Save the Date
October 26 is Fight Retail Crime Day

Retail's day of action unites the industry in our fight against rising retail crime.

The surge in organized retail crime is significantly impacting consumers, retailers, workers and the communities they serve. In response to this crucial issue, NRF has designated October 26 as Fight Retail Crime Day - an annual event that mobilizes the entire retail business community to advocate for effective solutions in combating this problem.

Join us on Fight Retail Crime Day to:

• Advocate for policies that promote community safety and address rising retail crime such as the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act.

• Connect with leading policymakers to help drive change

• Activate the retail community to spread awareness and recognize lawmakers who support retail as Retail Crime Fighters.

NRF will be sharing more details about Fight Retail Crime Day 2023 in the coming weeks. Please contact Meghan Cruz if you have any questions.  nrf.com


Auror Crime Data: 39% of Grocery Stores Thefts Occur at Self-Checkout
Average dollar amount attached to self-checkout theft incidents is $120

Grocers seek to deter theft at self-checkout terminals

How one supermarket chain aims to thwart consumer shoplifting at self-checkout kiosks, with help from smart cameras.

Strategically mounted just above the self-checkout stations in a Harris Teeter supermarket location in Gaithersburg, Maryland, a fleet of smart video cameras is bent on ensuring that shoppers don't leave the store without paying for every product they have in their cart.

The devices are programmed to alert customers if they neglect to scan an item, giving them the chance to correct the error and continue processing their order, according to green signs positioned alongside the terminals. Should the shopper miss a second item, the unit will halt the checkout process and summon an employee, the signs indicate.

How often does theft occur at self-checkout?

Retail crime intelligence and loss prevention platform Auror collected self-checkout theft data based on 2.5 million events across 10,000 grocery store locations, not including specialty, big box or department retailers, throughout North America last year. Bobby Haskins, the company's vice president of retail partnerships in North America, said the research found that 39% of all thefts within grocery stores occur at self-checkout.

The firm's research also found that, while the average dollar amount attached to self-checkout theft incidents ($120) is significant, it is less than half the amount of incidents not linked to self-checkout ($250).

Ten percent of individuals, who Haskins referred to as opportunists, make up well over half (62%) of self-checkout theft loss, indicating that organized retail crime boosters are not the leading culprits of self-checkout theft, Haskins said.

He added that, once these individuals know they can take advantage of self-checkout terminals, they will revisit the store dozens of times over, each time swiping items.

Self-checkout theft will likely continue to climb, and retailer's attempts to stymie those efforts will evolve, Haskins said. Not only do more advanced technology and security systems at self-checkout kiosks deter and detect theft, but they also allow grocery companies to collect data on repeat offenders and catch theft patterns, he said.  paymentsdive.com


Prop 47 to Blame for California's Theft Epidemic?
LA's smash-and-grab epidemic: Voters helped break California's justice system

Smash-and-grab robberies are happening in broad daylight at stores throughout California and no one seems to be doing anything to stop them.

Two weeks back, a Nordstrom store in the west San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles was attacked by a flash mob of 30 to 50 masked thieves.

They made off with armloads of designer merchandise valued at an estimated $60,000 to $100,000.

Online video of the robbery showed metal-and-glass display shelves sliding along the floor as the thieves dragged expensive handbags, still attached to anti-theft cables, toward the exits.

The previous week, a gang of thieves helped themselves to about $300,000 worth of goods from a Yves Saint Laurent store in a shopping mall owned by the recent candidate for LA Mayor, Rick Caruso.

And last Sunday, two robbers carrying trash bags ran into a Nike store in East LA and strolled out with shoes and other merchandise.

From store employees to police to prosecutors, the response to these smash-and-grabs seems to be, "Not much I can do about it."

California's criminal-justice system is broken and state voters helped to break it.

But voters had help from deceitful activists and politicians who tricked them into thinking they were voting for greater public safety.

One of those deceivers is George Gascón, now district attorney of Los Angeles County, where nearly 10 million residents in 88 cities are living with the full consequences of the 2014 initiative Gascón co-authored, Proposition 47.

The authors named the proposed law The Safe Neighborhoods and Schools Act.  nypost.com


The View from the Left: Is Prop 47 Really to Blame for CA's Theft Crisis?
Sunday Commentary: Blaming Prop 47 for Theft Doesn't Pass the Smell Test

Yolo DA Jeff Reisig has been quick to blame Prop. 47 for these smash and grabs.

As Robert Hansen noted for the Vanguard last week, "Reisig said the Nordstrom heist happened "because of broken state laws, these crimes are considered 'non-serious' and 'non-violent' and nobody will go to state prison, even if caught and convicted."

Reisig routinely blames Prop. 47 for crime rates.

Prop. 47 reclassified some offenses as misdemeanors and raised the level of felony threshold for property theft-but critics fail to note that California's threshold is still much lower than other states such as Texas and Florida.

The irony is that the Glendale case is going to be heavily charged-as it should be. On Friday, AG Bonta's office announced that they filed multiple felony charges, including grand theft and second-degree robbery, against the suspects.

Despite the claims by Reisig, the Glendale case was charged as a felony and the amount stolen renders Prop. 47 moot.

The idea that we have to alter Prop. 47 because of smash and grabs is ignoring several factors. First, retail theft is up across the country-it is not a California problem. Second, most of these cases, especially the larger cases, are easy felony cases. Third, California under Prop. 47 went from having one of the lowest thresholds for grand theft in the country to the middle of the pack, but still far lower than Texas and Florida and other large states. Fourth, in truly organized crimes you can charge people with felony conspiracy.

At the end of the day, while I tend to believe that retailers are using retail theft as an excuse for falling profits-to the extent that retail theft is increasing is probably due more to the ease of getting away with it and the social disruptions of the pandemic and its aftermath than changes in the state law. davisvanguard.org


The Push to Reform Prop 47 Continues
CA Ballot Proposal to Reform Proposition 47
In California, a proposal to amend Proposition 47 that deals with retail thefts, drug trafficking and homelessness was filed for review by the attorney general. This would be a ballot initiative that, if qualified, would go before California voters in 2024. NRF is advocating for reform of Proposition 47 as well as passage of the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act to ensure that federal authorities coordinate with local and state law enforcement, municipalities, cities and towns to combat ORC.  oag.ca.gov


Law Enforcement Blasts L.A. County's Zero-Bail Policy
L.A. organized thefts: Law enforcement leaders point to county's zero-bail policy
Los Angeles Police Chief Michel Moore and L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna spoke out a public-safety summit Sunday, addressing topics including recent "flash mob" smash-and-grab thefts. The two men held a public safety summit in Ladera Heights on Sunday and agreed that part of the issue lies in Los Angeles County's zero-bail policy, which they say they're now working to change.

"The purpose of bail is a deterrent," said LAPD Chief Moore. "It's a deterrence to cause people to say 'I'm not going to go down this path, because if I go down this path and commit this crime, I'm going to lose my freedom.'"

"What we're saying is we need a moderate approach," said Sheriff Luna. A Southern California task force that includes local and federal personnel was formed to address organized retail-theft rings. Last week the task force announced 11 arrests related to local "flash mob" robberies.

Law enforcement officials held a public-safety summit titled "Building Bridges & Winning the Future" in Ladera Heights on Sunday. Topics discussed covered recent crime issues including smash-and-grab retail robberies, catalytic converter thefts and homicides. cbsnews.com


Dollar General Responds After Store Shooting Killed 3, Including Employee
(Update) Store employee among fatalities in racially motivated shooting at Dollar General store
Three Black people were killed when a gunman wearing a tactical vest and mask and armed with an AR-15-style rifle and a Glock handgun opened fire at the store. The victims included 19-year-old store employee Anolt Laguerre, Jr., along with Angela Carr, 52, and Jerrald De'Shaun Gallion, 29, reported CNN.

The gunman, identified as 21-year-old Ryan Palmeter, shot Carr as she sat in her car outside the Dollar General. He then entered the store, shooting and killing Laguerre. The gunman then exited, but returned and fatally shot Gallion. He also chased and shot Gallion's girlfriend, but missed.

Police officers entered the store 11 minutes from the start of the shooting and heard one gunshot, presumed to be when the gunman shot and killed himself.

"There is no place for hate at Dollar General or in the communities we serve," the company said in a statement. "Right now, we are focused on providing support, counseling and resources to our teams and their loved ones, and we are evaluating how we can best support and stand with the greater Jacksonville community during this sad and difficult time." chainstoreage.com


Cal-ORCA Virtual Summit
Gap Inc. Sponsoring Cal-ORCA Virtual Summit on Nov. 8

Program and registration coming soon!

Founded in 2012, The California Organized Retail Crimes Association (CAL-ORCA) is an organization dedicated to fostering partnerships between law enforcement and loss prevention professionals to provide training, combat Organized Retail Crime (ORC) and other crimes impacting the business community.

Cal-ORCA will be releasing it's exclusive 2023 Virtual Summit offering later this year, on Wednesday, November 8. Learn more here
 

NYC ex-con with over 200 arrests and open cases in 4 boroughs was free to lead cops on wild stolen-car chase: NYPD

 
Apple's Head of Global Security Faces Bribery Charges - Ipads for CCW Licenses
Appeals court revives bribery charge for Apple security exec in Santa Clara County concealed-gun permit scandal
Thomas Moyer convinced a judge two years ago that his offer of iPads to the sheriff's office was not a bribe to speed up getting the permits for his security agents; a ruling published Friday reversed that judge's decision.

SAN JOSE - A state appellate court on Friday reversed a Santa Clara County judge's 2021 decision to drop a bribery charge against an Apple security executive who was accused of offering a large iPad donation to the Santa Clara County Sheriff's Office to get concealed-gun licenses for his security agents.

That means for the time being, Thomas Moyer - Head of Global Security for the tech titan - will head back toward trial in the South Bay. The charge he faces were part of a massive scandal involving former Sheriff Laurie Smith that saw her administration accused of leveraging the coveted weapons permits for political donations and other in-kind favors.

"Consistent with the Ninth Circuit's interpretation of California law, federal law and the law in many states, we conclude that such a promise may constitute a bribe," the ruling reads. "We also conclude that the evidence presented to the grand jury was sufficient to raise a reasonable suspicion of such bribery. Accordingly, we reverse the trial court's order dismissing the bribery count against Moyer, reinstate that count, and remand for further proceedings."

Later in the ruling, the appellate court added that "The evidence presented to the grand jury ... created a reasonable suspicion (and therefore permitted the grand jury to find) that Moyer proposed the iPad donation principally for another purpose: to secure release of Apple's CCW licenses." mercurynews.com


Emergency Preparedness & Response
Back to Basics: Hurricanes 101
You need to prepare now for peak hurricane season, as forecasters have upped the number of named storms, hurricanes, and major hurricanes expected this year.

On August 10, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Climate Prediction Center raised its prediction for the ongoing 2023 Atlantic hurricane season from a near-normal level of activity to an above-normal level of activity. NOAA forecasters believe ocean and atmospheric conditions like record-warm sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic may counterbalance atmospheric conditions that usually limit storm activity, like the conditions associated with an El Niño event.

The agency's updated outlook, covering the entire 6-month hurricane season that ends on November 30, predicts there may be:

• 14 to 21 named storms with winds of 39 miles per hour (mph) or greater,
• 6 to 11 that could become hurricanes with winds of 74 mph or greater, and
• 2 to 5 that could become major hurricanes with winds of 111 mph or greater.

Will you be ready? ehsdailyadvisor.blr.com


Evacuations Begin - National Guard Activated - Emergency Declared
Idalia strengthens to hurricane as it advances toward Florida
Idalia strengthened to a Category 1 hurricane early this morning, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. The system is expected to "rapidly intensify" and could become a powerful Category 3 hurricane before it makes landfall tomorrow in Florida, the National Hurricane Center said.

Hurricane warnings and watches are in effect for parts of the Gulf Coast of Florida, with evacuation orders issued in some areas. Idalia threatens to bring "life-threatening storm surge inundation" along parts of Florida's Gulf Coast, with flash flooding and urban flooding also likely, the hurricane center said.

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis activated the National Guard and President Joe Biden approved an emergency declaration, the Federal Emergency Management Agency said. nbcnews.com


Retailers Can't Require Employee Attendance At Anti-Unionizing Meetings
New York, Maine and Minnesota Ban Captive Audience Meetings
Effective Aug. 1, Minnesota now prohibits employers from holding captive audience meetings-that is, requiring, under threat of discharge, discipline, or some other penalty, employee attendance or participation in employer-sponsored meetings or otherwise requiring them to listen or receive communications regarding employer opinions on religious or political matters.

These captive audience bans tilt the balance of power to labor unions, as they prevent employers from making the case as to why employees may not want to vote in favor of union organization. Minnesota now joins the ranks of Connecticut, Maine, and New York, which passed similar laws recently.

These states have largely justified such restrictions by asserting that captive audience meetings coercively interfere with employees' freedom of speech. Nonetheless, the states face a multitude of potential legal challenges, one of which has already succeeded. shrm.org


Faster Union Elections Coming?
NLRB Mandates Speedier Union Elections
The National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) issued a final rule Aug. 24 requiring union elections to be held at "the earliest date practicable." The rule also provides that disputes concerning individuals' eligibility to vote in a union election do not need to be litigated or resolved prior to an election.

As a result, expect elections to happen sooner than they would have under a 2019 rule that set a mandatory delay of at least 20 business days between an NLRB regional director's issuance of a direction of election and the election. The final rule, which returns key election procedures to those put in place by a 2014 rule and revokes the 2019 rule, takes effect Dec. 26.

Quick and fair elections are a basic principle of the National Labor Relations Act, said NLRB Chairman Lauren McFerran. Elections will occur faster "by removing delays in the process," said Carrie Hoffman, an attorney with Foley & Lardner in Dallas. shrm.org

   RELATED: Unionization of restaurants could be faster under regulatory change


CFO recession fears ease: PwC

C-suite economic optimism is growing, but executives remain split on the possibility of a recession.

• Optimism among C-suite leaders regarding the state of the economy is on the rise, according to a survey released Tuesday by Big Four accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers.

• "As we look with economists, policymakers, business leaders, what they see is the possibility of a soft landing," Wes Bricker, PwC U.S. vice chair and trust co-leader, said during a media briefing Monday.

• While recession fears are easing across the broader C-suite, however, sentiment about the possibility of a coming recession varies among members of the leadership team. Only 8% of CFOs anticipate a recession in the next six months, compared to 27% of chief operating officers, the survey of 607 US executives found. cfodive.com


Rite Aid reportedly preparing Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing

A filing could help the retailer restructure $3.3 billion in debt and address a slew of lawsuits alleging it unlawfully filled opioid prescriptions.

According to the WSJ, Rite Aid hasn't yet agreed on a settlement that it knowingly oversupplied prescription painkillers and the bankruptcy filing, should it move forward, would pause the federal, state and local claims against the retailer. The move would also likely consolidate the thousands of claims against the pharmacy retailer and allow it to resolve them in one place. retaildive.com


CVS Pharmacy, Walgreens to acquire prescription files from SEG's pharmacies

Luxury Retailers Neiman Marcus and Saks Fifth Avenue Discuss Potential Merger

'The pandemic isn't over.' Coronavirus cases in L.A. County keep rising

Even as COVID hospitalizations jump in MD, doctors expect to avoid 'tripledemic'


Quarterly Results

Abercrombie & Fitch Q2 comp's up 13%, net sales up 16%

Ulta Beauty Q2 comp's up 8%, net sales up 10%

BJ's Wholesales Q2 comp's up 1.1%, digital up 15%, total sales excluding gasoline sales up 1.1%

Best Buy Q2 domestic comp's down 6.3%, online sales down 7.1%, Intern. comp's down 5.4%, Enterprise comp's down 6.2%
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Associate Director Policy, Governance, Audit and Compliance job posted for Verizon in Alpharetta, GA
GRC is looking for the Associate Director of Policy, Governance, Audit and Compliance who will be responsible for managing the programs, strategies, and day-to-day activities to support policy management, all compliance-related activities including PCI and Enterprise policy, as well as all audit and governance activities. The Associate Director will be tasked with designing, implementing, and enhancing a governance program to comply with privacy, confidentiality, and cybersecurity-related laws and regulations, and company policies and objectives. mycareer.verizon.com
 

"Violent criminal street gangs are a constant threat to our communities"
DOJ: Group Charged in Forty-Count Indictment with Fourteen Armed Carjackings, One Attempted Carjacking, and Five Armed Robberies of Businesses
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - On August 24, 2023, a federal grand jury returned a forty-count indictment charging Ángel Mercado-Aquino, Ferdinand Escobar-Castillo, Ismael Reyes-Rivas and Andro Bianchi-Montalvo with a series of armed carjackings and robberies of businesses,

Between January 31 and March 6, 2023, the four defendants (acting together or as part of a smaller group) committed a series of armed robberies in Río Piedras, Río Grande, Guaynabo, Caguas, Canóvanas, Puerto Nuevo, Toa Baja, and Bayamón, Puerto Rico. The businesses that were targeted included Burger King and Shell gas stations. Most of the carjackings occurred early in the morning at gas stations, including a Gulf Gas Station in Río Grande, a Mobil Gas Station in Guaynabo, the Any Time Gas Río Cañas in Caguas, the Total Energies Gas Station in Canóvanas, and a Gulf Gas Station located at La Virgencita, Toa Baja. justice.gov


Houston, TX: Video evidence shows what led to 35-year sentence for tire thief involved in statewide crime ring
A man was sentenced to 35 years in prison for his role in an organized crime ring that steals wheels off of cars statewide and resells them. Ansel Pennygraph, 42, was found guilty by a jury in Harris County after a two-week trial. The prosecutor on the case, William Cowardin, said they have linked about 30 people to the crew, but only four are charged. "You look at businesses, nonprofits, and by organizing, they can have a greater impact on their community," Cowardin said. "Crime is no different." The group had a system down, according to Cowardin, that was refined over the years. They would scout out parking lots with high concentrations of cars, like apartment complexes, and steal their wheels. Stolen wheels were taken to a warehouse in the 9000 block of Sweetwater Lane, near West Gulf Bank and the North Freeway. Surveillance video used as evidence in court shows Pennygraph back a white Dodge Caravan up to the rolling door and unloading several wheels. Hours later, a white truck with a buyer inside showed up and purchased some of the stolen goods, according to Cowardin. Cowardin said during a search of Pennygraph's phone, they identified at least seven regular buyers. One, he said, was a legitimate business.  abc13.com


Albuquerque, NM: Warrant filed for suspect in Albuquerque-metro shoplifting ring
Albuquerque police are searching for a woman they believe is involved in a large shoplifting ring. According to an arrest warrant, 53-year-old Christina Ephrim was one of four people, including a juvenile, behind nearly 70 shopliftings around the metro. Investigators alleged Ephrim got away with $17,000 worth of merchandise in 20 thefts at Lowes, Target, and Smith's between April and November of last year. At this point in time, she is the only one with an active warrant.  krqe.com


Louisville, KY: Ringleader of 6-person crime syndicate charged with 76 counts of theft in Kentucky
A Kentucky resident is facing 76 charges in connection with various theft cases, including the alleged stealing of Kentucky Lottery tickets and other items worth more than $123,000, Lottery Post reported. Telnesha Antnetta Brown, an 18-year-old from Louisville, has been charged by the Louisville Metro police with 76 counts of theft on Friday. Between April 19 and Aug. 24, 37 Louisville Metro businesses were burglarized, and some Kentucky Lottery tickets were taken, according to LMPD. After each burglary, the stolen tickets were immediately cashed. It was later discovered that Brown and others were using the Kentucky Lottery mobile app to check if the tickets were winners before cashing them. Through a collaboration between LMPD detectives and Kentucky Lottery security officials, it was confirmed that the same individuals responsible for the burglaries were responsible for the stolen tickets and redemptions. Surveillance footage was used to identify Brown and her accomplices.  usatoday.com


Miami, FL: Police arrest man accused of stealing watches from store in Miami
A man was arrested by police after being accused of stealing watches. According to police, the armed thief stole several watches from a store in Miami. He then took off and changed his clothes at least twice. After searching for a while, officers found him and took him into custody. They also found some of his clothing, a bag with the watches and a weapon.  wsvn.com


Smith County, TX: Man indicted in connection to East Texas diesel theft ring
A man has been indicted for his connection to a diesel theft ring which reportedly operated from June 16 to Sept. 13, 2022. On June 22, Ramon Perez-Torres, 29, was indicted for his part in an illegal diesel theft ring that reportedly stole approximately 9,312 gallons of diesel back in 2022. His pretrial/plea date has been set for Sept. 18 with Judicial Officer Taylor Heaton. Perez-Torres was first arrested back in April along with two others, Duniesky Ondarza Gonzalez and Camila Cruz Concepcion, who have also already been indicted for their connection to the diesel theft ring.  ketk.com


Ontario, Canada: Man fled Georgetown Walmart with $4,500 in Nintendo games
The Halton Regional Police Service have released a suspect photo and are seeking assistance from the public in identifying a suspect involved in a Georgetown robbery. On July 2, 2023, at approximately 7:15 am, a male suspect entered the Walmart located at 300 Guelph Street in Georgetown. The suspect was standing near a glass cabinet that had been unlocked by a staff member and contained Nintendo video games. A struggle ensued between the suspect and staff member as the suspect attempted to steal items from the case. The suspect fled the store with approximately $4500 worth of stolen Nintendo video games. The staff member sustained minor injuries. There were no weapons seen or indicated during the robbery. bayobserver.ca


Chattanooga, TN: Police investigating a $2,200 theft from Victoria's Secret in Hamilton Place Mall