'Round-the-Clock Security Monitoring' Rolled Out in San Francisco Hot Spots
San Francisco police deploy more tech for battling crime
San Francisco Police Chief Bill Scott said his officers are adding another high-tech tool to their crime-fighting toolbelt. Live cameras mounted on mobile trailers will be deployed in strategic locations for "round-the-clock security monitoring," city officials said.

Each of the units, built by LiveView Technologies, has a 22-foot mast with three panoramic cameras on top. The units include a speaker that can play audio announcements, as well as bright floodlights and strobes. The LiveView units will allow the SFPD to have a 24-hour presence in areas plagued by drug dealing, burglaries, prostitution, auto bipping, and other crimes.

San Francisco's police chief, mayor, district attorney, and sheriff held a news conference with reporters on Monday to show off the new units.

Mayor London Breed's office wrote, "The first three cameras arrived in San Francisco last week with more planned to arrive soon. The cameras will be initially deployed to support efforts that include the City's Drug Market Agency Coordination Center (DMACC) operations, addressing prostitution and related problems in the Mission, and combatting and deterring crime in merchant corridors."

District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the units will send a message to anyone who enters San Francisco to commit crimes: "You will be identified, arrested and prosecuted," Jenkins said. "Law enforcement agencies are working together and will not allow our city to go back to previous eras of disfunction that did not prioritize public safety."  kron4.com


Diving Into How Prop 47 Impacted Property Crime in California
Prop. 47 led to an increase in property crime in CA, report says. How bad was it?
Proposition 47 achieved its goal of decreasing incarceration by reclassifying certain drug- and theft-related felony offenses as misdemeanors, but contributed to a rise in property crime as a result. That's the finding of a newly released Public Policy Institute of California report that looked at the impact of the ballot measure nearly a decade after it passed.

The findings come as California voters are preparing to decide the fate of Proposition 36, which would roll back many of Prop. 47's reforms. The report found that felony arrests for drug and property offenses dropped after Prop. 47 passed, though misdemeanor drug arrests rose significantly in that same time span.

The clearance rate - which measures how many crimes resulted in an arrest and referral for prosecution - also dropped for property crimes after Prop. 47 became law, dropping from 14% to 11% two years after and then dropping down to 7% in 2022, during the pandemic, according to PPIC, which looked at the data.

The report noted that the clearance rate for violent crimes remained steady until after the pandemic, when it dropped from around 45% in 2021 to 40% in 2022. The report said that the drop in clearance rates may be attributable to a decline in police staffing.

The report found that those lower clearance rates for larceny (theft without force or threat of force) "led to a modest rise in property crime," with a 2.9% increase in burglaries, a 1.7% increase in auto thefts and a 1.1% increase in larcenies. After the pandemic, those lower clearance rates led to a rise in car accessory thefts (73.%) and vehicle break-ins (3.9%), as well as commercial burglaries (3.2%). sacbee.com


Is Your Small Business Prepared for Theft & Break-Ins?
How small businesses can recover from break-ins and theft

Break-ins and thefts can happen at any small business, no matter how tight the security.

In the retail sector alone, more than half of small businesses said they had been victims of shoplifting in the prior year, according to a 2022 survey by the U.S. Chamber of Commerce.

So, it is important for small business owners to prepare in advance and have a plan for dealing with a break-in or theft, to minimize damage. There are several steps small business owners should take after a theft or break-in occurs.

First, don't wait to notify the police and file a police report. You can take inventory of stolen or damaged items after the police have finished their investigation. Once you've inventoried and documented the damage, file an insurance claim. You'll need photos or receipts for items stolen. Call your bank and notify them of what has occurred.

Have a transparent conversation with your employees about what happened. Analyze what went wrong and enhance security where needed. Once you have an updated business security plan, inform your employees about how the break-in has been addressed.

Lubanovic reviewed her security plan and upgraded her security system and installed cameras, new locks and an alarm.

She advised small businesses to include building a strong relationship with their local community and neighboring businesses as part of their security plan, saying it "can be invaluable for support and vigilance."

One tip: Check state regulations to see if aid is available. In New York, for example, the 2025 state budget will include a $5 million tax credit to help small businesses enhance their security measures, such as installing cameras. It also will include a $3,000 tax credit for small businesses that meet a spending threshold on retail theft prevention measures.  apnews.com


'Retail Theft Crime Prevention Act' Paying Off in Alabama
Alabama Retail Association reflects on success of Retail Theft Crime Prevention Act 1 year after implementation
It's been just over a year since a new law aimed at curbing organized retail theft took effect, and according to the Alabama Retail Association, it's having a significant impact on businesses statewide.

The association reports an increase in multi-agency arrests connected to retail theft, with suspects being apprehended more quickly than before.

Nancy Dennis, Public Relations Director for the Alabama Retail Association, explained the Retail Theft Crime Prevention Act was introduced in response to a surge in organized theft targeting retail items. Prior to the law's enactment, criminals could often avoid serious penalties if they didn't steal goods exceeding a specific dollar amount. Now, Dennis says, arrests are happening faster, and the penalties-regardless of the value stolen-are much more severe.

The new law also simplifies the process for retailers to file charges.

"They can now file charges directly from their stores. They no longer have to visit a clerk's office or other locations. It's much more efficient and allows them to act quickly," Dennis said.

Under the new law, anyone who steals merchandise valued between $500 and $2,500 faces a second-degree theft charge, classified as a Class C felony. For thefts exceeding $2,500, individuals can be charged with first-degree theft, a Class B felony, which carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in prison. wsfa.com


Two Mass Shootings Per Day in the U.S.
How many US mass shootings have there been in 2024?
There have been more than 385 mass shootings across the US so far this year, according to the Gun Violence Archive, which defines a mass shooting as an incident in which four or more people are injured or killed. Their figures include shootings that happen in homes and in public places.

For each of the last four years there have been more than 600 mass shootings - almost two a day on average. The deadliest such attack, in Las Vegas in 2017, killed more than 50 people and left 500 wounded. The vast majority of mass shootings, however, leave fewer than 10 people dead.

48,830 people died from gun-related injuries in the US during 2021, according to the latest data from the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). That's nearly an 8% increase from 2020, which was a record-breaking year for firearm deaths.

While mass shootings and gun murders (homicides) generally garner much media attention, more than half of the total in 2021 were suicides. bbc.com


'Stealing left and right': Underwear, other items on lockdown at Bensalem, PA Walmart

Poughkeepsie upgrading, adding new security cameras to help reduce and combat crime
 

The White House Takes Aim at Shein & Temu
Biden-Harris administration takes aim at de minimis exemption

The administration plans to limit the type of goods that qualify for the exemption, targeting the likes of Shein and Temu.

Warwick, RI: Two Men Charged In Organized Retail Theft Ring estimated at $12 Millon dollars
The U.S. Attorney's Office in Rhode Island has announced that two men have been arrested and charged in connection with an organized retail theft ring. Federal officials say 52-year-old Norman Cipriano of Warwick, and 59-year-old Patrick Vigneau of Cranston resold stolen goods to other retailers throughout New England. For members of the public who may be asking what impact this has on them, let me say this: first and foremost, the clearest, most obvious, and most devastating impact of these kinds of criminal organizations is that they put our friends, neighbors, and family members who work in retail at risk from the violence that can occur if a thief is confronted; they degrade quality of life in our communities, as goods in stores are locked away for safety; and most significantly, they impose a heavy economic price, as the costs of theft driven losses gets passed along to all of us at the cash register." The arrests came after the feds seized around 60-thousand stolen items worth around one-point-six-million dollars. The stolen items included cosmetics, over-the-counter drugs and high-end merchandise. Overall, the retail theft ring was allegedly responsible for 12-million-dollars in losses.  wpri.com


Cranbury Township, NJ: New Jersey Cargo Heist Crew Stole Over $300k Worth of Costco Bound Shrimp, Arrested
The New Jersey State Police have charged Shaun Coleman, 23, Salahudin Reddy, 37, Hanif Tucker, 31, and Rashan Clark-Reddy, 26, all from Philadelphia, PA, in connection with an organized cargo theft ring. A truck carrying 500,000 frozen shrimp valued at over $300,000 was stolen earlier this month in Middlesex, according to local police. The theft was reported on Sept. 5 at around 4 a.m. by the truck's driver, who told authorities that his 25,000-pound shipment, destined for a Costco store in Monroe Township, had disappeared from a rented parking space on Smalley Avenue. In addition to the $305,000 worth of shrimp, the stolen tractor-trailer was valued at approximately $50,000, police said. The driver discovered the theft when he went to make the delivery and found both the truck and its cargo missing. The Middlesex Police Department is investigating the incident, but no arrests have been made so far.  shorenewsnetwork.com


Bakersfield, CA: 4 arrested in connection to organized retail crime theft in Bakersfield; over $5k
Bakersfield police arrested four men in connection to a series of organized retail thefts across the Bakersfield on September 11. According to the BPD, on Wednesday, the Organized Retail Theft Unit identified Larry Kellogg, 30, as a suspect involved in multiple thefts. Officials tracked Kellogg and three other men to an Old Navy Store in the 5200 block of Gosford Road, where the group were planning another theft. Officials then followed the suspects to Cigarette House, located in the 5400 Block of Olive Drive, where they sold the stolen goods. The group tried to flee, but were later captured by investigators. On Sept. 12, 2024, Bakersfield police, along with the Violent Criminal Apprehension Team, served a search warrant at the Cigarette House. Police recovered various stolen goods, including: 40 items were returned to Target, valued at $1,192, 23 items were returned to Dicks Sporting Goods, valued at $876, 59 items were returned to Old Navy, valued at $2,768 , 4 items were returned to Vons, valued at $200. Police also arrested: Johnathan Johnson, 39; Jorge Torres, 24; and John Lawson, 23. All four men were charged with grand theft, organized retail theft, and conspiracy, and booked into the Kern County Jail.  kget.com


Indianapolis, IN: IMPD arrests man accused of stealing nearly $5k of merchandise from Macy's in string of thefts
An Indy man, who police believe to be connected to a string of thefts reported at a Macy's retail store at Castleton Square, has been arrested on nine separate warrants related to charges of theft and resisting law enforcement. The Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department announced that Benjamin Wilson, 45, was detained in the 6000 block of North Rural Street on multiple outstanding warrants Monday night.
According to court documents obtained by FOX59/CBS4, Wilson has a lengthy theft history that has involved multiple run-ins with IMPD stretching back to at least January 2023.  fox59.com


Grenada, MS: Numerous guns stolen from Grenada sporting goods store
Grenada Police, as well as the ATF, are investigating a weekend burglary at a sporting goods store. Authorities report that late Saturday, September 14, 15 handguns were stolen from BackForty OutDoors off of Interstate 55. Grenada Police Chief George Douglas said multiple juveniles have been arrested in connection to this investigation, and some of the guns have been recovered. A store employee stated that six teens were caught. One adult is also being charged.  wtva.com


Hammond, IN: Deputies arrest man accused of identity theft, stealing lawnmowers from Hammond store

Upland, CA: Kangaroo pouch in dress helps 3 women steal 15 wine bottles from Upland store