Interface Security Systems Helps Retailers and Restaurants Enforce Social Distancing and Mask Policies Through Interactive Remote Video Monitoring

Voice down services help reduce pressure on associates to enforce new health and safety mandates during the health crisis

Interface Security Systems, a leading managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, today announced it is now offering interactive remote video monitoring service with automated voice-down options to help its retail and restaurant customers promote social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines on their premises.

A growing number of retailers and restaurants are reporting increased incidents of agitated customers and in-store violence during this health crisis. The physical distancing measures introduced in stores and restaurants, limits on the number of customers allowed inside, the mandatory wearing of masks, and restrictions on some products to reduce panic buying, have contributed to an increase in retail worker abuse. Read More Here


Zebra Study: Only Two in 10 Consumers Have Complete Confidence
Their Food is Safe to Eat

On average less than 40 percent of food and beverage industry decision-makers place complete trust in the industry to ensure food and beverage safety

Zebra Technologies Corporation (NASDAQ: ZBRA), an innovator at the front line of business with solutions and partners that deliver a performance edge, today announced the results of its Food Safety Supply Chain Vision Study. The study highlights the views of consumers as well as food and beverage industry decision-makers worldwide from distribution and warehouses to grocery stores and restaurants around safety, traceability and transparency.
 
Consumers can be quite unforgiving if they experience a food incident as approximately six in 10 reportedly would never eat at a restaurant again if they contracted a foodborne illness or food poisoning. Slightly more than 80% of surveyed consumers said companies have an important role to play in implementing food safety solutions and an ethical responsibility to ensure the safe handling of their food. Read More Here
 

Protests & Violence

Louisville, KY: Breonna Taylor Case Update
Grand jury indicts 1 police officer with wanton endangerment,
2 others involved in shooting not charged
Downtown streets are still closed and the city remains on edge following Wednesday afternoon's decision on whether the police officers at the center of the Breonna Taylor case would be charged. Louisville was placed under a state of emergency Tuesday as city officials closed down a more than 25-block perimeter to traffic. Most city administrative buildings and other businesses were boarded up in anticipation of the decision. Protests in Louisville related to Taylor's death in March have been taking place for more than 100 consecutive days.

Jefferson County judge releases grand jury report
Brett Hankison will be charged with multiple counts of wanton endangerment, Jefferson County Judge Annie O'Connell announced Wednesday. Myles Cosgrove and Jonathan Mattingly, the other two officers who fired their weapons the night Taylor was shot and killed, will not be charged.

Louisville mayor puts curfew in place, says National Guard is coming
Louisville Mayor Greg Fischer has put a 72-hour curfew in place in Louisville, effective Wednesday night, from 9 p.m. to 6:30 a.m., and LMPD interim Chief Robert Schroeder confirmed that Kentucky National Guard members would be among the "various state, local and federal partners helping to keep our community safe." He did not say how many National Guard troopers would be in town when asked. courier-journal.com

  What is first degree wanton endangerment?

'Minnesota Freedom Fighters'
Minneapolis commends group of Black men patrolling streets,
protecting businesses after death of George Floyd
Minneapolis is commending the Minnesota Freedom Fighters, who are Black men with AR-15s and Glocks and wearing tactical vests and bandannas who provided extra community security in the wake of protests after the death of George Floyd, according to reports.

"It's important to have men from the community step up for the community," Sasha Cotton, director of the city's Office of Violence Prevention, told the Los Angeles Times. "It's their right to be out on the streets and it's commendable. There are black residents who in the early days of the unrest felt vulnerable ... and still do."

One of the men helping out is Robert Sayers, a fire inspector for the city of Minneapolis. He said seeing violence, fire and looting was his call to action.

"We could not and still cannot allow destruction in the city," the 52-year-old said. "This is about filling the gap we see between police and community... It's really about harm reduction." foxnews.com

Seattle Cuts Police Funding
Seattle City Council votes to override mayor's veto of cuts to police budget
City council voted to override Seattle Mayor Jenny Durkan's recent veto of $3 million in cuts to the police department's remaining 2020 budget by a 7-2 vote, with the mayor issuing a statement after the fact indicating she might not adhere to all of the provisos laid out in the council's proposal.

"We cannot look away from this and we can no longer accept the status quo if we truly believe that Black lives matter," said Council President Lorena Gonzalez.

The bill would also remove as many as 100 officers from various police units and limit staff pay to $150,000. The council said the bill was a "downpayment" toward its effort to ultimately defund the department by 50%, which would likely happen next year. mynorthwest.com

NLRB Division of Advice: In-Store Protest Wasn't Protected
An in-store protest by off-duty employees at a Starbucks store wasn't protected by the National Labor Relations Act (NLRA), according to the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in an advice memo (Starbucks Coffee Company).

The primary practical implication of the Starbucks Coffee Company advice memo is that an employer can fire workers who participate in disruptive in-store protests, said James Bucking, an attorney with Foley Hoag in Boston.

Approximately 15 demonstrators, including three or four off-duty employees and a group of nonemployee supporters, crowded into a relatively small Starbucks store and congregated near the counter toward the back. They assembled before the store manager, read a letter previously submitted to management and left chanting a slogan insisting that the store manager "must go."

The NLRB found that off-duty employees who enter an employer's restaurant or retail establishment to engage in NLRA-protected activity retain the act's protection only if their conduct does not disrupt the employer's operations.

"While the demonstration was brief-lasting about four to five minutes-the public reading of the demand letter, coupled with the loud and boisterous chanting, undoubtedly caused a significant disruption for the patrons," the advice memo read, noting that there was video footage of the demonstration. shrm.org

DOJ Operation Legend Update
Of the more than 3,500 individuals arrested, approximately 815 have been charged with federal offenses. More than 440 of those defendants have been charged with firearms offenses, while more than 300 have been charged with drug-related crimes. The remaining defendants have been charged with various offenses. justice.gov

Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis calls for legislation aimed at cracking down on disorderly protests

The Victims Of Violence During The Kenosha Protests Are Suing Facebook And Kyle Rittenhouse

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Vice President of Safety & Risk Management job posted for Bowlero Corporation in Mechanicsville, VA
The VP of Safety and Risk Management is responsible for management of Bowlero Corporation's total cost of risk through the planning and execution of claims management activities, loss control and prevention programs, and insurance program design and placement. The position's responsibilities include the preparation of reports that will make the company's senior management aware of the information needed to facilitate effective decision making. managementcareers-bowlerocorp.icims.com
 

Retail Thefts in Canada Up 125% Over 3 Years
New retail crime task force created as Manitoba follows U.S. shoplifting trends
According to a loss prevention expert, Manitoba retailers have likely experienced a significant rate of shoplifting-related shrinkage in recent years - a problem the province is trying to combat with its new retail crime task force.

Stephen O'Keefe told 680 CJOB the shrinkage rate in the United States grew to a record high last year - from 1.38 per cent to 1.62 per cent - and Manitoba is following the same trend.

"Police have been reluctant to process shoplifting cases because the courts won't take them, and then the police have a slower response time because they know they're not going to prosecute."

Manitoba justice minister Cliff Cullen said Tuesday that the new task force is up to the challenge of reducing shoplifting.

"In the past three years, retailers have seen retail thefts increase by over 125 per cent, and violent crime targeted at businesses and employees is also on the rise," said Cullen. "The Manitoba government is pleased to partner with the private sector to create this new task force, which will work collaboratively to address these issues and support retail communities throughout the province." globalnews.ca

Hidden Tracking Devices in Liquor Bottles?
Edmonton-developed idea to combat liquor store theft targets bars, restaurants who purchase stolen products
An idea out of MacEwan University has been selected from more than 200 entries as a promising way to help combat liquor store theft in Edmonton - a crime that saw a 300 per cent increase from 2018 to 2019.

The concept attempts to deter liquor thefts at the point of resale by targetting the restaurants, bars and nightclubs that purchase stolen liquor and resell it to the unsuspecting public. The premise of the proposal suggests that if criminals lose the market for their stolen liquor, they will have less reason to steal it from stores.

The Social Innovation Institute proposal will use a high-profile awareness campaign, hidden tracking devices in bottles and a whistle-blower cash prize targeted at restaurant employees who tip off police about their establishments buying stolen liquor.

The group said it's hoped that bars, restaurants and nightclubs that purchase stolen liquor will be afraid of being caught, criminally charged and prosecuted.

The concept will now undergo field trials and the results must meet the criteria set out in the challenge before it can officially be declared the winner and receive the $250,000 grand prize. For now, Alcanna said it will award MacEwan a $25,000 prize in recognition of its leading proposal. globalnews.ca

Store ATM Placement is Key to Crime Prevention
RCMP promotes ATM security in businesses

Alberta RCMP is encouraging business owners to keep ATM security top of mind

According to statistics from Alberta RCMP, there were nearly 40 ATM thefts and more than 40 ATM theft attempts in the province in 2019. September 2019 saw six ATM thefts as well as six attempted thefts.

ATM placement within a store is important to prevent theft from occurring, Kee said. Putting a machine at the back of the business is not ideal as it can be hidden from the view of employees, but putting it near the front of the store creates other risks.

"If you have a store which has a window front, we're asking you to not put your ATM right by the front of the store," she said. "That is encouraging the behaviour of ramming the front of the store, hooking up the ATM and driving it through.

"You want to put it somewhere that's easily accessible to the public, but also in sight of the employees so they can see what's going on around the ATM." airdrietoday.com
 

Big River, SK: Break-and-enter turns into shooting as three men open fire
on pawn shop employee
Big River RCMP are investigating after a break and enter at a local business in Debden after which the suspects fired a gun. According to a media release, at 6 a.m. this morning, police attended a call about the alleged incident at a pawn shop. Police say an employee saw three men dressed in black wearing masks leave the backdoor with merchandise stolen from the store. One of the three men shot the employee's vehicle twice with a sawed-off firearm. The employee escaped the situation unharmed. The investigation is ongoing and police are trying to find the suspects vehicle and the three men responsible. meadowlakenow.com

Comox, BC: RCMP looking for man who stabbed employee, robbed store

Vancouver, BC: Man pleads guilty to robbery where downtown shop owner was stabbed

Kirkland Lake, ON: Police respond to shoplifting incident

Online thieves scam Toronto couple out of more than $1,000 in PC Optimum points hack