an instrumental role in strengthening Mosaic's global corporate, project and supply chain security network by engaging in risk assessment and mitigation strategies that protect people, business operations and company assets. mosaic.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com
 

Last week's #1 article --

Philadelphia's Grim Milestone: 300+ Homicides So Far in 2021
Philadephia shooting: 1-year-old shot in c-store as crime skyrockets

120 children have been shot in Philly since start of the year resulting in 21 deaths

Video footage caught the moment a 1-year-old girl was shot in a Philadelphia convenience store as shootings escalate in the city. The shooting unfolded Saturday in a West Philadelphia convenience store, with surveillance footage showing gunfire coming from both inside and outside of the store.

The girl is expected to survive the injury, and bullet holes are still visible at the store. Choudary said the shooting left her fearful for her safety in the city.

The crime comes as homicides in the City of Brotherly Love soar this year, with 304 murders logged and more than 1,200 people shot. At least three dozen people were shot in Philadelphia over the weekend, including three fatally.

Earlier this month, Philadelphia broke a decade-long record for passing the grim 300-homicide milestone this early in a year. Additionally, more than 120 children have been shot in the city since the start of the year, 6 ABC's Action News Data Journalism Team reported, with 21 of them dying.

Shootings and other violent crimes have also escalated in other cities across the nation, including in Chicago, where the number of shooting victims increased 70% in March alone when compared to March 2020. foxnews.com

Seattle, WA: Homeless bazaar selling 'stolen' clothes, booze takes over prime Seattle location
COVID mandates resulted in nearly 150 Seattle businesses permanently closing. But as the Seattle economy finally reopens, residents and tourists have a new retail outlet to buy clothing and alcohol. It's a few blocks away from Pike Place Market, occupying prime real estate near Sub Pop Records and trendy restaurants Serious Pie and Shaker + Spear. But there's a problem: It's an illegal bazaar appealing mostly to homeless people. It sells what appears to be stolen goods. And the city hasn't done anything about it yet.

The bazaar occupies the sidewalk along 3rd Avenue and Virginia Street in downtown Seattle near a busy bus stop. You can buy jeans and shirts, some hanging from the fences that line a construction project. The clothing has tags on them. You can also purchase hats, gloves, and scarves. Looking for luggage? The bazaar has got you covered. They even sell laundry detergent. An array of alcohol lines the sidewalk that is as well-stocked as most liquor stores.

So far, the city of Seattle hasn't cleared the homeless bazaar, even though the Mayor's Office was made aware of the sidewalk nuisance. It was still there on Saturday. Across the street, homeless addicts line the sidewalk harassing passersby. The Mayor's Office ignored questions on whether or not they supported efforts to remove the bazaar from the sidewalk. It's the response of an office that has given up on returning Seattle to a respectable city. mynorthwest.com

Wood County, OH: Man sentenced for stealing $145,000 from home improvement stores
A Toledo man who stole nearly $145,000 from area home improvement stores has been sentenced to prison. Marvis Jones, 37, was transferred from the jail Tuesday to the courtroom of Wood County Common Pleas Judge Matt Reger. He was indicted in March for robbery, a third-degree felony; burglary, a third-degree felony; three counts theft, all fifth-degree felonies; and failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, a third-degree felony. Reger said that Jones led police on a 15-mile chase with speeds in excess of 100 mph in a 70-mph zone. He ran numerous stop lights and stop signs, drove without headlights, drove left of center, and crashed into a marked patrol car.

"He did collide with a police car," Wood County Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Christopher Anderson said, but added Jones did not cause serious physical harm. Since 2007, Jones has had numerous prior convictions, including multiple domestic violence charges, forgery, attempted escape, felonious assault and retail fraud, Reger said. "Unfortunately, he does have mental health issues," and has been using drugs, said defense attorney Justin Daler. Perrysburg Township police began investigating Jones in 2020 by working with loss prevention from Lowes and Home Depot and maintaining constant updates on the vehicles he was using. sent-trib.com

Napa County, CA: Three arrested in south Napa after reported Grand Thefts, vehicle chase
A brief vehicle pursuit late Sunday afternoon that followed reported thefts from Bay Area stores ended with the arrests of three people south of Napa, according to the Napa County Sheriff's Office. At about 4:30 p.m., sheriff's deputies were notified by Vallejo Police of a vehicle connected to several grand thefts at various retail stores, including the Walgreens pharmacy in American Canyon. Shortly afterward, deputies attempted to stop a Chrysler 300 sedan on Highway 221, and a pursuit ensued.

The Chrysler struck another vehicle on Highway 29 and three people fled on foot, All three were detained nearby at about 5 p.m. by deputies and American Canyon Police officers, he said. The driver of the vehicle that was struck by the Chrysler was taken to Providence Queen of the Valley Medical Center after complaining of pain. Law enforcement officers recovered various stolen items from the Chrysler, including high-end cosmetics and perfumes, as well as a loaded handgun that was discarded during the foot pursuit that followed the wreck, Quigley said. napavalleyregister.com

Bakersfield, CA: Man pleads no contest to stealing thousands of dollars in electric razors
Maurtrice Shydell Sartin pleaded no contest this week to seven counts of grand theft of property and a single count of second-degree robbery. The 20-year-old remains in custody pending his sentencing next month. According to a court filing, Sartin was arrested in connection with multiple thefts at the Target in northeast Bakersfield and other stores totaling about $24,000 in losses. In addition to the razors, he's alleged to have stolen cleaning supplies and frozen meat. "Sartin routinely targeted high-value electric razors and stole an average of $1,000 of merchandise per trip," the filing says. He was arrested June 24 and charged with dozens of offenses, 19 of them felonies. The remaining charges were dismissed under the plea agreement. kget.com

Bainbridge, OH: Shoplifters shower road with stolen clothing from speeding getaway car
After stealing clothing at 12:45 p.m. July 9 from Dick's, two suspects fled in a pickup truck. An officer pursued the truck to Depot Road before calling off the chase due to the truck's high rate of speed. Doubling back to the store, the officer found four clothing items with tags that the subjects likely threw out their truck windows. Police have the vehicle license plate and description and are investigating. cleveland.com

Cranston, RI: Police seek help identifying $4,000 Banana Republic shoplifters

Brookfield, WI: Police seek suspect wanted for multiple Target thefts

Watchung, NJ: Police seeking 3 Females responsible for theft of $850 of merchandise from Famous Footwear

Bayonne, NJ: Man Charged with Shoplifting $700+ of Merchandise from CVS