How a leading UK retailer drives their security strategy with
Retail Crime Intelligence

Discover how a leading UK retailer drives their business security strategy with Retail Crime Intelligence, including a 40% increase in ROI on resourcing investments.

No stranger to innovation, this retailer led the UK retail security industry in setting up one of the first Security Operations Centres to provide greater support to their stores and store-based colleagues. As they faced the reality of rising crime and violence across the UK and Ireland, they knew preventing these problems at scale would require continued innovation.

While exploring strategies and solutions, they found they didn't have efficient ways to connect the dots on repeat offenders or a way to collaborate internally and externally. Security leaders knew this was one of the keys to unlocking safer stores and more prevention against the organised crime groups causing the most loss - ultimately choosing to partner with Auror's Retail Crime Intelligence platform.

Explore this retail leader's results since joining Auror: https://www.auror.co/customers/leading-uk-retailer
 

RILA, NDAA Launch 2024 Store Walk Initiative
Retailers, Prosecutors Continue Collaborative Initiative Around Retail Crime
Washington, DC - The Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) announced the launch of their 2024 Store Walk Initiative, a unique approach to tackling organized retail crime, habitual theft, and its impact on communities. Through the Initiative, now in its second year, RILA and NDAA connect retailers with local prosecutors to facilitate a better understanding of shared challenges, exchange insights, and identify ways both parties can collaborate to reduce retail crime and recidivism.

"Organized retail crime is such a complex challenge; while there is no overnight or one-size-fits-all solution, we know collaboration is essential to combatting the problem. A unified response is an effective one, and that's what the Store Walk Initiative is designed to enable," said Lisa LaBruno, RILA Senior EVP of Retail Operations. "DA offices and retailers, through newfound relationships, are building stronger, more effective cases that lead to successful prosecutions. Together, we're making meaningful progress toward restoring vibrancy to communities across the U.S."

Last year's inaugural Store Walk Initiative led to over 100 district attorney offices representing cities large and small across the U.S. participating in store walks with leading retail asset protection leaders and store management teams. The Initiative has enabled more effective communication and strategic coordination around ORC cases, which have ultimately led to successful prosecutions and crime deterrence. See photos and testimonials from the 2023 Store Month Initiative here.

"The local partnerships between prosecutors and retailers, including these important store walks, have demonstrated firsthand the power of collaboration and communication and the results that can come from tackling common challenges in a unified way," said Nelson Bunn, Executive Director of NDAA. "It's exciting to facilitate connections in a way that ultimately builds lasting foundations of trust among partners to support healthier and more resilient communities".

The Store Walk Initiative is just one effort through which RILA and its leading retail members are collaborating with prosecutors and law enforcement to address the challenge of organized retail crime and its impact on communities. The RILA-NDAA Vibrant Communities Initiative, launched in 2023, brings together district attorneys, police departments, social service organizations & other stakeholders to increase information sharing, test new technology solutions, and address the underlying social issues driving crime - with the ultimate goal of restoring vibrancy to communities.

Retailers and district attorney offices interested in participating in the Store Walk Initiative can learn more and register here.


'Record Number' of ORC Arrests So Far in 2024
Organized retail crime enforcement results in 700+ arrests, recovery of $6.8 million in stolen goods
SACRAMENTO - Continuing the aggressive push to reduce organized retail crime in California, Governor Gavin Newsom announced that the California Highway Patrol (CHP) achieved a record number of arrests and recovery of stolen goods so far in 2024. Since January, the CHP's Organized Retail Crime Task Force has conducted 320 investigations, made 717 arrests, and recovered nearly 230,000 stolen goods valued at more than $6.8 million. CHP's operations are part of the state's comprehensive efforts to combat organized retail crime, which also includes new measures to crack down on property crime and the state's unprecedented police funding to local communities, including to Orange, Riverside, Los Angeles, and Bay Area counties.

Since the inception of this task force in 2019, the CHP has been involved in more than 2,600 investigations, leading to the arrest of more than 2,800 suspects and the recovery of over 838,000 stolen goods valued at nearly $45 million.

In 2023, as part of California's Real Public Safety Plan, the Governor announced the largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime in state history, an annual 310% increase in proactive operations targeting organized retail crime, and special operations across the state to fight crime and improve public safety. This plan continues California's ongoing commitment to safeguard communities and improve public safety; the state has invested $1.1 billion since 2019 to fight crime, help local governments hire more police, and improve public safety.

As part of the state's largest-ever investment to combat organized retail crime, Governor Newsom announced last year the state distributed $267 million to 55 communities to help local communities combat organized retail crime. These funds have enabled cities and counties to hire more police, make more arrests, and secure more felony charges against suspects. Last year, the state's funding for organized retail crime included over $38,000,000 for Orange County, over $41,000,000 for Los Angeles County, over $11,000,000 for Riverside County, and over $43,000,000 for the San Francisco Bay Area. A full list of the awards is available here. gov.ca.gov


49 Cities See 'Unprecedented Declines' in Crime
Live Crime Tracker Shows Major Crime Declines in First Half of 2024
Crime rates in major U.S. cities declined substantially in the first half of 2024, according to novel data from NORC at the University of Chicago's new Live Crime Tracker.

An analysis by NORC's Center on Public Safety & Justice reveals unprecedented declines across multiple crime categories in 49 mid-sized and large cities. Homicides, motor vehicle thefts, and burglaries each dropped by over 22 percent compared to the same period in 2023. Statistically significant decreases were also recorded in robbery and simple assault cases.

Crime since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic has been extremely volatile. From 2019 to 2020, homicide increased by 28 percent, the largest one-year increase since 1960. In 2023, preliminary FBI UCR data show a 13.2 percent decline in homicides, which is the largest one-year decline since 1960. Preliminary estimates from the FBI, Major Cities Chiefs Association, and AH Datalytics report substantial declines in crime and violence in the beginning of 2024.

Using data from the Live Crime Tracker, a city panel that collects daily crime reports from the open records of 49 mid-sized and large U.S. cities, we find that both property and violent crime declined at a historically anomalous rate from January 1 to June 30, 2024, compared with the same period in 2023.

• Three major types of crime declined by more than 22 percent: Homicide (-22.3 percent), Burglary (-22.5 percent), and Motor Vehicle Theft (-22.1 percent).

• Robbery declined 13.9 percent, Larceny/Theft declined 8.9 percent, and Simple Assault declined 6.3 percent.

• Aggravated Assault (-1.1 percent) and Sex Offenses (-4.4 percent) were essentially unchanged from the prior year. norc.org

Thieves steal thousands from multiple Lululemon stores in DC
Detectives are searching for four suspected thieves who robbed multiple Lululemon stores on Wednesday, committing three thefts in less than two hours. The first incident occurred at 10 a.m. at the Lululemon located in the 1900 block of 14th Street Northwest. About 30 minutes later, Metropolitan Police Department detectives believe the suspects targeted the Georgetown Lululemon store on M Street, where they stole merchandise including hats and shorts before fleeing without paying. The third robbery took place around 11:30 a.m. at the Lululemon in the 1000 block of F Street Northwest.  fox5dc.com


Peachtree City police hunt for retail theft ring after $5K shopping rampage
The Peachtree City police are working to identify members of a retail theft ring who stole a woman's credit card and then went on a $5,000 shopping spree. Police say there were three people involved in this crime, and they say they are likely members of a larger, national theft ring that is currently operating in metro Atlanta. "There is evidence these people are tied to open incidents from places as far away as New York and Louisiana," said Lt. Chris Hyatt of the Peachtree City Police Department. A man and woman are seen walking around a busy Newk's Eatery looking for an opportunity to strike. The surveillance video shows them targeting an unattended purse left on the floor at a table. The man is seen dropping his jacket near the purse and then sliding it over to the woman. The purse was left unattended by another customer. The woman is seen rifling through the purse and police say the couple got the victim's credit card out. Police say these people are, unfortunately, pros at this. Police say a different man then teamed up with the woman on the same day and took the stolen credit card to a Lululemon store. Get this, police say the couple used the same stolen credit card four different times in nine minutes to buy over $5,000 in clothing.   fox5atlanta.com


Sacramento County, CA: The Sacramento County Sheriff's Office is continuing its fight against retail theft
It conducted "Operation Bullseye" at the Target location on Madison Avenue over the weekend. The sheriff's office says it arrested 50 people over the two-day period and nine of them were teenagers. The suspects ranged in age from 15 to 54. Detective Ryan Drummond with the Organized Retail Theft Task Force says $4,866 in merchandise was recovered. "None of the items were necessities for everyday life like the narratives are saying. A lot of it was electronics, toasters, bed comforters, make up," said Drummond. He says the concerning part was the number of repeat offenders. "I would say largely over 50% were repeat offenders. I would say 15 of the individuals were people my team specifically have arrested from previous operations," he said. According to the sheriff's office, the Madison Avenue location is the hardest hit Target store for retail theft in the county. While each of the items stolen only qualified the suspects for misdemeanors, four people went to jail on outstanding warrants. "All the warrants were theft-related. Many of these individuals we have caught multiple times from previous operations. Some of those warrants were specifically from my team and they just didn't show up for court," said Drummond.  cbsnews.com


Selbyville, DE: Troopers Arrest Maryland Man for Felony Shoplifting
On July 17, 2024, at approximately 2:11 p.m., troopers responded to Harris Teeter, located at 31221 Americana Parkway in Selbyville for a shoplifting. When troopers arrived, they were told that an unknown suspect had stolen over $5,000 of consumable merchandise from the store since June. Through investigative means, troopers identified Glenn Haught as the suspect. Later in the day, troopers responded back to Harris Teeter when Haught returned and was being detained by asset protection. Haught was arrested and taken to Troop 4, charged with the crime listed below, arraigned by Justice of the Peace Court 2, and released on a $2,000 unsecured bond.  delawarelive.com


Nashville, TN: Metro detectives search for shoplifting sisters with multiple outstanding warrants
Detectives with the Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) have asked the public to help locate two shoplifters with multiple outstanding warrants. In a Wednesday press release, MNPD stated that the two shoplifters are sisters believed to have stolen thousands of dollars worth of merchandise. Twenty-eight-year-old Myiesha Mayes is wanted on 13 outstanding theft warrants while her sister, 25-year-old Melissa Mayes is wanted on six outstanding theft warrants. Myeisha reportedly frequented Sephora locations at Fifth & Broadway and at Opry Mills mall, taking thousands of dollars' worth of merchandise. Myeisha also allegedly stole several pairs of designer sunglasses from the Sunglass Hut at the Green Hills Mall with her brother, 26-year-old Michael Mayes. Michael is currently being held on a $60,000 bond. Melissa is wanted for her involvement in similar incidents at stores on Fifth & Broadway, Opry Mills Mall and the Green Hills Mall.  wkrn.com