Another California City Becomes a Hotbed of ORC
Organized retail theft a growing concern across city, state
A growing trend of mass shoplifting sprees in Petaluma and beyond has forced law enforcement agencies to respond, and state legislators to codify into law a relatively new type of crime: organized retail theft.

Organized retail thefts occur when thieves enter a store as a "crew" of two or more, gather armfuls of merchandise all at once and flee without paying. They usually hit larger retail stores near freeway entrances - in Petaluma that has included Target, Ulta, Kohl's and Dick's Sporting Goods - because there is plenty of valuable merchandise on hand, employees know not to confront the thieves and the nearby freeways offer an easy means of escape.

The crimes have increased so dramatically in recent years that they now happen in Petaluma on an almost daily basis, said Lt. Tim Lyons of the Petaluma Police Department. Typically, crews drive into town from the Sacramento or East Bay areas, he said - often in cars rented with stolen or fraudulent credit cards - and visit stores where they "can just go in and take high-end things pretty quickly."

"There's several different crews, and they just go around to different places (that are) easily accessible," Lyons said. Sometimes, he added, "they hit Petaluma first, and then they go up to Santa Rosa, and then come back through Petaluma," hitting the same stores again.

According to data released by the Petaluma Police Department, over the past two years, from Oct. 11, 2020, to Oct. 11, 2022, Ulta in Petaluma has been robbed 24 times by organized retail theft, 33 times at Target, 12 times at Kohl's and 32 times at Dick's Sporting Goods.

Authorities and merchants said organized retail crime has ramped up greatly over the past three years. California lawmakers have responded, and last year Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law Assembly Bill 331, which created new law enforcement task forces to fight the crimes and altered the penal code so courts can better prosecute it. petaluma360.com

Theft Surge Driving Another Retailer Out of Chicago's Mag Mile
Shoppers Wonder What's Next After Banana Republic Says it Will Leave Mag Mile
After yet another retailer announced that they would leave Chicago's Magnificent Mile, officials and shoppers are left to ponder what it all means as the busy holiday season approaches.

Crain's Chicago Business first reported that Banana Republic was planning to close its doors for good this week. The clothing store joins other retailers like Macy's, which formerly occupied space at Water Tower Place, and Uniqlo, which used to reside on the opposite corner of Pearson.

The Gap flagship store also closed recently, and all the closures mean that the occupancy rate has continued to dip.

"We're at about 29% vacancy right now," Ald. Brian Hopkins said. "We've been staying under 30%, but this announcement may be what puts us over, and there's a psychological benchmark there. It's a blow to the economy, a blow to Michigan Avenue, but it's a very desirable location. I have to be optimistic."

Hopkins also cited retail theft as a challenge that the shopping area needs to overcome, with memories still fresh of widespread looting along the Magnificent Mile during the summer of 2020. While city officials and police have repeatedly pledged to dedicate more resources to addressing the issue of crime, Hopkins says that concerns are still very real.

"Crime is a very big factor here. Retailers don't like to talk, and they'll never admit to closing retail because they can't keep inventory from being stolen," he said. "We know it's a problem, and retail theft rates have increased, and the city isn't doing enough to combat it." nbcchicago.com

$100M Brink's Jewelry Heist - One of Largest in History
Update: $100M California Brink's jewelry heist highlights history of costly schemes

More than $100 million in jewelry is stolen every year, the FBI has estimated.

Three months after what was arguably one of the country's most high-value jewelry heists in recent memory, law enforcement agencies have filed no charges in a case, which also served to highlight a history of costly jewelry heist schemes.

A pair of Brink's security guards hauling a tractor-trailer of jewels worth millions were robbed in California while one of the workers was sleeping inside the vehicle and the other had left to buy food, according to lawsuits related to the heist.

The Brink's truck, which was transporting the valuable gems from San Francisco to the Pasadena Convention Center, was stopped near a rest stop in Lebec when the thieves snapped a lock and broke in. Court papers describe how one of the security guards was snoozing inside the truck while the other had stepped out for food. The truck was loaded with 73 bags - 22 of which were stolen, officials said.

A lawsuit obtained by the Associated Press describes how the criminals got away with the 22 bags of jewelry that the victims say were collectively worth more than $100 million, which would make the theft the costliest jewel heist in recent history.

The 14 "mom and pop" businesses that had jewelry stolen accused Brink's of negligence and breach of contract, and they argued that the company's security guards "practically invited" the heist to take place, according to the report. Brink's attorneys noted in their lawsuit that the drivers were acting in accordance with Department of Transportation guidelines over the course of the night, including when they went to sleep or left to get food. foxnews.com

FBI Crime Data Gaps Could Persist for Years
The Problem With The FBI's Missing Crime Data

Many police departments have not adopted the feds' new reporting system, muddling the picture about national crime trends.

The FBI released its 2021 national crime data estimates this week, and, as expected, the takeaway is far from conclusive. In short: The nation's most thorough crime data collection program concluded it's possible crime went up, went down or stayed the same.

That's partly because the year-on-year changes to the numbers were small. The FBI estimates that murders rose by about 4% compared to 2020, while overall violent crime decreased by about 1%. Officials cautioned that neither change is statistically significant, and concluded that crime rates were roughly flat.

The uncertainty largely stems from the fact that 2021's data was more incomplete than any in recent memory. Comprehensive FBI data depends on law enforcement agencies' (there are about 18,000 in the U.S.) voluntary submissions. This year about 7,000 police agencies, covering about 35% of the U.S. population, were missing.

Why? Last year, the bureau phased out a nearly century-old data-collection platform and began accepting data only through a newer system - the National Incident-Based Reporting System (NIBRS).

The feds for years had announced the change was coming, but many agencies did not switch in time to submit data, including the New York City Police Department and Los Angeles Police Department - the nation's two largest. Some entire states, including California and Florida, sent virtually no data. To make up for the data holes, the Justice Department created new estimation methods that use data from agencies that did submit to the FBI to fill in the blanks for the rest of the country.

This problem could persist for years, as upgrading reporting systems has proven expensive and complicated for police agencies. The Los Angeles Police tried for years and had to start from scratch. The San Francisco Police Department previously told The Marshall Project that they don't plan to send crime data to the FBI until 2025. themarshallproject.org

Violent Crime Rates By State - Top 3: Louisiana, Arkansas & Alabama
Louisiana Has the Nation's Highest Violent Crime Rate, According to FBI
Due to a change in reporting systems - from the legacy Summary Reporting System to the new National Incident-Based Reporting System - many police departments across the country did not submit cime data to the FBI. As a result, nine states were excluded from this year's UCR: Florida, Hawaii, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, and Pennsylvania.

Whether or not 2021 crime estimates for these places will eventually be released remains to be seen - but for the states with available data, the latest UCR offers some useful insight into 2021 violent crime trends.

Violent crime is a broad category that consists of four types of the most serious offenses: robbery, rape, aggravated assault, and homicide. In Louisiana, there were 26,078 violent crimes reported in 2021, or 564 for every 100,000 people, the highest violent crime rate among the 41 states with available data. Meanwhile, the national violent crime rate (based on the incomplete data) stands at 334 incidents per 100,000 people.

While it is not always the case, violent crime is often more common in economically disadvantaged areas with high poverty rates and lower levels of social integration. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2021 American Community Survey, the poverty rate across Louisiana stands at 19.6%, compared to the 12.8% national poverty rate. thecentersquare.com

Another State Grapples with Bail Reform
Ohio voters to decide on bail reform when considering Issue One
Issue One is a constitutional amendment dealing with bail reform, requiring courts to consider, among other things, public safety when setting bail. It also requires courts to consider the seriousness of the crime, as well as a person's criminal record, the likelihood a person will return to court, and any other factor the Ohio General Assembly may add. kpvi.com

Crime rate steady as Jacksonville adjusts to new FBI reporting system

Texas: Surge in shoplifting spikes La Marque's property crime rate

US: 98.7M Cases - 1M Dead - 96M Recovered
Worldwide: 629M Cases - 6.5M Dead - 608.1M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 811

NYC May Never Fully Recover from COVID
In drawn-out recovery, NYC inches out from COVID's shadow

New York City's recovery from the pandemic will be drawn out and that some aspects of the city's economic ecosystem could be changed for good

People watching New York City pull itself out of COVID-19's shadow wonder whether workers who fled Manhattan's office towers during the pandemic would finally return.

More workers did return to their offices, at least part time, as the summer ended, limited data suggests. But the onset of autumn has also made it clearer than ever that the recovery will be drawn out, and that some aspects of the city's economic ecosystem could be changed for good.

A survey of Manhattan companies put out by the Partnership for New York City last month found that on an average day, just under half of Manhattan office workers were in their offices as of the beginning of September.

Among retail outlets, food and beverage stores have seen only about 66% of jobs come back, while clothing stores have seen about 62%, according to the New York City Independent Budget Office.

If office workers are "not in the city, they're not shopping in the city," said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. "Stores are operating with fewer people because there are fewer customers," he said. abcnews.go.com

The Post-COVID Modern Pharmacy
Rite Aid lands major technology pact with Google Cloud

Drugstore, health care company says partnership aligns with 'vision of modern pharmacy'

Rite Aid has entered a sweeping technology partnership with Google Cloud designed to give the drugstore, pharmacy care and health services company a more flexible, data-driven and efficient platform for growth and operations.

Plans call for Google Cloud technologies to arm Philadelphia-based Rite Aid with sharper insights, more agility and enhances customer experiences, the companies said yesterday. Modernized applications for personalized digital experiences, too, will position Rite Aid's over 6,400 pharmacists to spend more time interacting directly with patients.

"The power of pharmacies, and the important role pharmacists play in the health of their communities, greatly expanded during COVID. Realizing that potential means making strategic investments in technology that can truly help our customers and maximize the capabilities of our pharmacists," according to Justin Mennen, executive vice president and chief digital and technology officer at Rite Aid.  supermarketnews.com

Walgreens weathers slowing COVID vaccination with higher retail sales

What the White House sees coming for COVID this winter

Kroger-Albertsons $24.6B Merger
Kroger to Buy Albertsons in a $24.6 Billion Deal

A deal giving companies greater scale as they compete against bigger retailers like Walmart; it would likely face regulatory scrutiny

Kroger Co. said it is buying rival Albertsons Cos Inc. in a deal that values the company at $24.6 billion, one of the biggest deals in the history of the grocery industry in the U.S.

By combining, the companies would gain greater scale and leverage to negotiate with vendors. The deal would also bolster the grocers' market share and technology to compete better with Walmart Inc. and Amazon.com Inc.

The deal-one of the biggest in the $812 billion industry-could face a long road ahead, as antitrust enforcers have challenged some mergers under the Biden administration. Kroger and Albertsons expect to sell overlapping stores as part of the deal to help win regulatory approval, The Wall Street Journal reported Thursday. The two companies both operate stores in Southern California, Washington, Texas and Washington, D.C., among other places.

Together, Kroger and Albertsons could command about 13% of the food-retail sales in the U.S. following divestitures for regulatory approval, according to J.P. Morgan analysts, smaller than Walmart's 22%.

Kroger, based in Cincinnati, operates more than 2,700 grocery stores, including its namesake locations as well as regional chains like Fred Meyer and Ralph's, and it generated $137.9 billion in sales in its 2021 fiscal year. Albertsons runs nearly 2,300 supermarkets across the U.S., including the Safeway and Vons chains, and reported $71.9 billion in sales for fiscal 2021.. wsj.com

Hundreds of Mall Closures Coming?
The decline of the American mall has left just 700 still standing

There may be just 150 malls left in the US in 10 years, according to one industry watcher.

Once-bustling American malls are going bust as shoppers flock to online retailers instead of sprawling, brick-and-mortar locations. Ten years from now, there will be approximately 150 malls left in the US, Nick Egelanian, president of retail consulting firm SiteWorks, told The Wall Street Journal. That's down from around 2,500 locations in the 1980s and 700 today, Egelanian said.

A longtime fixture of American culture, shopping malls have suffered for decades amid a rise in online shopping, a decline in visitors to department stores, and, more recently, the COVID-19 pandemic, which kept consumers home. Other industry watchers predict a similarly painful fate for malls and retail stores more generally.

In 2020, Coresight Research projected that 25% of the country's approximately 1,000 malls would close shop in the following 3-5 years. In April, analysts at UBS projected that 40,000-50,000 American retail stores would shut down by 2027. They said traditional shopping malls are at particularly high risk because shoppers now prefer to make quick trips to close-by stores, per CNBC.

According to Egelanian, the malls that will weather the storm will be premium locations with entertainment, dining, and luxury stores. businessinsider.com

How a Possible Recession Could Impact Retail
These retail chains may not survive a recession

America's retail chains have proven surprisingly strong during the pandemic.

But a slowing economy may bring a fresh wave of store closings and bankruptcies. Retailers that sell mostly discretionary goods, cater to middle and lower-income consumers and have weak balance sheets will be most vulnerable.

Bed Bath & Beyond, Rite Aid, Party City, Tuesday Morning, Joann and others currently have an elevated risk of bankruptcy, according to credit agencies, and will be most exposed if economic conditions deteriorate.

Other struggling chains, such as Gap, may be forced to close hundreds of stores, analysts say. And e-commerce companies such as Wayfair and Stitch Fix that have slashed jobs in recent months may have to cut further.

"The companies that were skating on the edge before Covid had this brief reprieve. Now we're going back to the old rules," said Berna Barshay, an independent retail analyst. These retailers and many others are currently grappling with a combination of forces that include higher costs, excess inventory, and financially-strapped customers. cnn.com

'Employee Safety Podcast'
Global Intelligence and Executive Protection at McDonald's
For McDonald's, the intelligence function serves as a trusted advisor and business partner to the organization. What started as a one-person executive protection team has grown into a fully integrated department of hybrid expertise backed by enthusiastic executive support.

How did it happen? Former military-turned-private-sector intelligence champion Ryan Long saw the business opportunity in a robust intelligence and protection function. Now as Head of Global Intelligence and Protection for McDonald's, Ryan built success on a foundation of internal relationships and alignment.

In this episode, Ryan breaks down:

● How to tailor intelligence for decision-makers to gain buy-in
● How to build internal credibility and identify champions for your initiatives
● Tips for transitioning from the public to the private sector
● The future of the intelligence profession and associations like AIRIP  alertmedia.com

   Click here to listen to the podcast

ShopRite Shopping Cart Lawsuits
NJ ShopRite faces 2nd lawsuit after woman left 'seriously' injured by faulty shopping cart
A New Jersey ShopRite is facing separate lawsuits from two women alleging they were badly injured while pushing faulty shopping carts.

Doris Stanzione, 61, claims in court papers reviewed by NJ.com that she was left "seriously and permanently injured" during the July 2020 incident at the ShopRite. The woman claims the mishap left her with "a serious laceration and nerve damage in her right arm."

Laura Cordasco, 66, filed a similar lawsuit against the same ShopRite location, claiming she was injured that October when the wheels of her shopping cart locked, throwing her into the air and over the cart at the store's entrance.

According to the report, ShopRite is accused in the lawsuits of negligence, failure to keep the property free of hazards, and failure to inspect and maintain their shopping carts. audacy.com

U.S. Shoppers Remain Resilient
Retail sales flat in September with inflation hot
The pace of sales at U.S. retailers was unchanged in September from August rising prices for rent and food chipped away at money available for other things. Retail sales were flat for September, down from a revised. 0.4% growth in August, according to the Commerce Department on Friday.

Excluding sales from vehicle and gas stations, retail sales rose 0.3%. Excluding gas sales, spending was up 0.1%. While the report showed shoppers' resilience, the figures also are not adjusted for inflation unlike many other government reports. In fact, sales at grocery stores rose 0.4% , helped by rising prices in food.

Business at restaurants ticked up 0.5%. Sales at furniture stores fell 0.7 %., while sales at electronics stores fell 0.8%. Online sales rose 0.5% last month. apnews.com

   NRF Statement: Year-Over-Year Retail Sales Growth Continues

Retailers kicking off Black Friday early this year

Weigel's Offers Four-Day Workweek
 

Uber Verdict: The CISO Impact
What the Uber verdict means to CISOs: You're (probably) not going to jail

CISOs and potential CISOs worried about criminal risk won't go to jail if they follow four simple steps.

Joe Sullivan is the first CISO to be in this position, and many in the security industry knew him, so it's reasonable to take this a little personally. But professionally? Most CISOs aren't going to find themselves in Joe Sullivan's shoes.

4 steps for CISOs to stay out of jail

Stay out of that type of situation, or, if you find yourself in it, hold very tightly to your values.

While it can be tempting to want to be the hero and turn around an organization, recognize that you're at heightened risk - both of finding convenient shortcuts and in inheriting a program that probably has a lot of weaknesses. Moving into a company that was just starting to care about user privacy, and which the government was already paying close attention to, was a risky move.

Don't use the tools for engaging researchers (who did not breach your data) with the tools for engaging attackers (who did).

There is a difference between a security researcher and an attacker. A security researcher might compromise your systems and get access to your data repository, but they stop before they exfiltrate your data. An attacker takes your data. They hold it hostage and demand that you pay them, or they'll do something nefarious.

Don't hide data breaches.

Whether you suffer a data breach or "just" have a vulnerability found by a third party, you have a duty to publicly disclose it. Sometimes, that duty comes from legal or regulatory regimes, and you might have a time limit to disclose. Other times, that duty comes from harm minimization.

Don't actively mislead government agents who are investigating your company.

Now, if your company is under investigation by the government, for anything, be really careful about what you hide from the investigators. Being non-responsive, especially in an area they are actively scrutinizing, is a serious problem. csoonline.com

Business Email Compromise
How To Identify Red Flags and Reduce Risk

It takes only minutes for a financially crippling mistake - and it can happen to anyone.

Business email compromise (BEC) involves gaining unauthorized access to a legitimate email, text message, or social media account, or an attempt to spoof or fake a legitimate account. The purpose is to enable the criminal to send a message from an executive or business leader, vendor, or client to convince an employee to transfer funds.

How to identify BEC red flags and reduce risk

Spoofed communications - Thoroughly inspect spelling and domains on payment requests received via email. Carefully check the address of the sender (email, phone number, etc.) to see if letters, numbers, or the domain name are incorrect.

Use of personal accounts - Criminal actors will impersonate company leaders, vendors, or clients who are using their personal accounts (email, mobile phone, social media) rather than their standard company accounts.

How to help prevent BEC

Thoroughly vet payment change requests - A request for payment accompanied by a change in receiving account should always be closely examined.  Contact executives, vendors, or clients using an alternate communication channel to verify the request and the new account information.

Pause to verify - When asked to verify a wire transfer, delay the transaction until additional verifications can be performed, and require dual approval for any wire transfer request that meets certain high-risk criteria.

Keep it simple - Limit the number of employees authorized to approve and/or conduct wire transfers.

Create an environment of trust - Employees should feel comfortable pausing to validate a senior leader's funds transfer request via phone or in person without worry. dmagazine.com

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.

Read more strategies from Interface Systems here

The reason to ban TikTok has nothing to do with data security
The People's Republic of China has the power to manipulate one of the world's most popular apps into a massive global propaganda machine.

Here's 5 of the world's riskiest connected devices

Cyberattackers Spoof Google Translate in Unique Phishing Tactic

Portland, OR: Man arrested after allegedly stealing more than $300K in retail merchandise
A man accused of stealing at least $300,000 worth of retail merchandise across the Portland metro area was arrested Tuesday, according to Tigard police. The Tigard Police Department says Austin Bailey, 35, is currently being held at Washington County Jail. He's facing 16 criminal charges for first-degree aggravated theft, identity theft and more. Tigard PD said after recognizing Bailey as a "known shoplifting suspect" on Tuesday, a Beaverton store's loss prevention employees reported his whereabouts to authorities. Once deputies arrived at the scene, officials say Bailey took off running on foot but was eventually caught and taken into custody. Deputies reportedly uncovered over 40 pills containing fentanyl, meth and heroin from Bailey when he was arrested. Tigard detectives say they have been investigating Bailey for nearly a year and say he has allegedly stolen from large retail stores in Washington, Clackamas, Multnomah and Clark counties. koin.com

Broward County, FL: Serial Shoplifting Suspect Jailed After Broward County Stores Targeted
Denzel Ezekiel Xavier Wilson, 23, was arrested Tuesday and remains in the Broward County Jail without bond. According to the arrest reports, Wilson walked into a Best Buy store in Plantation May 29 and grabbed several baby monitors and watches worth $1,178 and left without paying. Before that, Wilson and alleged accomplice Curtis Lee Plummer, 44, entered a Walmart in Coral Springs May 25 and stole several electronics worth nearly $2,760 then drove off in a waiting car. Both were stopped and arrested. They were later released on bond.

Wilson and Plummer visited a Coral Springs Target Superstore twice on May 23 making off with a combined $3,809 worth of merchandise. Wilson and two other people walked into a Target store in Davie on May 21 and among the merchandise stolen were a dozen packages of Nicorettes, a massager, an Apple TV, and two calculators worth nearly $1,232 total. Prior to that, Wilson and Plummer entered the Target Superstore in Coral Springs and filled a shopping cart with nearly $1,507 worth of items and fled in a vehicle. Wilson and Plummer hit the Walmart in Coral Springs May 4 and drove off with almost $1,657 worth of merchandise, investigators said. Wilson was recognized and identified from surveillance video. nbcmiami.com

Miami-Dade, FL: Security camera captures suspect stealing phones at Boost Mobile store
An employee chased after a man who ran out of a Boost Mobile store, Monday afternoon. The store's manager, Lazaro Perona said the crook got away with three pricey iPhone, which totaled about $3,000. "I mean it hurts because we work really hard for our stuff you know, and it really sucks that people got to come in and you know just take what we have," Perona said. It happened to the store at the Village Flea Market and Mall. wsvn.com

Plumstead Township, PA: Retail Theft Suspect Struggles With Police At Grocery Store
A New Jersey man faces retail theft and resisting arrest charges after he was caught stealing merchandise from the Giant Store at the Cross Keys Center. Plumstead Township Police responded to the store on Oct. 11 at 7:22 p.m. for a retail theft in progress. Asset Protection provided a description of the suspect, who was later identified as Anthony Iafelice of New Jersey, and advised that he was a repeat offender. Officers were directed to the seasonal section of the store where they observed Iafelice standing behind a shopping cart that was filled with large shopping bags. When officers attempted to take Iafelice in custody, a struggled ensued. Iafelice attempted to run away, but the officers were able to subdue Iafelice and take him into custody. Iafelice is suspected of stealing several thousand dollars of merchandise from the Cross Keys Giant. patch.com

Richland Township, PA: Women With Multi-Colored Hair Suspects in $3000 Target Theft

Amsterdam, NY: NY State Police arrest Bronx man in $4,400 Walmart theft

Carmel, IN: Police seek help identifying Best Buy theft suspect

Bucks County, PA: Attempt to Identify 4 suspects in $1000 retail theft at Target