Retail-Law Enforcement Data Sharing is Key to Fighting ORC Crisis
It's not just buyers emptying shelves in stores; retailers say organized crime rings are becoming a bigger problem
"Shrink" has grown into a $94.5 billion problem for retail stores across the country, and experts say crime rings focused on stealing and then selling stolen goods are a big part of the issue.

The industry group points to retail crime as a culprit, saying that retailers saw a 26.5% increase of these kinds of thefts in 2021.

It's also a growing problem in Ohio, said Duane Mabry, a Columbus police commander and board member of the Ohio Regional Organized Crime Coalition. That's why law enforcement and loss-prevention professionals have come together to fight the issue.

Part of the problem is that selling things online has become so easy, he said. These groups could sell on Facebook Marketplace or Amazon, and it's not hard to create an online storefront that looks legitimate, Boehnke said.

That's why the industry group pushed for Ohio House Bill 272, which requires online retailers to verify their sellers. And Senate Bill 320, which would let prosecutors aggregate the dollar amounts of stolen products.

National retailers have pushed for a similar bill called the Inform Act, which passed the U.S. House in November.

Meanwhile, Mabry said the Ohio Regional Organized Crime Coalition has been reupping its efforts. One big initiative has been law enforcement and retailers sharing data.

If an organized group steals from one town, it may just look like a few police reports for shoplifting. But when you combine that with data from a chain of stores, Mabry said law enforcement can zoom out and see that it's one group traveling from place to place.

Mabry said the goal is to expand the coalition to more police departments, including in Northeast Ohio, so that law enforcement and retailers can work together to combat the issue. cleveland.com
 
MAJOR Cities Chiefs Asso. on No-Bail & Progressives Impact on Crime
A Most Violent Year

With protests and the pandemic in the past, a violent crime surge has become the new concern for major cities.

After years of dealing with protests and a pandemic, law enforcement across the country is now faced with another set of extremes as violent crime surges in many cities. In its November report looking at the first nine months of 2022, the Major Cities Chiefs Association (MCCA) found that 25 law enforcement agencies serving large metro areas were seeing an increase in murders compared to the previous year. That included cities such as Milwaukee, St. Louis, San Antonio, Phoenix and Portland, Oregon. When it came to robberies and aggravated assault, all 70 departments in the report were outpacing their 2021 totals during the comparable span last year.

An emboldened criminal element

When Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia, MCCA's incoming president, considers the face of this escalation in violet crime, he sees a perpetrator who feels more brazen to commit offenses.

The chief acknowledges that a lack of public support for law enforcement in some communities-a lingering, albeit fading hangover, from the days and months in 2020 post-George Floyd-has contributed to the audaciousness of this year's criminal. But that's not something Garcia has seen in his own city.

"There's not a neighborhood we've found that wants less law enforcement," he says. "Often communities plead for more police."

Instead, the attitude shift among offenders could also stem from a lack of fear that the justice system will keep them behind bars while they await trial following an arrest. That's certainly a factor given merit by some of Garcia's fellow chiefs.

The president of the National Fraternal Order of Police admits that multiple factors go into any crime increases, but he believes one of the most glaring reasons for the current surge is an "obvious one to anyone in law enforcement." According to Yoes, too many cities are no longer able to effectively execute the proven strategy of keeping violent criminals off the streets.

"The majority of crime is committed by a small percentage of people," he tells OFFICER Magazine. "And when we take those people out of the position to be able to further their carnage on their communities, then we see crime go down."

But Yoes feels this strategy "is out the window now," and he puts the blame for that at the feet of "progressive prosecutors" and bail reform in some cities. Lenient policies and officials when it comes to repeat offenders don't serve the public and endanger citizens, according to Yoes.

A lack of consequences officer.com

San Francisco's Tenderloin "Is Now on Verge of Collapse"
Tenderloin merchants demand S.F. refund taxes, citing drugs and homelessness in the neighborhood
Another group of San Francisco merchants is arguing it shouldn't have to pay taxes given the homelessness and drug use rampant on city streets.

In August, Castro merchants threatened to withhold paying taxes if their demands for better street conditions weren't met.

Now, some Tenderloin neighborhood merchants are petitioning the city to refund their taxes and launch a crackdown on the illicit drug trade they say has driven frightened customers from neighborhood businesses and left the area "on the verge of collapse."

The merchants, 110 business owners, calling themselves the Tenderloin Business Coalition, say the city has abandoned the neighborhood to drug dealers who control the streets. sfchronicle.com

Tenderloin businesses pay plenty of taxes. But they're getting very little from S.F. in exchange
"There is a real and palpable fear that the neighborhood is now on the verge of collapse," it reads. "Drug dealers operate in very clear and obvious ways to any rational observer.... They prey on residents, openly steal from Tenderloin businesses, they intimidate and extort passersby and all of this behavior goes unchecked by law enforcement."

He said Mayor Breed met Wednesday with officers at Tenderloin Station "to make sure they know they have the support to make the arrests necessary to respond to the residents and businesses in the Tenderloin." sfchronicle.com

NLRB: 'Intentional Workplace Injuries by Persons' - Fatalities Up 10.3%
The largest subcategory with 718 fatalities/ With Protective Service Occupations having Highest Increase - 31.9%

9% Increase in Work Fatalities in 2021 (5,190 fatalities) is Call to Action Says Labor Secretary
653 Black workers, whose fatality rate hit an all-time high up 20.7%, with 23.7% due to intentional violence

The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the 2021 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries, on December 16, and the news was not good.

"Today's announcement by the Bureau of Labor Statistics of a one-year increase of nearly 9% in fatal work injuries serves as a call to action for OSHA, employers, and other stakeholders to redouble our collective efforts to make our nation's workplaces safer, " said The U.S. Department of Labor's Assistance Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker, in a statement.

"In 2021, 5,190 workers suffered fatal work injuries, equating to one worker death in the U.S. every 101 minutes, including 653 Black workers, whose fatality rate hit an all-time high. Black and Latino workers also had fatality rates disproportionately higher than their co-workers in 2021. These are deeply troubling facts," Parker added.

The fatal work injury rate was 3.6 fatalities per 100,000 full-time equivalent (FTE) workers, up from 3.4 per 100,000 FTE in 2020 and up from the 2019 pre-pandemic rate of 3.5. These data are from the Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries (CFOI). The 3.6 fatal occupational injury rate in 2021 represents the highest annual rate since 2016.

Fatalities due to violence and other injuries by persons or animals increased to 761 fatalities in 2021 from 705 fatalities in 2020 (7.9%).

- Largest Increase: Protective service occupations (such as firefighters, law enforcement workers, police and sheriff's patrol officers, and transit and railroad police) had a 31.9-percent increase in fatalities in 2021, increasing to 302 from 229 in 2020. Almost half (45.4 percent) of these fatalities are due to homicides (116) and suicides (21). About one-third (33.4 percent) are due to transportation incidents, representing the highest count since 2016.

- The largest subcategory, intentional injuries by persons, increased 10.3% to 718 in 2021.

- The second highest cause of fatalities to Black or African American workers were injuries due to violence and other injuries by persons or animals (155)

- Almost a quarter of Black or African American workplace fatalities (23.7%) are a result of violence and other injuries by persons or animals as opposed to 14.7% for all workers.

- Fatalities due to violence and other injuries by persons or animals increased to 761 fatalities in 2021 from 705 fatalities in 2020 (7.9%).

- Women made up 8.6% of all workplace fatalities but represented 14.5% of intentional injuries by a person in 2021.

- Harmful substances or environments led to 798 fatalities. This major event category experienced the largest increase in fatalities in 2021, increasing 18.8 percent from 2020.

- Unintentional overdose from nonmedical use of drugs or alcohol accounted for 58.1% of these fatalities (464 deaths), up from 57.7 percent of this category's total in 2020. ehstoday.com

2021 Census of Fatal Occupational Injuries

Coming Soon: See Retail Breakdown & Security Services NLRB Fatalities list as prepared by the Daily

National Institute of Justice/Crime Solutions - Crime Prevention
NIJ Program Reports 27% Decrease in Property Crime

Program Profile: Project Green Light Detroit - Urban, High Crime Neighborhoods/Hot Spots
This is a place-based intervention that uses environmental design at high-crime businesses in the city to reduce crime and improve public safety. The program is rated No Effects. There were no statistically significant effects on disorder occurrences or violent crime. The intervention did result in statistically significant reductions in property crime around treated businesses, compared with matched control businesses, at 1-year post implementation.

A No Effects rating implies that implementing the program is unlikely to result in the intended outcome(s) and may result in a negative outcome(s).

The first phase of Project Green Light, which included 88 businesses that were operational as of December 31, 2016, was evaluated. These businesses included gas stations, liquor stores, bars and restaurants, retail and service stores, and other commercial and community outlets. Potential businesses were identified for participation by the Detroit Police Department and the city of Detroit based on a number of factors,

Property Crime

Project Green Light Detroit resulted in a decrease in property crime reports for treated businesses that implemented the initiative, compared with matched untreated control businesses that did not implement the initiative, from the preintervention period to 1-year post implementation. The estimated number of reported property crimes decreased by approximately 27 percent after the first year of Project Green Light implementation, at treated businesses. This difference was statistically significant. ojp.gov

Supreme Court Temporarily Blocks Biden From Ending Trump-Era Border Policy

Chief Justice Roberts freezes lower court order canceling Title 42

Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily extended a Trump-era policy that bars asylum applicants from entering the U.S. to protect the American population from Covid-19, issuing a brief order that maintains the status quo while the Supreme Court considers an emergency request from Republican-led states to keep the exclusions in place.

The Biden administration is expected to respond Tuesday. wsj.com

Biden Administration Races to Change Asylum Rules as Title 42 Expiration Looms
Border states & federal government bracing for a surge of migrant crossings when the pandemic-era policy is lifted
With Title 42 set to expire on Wednesday, the Biden administration is narrowing in on a plan that would combine Trump-era limits on asylum claims at the border with a new system for asylum seekers to apply to enter the U.S. legally, according to people familiar with the matter.

Though officials are still finalizing specific policy elements, the overall plan they are moving toward would enact a new series of carrots and sticks to deter would-be asylum seekers from attempting to cross the border illegally and let them apply for admission into the U.S. instead. Parts of the plan could be announced as soon as Monday, officials said.

A key deterrence measure would be an updated version of a short-lived Trump-era policy known as the transit ban. That ban would target migrants who cross the border illegally, subjecting them to quick deportation unless they can pass a tougher initial asylum screening, according to people familiar with the plans. wsj.com

The Move to Friction-Free Shopping is Coming
Retailers Rethink In-Store Tech as Shoppers Return
Retail chief information officers are weighing technology developments that would streamline the in-store payment process, refocusing on an area they say has lagged behind.

CIOs say they could risk losing their customer base to antiquated in-store technology, although cost could be a barrier to making some of these investments.

Tech leaders at companies like Kroger Co. , Nordstrom Inc. and Halfords are considering what new technologies could improve the payment process for customers, offering the type of seamless experience in stores that customers are used to when shopping online.

Kroger is testing a shopping cart equipped with cameras and sensors that track what a customer is buying so that individual items no longer have to be scanned at checkout, said senior vice president and CIO Yael Cosset.

Mr. Cosset also said he is looking at the possibility of installing checkouts in individual aisles so that if customers want to quickly grab an item they can check out right there.

"There is an opportunity to remove the friction," said Mr. Cosset.

Dennis Bauer, Nordstrom's president of credit, loyalty and payment services, said he has his eye on a nascent technology that would allow payment to be received via a mobile phone rather than a traditional payment terminal.

Near-field communication chips in smartphones are what enable users to tap to pay at the register, but with new technology, they can also be used to accept payments from cards or smartphones,

Technology exists to provide fully friction-free shopping, where cameras track shoppers around stores and automatically charge them, a phenomenon known as cashierless stores. But privacy concerns coupled with the cost of large-scale camera installation make it impractical, Mr. Cosset said.

But according to CIOs, a major barrier for any of these investments is cost. wsj.com

US blacklists Tiandy Technologies as Intel washes its hands
Tiandy Technologies, one of the largest video surveillance suppliers in the world, joins its surveillance compatriots Dahua and Hikvision on the U.S. Commerce Department blacklist, for allowing the selling of U.S.-made technology to Iran's Revolutionary Guards as well as being implicated in human rights violations in China, reports US NBC News.

Both activities are contrary to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests.

The sanctions were announced on 15 December come into effect 16 December. Intel Corp. which previously listed Tiandy Technologies as a partner and supplied it with processors for its video recording systems, removed mention of Tiandy from its site, ahead of the announcement. The chip-maker told NBC that it decided to stop trading with the Tianjin-based firm "following an internal review." biometricupdate.com

Walmart's DroneUp - Deploys Same-Day Drone Delivery in 3 States - AZ - FL - TX
These drone flights are part of Walmart's expansion of the delivery format. Earlier this year, the retailer announced it was widening its DroneUp network to offer the service to four million additional households in Arizona, Arkansas, Florida, Texas, Utah and Virginia. The drones are guided by certified pilots who operate within FAA guidelines.

Each week, approximately 230 million customers and members visit Walmart's more than 10,500 stores and numerous e-commerce websites under 46 banners in 24 countries. The Bentonville, Ark.-based company employs approximately 2.3 million associates worldwide.   progressivegrocer.com

Building a security operations center (SOC) on a budget

Target's new in-store coupon policy frustrating shoppers
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Vice President, Data Privacy & Security job posted for Netlix in Los Gatos, CA
This role will set and assure execution of the Company's privacy and data security strategy, with a heavy focus on pragmatic business counseling on data usage and compliance issues. This is a great opportunity for a strategic thinker who has a proven track record of developing and executing on data use strategies, privacy compliance, and data security issues in a global context. This candidate will supervise and assure compliance worldwide with data and privacy laws in a balanced, risk-based manner that allows our business to grow and expand, drawing on knowledge and experience with specific government/industry requirements and best practices. jobs.netflix.com
 

Uber's CSO Conviction "Difficult to Put Back in the Box"
How CISOs Can Guard Against Their Own Liability

In Wake of Joe Sullivan Verdict, Jonathan Armstrong Offers Legal Advice for CISOs

In October, former Uber CSO Joe Sullivan was convicted on charges of covering up a 2016 data breach that affected tens of millions of Uber account holders. The trial was a watershed moment, likely marking the first time a chief security officer had faced criminal charges over an incident response. Does the Joe Sullivan verdict presage a dangerous new future for the security profession globally? "Possibly," says attorney Jonathan Armstrong. "This trend is going to be difficult to put back in the box."

Armstrong says that when security leaders start a new position, they have some bargaining power to make sure that their contract is robust and contains the protections they need. He advises CISOs to do their due diligence by asking, "Is there a data breach there that hasn't been reported?"

He also recommends that security leaders consider obtaining directors and officers liability insurance. "Make sure that your name is on the policy, and that the organization will support you," he says.

In a video interview with Information Security Media Group, Armstrong discusses:

• What the Joe Sullivan verdict portends for the security profession globally;
• What the case tells us about personal liability under GDPR;
• Practical steps security leaders should take today to guard against their own liability. govinfosecurity.com

T-Mobile's $350M Cyberattack Settlement
How to Claim Your Share Before It's Too Late

More than 76 million T-Mobile customers are eligible for payment, but there are just weeks left to submit a claim.

T-Mobile customers, both past and present, may be eligible for part of the carrier's mammoth $350 million class action settlement to resolve claims that T-Mobile's negligence was to blame for a 2021 cyberattack that exposed millions of people's addresses, PINs and other personal information.

The carrier hasn't acknowledged any wrongdoing. In a statement shared with CNET, T-Mobile said it was "pleased to have resolved this consumer class action filing." cnet.com

NSA Publishes 2022 Cybersecurity Year in Review
The National Security Agency published its 2022 Cybersecurity Year in Review today to share its mission focuses and demonstrate how it is producing cybersecurity outcomes for the nation.

This year's report highlights NSA's ability to scale cybersecurity solutions through strong partnerships, resulting in speed and agility.

"By protecting the U.S. Government's most sensitive networks, we cascade solutions that help secure critical infrastructure, U.S. allies, and businesses and consumers around the world," said Rob Joyce, NSA Cybersecurity Director. "Our efforts to protect those networks help protect yours." nsa.gov

Grand Jury Indicts 2 in 'Swatting' Scheme that Took Over Ring Doorbells Across U.S. to Livestream Police Response to Fake Calls
LOS ANGELES - Two men - one from Wisconsin, the other from North Carolina - have been charged with participating in a "swatting" spree that, over a one-week span, gained access to a dozen Ring home security door cameras nationwide, placed bogus emergency phone calls designed to elicit an armed police response, then livestreamed the events on social media. justice.gov

Hamilton, Ontario, Canada: Police dismantle $2 Million Organized Retail Theft ring; 'Project Kingfisher' Halton regional police say they recovered an estimated $2 million in stolen goods and currency after a three-month investigation dubbed Project Kingfisher. The investigation also resulted in the arrest of 11 people and the laying of dozens of criminal charges. Project Kingfisher took aim at an organized retail theft ring operating in Halton and the surrounding regions. Police say a variety of retailers were targeted by thes group operating under the name "Buynsel." Items stolen from stores were then sold via an online platform. Stolen items include electronics, power tools and beauty/ personal care items. On Dec. 6, police executed warrants at more than a dozen locations in the City of Brampton, including a warehouse, five homes, and multiple storage lockers. Police say they seized stolen goods estimated to be worth more than $1.5 million and more than $600,000 in cash. "Retail theft is not a victimless crime," said Halton police Supt. Bob Gourley. "These thefts cost Canadian retailers billions of dollars a year - costs that are passed on to consumers when they go shopping. It's also a near certainty that people purchasing these items online had no idea they were buying stolen goods." Halton police also thanked Brantford and Waterloo police for their help. A Brantford police spokesperson said a city officer "provided assistance with this joint project in an investigative capacity and translation services." She said there is no indication that any Brantford stores were victimized.  haltonpolice.ca

'So this is the first thief of today': Walgreens employee records 2 thieves walking out with carts full of items in one day
A Walgreens employee named Emily (@diaryofawimpybarbie) went viral on TikTok after uploading what an average day at work for her is like. In the clip, she records two separate incidents of blatant theft that are intercut with her more mundane shift responsibilities. Viewers were stunned by how casually she speaks of the shoplifting incidents as they couldn't believe the sheer quantities of products the thieves filled their carts up with. Other users on the platform were impressed by the way Emily conducted herself during these incidents and wondered why the thieves brazenly filled entire carts up with products before exiting the store. Emily says in the clip, "Hey guys welcome to a day in the life of a Walgreens employee. OK so this is the first thief of the day." The video shows a man extricating items from the freezer section of the store and into a small cart, then going to other shelves of the store and filling it up with a variety of different products. The TikToker says in the voice over, "A customer yelled, 'the police are across the street!' Manager called the police, no help. He's taking items off empty shelves...I was like, what you gonna do if the police catch you?" That's when the clip cuts to footage of a police car with its sirens engaged from what looks like a gas station near the Walgreens location, before cutting back to her inside the store, restocking the cigarettes shelf behind the counter. dailydot.com

San Francisco, CA: Armed Robbers Steal $80K Worth of Cameras
Surveillance footage of a group of armed robbers walking off with $80,000 worth of camera equipment in the San Francisco Bay Area has been released. Mike's Cameras in Dublin, California suffered a smash-and-grab just as the shop opened at 10:00 on Wednesday. Lieutenant Matt Farrugia says five men entered the store and confronted employees and a customer. It's a shock to everybody," he tells KRON4. "Us, the community, and the store. We take this very seriously, this very rarely happens here." A further video of a display case being smashed by the armed robbers is being withheld. Investigators don't want to "revictimize the store employees." San Francisco and camera theft have been synonymous with each other in recent times. Only last month, the Leica Store near Union Square in San Francisco was robbed at gunpoint with the raiders making off with $178,000 in camera equipment and also causing $20,000 in damage. In a recent in-depth article, PetaPixel spoke to San Francisco's Mayor, London Breed, who says she is budgeting additional resources to help police officers fight photography crime. petapixel.com

Leesburg, VA: Update: Thieves steal more than $40,000 worth of sneakers from Loudoun County store
Dana Green still has footwear to sell at ReStock Sneakers, just not as much as she used to have in her store. Thieves took more than $40,000 worth of sneakers during two break-ins at the store. They happened during the early morning hours of November 17 and November 27. "Initially we were very devastated," Green said. She offers high-end sneakers that sell for as high as $880 for a pair of Nike Dunks. The store reopened on December 15, after it had been closed since the second break-in at the business. Green missed out on cashing in on the busy holiday shopping season, as she predicts sales will drop dramatically. "Probably 50%. This is a big time of year for us," said Green. "This is when we get most of our sales from November to December. Compared to back-to-school, this is huge for us." wavy.com

Avon, OH: Woman arrested with drugs and $307 worth of stolen store merchandise