The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

US: 43.5M Cases - 702.9K Dead - 33M Recovered
Worldwide: 231.4M Cases - 4.7M Dead - 208.1M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 315   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 414
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Delta = Final Major COVID Wave?
Delta coronavirus wave might be the last major wave of infection, former FDA commissioner says
The current wave of Covid-19 cases driven by the Delta coronavirus variant has the potential to be the country's last major wave of infection -- but it's far from over, and even endemic Covid will pose problems, a former Food and Drug Administration chief said.

"I think this Delta wave may be the last major wave of infection, assuming nothing unexpected happens, (such as getting) a variant that pierces the immunity offered by prior infection (and) by vaccination," former FDA Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb told CNN Thursday.

"So, assuming that doesn't happen, and I think it's unlikely, this will be the last major wave of infection, and this becomes a more persistent, endemic risk," he said.

Current vaccinations and immunity from infection help prop this possibility. Still, he says, vaccination rates need to get "higher if we want to create a backstop against the kind of spread that we've seen this past summer." cnn.com

Open Offices = More Violence?
Workplace violence mitigation and the pandemic

Even amid dealing with the challenges presented by Covid-19, businesses are increasingly taking a proactive approach to the issue

While the delta variant of Covid-19 has forced many businesses to pushback their office reopening plans indefinitely, facilities will eventually be fully staffed with workers. However, with more people returning to offices comes an increased threat of workplace violence, which could potentially be exacerbated by the lingering impacts of the pandemic.

In talking with a number of different business leaders, Patricia Coureas, Principal Consultant for ADT Commercial's Enterprise Security Risk Group, says that organizations today have an "acute awareness" of how the pandemic has impacted their employee base.

James Spence, a Principal for the Enterprise Security Risk Group at ADT Commercial, who previously served as Global Head of Security at both Toyota and Novartis Vaccines, says while there may not be a lot of statistical data relative to workplace violence and the pandemic as of yet, businesses understand that as they bring employees back that mitigation programs surrounding this issue are going to be paramount.

Mitigation Evolves

Though it used to be viewed as solely the purview of security, Spence says workplace violence mitigation programs are now the responsibility of the entire organization and that every person plays an important role. According to Spence, this oftentimes includes seeing how the organization can offer help the employee address the different external factors that are affecting their behavior, such as alcohol or substance abuse, divorce, financial distress, etc.

Common Challenges

According to Coureas, some of the most frequent obstacles organizations face in preventing workplace violence includes an inability on the part of the business to identify risk themselves or hire someone with the proper expertise that can conduct a risk assessment to identify these potential blind spots.

However, Spence warns that there is no one-size-fits-all approach that organizations can adopt. Also, Coureas says that many organizations frequently make an erroneous assumption that their employees know what to do when confronted with an active assailant scenario. Another common pitfall for businesses, according to Coureas, is failing to have proper resources in place for their workforce. securityinfowatch.com

Vaccine Boosters Recommended for At-Risk Workers
CDC Chief Backs Pfizer Boosters for At-Risk Workers in Break With Panel

CDC Director signs off on a series of recommendations for third Covid-19 shots

The director of Centers for Disease Control and Prevention said workers at high risk of Covid-19 infection should receive a booster of Pfizer Inc.'s vaccine, in a decision that deviated from the recommendation of an advisory panel that the CDC typically follows.

CDC Director Rochelle Walensky signed off on a series of recommendations from the panel, saying boosters should be offered to people 65 and over as well as those 50 to 64 years with underlying medical conditions, according to the Associated Press. The extra dose would be given at least six months after the last shot.

But one of Ms. Walensky's endorsements went against the panel's recommendation. She said people should be offered boosters if they are ages 18 to 64 years and are health-care workers or have another job that puts them at increased risk of being exposed to the virus. wsj.com

Texas still has one of the nation's worst COVID death rates at 280 per day, even as delta subsides
The delta wave is finally subsiding in Texas, though the state still has nearly 12,000 hospitalized coronavirus patients and one of the highest mortality rates in the nation.

Daily deaths: Texas 280, California 117.

Florida, 377 COVID deaths a day - about 1.75 people for every 100,000. Texas stands at 284 daily fatalities for a per capita rate of .98.

New York and California, daily deaths are 35 and 117, respectively, for per capita rates of 0.18 and 0.3.

In Texas, the 7-day average for deaths peaked in January at 341.

Texas has the lowest vaccination rate of the four most populous states. houstonchronicle.com

FIGHTING the "Twindemic" - Doing Your Part
CDC Digital Media Toolkit: 2021-22 Flu Season
CDC's seasonal flu vaccination campaign materials are available to assist partners in communicating about the importance of vaccination. This digital toolkit includes details on events/activities, sample social media and newsletter content, graphics, web assets, and media prep material. This material is downloadable, shareable, and some of the material is customizable. cdc.gov

Seasonal Influenza Resource Center

Popping Up in All of the Major News Outlets:
Experts warn of 'potentially severe flu season' and urge getting flu shot
Be Warned if Your Whole Team Comes Down With It!

Vaccination Slowdown
Americans getting COVID vaccinations at slowest rate since mid-July
Americans are getting vaccinated for COVID-19 at the slowest rate since mid-July, causing concern among health officials as flu season approaches. The seven-day moving average of first shots was 272,000 at the end of last week, according to CDC data released Wednesday. nypost.com

Breakthrough COVID cases expected to become more common in coming months
 

The September Push - The Heat is On - Sr. LP Postings Up 118% Over 2019
Crime & Violence Surge Has Retail America Reacting & Filling More Senior Roles Than in Years

September 2019: 11 Senior LP/AP Jobs Posted

September 2020: 13 Senior LP/AP Jobs Posted - Even with COVID-19 last year we saw a slight 18% increase over 2019

September 2021 (so far* - and including today's Daily): 24 LP/AP Jobs Posted - Up 118% Over 2019

Understanding this only represents what is posted on the D&D Daily. We do pride ourselves on an exhaustive process of identifying these openings each day from ALL of the major job boards. In an effort to provide you with real-time information about your job market. As the ripple effect impacts entire organizations, solution providers, even individual retail sectors, and most importantly, possibly your career. -Gus Downing

Interesting Industry Footnote:
CVS & Walgreens posted basically the same position within 6 days of each other
this week

CVS: Asset Protection Future Operations Director
Walgreens: Director Asset Protection Operations Execution


'There will be Blood' - The #1 Problem this Holiday Season

Panic Buying - Violence - Injuries - Protesters?
Do We See Panic Buying Across the Country & Up North & How Does it Play Out?
From the food industry to the gas stations across the UK, concerns are growing about holiday shortages and panic buying. And what that may hold for the stores. UK blaming massive labor shortages and especially in the light of COVID-19.

Here in the states, as most have heard Costco is limiting bath tissues, roll towels and bottled water, spurred by panic buying from customers amid rising COVID-19 cases. As well as transportation issues this year are causing delays in deliveries to stores despite suppliers having plenty of stock, Costco Chief Financial Officer Richard Galanti said in an earnings call. Same holds true in the UK with haulers.

The pandemic-driven port congestion and labor shortages have forced retail chains including Costco to spend more on transportation and labor, digging into their margins. Costco said it was paying six times for containers and shipping due to price increase on items shipped overseas.

With factories worldwide shut down - reopened - and shutdown again in the hundreds, especially since China took a zero tolerance approach to COVID-19 even in the case of a single case shutting down an entire terminal at one port recently, the factory shutdowns are causing shortages in every industry.

Coupled with the port closures and historical backlogs of ships at ports across the U.S. is delaying what supply we do have on the water for the holidays. One retailer actually hired a ship directly at $200,000 a day. Lets' hope the Cartel doesn't get the news of a lone wolf out there. And all of this exasperated by the Suez fiasco that backed shipping up months.

The COVID pandemic has affected almost every aspect of our lives, and now including the way we shop. Recently, the pandemic-along with a number of other factors-has led to shortages of many products, causing them to disappear from our shelves entirely. Experts say there's another shortage on the horizon, and it's bound to get worse as the holiday season approaches.

Leading toy companies told CNN Business that a toy shortage will impact holiday shopping this year, likely leaving children without many items on their wishlists. "There is going to be a major shortage of toy products this year," MGA Entertainment CEO Isaac Larian told CNN Business. Steve Pasierb, president and CEO of The Toy Association, told ABC News, "Whatever becomes the hot toy of the season in the next month or two may not be there in huge quantities

"If you think you are going to go into toy stores in December as you normally would do ... and you are going to get what you want, you will be very disappointed."

So it's 5:00 a.m., there's a couple hundred shoppers waiting for you to open the doors and your inventory levels are already decimated in this year's HOT Toys and any other hot gift, and the mask-defiant crowd turns into a disturbance. Are you prepared this holiday season?

WSJ Today: "Every Aspect of Int'l Transportation Under Stress Ahead of X-mas"
Christmas Chaos: Shipping Delays Mean Santa Might Be Late This Year
So far it's running three months late thanks to global transportation congestion.

Around the world, toy makers, booksellers, large retailers and manufacturers are already warning that some products won't be in place in time for Christmas, while extra shipping costs and delays are adding to bills for both buyers and sellers.

Cost of renting a 40-foot container from Asia to Europe has increased 10-fold to as much as $18,000, and it arrives up to eight weeks late.

As of Friday, there were 600 large container ships waiting to dock outside ports in Asia, Europe and North America, and the delay of vessels arriving into U.S. and Canadian ports from the Far East has increased from 14 hours in June of 2020 to almost 10 days this August, according to eeSea, which provides data on the container market.

Covid-19 has also led to an acute shortage of truck drivers in the Western world, increasing the cost of moving goods by road, too.

There is almost no part of the transportation system that isn't experiencing problems.

Retailers and sportswear manufacturers are all warning of shortages and are raising prices by 20% to 25% to keep pace with skyrocketing shipping costs. wsj.com

EN: This will be the most stressful Holiday shopping we have ever encountered in the U.S. Just my thoughts. -Gus Downing

   Supply chain issues causing spike in grocery prices

   This New Shortage Is Hitting Shoppers at the Worst Time Yet, Experts Warn

   Top Southeast US ports expect congestion, backlogs to persist

   Food firms warn of panic-buying this Christmas

   The Hill: British consumers urged not to panic buy


State: Brooklyn Center Police and Michaels Stores discriminated against Black teen

Walk-In Job Applicant met with "unjustified and unreasonable" use of force

The Minnesota Department of Human Rights on Thursday concluded that there is probable cause to find that the Brooklyn Center Police Department and Michaels Stores, Inc. discriminated against a Black teenager when Michaels management called officers to the store, who arrested the boy without cause.

The boy, then 16, walked into the Michaels craft store on Shingle Creek Crossing on March 19, 2019, to apply for a job, but was instead met with "unjustified and unreasonable" use of force by Brooklyn Center police after the Michaels store manager called them, according to MDHR.

Following a nearly two-year investigation, MDHR determined that what happened that day was a violation of state civil rights law on three counts: the Brooklyn Center Police Department discriminated against him because of his race, Michaels denied him access to the store because of his race, and, lastly, Michaels failed to hire him because of his race.

While inside Michaels, the boy behaved like a "typical customer," according to surveillance footage reviewed by the Department of Human Rights, yet a white store manager called the police on him twice for "creating a disturbance."

He was asked to leave and voluntarily walked out. Then, frustrated because he believed he was kicked out due to his race, the boy attempted to re-enter the store, but the manager and another employee blocked him at the vestibule.

When the manager called 911 a second time, she reported that the "tyrant customer" had returned to the store, was "hostile" and was starting to "touch" her employees.

Three white police officers arrived. Two of them threw the boy to the ground, pulled him by his dreadlocks, put a knee into his back and handcuffed him, the Department of Human Rights found based on body-worn camera footage.

"Don't kill me, I want to grow up," the boy said while face down on the ground.

The police charged him with disorderly conduct, trespassing, and obstructing the legal process. The charges were eventually dismissed, but he was banned from Michaels for a year.

A Michaels Stores spokesperson said the company disagrees with the investigation's finding of discrimination and plans to appeal. startribune.com

BCI crisis management report
Crisis management is becoming increasingly centralized - which is leading to greater success, according to the Business Continuity Institute's latest crisis management report.

Most organizations have either entirely centralized their crisis management processes or have adopted a hybrid approach where regions or sites are allowed some degree of autonomy to manage their own events. A purely regional approach in a global organization is much less likely to be successful, the findings suggested.

Crisis management is no longer purely about best-in-class processes, according to the report - people are integral to good crisis management. The two leading working practices which practitioners indicate will change post-pandemic are 1) a more collaborative approach to a crisis and 2) that staff health and well-being will be considered as an integral part of the response. Without healthy staff, fully engaged in the response and with good channels of communications, results in a less effective response.

Good crisis management needs strong leadership. Senior management lead crisis management in most organizations in the survey. That helps to ensure every worker is aware of the importance of crisis management and also appreciative of their own role in a crisis. This is not true in every sector: senior academics are frequently in charge of crisis management in the further education sector, for example, which can lead to slower response times.

Business continuity is starting to take a more strategic role in crises. A purely centralized crisis management approach to a global crisis (such as covid) is likely to fail in a global company. A centralized team can apply consistency in their approach, it can centralize support and help with coordinating certain processes such as the post-incident review (PIR) (sometimes referred to in crisis management as the After-Action Review - AAR). It can also centralize otherwise expensive processes, such as global security operation centres, specialist software tools and consultancy.

The BCI is running its annual conference remotely as BCI World Virtual on November 3 and 4. Visit the events part of the BCI website. professionalsecurity.co.uk

Over $10B in Halloween Spending This Year
Halloween Spending Soars as Celebrations Near Pre-Pandemic Levels
Consumer spending on Halloween-related items is expected to reach an all-time high of $10.14 billion, up from $8.05 billion in 2020, according to the National Retail Federation's annual survey conducted by Prosper Insights & Analytics. Plans to celebrate Halloween are up this year compared with last and are close to pre-pandemic levels. nrf.com

Chicken Salad Chick sees 500 stores by end of 2025; targets Midwest for growth


Quarterly Results
Costco Q4 comp's up 15.5%, net sales up 17.5%, FY2021 comp's up 16%, net sales up 17.7%
   Costco U.S. comps up 14.9%, FY 2021 comp's up 14.8%
   Costco Canada comps up 19.5%, FY 2021 comp's up 20.0%
   Costco International comps up 15%, FY 2021 comp's up 19.1%
   Costco E-Commerce comps up 11.2, FY 2021 comp's up 44.4%
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

AP Future Operations Director job posted for CVS in Cumberland, RI
As the Asset Protection Future Operations Director, you will play a critical role as part of the Asset Protection Leadership Team functioning as a strategic advisor across Asset Protection, the Retail and non-Retail businesses. You will drive value by partnering with various Initiative Leaders and functional owners across the business to more proactively ensure we safeguard against any profitability erosion. In addition, you will provide support within Asset Protection to address key shrink risks. jobs.cvshealth.com

Security Ops Manager, Corp. Security job posted for CVS in Scottsdale, AZ
CVS Health is seeking an experienced professional skilled in leading the colleague safety and security program within each division of the retail organization. The Security Operations Manager will support the Senior Director of Corporate Security and the entire Corporate Security management team in maintaining the overall safety and security of CVS Health's people, facilities, and assets. The ideal candidate must possess the ability to foster a collaborative approach to achieve strategic goals in a manner consistent with CVS Health's purpose and values. jobs.cvshealth.com

Manager, Security Ops & Investigations job posted for Mattel in El Segundo, CA
The Manager, Security Operations & Investigations will support Mattel's Security Operations & Investigations for North America, based in El Segundo, CA. This includes standardizing and enhancing security operations and personnel, strengthening relationships with local / state / federal law enforcement agencies, optimizing security preparedness and emergency response capabilities, and successful resolution of complex investigations, while demonstrating strong leadership behaviors and skills to create a cohesive and high functioning team. indeed.com

Divisional AP Manager - West Coast Division job posted for David's Bridal
The Divisional Asset Protection Manager is responsible for supporting the implementation and execution of all loss prevention programs. The Divisional Asset Protection Manager is also responsible for investigating and resolving internal/external causes of theft; training and auditing stores for loss prevention and operational compliance; identifying areas for profit improvement and areas that affect shrink; reviewing exception based reporting; preparing required reports for senior management and other duties as assigned by the Director of Loss Prevention. us61.dayforcehcm.com