Retail Panic Button Law Signed By NY Governor
The law requires the adoption of a violence prevention plan, workers to be trained in de-escalation and the installation of panic buttons throughout corporate retail stores.

NY enacts panic button law despite retailer pushback
A bill intended to increase retail worker safety and prevent workplace violence, which was heartily opposed by a major retailer earlier this year, was signed into law by Gov. Kathy Hochul Wednesday.

The Retail Worker Safety Act would require the adoption of a violence prevention plan, workers to be trained in de-escalation and the installation of panic buttons throughout corporate retail stores. The Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union (RWDSU), who spearheaded the act, touted its passage Wednesday.

What does the newly passed NY retail safety law require?

In a certain section of the act, access to panic buttons in New York locations of retail stores with 500 or more employees nationwide is required. The panic button would either be a physical button installed throughout the workplace or a wearable or mobile phone-based button installed on employee equipment which, when pressed, would immediately contact local emergency services, provide the employee's location information and dispatch local law enforcement to the store, according to the bill's text.

The act also requires retail employers to implement programs to prevent workplace violence and provide training on such programs for employees.

Panic button requirement causes concern

Walmart, the Arkansas-based retail giant, opposed the panic button element of the legislation because the company believes there's likely to be too many false alarms. And some retail groups are pointing to the price tag of installation being too hefty, Reuters said, while others are worried it lacks clarity.

When will law go into effect?

The law will go into effect 180 days after it's signed, however, the panic button part of the legislation will not go into effect until Jan. 1, 2027. democratandchronicle.com


Retailers See Improved Shrink Numbers Amid Theft Crackdown
Target slows store theft, but at a cost to shopping experience

Asset protection experts say more innovation instead of familiar locked-up products is what will help retailers keep shrink like shoplifting at bay without deterring customers.

That quick Target run isn't as speedy as it used to be with everything from deodorant to boxer briefs under lock and key at a growing number of stores as retailers take a more forceful approach to stymieing shoplifting.

In many ways, the lockdown - including wheel-locking carts if shoppers venture too far from the store - has worked. Minneapolis-based Target and several other retail chains this summer have shrunk their rate of shrink, the industry term for physical product losses. But keeping rows of products behind plexiglass, among other theft deterrents, could eventually drive shoppers out of stores or leave them feeling alienated, loss prevention experts say.

For more than two years, companies such as Target and CVS have suffered from an increase in retail losses. Target reported its shrink costs grew more than $500 million last year compared to 2022. In October, the retailer controversially closed nine stores across the country because of theft.

But Target reported in its most recent quarterly report in August that it expects its shrink costs to be about even with last year. Walmart and Home Depot have also reported improved shrink numbers this year as compared to 2023.

Michael Fiddelke, serving as both chief operating and chief financial officer at Target, credited the retailer's partnership with federal, state and local agencies as well as some of the in-store tools to protect often-stolen merchandise as reasons for the improved numbers.

"For certain, some of the tactics that we deploy within the store are paying off as well," he said in a call with media. "But it's going to take all of that work to continue to make the progress that we expect and hope for over the quarters and years to come." startribune.com


Home Depot's War on ORC
The Rise of ORC & How The Home Depot is Tackling the Problem
Organized Retail Crime (ORC) is a large-scale, multi-jurisdictional operation where criminals steal merchandise from a retailer with the goal of re-selling the stolen goods - not theft for need, but theft for greed. Scott Glenn, vice president of Asset Protection at The Home Depot, explains, "It's not the average person coming in and stealing one item and walking it out the door for personal consumption. It's a well-organized orchestrated organization, not your typical opportunistic shoplifter."

According to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, ORC has caused more than $125 billion in lost economic activity. It has also triggered a loss of more than 650,000 jobs, affecting retailers of all sizes.

Associate and customer safety is The Home Depot's top priority, and there are several safeguards in place. From extensive training to in-store asset protection measures, the company is focused on reducing the dangers posed by ORC. The Home Depot has also implemented new technologies to make in-store theft more difficult, and it continues to work closely with local law enforcement and federal law makers to help combat the problem.

The INFORM Consumers Act, passed in 2023, has helped prevent the sale and monetization of stolen products on the web. It requires retailers with an online marketplace to verify information about "high-volume third-party sellers," but it will take more legislation for all states to get on the same page.

"What we're advocating for now is the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), which is a federal bill to say, first and foremost, there is a crime when you cross state lines and sell stolen products. It would also help create more resources for investigation and prosecution," Glenn said.

CORCA would not only establish a centralized place for law enforcement to share resources and collaborate but also broadens the scope of what qualifies as an offense related to ORC. It's currently in the hands of Congress. corporate.homedepot.com


Shoppers Applaud Target's Approach to Theft
Target shoppers go crazy over anti-theft 'blitz' at stores - they 'love the name & shame' and it's coming to more chains

Target shoppers went crazy over the retailer's anti-theft 'blitz' operations as the initiative is set to impact other chains.

Customers declared they "love the name and shame" over the recent development that has resulted in the arrest of nearly two dozen suspects. Authorities in Southern California have been making efforts to crack down on recent theft from local Target stores in Simi Valley and Moorpark.

Target Corporation partnered with Ventura County Organized Retail Theft Task Force for a two-day "blitz" initiative to arrest shoplifters. Nineteen adults and three teens were arrested between August 23 and August 24, the Ventura County Sheriff's Office said.

The Task Force was created after receiving funding from the California Retail Theft Prevention Grant Program. It plans to prevent an estimated $10 million in yearly loss from organized retail theft and vehicle theft, among others, in Ventura County.

After news broke about the "blitz" organizations, Target shoppers took to social media to share their thoughts, many being in favor of the initiative.  the-sun.com


CA Lawmakers, Businesses & Law Enforcement Applaud New Retail Theft Laws
Salinas Valley, CA: Central Coast elected officials champion new retail theft laws

Historic legislation aims to protect businesses and enhance public safety

In downtown Salinas on Aug. 19 - joined by several dozen Central Coast elected officials, law enforcement leaders, business owners and local and state lawmakers - Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas championed historic new retail theft laws that will protect business owners, improve safety for shoppers and workers and hold criminals accountable.

Rivas' package of new legislation, which was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Aug. 16, provides new tools to stop this problem. The laws create a new felony charge to target organized criminals, allows prosecutors across different counties to work together to stop thieves, and cracks down on online marketplaces that sell stolen items.

Newsom has referred to the laws as "the most significant legislation to address property crime in modern California history." Rivas agreed, saying, "These powerful new laws give leaders the tools they need to protect hard-working business owners and keep their workers and customers safe."  salinasvalleytribune.com


More AGs Getting Tough on ORC
Arizona AG Cracks Down on Organized Retail Theft
Attorney General Kris Mayes has made clear, through recent legal proceedings, that organized retail theft is a significant issue that has no place within Arizona's borders, reporting on a recent sentencing that exemplifies the state's firm stand on the issue. An individual named Bay Horn, tied to organized retail theft was convicted following his attempts to defraud TJ Maxx out of thousands of dollars - the scheme, which surfaced back in 2023, involved underhanded methods including the concealing of merchandise and falsifying returns. hoodline.com


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Fort Wayne, IN: Police investigate alleged $160K Organized Retail Theft from Amazon Fulfillment Center
Fort Wayne police are investigating nearly $160,000 worth of Apple iPhone thefts from Amazon. An ecoATM representative alerted police of suspicious transactions with iPhone 15s. ecoATM attempts to reduce electronic waste by allowing individuals to sell their phones for cash. Police say the transactions are documented and tracked by ecoATM, who provided an initial suspect list. Reports state detectives used LeadsOnline as a tool in their investigation. According to police, detectives discovered organized Amazon retail theft at the Amazon Fulfillment Center FWA6, 5510 Flaugh Road. Two brothers, 19-year-old Omar Kelly and 18-year-old Amir Kelly, were arrested on Tuesday for their connection to 10 stolen iPhone 15s from Amazon. Reports state Omar was an employee at the Amazon Fulfillment Center and admitted to Amazon Loss Prevention he stole the phones from the facility. Police say Omar and Amir both sold the iPhones using ecoATM. According to police, Amir earned $400 from selling two stolen devices, which were valued at $1,398. Reports show Omar sold eight iPhone 15s, earning $2,100 from the transactions. According to police, Palma admitted stealing the phones and intentionally creating a path of travel to avoid the facility's robotic devices in the area. Reports state approximately $159,296.98 worth of phones were stolen, with detectives recovering roughly $54,593. Police say all suspects used ecoATMs for selling the devices.  wfft.com


Fairfax County, VA: Trio nabbed after $20,000 theft in Tysons
Detectives from our Tysons Urban Team (TUT) arrested a retail theft crew responsible for over $20,000 worth of stolen merchandise. On September 1 around 3:30 p.m., TUT detectives responded to the 8300 block of Leesburg Pike in Tysons for a larceny. Detectives located three suspects and took them into custody. The crew was found to be in possession of over $1,700 worth of stolen merchandise. A search of the suspects' vehicle and hotel room revealed an additional $20,000 worth of stolen merchandise from stores. Henry Rozo-Olarte,50, of New York was charged with Conspiring to Commit Larceny, Larceny with Intent to Sell, Conspiring to Commit Organized Retail Theft, Possession of Burglarious Tools, and Grand Larceny. He is being held at the Fairfax County Adult Detention Center on no bond.  fcpdnews.wordpress.com


Chicago, IL: Burglars target Lululemon store in smash-and-grab on North Side
A group of thieves burglarized a business early Thursday morning on the city's North Side. Chicago police said that just before 3:30 a.m., officers responded to a burglary at the Lululemon store in the 3500 block of North Southport Avenue in the Lake View neighborhood. They said four to five men used an unknown object to break through a glass door and took proceeds from within. The group then got into a silver Audi and fled the scene in an unknown direction. The business was not occupied at the time of the incident.  cbsnews.com


Chicago, IL: Chicago Man Charged with Felony Retail Theft, Accused of Running Financial Crimes Enterprise
A Chicago man, identified as Dewayne Lasley, has been charged with multiple felony counts of retail theft and a continuing financial crimes enterprise after a string of alleged thefts spanning over a year, according to a report by the Chicago Police Department. The 53-year-old resident of the 8800 block of S. Union was taken into custody by the Organized Retail Crime Task Force on September 4, 2024. The arrest took place in the 600 block of S. 89th St., where Lasley was pegged as the suspect in a series of thefts at home improvement stores located in Chicago's 14th and 8th Districts. The alleged incidents, which resulted in seven counts of felony retail theft and one count of running a financial crimes enterprise, occurred between August 22, 2023, and August 23, 2024. A detention hearing for Lasley is scheduled at 2600 S. California on the day of the report's publication, September 5, 2024.  hoodline.com


Maricopa, AZ: $26K lost in string of Walmart heists
A 28-year-old man accused of stealing more than $26,000 in merchandise from Walmart stores in Maricopa and Tucson faces at least four felony charges. Maricopa police arrested Nibra White on Monday at the Walmart on Maricopa-Casa Grande Highway, where he allegedly shoplifted more than $5,300 worth of electronics between July 31 and Aug. 2, according to a probable cause statement. During three Maricopa heists, White was allegedly seen "placing numerous electronics" in shopping carts and walking past registers before leaving the store without paying up. During the third incident, he showed a fake receipt on his cell phone to store employees when leaving the store Aug. 2. Police said they easily identified White in security camera footage because, like most comic book villains, he wore the same outfit in the commission of his various crimes. According to police, White had at least nine open shoplifting cases totaling north of $21,000 in stolen merchandise from multiple Tucson Walmart stores. In several of those cases, he also flashed fake receipts to store employees.  inmaricopa.com


Omaha, NE: Douglas County Sheriff's Office makes arrest in multiple golf store burglaries after search warrant yields stolen items
The Douglas County Sheriff's Office arrested one person in connection to multiple burglaries. On Aug. 26 at about 1:30 a.m., DCSO went to the Stone Golf Course Clubhouse where they discovered broken glass and video surveillance was found. The video showed a person smashing the glass with a rock and taking golf clubs before fleeing the scene in a gray Jeep Grand Cherokee. The investigation into the burglary led them to a suspect who was involved in "numerous other golf shop burglaries." On Thursday, deputies served a search warrant and found several items taken in the Aug. 26 incident as well as other incidents. Angelo Donovan was arrested on two counts of burglary and one count of attempted burglary.  ketv.com


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Port St Lucie, FL: Police partnering with big box stores to combat retail theft