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LPRC saw record attendance of 450+ at this year's event	Getting ready for LPRC IMPACT's Swamp Event!
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Model for the Nation to Battle ORC?
Manteca has seen a 50% drop in retail crime losses in two years

CA's Only City with Detective Dedicated to ORC
Manteca Reduces Odds for Retail Theft Rings

Only California city with police detective dedicated to organized retail crime creating reputation for Manteca

Manteca is sending a message to organized retail crime rings. You run a greater risk of getting caught, prosecuted, and sent to prison than in most other jurisdictions in California if you ply your trade in Manteca.

And it has all to do with rank-and-file officers looking for more effective ways to fight crime then Manteca Police Chief Mike Aguilar dedicating a full-time detective to organized retail crime (ORC).

And while there are regional task forces in Los Angeles, the Bay Area, San Diego and soon in Sacramento to combat the growing rise of organized retail crime, no other city in California besides Manteca has a full-time dedicated detective to such criminal activity.

According to Manteca Police ORC Detective Dave Brown, Ulta representatives said their Manteca store was on their list of locations they were considering closing due to the store theft rate until Manteca was able to step up and effectively target organized retail crime.

Brown shared with the Manteca Rotary during their weekly meeting Thursday at Mt. Mike's Pizza that the department's organized retail crime effort was one of the reasons Boot Barn cited for opening a store in Manteca.

Brown said the department is planning to add a second detective if funding is available next year. "There is enough work easily for two to three officers," Brown said.

By having a dedicated detective that can be contacted directly by store loss prevention officers and who also networks with nearby departments, Manteca has been able to position itself to be at the locations of retail theft crimes either in advance or within minutes.

Brown noted Manteca has been able to secure a 50 percent reduction in retail crime losses in the last two years. They also were able to arrest or identify 202 suspects in 2020 and 187 suspects in 2021. mantecabulletin.com

Major Societal Changes Fueling the Shoplifting Surge
Should We Tolerate Shoplifting?

Implications of adolescent rationalizations regarding stealing.

It seems to me that recent changes in our society may be contributing to an increase in shoplifting. The influence of parents on their teens may have decreased as more parents are working outside of the home or as there are more single parent households. As a result, parents do not have as much time to teach moral behavior to their children.

As our society has chosen to devote its law enforcement resources to more serious crimes, the disincentive for shoplifting has become minimal.

If we continue our current course, will shoplifting continue to increase until it reaches a level at which even more brick-and-mortar retailers will be unable to survive? Are we moving towards an even greater reliance on internet retailers? Will our relationships as members of this society become even more frayed because of theft?

Changing Course

Thus, I think that if we want to change the course of shoplifting, we might consider reinstituting a significant penalty for petty theft, or have stores employ more staff who will be on the lookout for shoplifters, which may help curb the behavior of the some of the shoplifters.

Of course, there would be a significant amount of social and monetary costs to adoption of either of these approaches. Some retailers may decide against significant shoplifting mitigation because the costs associated with such an effort would exceed the anticipated monetary loss from on-going shoplifting.

Takeaway

Dealing more deliberately with petty theft does not address many of the societal issues that have led to its increased prevalence. I believe that difficult fundamental changes in society are required to address these underlying issues. For example, perhaps we need to expand our social safety nets so that people do not shoplift because they have insufficient food at home. psychologytoday.com

ORC Surge Becomes Hot Button Political Issue
Democratic Senator at Risk of Losing Seat Targets Flash-Mob Crime
A Democratic senator at risk of losing her seat recently signed new legislation targeting flash-mob and other organized retail theft crimes.

Catherine Cortez Masto of Nevada said in a press release over the weekend that she was working with Senate Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Chuck Grassley, an Iowa Republican, on legislation to target "the rise in flash mob robberies and intricate retail theft schemes sweeping the nation."

"The Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act establishes a coordinated multi-agency response and creates new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail theft," the two senators said in a joint release.

The announcement comes just a few weeks ahead of the midterm elections in which Cortez Masto will face Adam Laxalt, who previously served as the Nevada attorney general and was endorsed by former President Donald Trump.

Over the past several months, organized retail theft and flash-mob looting have been on the rise, with elected officials in California and other states calling for more action to be taken. In New Jersey, state senators previously introduced legislation that would require flash-mob looters and retail thieves to face jail time. newsweek.com

Theft Surge Adding Fuel to the Inflation Fire
Another reason for rising costs? Retailers blame organized theft

Organized retail theft has grown to a nearly $100 billion problem in the U.S. - and retailers say consumers are paying the price.

Why organized retail crime has seen sharp national increases is unclear, but market watchers speculate the COVID-19 pandemic brought on changes that made stores easier targets and made identification more difficult with widespread mask use. While resales to pawn shops can be risky, the accelerated push to e-commerce has also made reselling goods directly to consumers easier.

What is certain, retailers report, is that the losses translate to higher prices for consumers in the long run. Increased security and digital technology measures aimed at theft prevention are on the rise, with more than half of retailers reporting redoubled investments in security and 60% increasing technology budgets in response to losses, according to the NRF survey.

Combined with revenue losses from organized theft, security costs are prompting retailers in a low-profit-margin industry to make tough choices during an inflationary period.

"We have been very good about not raising our prices as a result of our shrink equation but if it gets to a point where we cannot continue to do business this way, ultimately we will have to pass it along," Scott Glenn, vice president of Home Depot asset protection, told CNBC.  dentonrc.com

California's New Bill to Fight ORC Continues to Make Headlines
Prosecutors Alliance of California Measures Signed Into Law Target Organized Retail Crime, DNA Privacy, Transparency and Minor Traffic Offenses

California Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed into law four landmark criminal justice bills - sponsored by the Prosecutors Alliance of California.

Founder and Executive Director of the Prosecutors Alliance of California, Cristine Soto DeBerry, said, "These are important bills that will enhance safety, justice, victim privacy and prosecutorial transparency across California."

The governor also signed SB 301, which helps combat the sale of stolen goods on online marketplaces by establishing higher conditions of accountability and verification for third-party sellers on online platforms. Doing so ensures marketplaces to identify and take action against sellers of stolen goods, said sponsors.

"From smash and grabs to auto burglaries, package theft and more, a massive amount of property crime in California is driven by organized crime," commented DeBerry.

She added, "By going after the demand side of the major driver of property crime, SB 301 is a practical solution backed by facts and data. Requiring online retailers to collect and disclose information about high-volume third party sellers will undermine a major marketplace for stolen goods."  davisvanguard.org

Officials, neighbors slam New York crime policies following Marriott shooting
New York bail reform blasted after man killed at Marriott shooting near Marist College

Colorado Springs police warn shoppers and businesses not to engage with shoplifters

Majority of mass shootings connected to domestic violence, experts say

Knowing the Difference is Key
Business Continuity Vs Crisis Management

Business Continuity and Crisis Management are often confused as the same thing

One group sees crisis management as part of an emergency management structure. They believe that business continuity only focuses on helping business operations to recover from an outage. Others, like the Disaster Recovery Institute International (DRI), see crisis management as part of an overall business continuity management program. Both sides believe they are right.

Let's start with Crisis Management

Crisis management is the process of responding to, planning for, and mitigating emergency events. As a discipline, it has a planning process, distinct teams, and response structure. Depending on your exposure, you may be familiar with four or five aspects of disaster management. I prefer five stages, which addresses: prevention, mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery.

The Importance of Business Continuity

Business continuity, on the other hand, is the distinct practice of planning for and helping a company's essential functions recover from an interruption or outage. Continuity focuses on critical aspects of business operations. It lays out what business units need post-interruption. It focuses on strategies for resumption after impacts on the workplace, personnel, network, or loss of a critical third-party supplier.

The BC vs CM Balancing Act

If the differences are not made clear, there can be a lack of understanding about why these activities are separate. The strategy of mixing business continuity and crisis management can lead to challenges in the workplace. It can also lessen the effectiveness of your response and recovery activities. Misunderstanding often happens when people you are engaging do not understand what disaster work is in the first place. With the overuse of words like disaster, crisis, and emergencies, it is no wonder that people get lost in our jargon. So, there needs to be a real effort on our part to help others recognize the difference. disasterempire.com

Stealing from Disaster Relief Vehicles
Tampa man accused of stealing from disaster relief vehicles
A Tampa man faces burglary charges for stealing power tools being used for Hurricane Ian relief, police said.

Police say security personnel located and detailed Bryan Ortiz, 35, who was seen trying to get into some of the relief vehicles. At one point, Ortiz allegedly broke into a bucket truck and a Ford F-250 Super Duty Truck and swiped some power tools. The tools were eventually recovered. Oritz was arrested without incident and charged, police said. wtsp.com

   Hurricane Ian's death toll rises to 109 as crews in Florida go door to door

   4 Walmart & Sam's Club Stores Still Closed After Hurricane Ian


Retail & Government Operations Centers

● National Business Emergency Operations Center
● Florida State Emergency Operations Center
● Lee County - SW Florida Operations Center
● Walmart Emergency Operations Center
● Amazon's Disaster Relief Hub
● Target Emergency Operations Center
● Home Depot's Natural Disaster Command Center
● Lowe's Emergency Command Center
● Microsoft Teams Emergency Operations Center
 

To Hard Tag or Not?
Video Recap: Hard Tag Vs RFID Working Group Meeting

Featuring Colin Peacock and Adrian Beck

Removing hard tags in retail stores, especially fashion retailers, would seem crazy based on the proven increase in losses when retailers have previously made the switch from hard tags to soft EAS tags.

Retailers such as River Island are exploring whether RFID can help reduces losses more productively and enable stores to move to self-checkout. Click here to learn more

The Retail Revival Is Underway
Retail Real Estate Is Enjoying Its Biggest Revival in Years

U.S. retail real-estate vacancies are down, rents are up and more stores are opening than closing

Bricks-and-mortar store owners are emerging from the pandemic with surprising strength, posting some of their best numbers in years and plotting expansions as more Americans venture out to buy things again.

U.S. retail vacancy fell to 6.1% in the second quarter, the lowest level in at least 15 years, while asking rents for U.S. shopping centers in the quarter were 16% higher than five years ago, according to real-estate services firm Cushman & Wakefield.

More stores opened than closed in the U.S. last year for the first time since 1995, according to an analysis by Morgan Stanley, and some analysts say they expect that trend to continue this year even with recession fears rising.

And after being forced to buy more things online at the start of the pandemic, many people have decided they like shopping in stores for items ranging from clothing to groceries, in a reassuring sign for the staying power of bricks-and-mortar retail. wsj.com

$1B McDonald's Racial Bias Lawsuit Dismissed
McDonald's defeats Black franchisees' $1 billion bias lawsuit, for now
McDonald's Corp has temporarily beaten back a lawsuit by 52 Black former franchise owners who claim the fast-food chain set them up for failure by steering them toward crime-ridden, low-income neighborhoods.

A federal judge in Chicago dismissed the 2020 lawsuit in a written order last week, but gave the plaintiffs until Oct. 21 to file an amended complaint. The judge did not explain why he dismissed the case.

The plaintiffs claim McDonald's has not offered profitable restaurant locations and growth opportunities to Black franchisees that were on the same terms as white franchisees, despite its public commitment to diversity and Black entrepreneurship. They are seeking up to $1 billion in damages.

McDonald's has denied wrongdoing and has said that while it may recommend store locations, franchisees make the final decisions. finance.yahoo.com

The Solution to the Supply Chain Crisis?
Apple Suppliers Add Manufacturing Sites in U.S., With Focus on California
Apple Inc. suppliers added manufacturing operations close to the Cupertino, Calif.-based tech company in fiscal 2021, a sign of how the pandemic and geopolitics are beginning to reshape supply chains.

Of Apple's more than 180 suppliers, 48 had manufacturing sites in the U.S. as of September 2021, up from 25 a year earlier, according to a supplier list released by Apple. More than 30 sites were in California, compared with fewer than 10 a year earlier. wsj.com

Workers won't be able to say "I quit" much longer as job openings fall

Chick-fil-A has the fastest and most accurate drive-thrus
 

In Case You Missed It: Retail Cybersecurity Strategies from Interface Systems
Interface Systems Shares Best Practices with Retailers for Cybersecurity Month

Company highlights prevention strategies for securing POS, cloud-based applications, and mitigating loyalty program fraud

St. Louis, MO (October 4, 2022) - As retailers integrate their digital and physical shopping experiences to future-proof their business models, it's never been more important to be aware of the cybersecurity vulnerabilities that can be created by digital transformation. As cybersecurity awareness month becomes a focus of discussion in October, Interface Systems, a leading managed service provider delivering business security, managed network, UCaaS, and business intelligence solutions to distributed enterprises, shares best practices on how to prevent retail cyber-attacks and mitigate fraud.

Retail chains face a variety of security challenges, from connected POS (Point of sale) systems and devices to online ordering and delivery applications. Retailers' data lakes, which combine their customers' data with credit card information, make them particularly attractive targets for cybercriminals. The consequences of security lapses go beyond legal issues and often result in significant financial loss as customers lose confidence in the brand.

Securing the Point of Sale

POS applications are directly connected to credit card data, loyalty management applications, and inventory management systems. They are easily accessible, and retailers often struggle to manage the sheer number of in-store terminals, self-service kiosks, and mobile payment devices. To secure their POS, retailers need to:

● Encrypt all POS data end-to-end
● Accept EMV chip cards and NFC (contactless payment) technologies
● Whitelist applications to run on a POS system
● Keep their POS software up to date
● Address PCI-DSS compliance gaps proactively
● Segment the POS network
● Physically secure POS devices including mobile POS devices
● Watch out for unusual transactions
● Integrate security cameras with POS transactions

Read more strategies from Interface Systems here

Death Penalty for Selling U.S. Cyber Secrets?
Former NSA Employee Faces Death Penalty for Selling Secrets

Suspect allegedly thought he was swapping secrets with a foreign government for crypto - but the contact turned out to be an FBI agent.

When he left his job as an information systems security designer with the National Security Agency, Jareh Sebastian Dalke allegedly took a few classified documents with him. Stealing - and then attempting to sell - those secret government documents could land the Colorado Springs man on death row.

Dalke has been charged with trying to sell those government secrets to a foreign government. The sale went bust when it turned out the potential buyer Dalke believed was an emissary from a foreign nation was an undercover FBI agent instead, according to a Department of Justice affidavit.

The DOJ said Dalke approached the undercover agent in late July and that the information he had for sale was "highly sensitive information relating to foreign targeting of U.S. systems and information on U.S. cyber operations, among other topics."

Dalke then provided the perspective buyer with excerpts of the documents, which were sensitive and secret in nature.

"Dalke represented to the undercover FBI agent that he was still employed by the U.S. government but said he was on a temporary assignment at a field location," the DOJ added. "Dalke requested compensation via a specific type of cryptocurrency in exchange for the information he possessed and stated that he was in financial need." darkreading.com

Changing Your Password More Doesn't Make You More Secure
Is mandatory password expiration helping or hurting your password security?
For decades cybersecurity professionals held tight to the idea that passwords needed to be changed on a regular basis. In recent years, however, organizations such as NIST and Microsoft have abandoned this longstanding best practice and are now recommending against mandatory password expiration.

Fast-acting criminals won't be deterred by your 90-day change policy

First, the company argues that scheduled password changes do little to prevent an intruder from gaining access to a victim's network because threat actors almost always make immediate use of compromised passwords. In many ways, password theft is like credit card theft. When a criminal steals a credit card number, they know that they have a very limited amount of time before the card is reported to be stolen and is deactivated. As such, they will typically use a stolen card immediately. Password theft works the same way in that threat actors are anxious to exploit stolen credentials before compromised accounts are deactivated or passwords are changed.

End-users are tired of the needless change of a perfectly good password

The other reason that Microsoft cites in their recommendation against scheduled password expirations is that when users are forced to periodically change their passwords, they are much more inclined to use passwords that are both insecure and predictable.

From Microsoft's perspective it is far better for a user to create a strong but unchanging password than to simply create a password that barely adheres to the organization's minimal password requirements and then make small changes to that password each time that the organization requires the password to be changed. helpnetsecurity.com

VIDEO: What should investing in cybersecurity look like for a tech organization?
To withstand cyberattacks, businesses must continually update internal systems and avoid hasty tech upgrades that might open the door to attackers.

In this Help Net Security video, Phillip Verheyden, Security Engineer at Shipwell, discusses the challenges technology organizations face when investing in cybersecurity and offers tips for CISOs, from securing development to dealing with phishing attacks. helpnetsecurity.com

Hackers maintained deep access inside military organization's network

'Poisoned' Tor Browser tracks Chinese users' online history, location

Windsor, Canada: 12 people arrested after $700,000 in retail thefts reported at Windsor Home Depot stores
The Windsor Police Service's Problem-Oriented Policing (POP) Unit arrested 12 people after over $700,000 in thefts were reported at Home Depot stores in the city. Officers from the POP Unit joined Home Depot loss-prevention teams at its two Windsor locations for a targeted operation aimed at thwarting retail theft on Sept. 28 and 29. Police say Home Depot's two local stores have reported $700,000 in thefts over the last six months alone. "People sometimes think of retail theft as a victimless crime, but the reality is that it can cost retailers millions, lead to higher prices for consumers and result in people losing their jobs," said Jason Crowley, Acting Deputy Chief of Operations. "Through operations like this, we'll continue to work with businesses to prevent and deter thefts and ensure shoplifters are held responsible." In total, the POP Unit arrested 12 people, recovered over $3,500 in stolen merchandise, and seized three stolen vehicles, including a Land Rover valued at $140,000. In addition to retail theft charges, three of the suspects also face outstanding arrest warrants. windsor.ctvnews.ca

Eastpointe, MI: FedEx worker to be charged with stealing $100K in goods from Eastpointe Foot Locker
A transport company worker is expected to be charged Wednesday in connection with about $100,000 worth of goods that were supposed to be delivered to the Foot Locker store in Eastpointe but instead were kept. The FedEx employee, whose name and hometown were not released, is scheduled to be arraigned on embezzlement charges in 38th District Court in Eastpointe, according to police. "We are still investigating this case and we are attempting to see if additional suspects will be added," said Detective Lt. Robert Koenigsmann He reported detectives received information on the embezzlement late Monday and by Tuesday afternoon had made an arrest. The employee is suspected of keeping retail goods and sports equipment on more than one delivery. "The allegations center on him keeping the goods that were supposed to be delivered to the store," he said. macombdaily.com

Tulsa, OK: Murder suspect among those arrested in Armed Robbery at Hibbets Sports
Tulsa Police say a robbery at a Promenade Mall store led to the arrest of a man who is also wanted for murder. Investigators say Dominique Jordan, Dorian Jordan, and Raven Moya walked into the Hibbets inside of Promenade Mall and stole thousands of dollars worth of clothes. A store employee was able to give officers a description of the trio's car. Police say they were able to find the suspects at a hotel near I-44 and Yale. All three were arrested. "One of the clerks tried to stop them," said Lt. Justin Ritter, Tulsa Police. "One of the females brandished a knife, and made a threatening comment, so at that point, it became a robbery." Investigators say the knife and $4,500 worth of clothing were found in the room. Police say Dominique Jordan had been charged with the murder of 17-year-old Corlin Jones and had a warrant for his arrest. Jones was shot outside of a hookah lounge near Admiral and Lewis in May. newson6.com

Memphis, TN: Suspects who stole 40 boxes of air compressors arrested by MPD
Memphis police department have arrested two men in connection to a boxcar robbery that happened Monday around 10pm. 18-yer-old Ronnino Nelson and 26-year-old Xavier Pendleton, were arrested for the burglary. The burglary happened near Beebee Avenue, where MPD says the two men were putting boxes into a tan truck. The boxes contained air compressors, according to MPD. They found about 40 boxes of compressors between the suspects car and the scene of the burglary. MPD also found a stolen gun in the suspects truck. Nelson has been charged with burglary and Pendleton has been charged with burglary and theft of property, according to MPD.  localmemphis.com

Nashville, TN: Two possible members of Felony Lane Gang wanted for stealing checks, cards, using victims' information
Murfreesboro Police are on the hunt for a couple of crooks who they say are part of the notorious "Felony Lane Gang." Both are women. Officers said one of them deposited a stolen check in July into an account at Redstone Financial Credit Union. The check was worth $4,600 and was taken in a car break-in in Lebanon in the same month. In another incident, they withdrew money from the account of a woman whose purse was stolen during a car break-in at a Greenway Trailhead in Nashville in June. Officers said the withdrawal totaled $2,300. The two women are believed to have committed similar fraudulent transactions in Huntsville, Alabama. The Felony Lane Gang is a group of people known for breaking into cars - often at parks, trailheads and gyms - and stealing credit cards and checks. They normally use the outside lanes at banks to make their transactions, typically draining the victims' bank accounts. newschannel5.com

Erie County, PA: Over $2K stolen from Erie Walmart in retail theft, Pennsylvania State Police investigating

Ocala, FL: Man with two prior theft convictions arrested after allegedly stealing from Walmart