The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact
Kroger Calls Out ORC Gangs
Crime Rings, Big Packs and 'Mind-Boggling' Reviews as Kroger Navigates Q2
Retailer
joining peers to combat organized theft
A sustained trend toward consumers eating at home, along with increased
flexibility in providing them with varied ways to shop, is brightening the sales
outlook for Kroger Co., while rising costs, and
issues including an uptick in
organized retail crime, is putting additional pressures on the bottom line.
CEO Rodney McMullen said supply chain and shrink together were responsible for
about half of an 80-basis decrease in profits as a percent of sales during the
quarter. And while he said he believed supply chain woes were transitory in
nature,
shrink was "heavily
driven by organized crime, or at least it appears so,"
and suggested that could be a longer-term issue throughout retail that it would
look to address through legislative means and with the support of industry trade
groups.
The remark was notable in that
Kroger has rarely called out
organized crime as a meaningful source of shrink before, although the issue is
gaining attention in the larger retail industry.
A
National Retail Foundation
study published earlier this year indicated items like laundry detergent and
personal care items have experienced higher levels of theft during the pandemic,
in part because
online marketplaces have given
thieves an easy means to dispose of the goods, and a larger base of
shoppers as online gains popularity with consumers.
Separately, the
Retail Industry Leaders
Association is rallying support for the IMFORM Consumers Act,
legislation introduced in Congress last year designed to increase transparency
and accountability for online marketplaces.
"We will go through and do all kinds of process changes to try to minimize
shrink," McMullen said, according to a Sentieo transcript. "We
are being more aggressive." Christine Wiley, Kroger's general counsel, is
also
working with some trade
associations, he added.
winsightgrocerybusiness.com
Post-9/11 Anti-Terror Strategies Being Used to
Stop Retail Crime
New York, NY: NYPD intelligence strategies employed after 9/11 are now used to
fight everyday crime
In
the aftermath of 9/11, New York City law enforcement officials developed a
strategy
designed to gain intelligence and develop technology to prevent any more
attacks. Twenty years and hundreds of millions of dollars later,
those same strategies and technological advancements are used to solve crimes.
The NYPD has made significant technological changes since the destruction of the
World Trade Center,
adding more cameras, installing license plate readers at points of entry as well
as in police cars, and giving their officers smart phones that have access to
records and information, officials said. These advances, among others,
were developed using federal funding.
Since 2017, the NYPD has
spent over $300 million each year on intelligence and counterterrorism,
according to the city's independent budget office. The tab for 2021 is also
expected to be above $300 million, a spokesperson said.
And since 9/11,
the NYPD has stopped 51 terror incidents that have either emanated from New York
City or where the city was the target, according to John Miller, deputy
commissioner for intelligence and counter terrorism. And 25 of those incidents
have happened within the last five years, according to Miller. The department's
anti-terror tools also are being used to solve more run-of-the-mill crimes.
"The systems that were built with Homeland Security funding in the years after
9/11 are for protecting New York City from the threat of terrorism," Miller
said. "We would be remiss, and the federal government fully agrees with this, if
we did not
use those same tools to fight crime. Our job is to protect life and
property and dual use for these tools is a legal and accepted practice."
Suspects tracked from 'beginning to the end' NYPD officials were notified of a
heist at a luxury retail store in Manhattan on Aug. 20 where $20,000 worth of
handbags were stolen. Five men hopped into a stolen Range Rover and fled with
the high priced handbags. Investigators
used their plate readers to find them hours later on their way to New Jersey
using the Lincoln Tunnel.
cnn.com
Violent Altercations & Shootings Drive New "Youth Supervision Policy" at Lenox
Square in Buckhead
Simon Property Group has established a
"Youth
Supervision Policy" requiring kids under 18 to be accompanied by a parent or
other adult when entering
its Lenox Square mall in
Atlanta's
fashionable Buckhead district
after 3 p.m.
Effective September 21.
The young shoppers will be
required to remain with their
adult companions while inside the mall or will be asked to leave.
The unusual policy was installed
in response to a spate of
shootings that have
occurred in this tony shopping center featuring brands such as Prada,
Neiman-Marcus, Cartier, Louis Vuitton, and Apple.
Two violent altercations
have taken place inside Lenox Square this summer after 3 p.m., one a shooting
that involved two 15-year-olds.
Six shootings occurred at
Lenox Square in 2020,
including a homicide that occurred during a
fight over a parking space
near the entrance to the mall's Cheesecake Factory restaurant.
"This program is in response to feedback from the community and community
leaders as the center reinforces its commitment to the community to provide a
pleasant family friendly shopping environment," said a statement on Lenox
Square's website.
chainstoreage.com
Judge blocks enforcement of Florida's 'anti-riot' law
A federal judge on Thursday blocked enforcement of an anti-riot law spearheaded
by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis in response to nationwide protests last year
over racial injustice, saying the legislation likely violated the U.S.
Constitution.
reuters.com
Minneapolis on Pace For Most Violent Year in a Generation
A surge in gunshots in some
areas have put the city on pace for its most violent year in a generation.
After decades of declining violent crime, Minneapolis recorded 84 murders last
year, up from about 48 in 2019, and a toll not seen since a dark chapter known
as the "Murderapolis" years. The 67 murders so far in 2021 are on pace to
surpass that. Four of those killings took place this week in a span of 29 hours,
among them one with a 12-year-old victim. A
The murder count represents only a small fraction of gun crimes. Data show a
record number of gunshot wounds reported since last year. In the first six
months of 2021, Minneapolis surpassed shots fired citywide in all of 2019,
according to ShotSpotter activations, shooting reports and other data tracked by
local law enforcement agencies. This year is on track to
surpass 2020s record-high
9,600 gunfire reports. The past 20 months now account for almost a quarter of
the 70,000 gunshot incidents reported in Minneapolis since 2008.
Nearly 90% of the gunfire reports since 2020 came from five neighborhood
clusters: Near North, Camden, Powderhorn, Phillips and Central. An analysis of
gunfire incidents by census blocks further revealed how specific locations are
driving up the citywide numbers.
It's not only violence that lurks in these streets at night. The opioid crisis
never loosened its grip. Heroin and meth are easy to find and cheaper than ever.
And the pandemic has taken away badly needed social services. "It's like a
perfect storm of brokenness."
startribune.com
After George Floyd's killing, Minneapolis police retreated, data shows
&uuid=(email))
COVID Update
380.2M Vaccinations Given
US: 41.8M Cases - 677.9K Dead - 31.8M Recovered
Worldwide:
225.5M Cases - 4.6M Dead - 202.1M Recovered
Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember &
recognize.
Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 309
Law
Enforcement Officer Deaths: 396
*Red indicates change in total deaths
Nearly every U.S. county is seeing high COVID transmission
Allowing Employers to Point to a Federal
Requirement
Is Biden's vaccine mandate legal? It doesn't matter.
The administration knows employer mandates are likely legal, and it has decided
the economic and public health benefits of a requirement are worth the risk of a
judicial defeat later.
The administration is
frustrated with the damage done by those who remain unvaccinated,
Biden said. The goal is to move to
save lives and get the economy back on track as fast as possible.
And Biden has
long taken the position that employers are the ones that can do that.
We've also known for some time that employer vaccine mandates
are likely legal, assuming accommodations are provided for those who cannot
receive the shot due to a disability or sincerely-held religious belief.
But while some businesses adopted vaccine mandates in recent weeks, others
hesitated. Various employment law attorneys have told HR Dive reporters that
clients are interested in such policies, but worry about legal challenges.
This newly announced standard is
designed to assuage those worries
more than
assurances from enforcement agencies could.
It's designed to take the onus off employers and allow them to point to a
federal requirement.
hrdive.com
How OSHA works - and how it'll go about enforcing the 100+ employees vaccine
requirement
In
the
COVID-19 action
plan announced by the White House
on Thursday, Biden specifically
directed OSHA to issue an emergency temporary standard (ETS) for the private
sector vaccine mandate.
Per the agency, if OSHA determines that "workers are in grave danger" it can
bypass the standard procedure and implement an ETS. Once set, the new standard
has six months to go through the usual process to become permanent, and
can be challenged in an appeals court during that time.
What difficulties will OSHA face in enforcing the vaccine mandate?
Republican lawmakers like
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott
and
Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp
have already
vowed to fight the vaccine mandate,
so it's likely the ETS will be challenged in court. If challenged, the ETS will
remain in effect unless a court specifically blocks it.
The courts will likely have to determine whether the
Commerce Clause of the Constitution
gives OSHA the authority to broadly mandate vaccines. The Commerce Clause gives
Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among states.
Abramson said the clause has historically been applied broadly, allowing the
government to act when something is affecting interstate commerce, such as
COVID-19.
However, disagreements exist over the extent of the powers it grants to
Congress, and Abramson said a successful challenge under this clause "would have
the strongest impact toward eliminating the ability of the federal government to
require broad vaccination mandates."
OSHA's previous role in enforcing pandemic guidelines
OSHA already
issued an emergency standard to protect workers in healthcare and related
industries from contracting the virus.
The
June ETS
required workplaces to have a written plan to mitigate transmission, provide
proper ventilation, implement social distancing, and supply employees with
personal protective equipment, among other requirements. It also mandated
employers provide paid time off for employees to get vaccinated.
OSHA said
employers would
have 14 days to come into compliance
after the June rule took effect, though it did not say how it planned to enforce
the rules.
news.yahoo.com
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
COVID-19 Response Summary - Enforcement, Updated Sep. 7, 2021
See the numbers of complaints, inspections, responses, closed cases by industry,
region, state.
Here Comes The New OSHA Inspectors
Biden wants resources for OSHA to enforce vaccine mandate -White House
President Joe Biden wants the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
to have
all the resources it will need to enforce the employer vaccine mandate
he unveiled on Thursday, the White House said on Friday.
reuters.com
FMI says Biden's vaccine mandate raises 'more questions than answers'
On Friday, Jennifer Hatcher, Chief Public Policy Officer & Senior Vice President
of FMI-The Food Industry Association, noted the organization's concerns with the
mandate, while
acknowledging its support of vaccines in general.
"Since COVID-19 vaccines became available to the public, FMI and our members
have been committed to encouraging food industry employees to receive the
vaccine," she said, "but also respected their right to make choices about their
own individual health needs and those of their families."
"The announcement yesterday by President Biden of an employer mandate on
vaccinations and testing for employees, including fines and penalties for
businesses that fail to comply, raises a tremendous number of questions
including
when the rules will be released; how long businesses have to get their full
workforces vaccinated before fines are levied;
availability of COVID-19 tests; and whether pharmacies that accept Medicare or
Medicaid are covered under the requirement for federally funded health care
settings, to name a few.
supermarketnews.com
Business Groups Surveying Members Before
Responding?
Biden vaccine mandates: Republicans angry, business groups muted
Republicans on Friday vowed to fight U.S. President Joe Biden's new vaccine
mandate covering big companies and federal employees, but business groups that
often agree with them on issues like taxes are not joining in.
The mandate, which the
White House says would cover 100 million U.S. workers and applies to about
two-thirds of all U.S. employees, is
being written in part by the U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA).
Within hours of the new measures being
announced on Thursday, some lawmakers, state governors and political party
officials were threatening lawsuits or pledging to defy it.
reuters.com
Businesses had a mixed response to these mandates
Officials at Amazon praised them.
The president of the Business Roundtable, a group that includes Chevron,
Caterpillar and other large companies, welcomed them. The U.S. Chamber of
Commerce released a neutral statement. And groups representing small and
independent businesses
expressed concern these mandates would threaten companies' recovery and free
enterprise.
washingtonpost.com
Majority of Americans Support Vaccine Mandates
- With a Few Catches
Most Americans support vaccine mandates for work & schools, poll shows
As President Biden rolls out sweeping coronavirus vaccine mandates, more than
half of Americans say they support businesses requiring proof of vaccination to
return to the office, according to a CNN poll published Monday.
The poll - conducted by research group SSRS before Biden announced on Sept. 9 he
is seeking to compel businesses with more than 100 workers to require
vaccinations or weekly coronavirus testing - shows Americans have warmed up
to the idea of vaccine mandates in some cases.
They are more supportive than they were in an April poll of vaccine mandates for
office workers (54 percent now), students returning to schools (55 percent) and
people seeking to attend a sporting event or a concert (55 percent). Fewer
than half of Americans (41 percent) supported vaccine mandates for customers
entering a grocery store.
Support for these mandates has risen across the board since April,
growing 6 percentage points with regard to students, 8 points regarding office
workers and event attendees, and 15 points regarding grocery shoppers,"
according to CNN. The survey was conducted between Aug. 3 and Sept. 7 online and
on the phone among a sample of 2,119 adults.
The poll shows just how polarized the issue has become, with 51 percent of
Americans agreeing that requiring proof of vaccination in exchange for the right
to perform "everyday activities outside of the home" is "an acceptable way to
increase the vaccination rate," while 49 percent felt it was "an
unacceptable infringement on personal rights."
washingtonpost.com
9 Guards Injured - Vaccine Workers Harassed &
Threatened - Vaccine Theft
Armed Security Now Escorting Neighborhood Vaccination Teams
Armed
security officers have been used to secure many Covid-19 vaccination sites
throughout the country since late 2020 but now,
they're going mobile.
Since the beginning of the vaccination push, security officers have secured
vaccination locations ensuring public safety and preventing the theft of the
vaccines.
At least nine security officers since April have been injured during these
assignments and on two occasions, security stopped the theft of the vaccines.
But now, private armed security officers are on the move
in California, New York and Colorado providing mobile security support for
healthcare workers and support staff
who have entered a new phase of vaccinating the public.
Daily mobile vaccination units are moving from one neighborhood to another
making it easier for those who are elderly, low-income, or without
transportation to become vaccinated. Some of these
new mobile units have been met with demonstrations, vandalism to vehicles and
equipment and several workers have been physically threatened.
privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com
Vaccine Mandate Lawsuits Begin to Mount
Biden steps into legal fight with vaccine mandates
It could 'contain the virus by spring'
The new measures were immediately met with outrage from a
chorus of GOP governors who pledged to challenge the rule in court,
arguing the vaccine requirements violate personal freedoms and that
businesses should be allowed to set their own workplace standards.
The courts have long held that employers have the right to require vaccines for
their employees, but Biden's plan raises questions over whether a president can
mandate such requirements for the private sector.
Those challenges could end up halting implementation of the rule, and any
lawsuits that find their way to the Supreme Court will be decided by a 6-3
conservative majority.
Lawrence Gostin, a public health law professor at Georgetown University, said
Biden is on
"rock solid legal ground"
because of the powers granted by Congress to the president through the
Occupational Health and Safety Act of 1970. Biden's new COVID-19 measures would
represent an unprecedented application of that law.
"If there were ever a
true emergency situation in our modern history, this is it," Gostin said.
"What it will do, if it were fully implemented and quickly,
it could boost our overall population vaccination coverage so high that we would
have a good chance of containing the virus by the spring."
thehill.com
Public employees sue over de Blasio's NYC vaccine mandate
Coronavirus-sniffing dogs unleashed at Miami airport to detect virus in
employees
Apple shopper melts down over masks in Miami Beach
More than 4,000 face-mask incidents have been reported to the TSA
Cartels & The Supply Chain
How drug ring hid $1B worth of coke on a single ship
Not only do they drive ORC, operate stores in LA's
Garment District, but they're also using our supply chain to bring it in.
The
U.S. prosecution of crewmembers of the container ship MSC Gayane is finally
over. More than two years after a record 20 tons of
cocaine worth $1 billion was found aboard the ship when it docked in
Philadelphia, eight
seafarers have been sentenced to lengthy prison terms. The last defendant,
Alexsandar Kavaja, was sentenced Tuesday.
Ever since the
record-breaking drug
bust on June 17, 2019,
industry insiders speaking to American Shipper have marveled at the scale of the
smuggling operation and wondered aloud how it was carried out. How was that much
cocaine - the weight equivalent of three fully grown male African elephants -
sneaked onto one ship when it was underway at sea, not berthed in port? Given
the inherently close quarters of shipboard accommodations, how did more of the
crew, and for that matter, the captain, not know what was going on?
Of the 22 crew on the ship,
more than a third
admitted to being involved in the operation and were convicted.
"Insufficient evidence to charge the captain or other crewmembers."
The MSC Gayane - a large 2018-built "Neopanamax"-class ship with capacity to
carry 11,600 twenty-foot equivalent units - As it sailed southward down the
western coast of South America after transiting the canal, it was met on multiple
occasions in the Pacific at night by speedboats.
Smugglers in the speedboats loaded
duffel bags full of
cocaine bricks into nets that were lifted aboard by the crane
at the ship's aft that is used to load stores.
The record bust in Philadelphia
When the MSC Gayane arrived at Philadelphia's Packer
Marine Terminal, it was
met by agents of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Customs and Border
Protection, the Coast Guard, state police from Pennsylvania and Delaware, and
city police from Philadelphia.
While there is no information in the court dockets on whether authorities were
tipped off, the scale of the welcoming committee effectively confirms they were.
freightwaves.com
Global facial recognition market expected to grow 12 percent to 2025 - report
The substantial growth is expected to be
spurred by increasing instances of identity threats,
and the necessity of using biometrics to counter them.
According to the new data, during the forecast period,
33 percent of the facial recognition market growth will originate from North
America, while Europe
will witness the slowest growth between 2019 and 2024. In addition,
the U.S., alongside China, UK, Germany, and Japan
are expected to remain the
largest markets for facial recognition.
In terms of market segments, the new data identifies the most lucrative
applications of facial recognition technologies in identification and
verification, and the most used type of technology as
3D facial recognition and 2D facial recognition, respectively.
biometricupdate.com
Putting Safety First in Warehouses Over Quotas
California legislation targets Amazon, but all warehouses would be impacted
Senate expected to OK AB 701 soon, after
earlier approval by Assembly
The
legislation is AB 701, doesn't mention Amazon by name. But since AB 701 was
introduced earlier this year, it generally has been viewed as a proposal to
regulate certain activities in the state's final-mile warehouses, with Amazon
particularly in Gonzalez's crosshairs.
Two Senate committees approved the legislation in late August. It is unclear
when it will be taken up by the full Senate, but Rachel Michelin, president of
the California Retail Association, expects it to be soon.
The Assembly voted overwhelmingly in favor of the legislation,
and Michelin expects it to pass the Senate.
Michelin said she expects that Newsom would sign AB 701
if it passes and he hangs on to his job.
The Senate Judiciary Committee that approved the legislation put together a
lengthy document that spelled out both supporters' and opponents' view of what
is wrong - and right - with the bill, and by extension, the warehouse sector.
"The bill essentially
sets down two key rules
and then builds mechanisms around them to make sure they are enforceable," the
Judiciary Committee's report said.
Quotas are at the root of the "key rules."
One rule in AB 701 is that when a worker is hired, the employee must be given a
"written description of all the work quotas to which the worker will be subject,
as well as what the consequences will be if the worker fails to meet those
quotas," according to the Senate committee summary.
With that list in hand,
another key rule can be invoked:
that employees can't be expected to meet quotas whose demands would prevent the
workers from being able to comply not just with occupational safety rules in
general but with permitted rest and meal breaks.
freightwaves.com
Tropical Storm Nicholas Charges Toward Gulf Coast
Texas Braces for Up to 2 Feet of Rain as Nicholas Strengthens
Tropical
Storm Nicholas was
churning toward the Texas coast Monday, a strengthening storm that
could reach hurricane status
when it slams ashore later today. Nicholas, with sustained winds of 60
mph, was centered about 45 miles southeast of the mouth of the Rio Grande early
Monday and was headed northwest.
Nicholas was forecast to
move onshore along the coast of south or central Texas on Monday afternoon or
evening.
Whether a hurricane or tropical storm, meteorologists agree that
Nicholas will be a rainmaker.
Blake forecast Nicholas to pound parts of the middle and upper Texas coastline
with 8 to 16 inches of rainfall, with isolated
maximum amounts of 20 inches
through the middle of the week. Across the rest of coastal Texas into
southwest Louisiana, rainfall of 5 to 10 inches is expected.
"Considerable" flash and
urban flooding, especially in highly urbanized metropolitan areas, was
possible, the hurricane center said. River flooding was also a concern.
usatoday.com
LinkedIn Expands Professional 'Learning Hub' to
More Users
Makes 40 Popular Course Available for Free
LinkedIn is looking to boost its professional education presence once again with
the expansion of its professional Learning Hub,
launched in beta back in April, to more organizations.
The Learning Hub enables businesses to provide professional development
opportunities to their employees, and uses LinkedIn's data insights to help
highlight relevant skills path and career development opportunities.
socialmediatoday.com
Wegmans will open three new stores in 2022
10 questions to ask your vendors at GSX 2021
Op-ed: As employees jump ship, employers need to be flexible to keep workers
&uuid=(email))
Senior LP & AP Jobs
Market
VP, Asset Protection job posted for Bath & Body Works in Columbus, OH
The
Vice President, Asset Protection is responsible for leading all areas of Asset
Protection including the Corporate Office, logistics and distribution center
network and North American retail stores network. Responsible for AP enterprise
direction and strategy with a goal of minimizing shrink, reducing loss, and
maximizing security and associate safety.
careers.bathandbodyworks.com
Director, Safety job posted for Southeastern Grocers in Jacksonville, FL
This
role is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing purpose-directed
occupational safety and health programs designed to minimize the frequency and
severity of customer and associate accidents, while complying with applicable
regulatory requirements. This leader is the subject matter expert on all safety
matters and will be the support resource for all internal and external business
partners.
corporate-segrocers.icims.com
Dir. Compliance & Risk Mgmt job posted for the Marine Corps in Oceanside, CA
The
incumbent serves as the Marine Corps Community Services (MCCS) Camp
Pendleton/Barstow Compliance and Risk Management Division Director who is
responsible for coordinating and implementing policy and a compliance and risk
management framework across MCCS.
usajobs.gov
Mgr, Corp. Security Life & Safety job posted for Ross Stores in New York, NY
The
Manager of Corporate Security & Fire/Life Safety is responsible for promoting
the Loss Prevention key objectives through ensuring the safety, security, and
protection of company assets within the corporate environment. This position
will effectively lead, manage and support the security and life safety program
for the corporate offices to include physical security, fire and life safety,
alarm response, access control, visitor's control, CCTV, etc.
jobs.rossstores.com
Last week's #1 article --
In-Store Mask Rage Continues
Woman in supermarket recorded intentionally coughing without a mask, following
other customers around Nebraska store
A
woman was caught on camera appearing to
deliberately cough inside a supermarket without a face mask on, in a city
where
an indoor mask mandate is in place.
It was originally posted to Reddit by user Jessabird earlier this week, who said
she was with her kid at a supermarket in Nebraska when the
woman allegedly approached them and asked why they were wearing masks.
In the video, the woman is
seen walking towards the video recorder and coughing multiple times in their
direction. You can watch the interaction in the tweet below, posted by @RoBeastRo,
who tells KRON4 that the video was taken by his daughter's mother.
She then starts coughing openly in the supermarket and says it's her allergies,
according to the video. Jessabird said an employee tried to intervene and the
woman walked away, but Jessabird alleges that
the woman followed her around the store afterward.
kron4.com
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
f%20(1).png)
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
