ORC Hot Spot Rolls Out Tougher Penalties for Shoplifters
Aurora, CO City Council takes up proposal on jail time for shoplifters

An Aurora City Council committee will take up a proposal Thursday that could send people to jail for a minimum of three days if they steal from a store.

The proposal would apply to shoplifters convicted of taking more than $300 worth of merchandise. Aurora Police said retail thefts have gone up in the city and that officers think the crime is underreported because retail employees often don't engage with shoplifters.

Havana Street in Aurora is a hot spot for retail stores. It also draws the people who steal from them. Council member Danielle Jurinsky, who is introducing the proposed ordinance, said she's trying to keep shoplifters out of the area.

"Crime has just exploded, and I know it is a nationwide problem, but of course I can effect change and have impact in Aurora," she said.

Aurora Police said that retailers in the Havana Business District have expressed concern about their losses and the rise of thefts. The Police Department has met with big-box retailers there, and stores are providing officers with a list of their most frequent shoplifters.

Jurinsky said she thinks her proposal would deter more people from stealing products. "At least putting them in jail for three days - hopefully it makes it uncomfortable enough for them that they want to stop," she said.

The Public Safety, Courts and Civil Service Police Committee will vote on the ordinance on Thursday. If passed, it will head to the full council for consideration at its next study session meeting on Sept. 19. 9news.com

NYC's Summer Crime Surge
Summer 2022 crime surged in nearly every major category, NYPD stats reveal

Crime didn't take a holiday over the summer of 2022.

Worries that warm weather would bring out the Big Apple's bad guys proved true, with repeated examples of innocent New Yorkers falling victim to gunmen, crooks, perverts and violent maniacs. Official statistics show the NYPD tracked weekly spikes in almost every category of major crime except murders and rapes in June, July and August, compared with last year.

The only exceptions were felony assaults, which declined twice, and auto thefts, which dipped once. As of last week, the rate of serious crimes was up 35.6% over 2021, with robberies, burglaries, grand larcenies and auto thefts rising between 32.6% and 46.6% each.

The distressing situation in late July led Mayor Eric Adams to call in vain for a special session of the state Legislature to address his repeated requests for a rollback of the controversial 2019 bail-reform law. But with summer's official end on Labor Day, there's worries Gotham's public safety could be headed in the same downward spiral as the soon-to-be falling leaves.

Prosecuting the innocent

A July 1 attack on a bodega worker in Upper Manhattan sparked widespread outrage after a 61-year-old immigrant wound up charged with murder for stabbing the ex-con who stormed behind the counter, pushed him against a wall of merchandise and tried to lead him away.

Jose Alba spent nearly a week locked up on Rikers Island following his fatal encounter with Austin Simon, 35, inside the Blue Moon convenience store in Washington Heights shortly after 11 p.m.

Following demands from politicians and everyday New Yorkers who saw the slaying as an object lesson in self-defense - as well as a series of front-page Post reports - progressive Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg finally decided to drop the case July 19. nypost.com

Big Apple's Busiest Burglar Strikes Again (and Again)
NYC's 'most prolific' burglar back behind bars
Meet the Big Apple's busiest burglar. Jose Colon, 51, has more than 90 busts dating to 1991 and was out on parole after being sprung from prison in June - but keeps getting freed to strike again, according to law enforcement sources and official records.

"He's the most prolific burglar in Manhattan right now," one cop told The Post. "It has to be tens of thousands of dollars, if not a hundred."

Colon's latest brush with the law came Tuesday, when he was charged with five new heists in Brooklyn's 76th Precinct - including for allegedly stealing two iPhones, construction supplies and an electric scooter.

The Manhattan District Attorney's Office said they have no record of Colon's prior busts - but noted that cases that are no longer pending could be sealed.

"We are certain that he did well in excess of 100 burglaries," said a law enforcement source. "He victimizes many people while only having to serve one sentence for dozens of crimes. "He's back out again to victimize.

"What's the point of sending him to jail? They let him out on parole and he's out reoffending," our source said. "Textbook case of recidivism. "How many bites of the apple do you get?" he said. nypost.com

Retailers Across the Pond Fight Global Theft Surge
Tesco boosts security as 'desperate' people steal food as they 'have no money'

The cost of living crisis has reportedly caused a surge in desperate people shoplifting

As the cost of living crisis deepens, Tesco has taken steps to increase its security after reports that 'desperate' people are shoplifting food. The massive squeeze on the public's finances has led to a surge in shoplifters stealing food according to the supermarket giant's chairman John Allan.

This has led to the decision to beef up security including putting more tags on food despite the Tesco boss telling Times Radio he "can understand desperate people taking desperate measures". The chairman admitted that some people "literally had no money left" as food and energy costs soar.

Sainsbury's, meanwhile, has said it will pump £65 million into its pricing next month amid ratcheting pressure on customers' budgets.

Simon Roberts, chief executive of the supermarket chain, promised the brand will stand with its customers "to ease the financial pressure they face". Tesco and Sainsbury's make up a third of the so called Big Six supermarkets.

Many supermarkets have also expanded their 'essential' and 'value' ranges offering customers cheaper own brand products. However Which? has pointed out that supply chain issues and increasing numbers of people looking to cut down on their grocery bills have meant that value products were out of stock on three times as many days from December 2021 to February 2022, compared with two years previously. mylondon.news

UK Police Chiefs Sound the Alarm
Police 'fear surge in crime & civil unrest' driven by cost of living crisis this winter
Police chiefs are drawing up contingency plans to deal with an expected rise in crime this winter as the cost of living crisis worsens, it has been reported. Forces are said to be braced for a breakdown in public order and even corruption among officers as energy bills become more expensive.

A national strategy paper, written in the summer, has revealed police chiefs are increasingly concerned that "economic turmoil and financial instability" has the "potential to drive increases in particular crime types", according to The Sunday Times.

The document says these include "acquisitive" offences, such as shoplifting, burglary and vehicle theft. Police chiefs also fear a spike in online fraud and blackmail.

The document, drawn up with input from the National Police chiefs' council, says: "Greater financial vulnerability may expose some staff to higher risk of corruption, especially among those who fall into significant debt or financial difficulties."

The government has announced a financial package to help people struggling with their bills. But charities and campaigners have warned that the measures do not go far enough and called for more action to offset soaring bills.  independent.co.uk

How Police Respond to Mass Demonstrations Impacts Your Stores
Department of Justice Releases Recommendations for Law Enforcement Response to Mass Protests and Protecting First Amendment Rights
WASHINGTON – The Department of Justice’s Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Office) today announced the release of 21st Century Protest Response: Promoting Democracy and Advancing Community and Officer Safety, which provides recommendations for state, local, tribal, and territorial law enforcement agencies responding to mass demonstrations.

The COPS Office publishes materials for law enforcement and community stakeholders to use in collaboratively addressing crime and disorder challenges. These free publications provide you with best practice approaches and give you access to collective knowledge from the field. Below you can find our recent and featured publications, and you can also search the Resource Center or our Community Policing Topics pages for specific issues or call the COPS Office Response Center at 800-421-6770. usdoj.gov

Dallas County Jails Reaching Capacity With Big Uptick in Felon's Incarcerated in 2022
One of the biggest reason people are waiting in jail is the sheer size of the felony case backlog and the increased wait times for steps in the criminal justice process. More than three-quarters of people in the jail are waiting for a trial, plea bargain or dismissal of their case, Hikel said.

According to data from the Office of Court Administration, the number of active and pending felony cases has increased more this year in Dallas County than in any other county, and most other urban counties saw decreases. dallasnews.com

D.C. quietly resumes enforcement of youth curfew after two-year pause

The news comes as Prince George's County prepares for a 30-day crackdown on its curfew for those under 17.

D.C. police quietly resumed enforcing the city's long-standing juvenile curfew last month in what the chief described as an effort to concentrate on areas where crime has spiked and young people tend to congregate.

Sixteen people have been picked up since Aug. 1 for violating the District's curfew, police said. The curfew restricts activity for those under 17 during nighttime hours.

The efforts from law enforcement to keep children and teenagers inside comes as both jurisdictions are struggling to reduce violent crime, with youth arrests in 2022 up about 12 percent in D.C. and 53 percent in Prince George's compared with the same time last year. washingtonpost.com

How effective are curfews in reducing crime? A criminologist weighs in
"What we know as criminologists is that curfews, for the most part, have very little impact, if any, on violent crime," Adams said.

Are increased fears of New York City crime justified?

FTC Establishing New Surveillance Rules?
FTC to Host Forum on September 8 on Commercial Surveillance and Lax Data Security Practices
The Federal Trade Commission is hosting a public forum regarding its Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking (ANPR) on commercial surveillance and data security practices that harm consumers and competition.

It will take place Thursday, September 8, 2022, 2 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. ET. The event will be held online. A link to view the forum will be posted to ftc.gov the day of the event and on the event page.

The event will feature remarks by FTC Chair Lina M. Khan, Commissioners Rebecca Kelly Slaughter and Alvaro Bedoya, as well as a staff presentation, two panel discussions, and comments from the public.

The Federal Trade Commission announced last month that it is exploring rules to crack down on harmful commercial surveillance and lax data security. Commercial surveillance is the business of collecting, analyzing, and profiting from information about people. Mass surveillance has heightened the risks and stakes of data breaches, deception, manipulation, and other abuses.

The FTC's Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking seeks public comment on the harms stemming from commercial surveillance and whether new rules are needed to protect people's privacy and information.

The FTC is seeking comment on a wide range of concerns about commercial surveillance practices. For example, some companies fail to adequately secure the vast troves of consumer data they collect, putting that information at risk to hackers and data thieves. There is a growing body of evidence that some surveillance-based services may be addictive to children and lead to a wide variety of mental health and social harms. ftc.gov

Retail will be the leading industry for AI spending over the next five years
Retail is a prime testing ground for AI/ML because it offers massive transaction volume and scale, complicated retail problem scenarios, and elevated levels of repetitive engagement relative to other industries.

While these investments will largely focus on solutions that improve the customer experience through automated customer service and recommendation engines, there are other areas where mature AI applications deliver substantive value to retailers, including demand forecasting, price optimization, computer vision and search

"AI is becoming more and more of an inherent retail capability, and soon will not only have ubiquitous application, but also be invisible to the retail consumer," said Ananda Chakravarty, research vice president, Retail Merchandising and Marketing Analytics Strategies at IDC. "The opportunities for retail AI are limited only by imagination, data, and culture."

The report, IDC Innovators: AI Opportunities in Retail (Doc #US42731417), profiles four emerging vendors focused on retail that have introduced powerful tools with successful AI outcomes.

AiFi uses computer vision and multi-level AI to identify products through pattern recognition and monitor human activity with biometric tracking using standard camera technologies. businesswire.com

Still an Uphill Climb for Union Organizers
Despite union wins at Starbucks, Amazon and Apple, labor laws keep cards stacked against organizers
Union organizing has shifted into high gear. But despite successful organizing drives at such corporate powerhouses as Starbucks, Amazon and Apple, it's still an uphill climb for unions seeking to sign up new members.

In recent history, those upstart union wins are very much the exception rather than the rule, and American labor laws remain stacked in employers' favor.

There were 826 union elections from January through July of this year, up 45% from the number held in the same period of 2021, according to a CNN analysis of data from the National Labor Relations Board, which oversees organizing votes at most US businesses. And the 70% success rate by unions in those votes is far better than the 42% success rate in the first seven months of 2021.

But there were only 41,000 potential union members eligible to vote in the 2022 elections. Even if the unions had won all those votes - NLRB data don't break down how many workers worked at each company holding a vote - it would be a drop in the bucket among the estimated 105 million workers at US businesses who don't belong to a union, according to Labor Department statistics. cnn.com

Fortune Best Workplaces in Retail 2022
Wegmans, Target, Sheetz make Fortune's 2022 Best Workplaces in Retail list
As grocers and convenience stores vie for a share of the limited talent pool, many look to differentiate themselves from the competition by offering a more enticing work environment with higher wages, better benefits and enhanced training programs.

A look at Fortune's recently released 2022 Best Workplaces in Retail list, reveals the top 20 retailers with satisfied employees who take pride in their work and feel valued by their employer.

To determine the Best Workplaces in Retail list, Fortune said it analyzed the survey responses of over 72,000 employees from its vetted list of "Great Place to Work-Certified" companies in the U.S. retail industry.

Wegmans, Target, Sheetz were ranked the top three (in that order), with Altar'd State, Publix Super Markets, Nugget Market, CarMax, CustomInk, LLC, Burlington Stores, and DriveTime rounding out the top 10 (in that order).

Click here to see the full list

New Wage & Safety Law Already in the Crosshairs
California Fast-Food Wage Law Opponents Begin Effort to Block It
Restaurant owners, business groups and other opponents of a new California law that could set the minimum wage for the fast-food industry as high as $22 an hour next year have begun an effort to postpone its implementation and let voters decide whether to permanently block it in 2024.

A proposed referendum seeking to overturn the law, known as the FAST Recovery Act, was filed with the California Attorney General's office Tuesday afternoon, a spokeswoman for the state's top lawyer confirmed. wsj.com

The rise and decline of Bed Bath & Beyond
Once one of America's most beloved big-box retailers, now it's closing 150 stores and slashing jobs

Target C-suite moves: Cornell staying three more years, logistics exec leaving


Quarterly Results

Casey's General Store Q1 inside store comp's up 6.3%, net sales up 10.7%

Torrid Q2 comp's up 1%, total net sales up 2%

AEO Q2 consolidated store revenue down 2%, digital down 6%, total net sales flat
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Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director, Loss Prevention job posted for Zips Car Wash in Plano, TX
The Director, Loss Prevention will oversee loss prevention staff while supporting and creating ZIPS loss prevention procedures and efforts to safeguard company assets, prevent and minimize theft, and reduce shortages and fraud. Hires and trains loss prevention staff. Organizes and oversees the schedules and work of loss prevention staff. Conducts performance evaluations that are timely and constructive. Assists with discipline and termination of employees in accordance with company policy. indeed.com
 

77% of Retailers Hit with Ransomware in 2021
Retail Industry was the Second Most Targeted Industry by Ransomware in 2021, Sophos Survey Finds

77% of Retail Organizations were Hit with Ransomware, up from 44% in 2020

Sophos, a global leader in next-generation cybersecurity, today published a new sectoral survey report, The State of Ransomware in Retail 2022, which found that retail had the second highest rate of ransomware attacks last year of all sectors surveyed after the media, leisure, and entertainment industry. Globally, 77% of retail organizations surveyed were hit-a 75% increase from 2020. This is also 11% more than the cross-sector average attack rate of 66%.

"Retailers continue to suffer one of the highest rates of ransomware attacks of any industry. With more than three in four suffering an attack in 2021, it certainly brings a ransomware incident into the category of when, not if. In Sophos' experience, the organizations that are successfully defending against these attacks are not just using layered defenses, they are augmenting security with humans trained to monitor for breaches and actively hunting down threats that bypass the perimeter before they can detonate into even bigger problems. This year's survey shows that only 28% of retail organizations targeted were able to stop their data from being encrypted, suggesting that a large portion of the industry needs to improve their security posture with the right tools and appropriately trained security experts to help manage their efforts," said Chester Wisniewski, principal research scientist, Sophos.

As the percentage of retail organizations attacked by ransomware increased, so did the average ransom payment. In 2021, the average ransom payment was $226,044, a 53% increase when compared to 2020 ($147,811). However, this was less than one-third the cross-sector average ($812K).

Additional findings include:

● While the retail sector was the second most targeted industry, the perceived increase in the volume and complexity of cyberattacks against the industry were slightly below the cross-sector average (55% and 55% respectively)

● 92% of retail organizations hit by ransomware said the attack impacted their ability to operate and 89% said the attack caused their organization to lose business/revenue

● In 2021, the overall cost to retail organizations to remediate a ransomware attack was $1.27M, down from $1.97M in 2020

● When compared to 2020, the amount of data recovered after paying the ransom decreased (from 67% to 62%), as did the percentage of retail organizations that got all their data back (from 9% to 5%) globenewswire.com

Retail "Credential Stuffing Attack"
The North Face hit by cyberattack
The North Face is reporting that its e-commerce site suffered a "credential stuffing attack" during summer 2022. In a notification sent to customers who may have had information exposed in the attack, The North Face said that on Aug. 11, 2022, it detected unusual activity on its corporate e-commerce website.

Following an investigation, the company concluded that attackers launched a credential stuffing attack against its site between July 26 and Aug. 19, 2022. A "credential stuffing attack" is a type of cybersecurity attack where the attacker uses account authentication credentials, such as email addresses/usernames and passwords, often obtained from another source, such as a breach of another company, to gain unauthorized access to accounts.

Based on its investigation, The North Face said it believes that the attackers obtained email addresses and passwords of some customers, and may have also accessed the information stored on customer accounts, such as customer first and last name, date of birth, billing and shipping address(es), telephone number, unique The North Face customer ID number, gender, the date an account was created, reward member records, products that have been purchased on the site, customer preferences.

According to The North Face, payment card (credit, debit, or stored value card) information was not compromised in the attack, due to its tokenization of payment card details. Once it became aware of the attack, the company said it took steps including disabling passwords and erasing payment card tokens from accounts that were accessed during the attack timeframe.

In comments submitted to Chain Store Age, Uriel Maimon, head of emerging products at Human Security, said that credential stuffing attacks are the new frontier of cybersecurity.

"We should expect that the credentials stolen from The North Face will soon be tested on other apps that we use to power our daily lives," said Maimon. "Once cybercriminals have access to accounts, they can purchase goods, cash in loyalty points, sell the credentials on the dark web, or even take out lines of credit."  chainstoreage.com

The Role of the CIO has 'Expanded Beyond Technology'
CIOs find it most difficult to solve cybersecurity challenges
9-in-10 CIOs say that their role and responsibilities have expanded beyond technology, including non-traditional areas such as data analytics and business reporting (56%), sustainability/ESG (45%), DE&I (42%), HR/talent acquisition (39%), and sales/marketing (32%).

82% of Global CIOs say the CIO role has become more challenging compared with just two years ago as they are confronting a vast array of unique challenges, from the increasing use of AI and automation to talent acquisition in a global, remote workforce.

Globally, CIOs find it most difficult to solve challenges related to data privacy/security (66%), cybersecurity/ransomware (66%), keeping up with technological change (65%), managing fragmented IT vendor ecosystems (61%) and adopting/deploying new technology (60%).

Given the chance to reboot from scratch, most CIOs globally (57%) say they would replace half or more of their company's current technology. This is significantly higher in the UK, where 71% of CIOs would replace half or more of their company's current tech stack. helpnetsecurity.com

7 free online cybersecurity courses you can take right now

Apple strengthens security and privacy in iOS 16

Detroit, MI: 7 'Clear Gods' members from Southfield, Detroit charged in $28 million fake cellphone upgrade scheme
A Detroit man and six current or former Southfield residents from the self-described "Clear Gods" are accused of conducting 26,000 transactions as part of a $28 million fake cellphone upgrade scheme. Officials said the "Clear Gods" group came up with a scheme to use people's personal information to acquire Apple devices on credit and resell them for profit. Members of the group would buy people's personal information from various locations, including "dump sites" on the internet, according to authorities. They would then use that information to open customer cellphone accounts with AT&T, officials said. After doing a credit check, the group would add themselves or associates as authorized users on the fraudulent accounts, which allowed them to charge devices to the customers, court records show.

Officials said the thieves would enter stores to "upgrade" the service lines on those accounts, and the new devices would be purchased on credit or charged to the fake accounts that had been set up. Members of the "Clear Gods" would then reverse the upgrades from the service lines, which often allowed them to repeat the scheme at other Apple store locations, according to authorities. They accessed AT&T's computer systems to create those false accounts, add authorized users, and clear the fraudulent upgrades from the service lines, officials said. At the start of the scheme, they did so by stealing RSA tokens and employee identifications and calling into an internal AT&T hotline while impersonating retail employees, according to court records. When AT&T restricted employee tokens -- disallowing remote access using personal computers -- members of the group acquired actual AT&T networked devices through social engineering and "sleight-of-hand swapping" of broken or disabled tables for active tables from employees at stores, authorities said.

Sometimes, members of the group would outright steal networked devices from AT&T stores, according to officials. "Throughout the scheme, the defendants routinely sought out and worked with corrupt AT&T retail store employees," a release says. The scheme began as early as June 2017 and continued through at least September 2019, according to authorities. Officials said the group conducted more than 26,000 fraudulent transactions and stole more than $28 million. clickondetroit.com

Kalispell couple sentenced to more than 30 months in prison in scheme to steal mail and use stolen credit cards to defraud businesses
MISSOULA - Michael Thomas Kullberg, 34, was sentenced to 31 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Kullberg’s wife, Jennifer Don Smith, 38, was sentenced to 32 months in prison, to be followed by three years of supervised release. Both Kullberg and Smith were ordered to pay $2,302 restitution, which consisted of the fraudulent charges and reimbursement for stolen mail.

On at least two occasions in March and April 2020, Kullberg, while wearing a GPS unit for a previous felony conviction, stole mail and packages from rural mailboxes of at least 300 residents in the Eureka, Libby, Kila and Marion areas. Kullberg also stole at least two credit cards from the incoming mail, and used them, while wearing his GPS unit, to make fraudulent charges at various businesses Eureka and Kalispell. justice.gov

Los Angeles, CA: 6 suspects attempt smash-and-grab robbery in downtown LA Jewelry District
A group of people six people, all dressed in black, attempted to smash display cases with their hands and grab what they could from a tenant at St. Vincent Jewelry Center in downtown Los Angeles. Tuesday's incident in LA's Jewelry District ultimately failed, but the attempted smash and grab comes on the heels of a significant uptick in these types of robberies over the last two years. During Tuesday's incident, employees used the display cases as barriers and fought back, throwing different objects that would be robbers. Later, one of the suspects was detained by a security guard in a nearby parking lot and was eventually taken into custody by the Los Angeles Police Department. Avedian said the majority of his tenants at St. Vincent are from other countries and put their entire livelihood on the line for the jewelry they're selling.  cbsnews.com

Carlsbad, CA: Armed robbers steal merchandise worth $125K from Carlsbad jewelry store; two suspects arrested
Two men were arrested Wednesday on suspicion of robbing employees at a Carlsbad jewelry store, taking $125,000 worth of merchandise and fleeing on e-bikes, police said. Khaliq Jones, 26, of Oceanside, and Gregory Shearrill, 26, of Hemet, were booked into the Vista jail in connection with the incident at Daniel's Jewelers in The Shoppes at Carlsbad on El Camino Real, according to the Carlsbad Police Department. Police responded to reports of a robbery at the jewelry store shortly after 4 p.m., where two men - armed with a handgun and a sledgehammer - entered the store and smashed the glass display cases, department spokesperson Jodee Reyes said in a news release. After taking jewelry, the men fled south on e-bikes, Reyes said. Police, with help from witnessed, were able to locate the suspects. sandiegouniontribune.com

Boulder, CO: One defendant pleads guilty, sentenced to 16 years in Colorado bike theft ring
One person has been sentenced to 16 years in prison after pleading guilty to an organized crime charge involving smash-and-grab burglaries at Colorado bike shops last year. The state attorney general indicted eight people last November resulting from an investigation the AG's office called "Operation Vicious Cycle." At a hearing last week Austin Butler, 23, was sentenced after pleading guilty to one count of violation of the Colorado Organized Crime Control Act, one count of second-degree burglary, and one count of aggravated motor vehicle theft. In the original indictment Butler was charged with 25 counts. The grand jury indictment last year charged that Butler recruited participants in the crime ring. The crime spree affected bike shops on Colorado's Front Range, including the Denver and Boulder areas. All told, the eight individuals indicted were charged with 227 counts. The value of the stolen vehicles, stolen property, and property damage carried out from December 2019 until June 2020 was approximately $1.5 million. bicycleretailer.com

Albertville, AL: Update: 4 Joe's Pawn Shop defendants indicted, owner's hearing continued
Four of the six defendants charged in connection with the August raid on Joe's Pawn Shop were indicted by a Marshall County Grand Jury, according to court documents. John Eller, Zachary Shake, Dylan Green and Santo Andres were all charged with first-degree receiving stolen property after the August 4 raid on the shop by Marshall County Sheriff's investigators, the U.S. Secret Service, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF). The four men were employed at the pawn shop. Marshall County Sheriff Phil Sims said the raid followed a four-month investigation. During an Aug. 8 news conference, Sims said loss prevention officials from several large area stores, including Walmart, Target, Lowe's and Home Depot, were involved in the investigation. He said many of the items seized in the raid were in their original boxes. Officials said they found almost $42,000 worth of stolen items in the store along with 263 guns and $88,000 in cash. Pawn shop owner Joe Cephus Campbell III did not have a federal license to sell guns, according to ATF officials. He also pleaded guilty to a previous federal charge of conspiracy to deal firearms without a license. whnt.com

Butler County, PA: State Police investigate smash-and-grab burglaries at 6 C-Stores across 3 counties
Early Tuesday morning, suspect broke into a C-Store in Butler County and stole over 350 packs of cigarettes. State Police are looking for 3 suspects connected to all 6 Smash and Grabs in Lawrence, Beaver and Butler counties. Police say the suspects are in and out quickly, using trash bags and cans to target cigarette racks, selling or trading those stolen smokes for drugs.  cbsnews.com

Olympia, WA: Burglary suspect arrested after police say over 30K stolen from Olympia businesses
Olympia police said a suspect has been arrested after an estimated $33,000 worth of items were stolen from two downtown businesses. Police said they recovered clothing, items worn by the suspect during two burglaries, drugs, a 9 mm gun and two ballistic vests after obtaining a search warrant. The person was booked into jail on two counts of commercial burglary and one count of first-degree theft.  kiro7.com

Kenosha County, WI: Illinois man accused of stealing thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Somers Walmart
31-year-old Illinois man is facing numerous felony charges here after allegedly stealing thousands of dollars from a big box retailer on Sunday. Brian Henryadam Davis, of Belvidere, Ill., was charged with felony retail theft by attempting to conceal $5,000 to $10,000 worth of merchandise, felony possession of narcotic drugs, two counts of felony bail jumping and two misdemeanor drug-related charges in Kenosha County Circuit Court. kenoshanews.com

West Kelowna, BC, CN: Prolific shoplifter arrested while loading stolen items in his vehicle
West Kelowna RCMP arrested a prolific offender Tuesday evening after spotting a man loading suspected stolen goods into a vehicle. At about 6 p.m. officers were making proactive patrols in the parking lot of a large department store in West Kelowna. Mounties noticed a prolific shoplifter wanted on several warrants who was loading suspected stolen merchandise into his vehicle and arrested him at the scene. Further investigation revealed excessive amounts of stolen items believed to have been taken in the previous two hours from three other different local businesses. "This suspect was identified as a priority by our detachment as he was responsible for stealing thousands of dollars worth of electronics and tools from our local merchants," said Cpl. Judith Bertrand for the West Kelowna RCMP. Police requested warrants for his arrest in June and July 2022 as a result of other significant thefts. "The West Kelowna RCMP will continue to work closely with the loss prevention officer working in these businesses to collect the best evidence and to ensure that these offenders accountable for their actions," said Bertrand. castanet.net

Milton, Ontario, CN: Suspect wanted for Home Depot theft in Milton

Hammond, LA: Deputies identify man seen on video talking with Tractor Supply employee before stealing generator