It's 'Auror Week' on the D&D Daily! Check out today's 'Vendor Spotlight' from Auror directly beneath the 'Top News' column to read about how Auror continues to grow in North America.

LPRC: Humans + AI three times more accurate

New research reveals humans assisted by face matching technology more likely to correctly identify a subject's face

Humans assisted by AI face matching technology were three times more likely to correctly identify a subject's face than without AI, according to new research.

The Loss Prevention Research Council (LPRC) provides evidence-based solutions addressing retail loss, safety, and fraud prevention. Dr. Cory Lowe, LPRC senior research scientist, presented his research results October 4, 2022, during the annual IMPACT conference hosted at the University of Florida.

In a presentation titled "Face Off: Examining the Role of AI in Reducing Bias and Improving Decision-Making," Lowe explained how he pitted unaided research participants against those using AI face matching technology. LPRC selected FaceFirst software for the tests. Researchers installed the software in the LPRC lab and conducted the tests independently.

Lowe showed a diverse array of fictional offender faces to 155 research participants; 78 unassisted, 77 assisted. Among the unassisted group, 77 percent misidentified the fictional subjects in a photo lineup just minutes after seeing the fictional subject image. The assisted group got it right 63 percent of the time. "The assisted group did nearly three times better," Lowe said. "There was a 2.7 times improvement in accuracy when assisted by facial recognition."

For context: Humans were only correct on their own 23 percent of the time, even with a small sample of faces they had been shown just minutes earlier. No technology is 100 percent accurate in the wild, but humans alone are demonstrably prone to error. Lowe noted the participants were not told of the AI's accuracy alone (100 percent accurate in this study), so individuals may have discounted the solution's accuracy.

Watch for more details from the LPRC research, including how facial recognition can be used to reduce error and bias, and how it can narrow the LP focus to those individuals who are most likely to offend in retail locations.

FaceFirst considers use of AI with human oversight vital for retailers. Consider the risks of being caught unaware when a known offender enters your store. If you knew there was a proven solution to keep your valued customers and associates safer from violent offenders, would you implement it? The real risk is answering no. FaceFirst's solution is fast, accurate, and ethical-learn more today at facefirst.com.
 

NRF Call to Action

Tell Congress to take action to fight ORC surge


    


Click here to contact your member of congress independently
 

ORC: The $100 Billion Crisis
How organized retail crime became a $100B problem that is growing 'dramatically'

Retail crime continues to burden communities, consumers, and store employees across America

President of the National Retail Federation Matt Shay detailed the proposed pieces of legislation that his association is supporting to put a stop to America's "extraordinarily challenging" organized retail crime problem.

"I would say right behind concerns about the economy, the strength of the consumer, monetary policy, the Federal Reserve, inflation, the number one issue is organized retail crime. It is hurting these cities. It is serving urban areas, employees, and team members. And we need a really coordinated effort," Shay told "Varney & Co." Thursday.

The National Retail Federation conducted a survey that revealed organized retail crime has spiked by 26.5% in 2021. As a response to these findings, the NRF is supporting two pieces of legislation that are currently pending in Congress, one being the "Inform Act," and the other the "Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act."

"'The Inform Act,' which would require online marketplaces to provide much more transparency about the source of the goods they're selling, so we can reduce the amount of counterfeit goods that are sold online marketplaces," Shay continued. "And the other is "The Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act," which would put law enforcement together at all levels - federal, state, local, Department of Homeland Security - and share resources."

"The Inform Act" and "Combatting Organized Retail Crime Act," are intended to address organized retail crime, though disorganized shoplifting continues to be a "huge challenge" for local communities. State legislatures, municipalities, and prosecutors across the country have attempted to take a different approach to the so-called "victimless" crimes, however, it is evident that disorganized retail crime is a dangerous problem.  foxbusiness.com

This Home Depot Pioneer's No. 1 Worry: Theft
His #1 Tip for Success: Focus on Gross Margin Return on Inventory Investment
Jim Inglis has played an important role in improving the self-service experience at major home centers around the world. But now he sees this model challenged by a crime wave that he thinks could change the way people shop--and make them like stores less.

"If your shrink goes from 1-1/2% to 4%, you may have just lost half your profitability," Inglis told Webb Analytics during an Oct. 17 interview.

According to the 2022 Retail Security Survey sponsored by the National Retail Federation, 71% of the survey's 63 respondents said responding to organized retail crime has become more important during the past five years, and 74% said responding to all other types of external theft has grown in importance. 

Inglis has spent 60 years in home centers, including five years at San Diego's Dixieline Lumber, before taking on major merchandising and development roles at The Home Depot from 1983 to 1996. Last year, he summed up his learnings and his advice by publishing a book, Breakthrough Retailing.

In the book, Inglis says The Home Depot succeeded in part because one of its key metrics was GMROI--gross margin return on inventory. And he spends many pages discussing his effort to make The Home Depot "Easy to Stock, Easy to Sell, Easy to Buy."

Theft, clearly, disrupts that system.

Inglis cites drug addicts' need for money, the rise of crime syndicates, retailers' fear of violence, police with other priorities, and a legal system that downgrades shoplifting as contributors to the problem. Then, when retailers' loss prevention people are told to solve the problem, they start locking up the store.

What to do? "I think there probably will be some tech advancements," Inglis said. "And I think perhaps there will be a way for customers to come into the store and use their phone to buy the product and then have that product more often picked up at a separate location or perhaps delivered to the home. There's more control over the distribution of the product."

Inglis wants solutions to come from more than just the security team: "I do think that at the end of the day, there's going to need to be bringing together operational people, loss prevention people, digital experts, and just kind of re-look at the whole picture and say 'How can we rethink what we mean by self-service?'"  webb-analytics.com

UK Stores Fighting Theft like the U.S.
How to deal with shoplifting in your store

What steps UK retailers are taking to reduce shoplifting in their stores

Amit Puntambekar, Ash's Shop, Fenstanton, Cambridgeshire

"I don't think there's anything you can do to definitely deter it. If someone has decided they're going to steal, then 80% of the time they're going to go for it. But we have certain soft measures in place, like getting the staff to wander about the store and talk to people, asking if they need any help. "We check our stock controls. A dedicated thief will steal, but good stock control is a great way to assess if you're being stolen from and what's being taken. After that, you can ask your staff to be more vigilant around those products.

John Green, Premier Green End Road, Huntingdon, Cambridgeshire

"It's very difficult to quantify shoplifting's effect on the store or what affect your measures are having, but I find that vigilance and positivity with customers is key. We live in a large village, and there are lots of people coming in. It's a matter of conversing with them and getting to know them. They get to know you, and you give them the idea that if they steal from you, they're almost stealing from a friend. If you treat people with respect, they'll treat you and your property with respect."

Gerald Thomas, Arcade News, Ammanford, Carmarthenshire

"We've got cameras in the store and if we notice anything, we get in touch. We've got two screens, so people can see they're being watched. During the pandemic, we only allowed one person in the store at a time, so that knocked shoplifting on the head. It's relaxed now, but we're watching them and we've still got the Covid-19 screens, which remain a deterrent to theft."  betterretailing.com

The Great Debate Over State Violent Crime Rankings
Is the violent crime rate higher in Oklahoma or New York? A governor's debate raises the question
An exchange during Wednesday night's Oklahoma gubernatorial debate underscored some common misperceptions about crime in the United States.

"The fact is the rates of violent crime in Oklahoma are higher under your watch than New York and California," said Hofmeister, the Oklahoma superintendent of public instruction, who switched parties last year. "That's a fact."

Stitt interjected "That's not true" and laughed. When Hofmeister tried to continue, Stitt, still laughing, addressed the audience, saying, "Oklahomans, do you believe we have higher crime than New York or California? That's what she just said."

John Roman, a senior fellow at NORC at the University of Chicago, told Yahoo News that Hofmeister's numbers were accurate. Citing FBI data, Roman said that "Oklahoma is 12th in violence per 100,000 residents and 7th in property crime per 100,000 residents. California is similar but lower for each, and New York is much safer and below the national averages in both property and violence. Overall, putting violent crime rates and property crime rates together, Oklahoma is on the list of the top 10 highest crime rate states." news.yahoo.com

   Click here to read the Daily's initial coverage on the most violent states

Where It All Started - Rolls Out Community Safety Office

New Minnesota Safety Office Created in Response to 'Defund' Movement
Minneapolis moves forward on community safety office after council's OK

The change comes nearly a year after voters rejected a similar measure.

Minneapolis is setting up a new community safety office two years after George Floyd's murder prompted a global movement calling for changes to policing. Mayor Jacob Frey declared it a historic day after the City Council voted 9 to 4 Thursday to create the new agency, which is similar to one voters rejected last year.

The questions of whether to create a new agency - and who should have control over it - have featured prominently in debates about how Minneapolis officials should seek to fulfill a promise to transform public safety in response to Floyd's death.

Minneapolis drew international attention when a majority of City Council members stood in Powderhorn Park after Floyd's murder and pledged to "begin the process of ending the Minneapolis Police Department" and create "a new, transformative model for cultivating safety in Minneapolis."

Voters last year rejected a measure that would have allowed city leaders to replace the Police Department with a new agency providing "a comprehensive public health approach to safety." It also would have eliminated minimum staffing requirements for police and removed the mayor's "complete power" over them, likely granting the council more sway.

Frey and City Clerk Casey Carl said in past interviews that several differences between this proposal and the last one - that the Police Department would still exist as its own agency, that power isn't shifting among elected officials - allow city leaders to make the change without sending it back to voters. startribune.com

More Crime & Safety Closures
'Safety concerns' shutter 20 Starbucks locations, including stores trying to unionize
Starbucks has closed roughly two dozen locations throughout the country - but primarily on the West Coast - since this summer, saying safety concerns have made "providing a safe and welcoming and kind environment" challenging.

"You're ... seeing firsthand the challenges facing our communities - personal safety, racism, lack of access to healthcare, a growing mental health crisis, rising drug use, and more. With stores in thousands of communities across the country, we know these challenges can, at times, play out within our stores too. We read every incident report you file - it's a lot," they wrote.

Stroud and Nelson noted that moving forward, stores may be closed permanently if safety is found to be "no longer possible."

A Starbucks spokesperson later confirmed to Nexstar that 16 locations would close by the end of July, including six in Los Angeles, five in Seattle, two in Portland, and one each in Philadelphia; the District of Columbia; and Everett, Washington.

Since then, additional Starbucks stores have closed throughout the country, all citing safety concerns.

A third location in Portland is set to close Thursday. A nearby business owner told Nexstar's KOIN that homelessness, drugs, and violence have impacted the neighborhood recently.

In early October, Starbucks closed its Canal Street location in New Orleans, again citing safety concerns and a rising level of threat reported by employees. thehill.com

Retailers Reshuffle in Philly Amid Crime & Safety Concerns
H&M store on Chestnut Street in Philadelphia is closing

H&M is pulling back from Philadelphia's Center City and focusing on the Fashion District on Market Street.

The H&M store on Chestnut Street will close in January. The Swedish clothing retailer H&M will be further shrinking its Center City footprint next year, shuttering its operation at 1530 Chestnut St.

The closure of the two-story, 25,000-square-foot retail space marks the second phase of the brand's retreat from Center City. Early in the pandemic, in spring 2020, H&M closed its 1725 Walnut St. store. That space has since been taken over by the Canadian fashion brand Aritzia.

The move comes amid a larger reshuffling of Center City retail, as brands such as Wawa, Rite Aid, and Starbucks have retrenched, citing concerns about vagrancy and safety. (There is no indication such matters came into H&M's calculations.) By all accounts, the sales for these companies' downtown locations have been robust. inquirer.com

Op-Ed: Stop debating whether NYC has a serious crime problem on its hands

Texas governor points to these policy measures as solutions after mass shootings

US: 99M Cases - 1M Dead - 96.3M Recovered
Worldwide: 632.1M Cases - 6.5M Dead - 610.9M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 813

COVID Cases, Hospitalizations & Deaths

Post-COVID Shift: Forcing Workers to Return?
As job market cools, companies may regain upper hand with workers
A cooling job market is leading to more than a slowdown in hiring, a pickup in layoffs and growing recession fears. It appears to be the one force capable of prodding America's workers out of their homes and back to offices.

The slowing labor market is starting to shift some bargaining power from employees to employers, allowing a growing number of companies to require workers to return to the office at least a few days a week, staffing officials and consultants say. Many businesses are still struggling to find workers and so the change is in its early stages, but it's expected to accelerate as hiring pulls back further and layoffs spread in the months ahead, experts say.

"Companies are a little less concerned that they're not going to fill jobs if they lose people because of return-to-work policies," says Jim McCoy, senior vice president of talent solutions for ManpowerGroup, a leading staffing firm. "There's starting to be less competition for talent, and employers can be a little more selective." usatoday.com

Positive COVID Trend Could Reverse Itself This Winter
Quick and stealthy 'Scrabble variants' are poised to drive a winter Covid surge
A flurry of new Covid-19 variants appears to be gaining traction globally, raising fears of a winter surge.

In the United States, these are BQ.1, BQ.1.1, BF.7, BA.4.6, BA.2.75 and BA.2.75.2. In other countries, the recombinant variant XBB has been rising quickly and appears to be fueling a new wave of cases in Singapore. Cases are also rising in Europe and the UK, where these variants have taken hold.

As the US moves into the fall, Covid-19 cases are dropping. Normally, that would be a reason for hope that the nation could escape the surges of the past two pandemic winters. But virus experts fear that the downward trend may soon reverse itself, thanks to this gaggle of new variants. cnn.com

What Have Workers Done with the Time Freed up by Commuting Less?

Remote work likely contributed to mini baby boom last year, economists say

October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Weekly Topic: Business Email Compromise

A Definitive Guide to BEC

BEC (also known as the man-in-the-email scam) is a scam in which financially motivated adversaries trick unsuspecting executives and employees into making payments or sending sensitive data to fraudulent accounts. Attackers accomplish this by using a variety of techniques that manipulate users into sending money or data.

These recent statistics from the FBI's 2020 Internet Crime Report show the gravity of BEC:

● In 2020, the FBI Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received nearly 20,000 complaints about Business Email Compromise.

● Reported losses due to BEC increased from $1.29 billion in 2018 to $1.86 billion in 2020.

● The IC3 received more than 241,000 complaints on phishing and related attacks in 2020, a 110% increase from 2019.*

Learn more here about BEC here