D&D Daily Mobile Edition

The D&D Daily Mobile Edition
LP, AP & Cybersecurity's #1 News Source

1/12/23

D-Ddaily.net

Shaun Vanderwerf, CFI promoted to Divisional Vice President of Corporate & Logistics Loss Prevention for Bealls, Inc.

Shaun has been with Bealls, Inc. for more than four years, starting with the company in 2018 as Live Observation Control Center Manager. Before his promotion to Divisional VP of Corporate & Logistics Loss Prevention, he served as Director - Corporate Loss Prevention Operations for a year. Prior to that, he served as Regional AP Manager for L Brands. Earlier in his career, he also held LP roles with Macy's, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Residence Inn by Marriott. Congratulations, Shaun!

See All the Executives 'Moving Up' Here

Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions or New Position

CONTROLTEK Unveils New Website

CONTROLTEK, a global leader in tamper-evident packaging, retail asset protection and RFID inventory and asset tracking solutions, unveils new website for enhanced customer experience which is located at controltekusa.com. This newly designed website offers quick and easy access to essential information and richer insight into CONTROLTEK's comprehensive portfolio of innovative solutions and services.

The new website offers a mobile-friendly, modern design, improved functionality and enhanced rich content focused on CONTROLTEK's mission to provide best-in-class solutions to protect your assets, deter theft and improve your profitability.

Read more in the Vendor Spotlight column below

The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

Big City Store Managers Say Crime & Violence is Worse Than Ever
Retail Store Crime Is Much Higher Than Reported
Last week, Walgreens Chief Financial Officer, James Kehoe, expressed satisfaction with the company's performance on store theft (what retailers call "shrinkage"). "We're stabilized," he said, and Walgreens is "quite happy with where we are" on shrinkage.

But if you talk to store managers in urban stores you hear a different story. Products like Oreo cookies (above) are stored under lock and key. If you want to buy the product you can't take it off the shelf, someone has to come and unlock it for you. In a time of labor shortage and with so many products behind glass and locks, that's a time-consuming process.

It's not just Oreos. In a normal store, thousands of items are locked up. Store managers say there's nothing they can do. If a thief comes in and steals less than $1,000 of products, the police will not prosecute. When they do prosecute, the accused thief is given a court date and goes home.

What Is The Message Here?

The solution we're using isn't working. Companies are recording less crime in stores but some of that is because so many thefts don't get prosecuted so they go unrecorded.

We are telling customers you must find a store employee to help you when you want to buy coffee. We are telling potential criminals it's ok to steal. We are telling store employees they have to live with theft and the attendant danger.

We are telling citizens you have to shop next to people who are stealing. You have to pay, they don't. There could be violence and the risk is yours. All these messages are wrong and we can do better.

The numbers are way higher than reported and it's not a corporate problem, only the government can solve this. We never get all the government we pay for but right now we need more than we're getting. forbes.com

Wisconsin Seeks to Lower Felony Threshold for Thefts
Lawmakers propose lowering felony threshold to deter thieves
Currently, thieves in Wisconsin need to steal $2,500 worth of merchandise before it's considered a felony. Two lawmakers want to lower that threshold to $1,000. Wisconsin lawmakers are proposing to make it easier to charge thieves with a felony.

Currently, Wisconsin law says a thief needs to steal at least $2,500 worth of merchandise before they could be charged with a felony. State Senator Andre Jacque is part of a proposal to lower that threshold to $1,000.

Wisconsin and Texas have the highest felony thresholds in the country, both at $2,500. Neighboring states like Iowa, Illinois, Minnesota, Michigan and Missouri all have felony thresholds between $500 and $1,000.

"A biggest portion of our thefts are coming from Kohl's, Ulta, Dick's Sporting Goods, Home Depot. Pretty much our big box stores are our primary problems," said Jeff Caponera, Grafton's police chief. "We're seeing the criminals now are being more and more brazen, are just walking in and grabbing stuff and walking right out armloads of stuff."

Caponera said thieves are taking the highest-priced items and selling them online. He thinks lowering the felony threshold wouldn't help very much.

Caponera said a major thing standing in the police department's way of stopping and preventing these thefts are the big box stores' corporate policies, which direct employees not to call police during a theft incident.

Caponera sits on Wisconsin's Organized Retail Crime Association. He said the state should create an organized crime task force so it can catch thieves before they can target stores. wisn.com

Illinois Becomes 9th State to Ban Assault Weapons
Illinois bans assault weapons after parade shooting. Which other states have bans?

Nine states and D.C. have passed assault weapons bans, and three others have additional safety requirements on the weapons.

Illinois passed an assault weapons ban Tuesday, six months after a mass shooting at a Fourth of July parade in the Chicago suburb of Highland Park left seven dead and dozens wounded.

Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed the Protect Illinois Communities Act late Tuesday, making Illinois the ninth state in the nation to ban assault-style weapons. The law includes a ban on assault weapons and large-capacity magazines, among other gun safety reforms.

"For too long people have lived in fear of being gunned down in schools, while worshipping, at celebrations or in their own front yards," Pritzker said. "This legislation will stop the spread of assault weapons, high-capacity magazines, and switches and makes our state a safer place for all." usatoday.com

Fighting ORC a Top Priority for Virginia AG
AG Miyares highlights law enforcement support, prioritizing victims in 2023 agenda
Attorney General Miyares announced on Tuesday his priorities for the 2023 General Assembly session.

"This session my office is supporting common-sense legislation that supports law enforcement, prioritizes victims, and makes our communities safer. By working with the members of the General Assembly, we hope to crack down on organized retail crime, punish drug dealers peddling lethal fentanyl, support members of the Jewish Community, and protect Virginia consumers from policies designed for Californians," said Miyares. "I look forward to working with legislators to serve our Commonwealth and bring results for Virginians."

Combating Organized Retail Crime by cracking down on smash-and-grab retail theft and giving tools back to law enforcement to appropriately charge criminals engaging in Organized Retail Crime. wjla.com

D.C.'s Effort to Curb Violence
'Thou shalt not kill' posters coming to DC. Can they help curb gun violence?
Amid recent gun violence that the police chief has called "completely unacceptable," local community leaders are hoping an age-old commandment, printed on a red and white cardboard sign, will help stem the bloodshed.

Pannell said he's hoping the signs espousing the sixth commandment will reinvigorate discussion about stopping gun violence.

Pannell said the D.C. mayor's office is providing 1,000 posters that are set to be delivered Monday, and Andy Shallal, owner of Busboys and Poets, is underwriting the costs of printing 2,000 posters. wtop.com

5 Ways Cash Bail Systems Undermine Community Safety
The cash bail status quo harms community safety through its effects on health, economic stability, employment, familial relationships, and housing.

Shoplifters or Security Guards: What's the bigger financial burden?

Detroit, MI: Detroit Police release year-end crime totals, says youth violence rising

6-year-old shooter raises difficult questions for the criminal justice system

COVID Update

665M Vaccinations Given

US: 103.1M Cases - 1.1M Dead - 100M Recovered
Worldwide: 669.6M Cases - 6.7M Dead - 641M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 828

COVID Leading Cause of LE Deaths For Two Years - 475 Officers Died in LODDs
LE LODDs Down in 2022, largely due to COVID death decrease from 2021

Report: LE LODDs down 61% in 2022, but firearms-related deaths up 21% two year trend

In 2022, 64 officers were shot and killed in firearms-related incidents, according to NLEOMF's report

WASHINGTON - According to preliminary data from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF), law enforcement line of duty deaths are down 61% from 2021.

The 2022 End-of-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report reported that 226 federal, state, county, municipal, military, tribal and campus officers died in the line of duty in 2022, with the top causes of officer deaths related to firearms and COVID-19.

In 2022, 64 officers were shot and killed in firearms-related incidents. This number closely mirrors the number of firearms-related deaths in 2021, with both years seeing a 21% increase when compared to the average of 53 firearms-related deaths between 2010 and 2020.

In 2022, 70 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty as a result of contracting COVID-19, an 83% drop compared to the 405 officers killed in 2021. police1.com

Public Health Emergency Extended
Biden administration extends Covid public health emergency as highly infectious omicron XBB.1.5 spreads
The Biden administration has extended the Covid-19 public health emergency until April as a highly transmissible omicron subvariant stokes concern that the U.S. may face another wave of hospitalizations from the disease this winter.

"The COVID-19 Public Health Emergency remains in effect, and as HHS committed to earlier, we will provide a 60-day notice to states before any possible termination or expiration," a spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Department said.

The U.S. has renewed the Covid public health emergency every 90 days since the Trump administration first issued the declaration in January 2020.

The emergency declaration has had a vast impact on the U.S. health-care system over the past three years. It has protected public health insurance coverage for millions, provided hospitals with greater flexibility to respond to patient surges and expanded telehealth. cnbc.com

The Post-COVID Return to Work Continues
Starbucks CEO tells corporate workers to return to the office 3 days a week
Starting Jan. 30, employees within commuting distance will be required to report to the coffee giant's Seattle headquarters on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and a third day decided on by their teams. The memo didn't specify what qualified as commuting distance.

Workers closer to regional offices will also be required to come in three days a week, although the specific days aren't mandated.

The coffee giant's corporate workforce has been working remotely since the start of the pandemic. In September, Starbucks asked those workers to work from the office one to two days a week. But CEO Howard Schultz wrote in a memo to employees on Wednesday that badging data showed employees weren't adhering to that directive. cnbc.com

Republicans demand end to COVID-19 emergency declaration

Coronavirus variant XBB.1.5 rises in the United States - is it a global threat?

LP Leaders Among Top Retail Influencers
RETHINK Retail's Top 100 Retail Influencers of 2023

This list is comprised of retail experts, consultants, analysts, academics, journalists, and thought leaders who are making an impact in retail in 2023.

We recognize influencers for their activity within the online retail community. Influencers frequently comment on retail trends or news stories, share industry insights and join thought leadership discussions. These influencers take on many roles. We selected executives from academia, media, consultancies and analyst firms.

Among the 100 Retail Influencers, several have close ties to the LP community:

See the full list of retail influencers here

U.S. C-Store Rankings

150K C-Stores in the U.S. - Up 1.5% from 2021
U.S. convenience store count reverses four-year decline

The number of convenience stores in the United States inched up in 2022.

There are 150,174 convenience stores operating in the United States, a 1.5% increase from a year earlier and reversing a four-year decline, according to the 2023 NACS/NielsenIQ Convenience Industry Store Count.

Store count increases were recorded in 39 states and Washington, D.C., led by Georgia, which increased by 271 stores. California's count shrunk by 53 stores, the most of the seven states that saw their counts decline. The industry growth was fueled by an increase in single-store operators, which increased 1,087 to 90,423 stores (60.2% of all convenience stores).

Texas continues to have the most convenience stores (116,018 stores), or more than one in 10 stores in the United States. The remainder of the top 10 is the same order from the year prior.

Despite a decline in store count, California remains second at 12,000 stores, followed by Florida (9,596), New York (7,917), Georgia (6,719), North Carolina (5,749), Ohio (5,673), Michigan (4,879), Pennsylvania (4,728) and Illinois (4,666). Alaska grew its store count by 9.2% but still has the fewest stores (190) of any state. chainstoreage.com

Nominations Open
2023 SIA Women in Security Forum Power 100

Recognizing Women Who Lead, Inspire and Innovate in the Global Security Industry

The Women in Security Forum (WISF) Power 100 recognition program honors 100 exceptional women in security who are raising the bar, changing expectations and breaking barriers. They lead, they inspire change and they innovate, and this is their time to be recognized!

Who Can Be Nominated?

• Any individual who is actively advancing diversity, innovation and/or leadership in the security industry

• Companies can nominate multiple individuals from their organization

• Past honorees can be renominated

How Can I Nominate an Individual?

Complete the nomination form here to recognize women who are actively advancing diversity, inclusion, innovation and leadership in the security industry. securityindustry.org

First Unionized Apple Store Begins Negotiations
Apple's first US labor union reaches new milestone for tech industry
Workers at Apple's first unionized retail store began collectively bargaining with management on Wednesday, in a milestone moment not only for the iPhone company but for all of Big Tech.

Apple store workers in Towson, Maryland, who made history in June by voting to form the first union at one of the tech giant's US stores, started contract negotiations with Apple management on Wednesday morning. The worker group, based out of a mall near Baltimore, is organized with the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAMAW) union.

Risa Lieberwitz, a professor of labor and employment law at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations, said "there's a lot at stake" for Apple employees at this and other stores as the negotiations commence. "Other Apple workers will be watching this," she said. "Other workers in the tech industry will be watching this." cnn.com

The Worst Job in the US Is Working in Retail
Retail store associates have the worst job in the US right now as the industry faces a series of post-pandemic headwinds, a US News & World Report analysis found.

Bed Bath & Beyond plans more layoffs

Bloomie's, Bloomingdale's small-format store, continues to expand

CPI report shows inflation slowed again in December

All the News - One Place - One Source - One Time

Thanks to our sponsors/partners - Take the time to thank them as well please. If it wasn't for them The Daily wouldn't be here every day for you.

Growing Number of IoT Devices Provide Entry Point for Attackers
The dark web's criminal minds see Internet of Things as next big hacking prize

Cybersecurity experts say 2022 may have marked an inflection point due to the rapid proliferation of IoT (Internet of Things) devices.

Groups buy and sell services, and one hot idea - a business model for a crime - can take off quickly when people realize that it works to do damage or to get people to pay. Last year, it was ransomware, as criminal hacking groups figured out how to shut down servers through what's called directed denial of service attacks. But 2022, say experts, may have marked an inflection point due to the rapid proliferation of IoT (Internet of Things) devices.

Attacks are evolving from those that shut down computers or stole data, to include those that could more directly wreak havoc on everyday life. IoT devices can be the entry points for attacks on parts of countries' critical infrastructure, like electrical grids or pipelines, or they can be the specific targets of criminals, as in the case of cars or medical devices that contain software.

IoT devices are a key entry point for many attacks, according to Microsoft's Digital Defense Report 2022. "While the security of IT hardware and software has strengthened in recent years, the security of Internet of Things (IoT) ... has not kept pace," according to the report.

A rash of attacks that reached the physical world through the cyber world in the past year show the rising stakes.

What many experts are anticipating is the day enterprising criminals or hackers affiliated with a nation-state figure out an easy-to-replicate scheme using IoT devices at scale. A group of criminals, perhaps connected to a foreign government, could figure out how to take control of many things at once - like cars, or medical devices.

In other words, the possibility already exists. It's only a question of when a criminal or a nation decides to act in a way that targets the physical world at a large scale. cnbc.com

Profiling Cybercriminals
Inside the Mind of a Cybercriminal: Facts and Fiction
Law enforcement agencies have been researching the backgrounds, personal qualities, and patterns of behavior exhibited by persons engaged in data ransoming, identity theft, and a host of other cybercrimes with the aim of developing a criminal profile of the typical hacker.

To be sure, cybercriminals are a diversified cast of characters and can't be painted with too wide a brush. Over the years, forensic psychologists have been able to identify certain traits that criminal hackers have in common. But scientists admit that the relatively short history of cybercrime, a lack of abundant data, and the subjects studied-who were not always perpetrators of serious crime but rather dabblers-means there's lots more evidence to be gathered in support of the profiles they've developed. But let's take a look at what the research reveals so far.

One of the more comprehensive studies of cybercriminals was launched in 2018 by Hyslip and Holt. It involved 821 respondents, all of whom self-identified as cybercriminals. The data gathered by the study was all self-reported by survey participants, which scientists caution may impart a certain amount of bias. For example, when asked to assess their own levels of skill on a scale of 1 to 10, most survey respondents gave themselves a 10, but the second most common answer was 1.

The truth probably lies somewhere in between. But in terms of basic demographics, the survey found that respondents were predominantly male (88%), white (63%), and young. The majority of respondents had also attended college. Smaller studies found that 68.6% of respondents were single. The majority were employed and had no criminal record.

The lone-wolf theory of cybercriminals has been largely debunked. Cybercriminals often work in small groups. That's particularly true of hacktivists, a subset of cyber offenders who are united by common beliefs, often political in nature. But group affiliation isn't limited to hacktivists. A significant portion of cybercriminals belong to cybercrime gangs. Gangs facilitate a wide range of crimes, from extortion to credit card fraud to money laundering. totalsecurityadvisor.blr.com

Skills, Challenges & Trends
Steps to Strengthen Cloud Security

Troy Leach on Cloud Security Skills, Challenges and Trends

"If we look at all of the types of issues with cloud breaches, it always comes down to misconfiguration," says Troy Leach of Cloud Security Alliance. "The challenge is: People try to treat cloud environments the same as they've always done on-premises, and that is unfair for both environments."

Leach says that part of the problem is that we do more "training than teaching." Instead of telling employees what they need to do, "when we teach them, we empower them to be part of the solution," he says. "Work at trying to find ways that they not only understand but then are proactive of understanding why it benefits the company as well."

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

• Challenges businesses face when moving to the cloud;
• Why misconfigurations are the number one cause of data breaches in the cloud;
• Cloud security trends to watch in 2023. govinfosecurity.com

'Cyber Catastrophe Bonds'
Insurers Aim to Insulate Against Catastrophic Cyberattacks
Insurers have become increasingly leery of the risks that a major cyberattack could pose to their businesses after claims from a surge in ransomware attacks starting in 2020 sent their loss ratios soaring.

Insurer Beazley PLC on Monday debuted a cyber catastrophe bond, which it says is the first of its kind. It was designed to cover Beazley against shock claims resulting from cyberattacks that exceed $300 million. Catastrophe bonds are insurance-linked securities, meaning they can be traded in the same way as regular fixed-income instruments. They are used to address rare events such as natural disasters, and they allow insurers to indemnify themselves against potentially fatal losses while giving noteholders higher yields than many other forms of debt securities. cybersecurity.cmail20.com

Better Phishing, Easy Malicious Implants: How AI Could Change Cyberattacks

98 Patches: Microsoft Greets New Year With Zero-Day Security Fixes

U.S. & Canada Seeing Cannabis Burglary Surge
Increase in Cannabis Business Burglaries and Break-Ins
In recent months, there has been an uptick cannabis business burglaries and theft across the United States and Canada. As a result, many areas that permit cannabis have released advisories notifying cannabis businesses about this increase and providing guidance on how to better prevent theft. This is especially true in states and provinces that have been hit the hardest as regulatory agencies attempt to bring robbery and burglary rates down to normal levels to avoid unnecessary risk to cannabis businesses.

Where Is This Occurring?

Recently, the US states of Michigan, Colorado, Washington, and the Canadian province of Ontario have released advisory bulletins warning cannabis businesses of new trends in crime centered around these businesses. In essence, the advisory bulletins spell out exactly which type of businesses have been targeted, what methods thieves have been using to breach the premises, and what clues to look out for to ensure a better shot at prevention.

Popular Methods to Robbery & Burglary

These recent advisory bulletins warn cannabis businesses of quick hitting smash-and-grab type burglaries. Typically, a business will be cased and studied by individuals who will then wait until after business hours to attempt to breach the premises. The criminals usually wait in vehicles parked near the premises, typically on the outer edges with multiple individuals in the car. Once the individuals determine it is safe to do so, they will send one person who will attempt to open a back door or window with a tool such as a crowbar or a hammer. Once the building or premise is breached, the rest of the individuals will rush over and, in a short amount of time, grab what they can from inside the business to escape before law enforcement can respond to alarms. While this is a currently popular method of burglary in North America, it is just one of many examples of how criminals can burglarize a cannabis business.

Fraud Risks for Cannabis Businesses

While it is true that theft is the leading issue surrounding physical security at cannabis businesses, fraud is another potential vulnerability in which the diversion of cash or cannabis products can happen. In late September, Michigan warned cannabis businesses of fraud targeting cannabis businesses that take large orders from third-party vendors and buyers. In this case, individuals would place fraudulent orders through retailers and distributors by pretending to be a licensed cannabis company and then have them delivered to third-party locations. While due diligence and simple verification systems should be able to mitigate this risk, this scenario serves as a reminder that the theft of cannabis can come in many different forms. sapphirerisk.com

Businesses Owners Fear Legal Weed Will Bring Crime & Chaos
Harlem businesses worried legal weed dispensary will threaten progress
Businesses on 125th St. in Harlem are pushing back on the planned opening of a cannabis dispensary across from the legendary Apollo Theater, saying they’ve worked hard to make the street a vibrant commercial destination and introducing legal weed sales jeopardizes decades of progress.

Askins and other business owners are concerned that the dispensary will bring more shoplifting, violence, panhandling, gang fights and clogged sidewalks — exactly what they’ve worked hard to avoid.

Over the past two years, the Harlem business district and its small businesses, chain stores and street vendors have slowly filled the empty space left by the pandemic. Many new storefronts have popped up, including a Chick-fil-A, a Whole Foods, a climbing gym and a Foot Locker.

“Buildings like that, going up, that’s phenomenal,” he said. “You see things like that coming in — that’s great.” But a cannabis dispensary is not the same thing, he said.

“It’s gonna draw the wrong clientele. That’s what I’m worried about,” said Derek, 68, who’s worked at the store for more than 30 years. “And eventually, what’s going to happen is they’re gonna come in, steal, sell it and go buy weed. [That’s my] biggest fear.”

Aaron Smith, co-founder and CEO of the National Cannabis Industry Association, disputed the idea that a dispensary would bring increased crime to the area. A 2019 study showed that local crime rates fell by nearly 20% when a dispensary came into the neighborhood by analyzing monthly neighborhood crime in Denver.

“It’s going to be more chaos than anything,” Cookie said. “It’s not going to be a sweet deal at all. ... I wish it was not coming to 125, legal or otherwise, but no. Nuh-uh. And directly across the street from us? It’s gonna be a mess. ... Oh, Lord, I hope they come with armed guards, or something, robots or something. Oh my God. I am not looking forward to that.” nydailynews.com

Law Enforcement Challenges of Differing State Pot Laws
Motley Marijuana Laws Drive Consumers — and Revenue — Across State Lines
State lines delineate the vastly varying marijuana regulations across the Midwest. Illinois, Michigan and, since December, Missouri allow recreational marijuana, while neighboring states have some of the strictest laws in the nation.

The contrasting statutes create some law enforcement concerns in states where marijuana is outlawed — when residents legally use marijuana just across the border or bring it back home. But many elected officials in those states say the larger problem is the loss of potential revenue from an industry that could bring visitors, jobs and tax dollars.

Many police encounters have involved users who don’t understand — or claim not to understand — the limits of the law, including where they can use marijuana or how much they can possess. In many cases, officers now write citations for infractions that earlier had required arrests.

Indiana, which has some of the nation’s toughest marijuana laws, borders two states (Illinois and Michigan) with recreational sales.

“I try to enforce the laws as best I can based on what Indiana wants us to do,” said Ken Cotter, prosecutor for St. Joseph County, Indiana, along the Michigan border. The region is known as Michiana.

“I was worried that if Michigan legalizes marijuana, folks from Indiana might want to go to Michigan, get the marijuana and drive back — that's one thing. But if they then went to Michigan, legally smoked it there and then drove [under the influence], that's a whole different ball game,” Cotter said. pewtrusts.org

Retail Marijuana Open For Business in Connecticut

Legalization advocates hope new Legislature will bring momentum to cannabis fight

WI Assembly Speaker says there’s no ‘pathway’ to legalizing recreational marijuana

Amazon Warehouse Woes Continue in the UK
Amazon warehouse closures put 1,200 jobs at risk

Online retail giant Amazon has said it plans to shut three warehouses in the UK, putting 1,200 jobs at risk.

However, the company also said it planned to open two new centres creating 2,500 jobs over the next three years. The three warehouses being closed are in Hemel Hempstead, Doncaster and Gourock, in the west of Scotland.

The firm said staff at the sites being closed would be offered the chance to move to other Amazon locations. Last week, Amazon said it planned to cut more than 18,000 jobs globally, the largest number in the firm's history, in an attempt to reduce costs.

An Amazon spokesperson told the BBC that the decision to close the UK warehouses was made after a review of operations in the country and was "completely unrelated" to the wider cuts, which primarily affect office staff.

The firm said the new warehouses would be "state of the art" robotic facilities located in Peddimore, West Midlands, and Stockton-on-Tees, County Durham. "We're always evaluating our network to make sure it fits our business needs and to improve the experience for our employees and customers," the company said.

Amazon, which launched in the UK in 1998, expanded rapidly during the pandemic. It currently employs about 70,000 people in the UK, including 400 workers at the Doncaster centre, 500 at Hemel Hempstead and 300 at Gourock.

But Steve Garelick, GMB union officer for Hemel Hempstead, called the moves a "real kick in the teeth for Amazon staff who worked themselves into the ground during the festive rush". bbc.com

'Amazon Workers Won Fair and Square'
Amazon Loses Bid to Overturn Union Victory at Staten Island Warehouse

A National Labor Relations Board official found a lack of evidence to support claims of election improprieties. Amazon could appeal the decision.

A federal labor official on Wednesday rejected Amazon’s attempt to overturn a union victory at a warehouse on Staten Island, removing a key obstacle to contract negotiations between the union and the company.

The official, a regional director of the National Labor Relations Board, found that there was a lack of evidence to support Amazon’s claim of election improprieties and that its objections to the election should be overruled.

“Amazon’s workers won fair and square,” Chris Smalls, the president of the Amazon Labor Union, said in a statement. “It’s now time for Amazon to quit stalling, obey the law, respect their workers, and sit down at the bargaining table.”

The decision was widely expected after a labor board hearing officer recommended in September that the company’s objections be set aside. Amazon, which argued that the election was unfair because of improper conduct by both the labor board and the union, said in a statement that it knew the regional director was unlikely to rule against the agency. nytimes.com

Online grocery sales rebound in December - up 2.4%

Amazon expands Prime delivery service to more web stores

Pleasant Hill, CA: Takeover robbery at Camera shop similar to other recent cases police investigating
It’s happened yet again. Another Bay Area camera shop held up by a group of masked men. The latest takeover robbery happened at Mike's Camera on Contra Costa Boulevard in Pleasant Hill. Five men invaded the store at about 4:30 p.m. Tuesday, just a half-hour before it closed. They forced everyone to the ground, smashed display cases and stole cameras and other expensive equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars. "They were in, they were out, the made their point and they got some gear along with it," said Heather Shaw, Mike's Camera district manager for California. "It was all very fast, but it was very impactful." After the holdup, staff kept busy, sweeping, cleaning up and assessing the damage. And it was at the Dublin store back in December when five men smashed display cases and ordered workers and a customer to the ground. The robbers escaped with camera bodies, lenses and drones worth $80,000. ktvu.com

Sweetwater, FL: Man swiped nearly 200 pairs of panties from Dolphin Mall Victoria’s Secret
Sweetwater Police arrested a 48-year-old South Florida man accused of being a serial panty thief Tuesday. According to an arrest report, Carlos Angel Ramirez Rodriguez stole thousands of dollars worth of merchandise from Victoria’s Secret stores at the Dolphin Mall in Sweetwater and the International Mall in Doral multiple times. The thefts reportedly date back to March and continued until his arrest Tuesday afternoon, police said. The report states loss prevention officers had seen Ramirez Rodriguez stealing items numerous times on surveillance video. According to the report, police located Ramirez Rodriguez at a Sweetwater Walgreens Tuesday after being called out for a theft in progress. Police said officers noticed he was holding a plastic bag with a large amount of Victoria’s Secret clothing. The report states Ramirez Rodriguez “unlawfully removed 197 pairs of Victoria’s Secret panties and one Victoria’s Secret fragrance” from the Dolphin Mall store in the most recent theft. local10.com

Memphis, TN: Thieves steal jewelry from store at Wolfchase Galleria
Three men smashed their way through cases at a store in the Wolfchase Galleria on Tuesday, January 10, according to the Memphis Police Department (MPD). MPD said the men walked into Mr. Gold Box inside the mall with hammers and backpacks around 1 p.m. Surveillance video shows the men breaking through the glass cabinets and filling backpacks with stolen jewelry. fox13memphis.com

South Euclid, OH: Walmart Shoplifter returns next day in same clothing & same truck
Walmart loss prevention reported Jan. 4 that a shoplifter ran from the store and fled from the area in a truck. They said he was the same man that committed a theft the previous day while wearing the same clothing and driving the same truck. University Heights police later reported they had the Cleveland Heights man, 29, on a traffic stop for an unrelated reason. cleveland.com

Southaven, MS: Women wanted after stealing $18K in merchandise from Polo store
Two women are wanted after stealing nearly $18,000 in merchandise from a store at the Tanger Outlets in Southaven, police said Tuesday. According to the Southaven Police Department, the women stole the items during “grab & go” thefts from the Polo Ralph Lauren Factory Store on Airways Boulevard. The women left in a Nissan Altima. Anyone with information about the women’s whereabouts or the thefts is asked to call police at 662-393-8652 or email tips@southaven.org. fox13memphis.com

Tahlequah, OK: Kool Aid UPC used to scan $550 of merchandise
On Jan. 2, Tahlequah Police Officer Mitchell Sellers was dispatched to Walmart in reference to reports that Michael Carpenter stole $530 worth of merchandise. Employees said the man scanned items as Kool-Aid with a homemade UPC device before leaving the store. Sellers met with Carpenter, patted him down, and found a loaded syringe. Carpenter was transported to jail and booked on tribal charges of petit larceny, trespassing, possession of paraphernalia, possession of a controlled dangerous substance, and a warrant. tahlequahdailypress.com

Lexington, SC: Police searching for alleged Hobby Lobby shoplifters
The Lexington Police Department is searching for two individuals who allegedly shoplifted from Hobby Lobby on December 7, 2022. Authorities say the shoplifters took over $170 in merchandise and left the parking lot in a dark color sedan. abccolumbia.com

Prince George, BC, Canada: RCMP seek suspect in Home Depot theft
RCMP are seeking your help in locating the suspect in a recent robbery at Home Depot. Police say the incident occurred on January 2, with surveillance showing a balding man with a slender build making off with 1,500 worth of goods. ckpgtoday.ca

Kaneohe, Oahu, Hawaii: Police seeking multiple suspects in Victoria’s Secret theft
Four females are being sought for theft at the Victoria’s Secret in the Windward Mall. All 4 suspects quickly collected multiple items and concealed them in oversize purses or shopping bag.

View ORC Archives

Case Goes Public?
Share it with the industry

Submit your ORC Association News

Visit ORC
Resource Center

Shootings & Deaths

Denver, CO: Security guard allegedly kills 1 in shooting outside bar
A security guard is being investigated for first-degree murder after allegedly shooting and killing a man outside a bar. According to the Denver Police Department, officers were called to the Lempira Restaurant and Bar located in the 1400 block of Uinta Street in the East Colfax neighborhood on reports of a shooting at around 12:31 a.m. Monday. When police arrived on scene, they spoke with 23-year-old Dante Pacheco-Rodriguez who was the security guard at the bar. Pacheco-Rodriguez was bleeding and told police he had been assaulted. After looking at camera footage, detectives with DPD said that a physical altercation spilled out of the bar at around 12:30 a.m. Pacheco-Rodriguez can be seen interacting with five people before they began to take cover behind a truck. According to the arrest affidavit, that is when Pacheco-Rodriguez fires his gun three times. He fires three more shots as the truck leaves the area. DPD said one man was struck by gunfire. He was located a block away with a gunshot wound and transported to a local hospital. The man later succumbed to his injuries and was pronounced dead. DPD is holding Pacheco-Rodriguez on investigation of first-degree murder-extreme indifference and five counts of investigation of attempted murder. kdvr.com

Update: Wyandot County, OH: Upper Sandusky man indicted on murder charges for Dollar Tree cashier
An Upper Sandusky man charged with murdering a Dollar Tree cashier in the store with a machete on Jan. 1 has been indicted on six charges by a Wyandot County grand jury Wednesday. At an arraignment hearing Wednesday afternoon, Bethel Bekele, 27, pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity to all six charges: two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of murder, one count of felonious assault and one count of aggravated burglary. Upper Sandusky police said Bekele entered the Dollar Tree on East Wyandot Avenue with a machete, approached 22-year-old cashier Keris L. Riebel "and struck her numerous times with the machete." Police discovered Riebel dead when they arrived at the store around 4:30 p.m. in response to a call about a man waving a machete around the store. Police also said a motive was unclear and it is unknown if Riebel and Bekele have a previous relationship. Authorities apprehended Bekele a short time after the incident when they observed he had parked his car in front of the Wyandot County Sheriff's Office. wtol.com

Update: Roanoke, VA: Man gets two life sentences for 2021 convenience store robbery, slaying
A Roanoke man was sentenced to two life prison terms Wednesday for a 2021 robbery that killed a convenience store clerk. Jamerius Al-Karim Crennell, 21, of Roanoke pleaded guilty in Roanoke Circuit Court to four felony charges: first-degree murder, robbery causing death, use of a firearm in commission of a robbery and use of a firearm in commission of murder. Crennell was originally charged with aggravated murder for the death of convenience store clerk Basil Glenn Hubble, 31, of Roanoke on September 29, 2021. That charge was amended to first-degree murder during Wednesday’s plea hearing. Assistant Commonwealth’s Attorney John McNeil said that on the night of Hubble’s murder, a Roanoke police officer on patrol was checking on convenience stores due to a recent increase in robberies. As the officer was driving past the A&A Cash Market on Moorman Avenue Northwest, he noticed a man standing at the store’s corner, wearing a red hoodie with the hood up, McNeil said. roanoke.com

Cleveland, OH: Man fatally shot outside a Liquor store on Cleveland’s East Side
A Cleveland man was killed Sunday on the city’s East Side. Ezjehn Moss, 22, was shot about 1:55 p.m. in front of In & Out Beverage & Deli on Lakeview Road and Durant Avenue, according to police and the office of the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner. Moss was shot in the head, and he suffered from several gunshot wounds to the body. cleveland.com

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Denver, CO: 5 indicted in Crime ring bust that cost almost $1M in losses
Five people were indicted in an auto theft and burglary crime ring that spanned multiple counties and cost almost a million dollars in stolen property, including vehicles. Attorney General Phil Weiser announced that a statewide grand jury returned a 90-count indictment that charged five people in a large auto theft and crime ring Wednesday. The crimes spanned from Arapahoe, Douglas, Jefferson, Clear Creek and Weld counties and happened between December 2019 and March 2021. Nathaniel Tsosie, Craig Keltner, Justin Jameson, Andrea Wettig, and Dustin James are the five individuals accused of working together to steal vehicles and burglarize storage units to take personal identifying and financial information, according to Weiser. According to the grand jury indictment, the group used stolen identities to test drive the vehicles from car dealerships and then never return them. The identities were then used to open storage units and burglarize them. The group was caught stealing property, identities and firearms. According to the indictment, the total value in losses during this crime ring was approximately $836,000 from 23 stolen vehicles. Another $109,000 was stolen property from storage units and stolen checks. kdvr.com

Bermuda: Axe-wielding store owner sees off would-be robber
The owner of Bargain Hunter in Somerset store who faced down a would-be armed robber with an axe admitted his actions were “not recommended” but said emotion got the better of him. The suspect fled empty-handed after the confrontation at the Bargain Hunters store on Somerset Road in Sandys. Michael Forde, owner of the home and hardware shop, told how he faced a concealed weapon that appeared to be intended to resemble a firearm. He was ordered to fill a plastic bag with cash, but instead locked his cash register, throwing the keys behind a shelf and arming himself with an axe. royalgazette.com

Hopewell, PA: Discount store held up, employee assaulted; police look for suspect
Police are looking for the man they say robbed the Rose’s discount store in Cavalier Square Wednesday night. An email from Hopewell Police said the masked robber made his way into the store around 8:30 p.m. while employees were closing it. The suspect assaulted an employee and held them at gunpoint as he went into the store office and grabbed money that had just been pulled from the registers. The suspect then ran from the store in an unknown direction, police said. The only description of the suspect was that he was of medium build and wore dark clothing. Employees told police he carried a green and black handgun. The assaulted employee was not seriously injured. nbc12.com

New York, NY: Park Slope deli owner tries shaming shoplifters with ‘Thieves of the Week’ video
A fed-up Brooklyn deli owner has come up with a new way to try to stop a group of local teens from repeatedly shoplifting at his popular Park Slope store — public shaming. Majeed Arbahri, the proprietor of Green Olives Deli & Grill Juice Bar on Seventh Avenue, has begun displaying a “Thieves of the Week” video behind the counter, hoping it discourages a troublesome group of local high school girls from robbing him blind. “I told them the first time I caught them about four weeks ago I’m going to do it if they repeat stealing,” Arbahri, 25, told The Post Wednesday. “They said they were going to do it again, and then they did it again,” he said. “There are other people who steal. We catch them and tell them to leave it and don’t ever come back, and they don’t come back. But these people, they don’t feel embarrassed. “They steal and they come again and again,” he said. nypost.com

Converse, TX: Texas man accused of stealing Ruffles box truck from Walmart store
A Texas man is accused of stealing a box truck full of Ruffles potato chips and other Lays products from a Walmart store and then leading police on a long chase across town, authorities said. Jeff Jetin, 27, was arrested Tuesday and charged with theft of a vehicle worth between $30,000 to $150,000, evading arrest and evading arrest with the detention of a vehicle, according to Bexar County online booking records. actionnewsjax.com

New York, NY: Unhinged man smashes door of NYC restaurant, stabs ex-girlfriend while she works

Harrisburg, PA: Police gets a $3.3M grant to crack down on crime

Buffalo, NY: Three Buffalo men arraigned on separate burglaries committed during Christmas blizzard

Richmond, VA: Man Sentenced for Three Richmond C-store/ Restaurant Armed Robberies

Caruthersville, MO: Man sentenced to more than 7 years in prison for attempted C-Store Armed Robbery

• Auto – Wilkes-Barre, PA – Burglary
• C-Store – Oak Forest, IL – Burglary
• C-Store – Queens, NY – Armed Robbery
• C-Store – East Allen Township, PA – Armed Robbery
• Camera – Pleasant Hill, CA – Burglary
• Cellphone – St Louis, MO – Burglary
• Clothing – Sweetwater, FL – Robbery
• Clothing – Michigan City, IN – Burglary
• Clothing – Michigan City, IN – Burglary
• Clothing – Southaven, MS – Robbery
• Discount – Hopewell, PA – Armed Robbery
• Gas Station – Hammond, LA – Armed Robbery
• Guns – Eureka, CA – Robbery
• Hardware – Tallahassee, FL – Robbery
• Hardware – Topeka, KS – Burglary
• Jewelry – Passaic, NJ – Armed Robbery
• Jewelry – Hazleton, PA – Robbery
• Jewelry – Palm Desert, CA – Armed Robbery
• Jewelry – Memphis, TN – Robbery
• Pet – Delran, NJ - Robbery
• Pharmacy – Lakewood, NJ – Robbery
• Restaurant – Baltimore, MD – Burglary
• Restaurant – San Antonio, TX – Burglary
• Walmart – Douglas County, NV – Robbery
• Walmart – Cleveland, OH – Robbery

Daily Totals:
• 16 robberies
• 9 burglaries
• 0 shootings
• 0 killed

Click to enlarge map

None to report.

Submit Your New Hires/Promotions
or New Position
See all the Industry Movement

Feature Your Job Here For 30 Days -
70% Aren't On The Boards
Post your job listing

Featured Job Spotlights

An Industry Obligation - Staffing
'Best in Class' Teams

Every one has a role to play in building an industry.
Filled your job? Any good candidates left over?
Help your colleagues - your industry - Build 'Best in Class' teams.

Refer the Best & Build the Best
Quality - Diversity - Industry Obligation

Field Loss Prevention Manager
Seattle, WA / San Francisco or San Jose, CA / Portland, OR - posted January 11

The Field Loss Prevention Manager (FLPM) coordinates Loss Prevention and Safety Programs intended to protect Staples assets and ensure a safe work environment within Staples Retail locations. FLPM’s are depended on to be an expert in auditing, investigating, and training...

Loss Prevention Auditor and Fraud Detection Analyst
Seattle, WA - posted January 11

As a Loss Prevention Auditor and Fraud Detection Analyst for Staples, you will conduct LP operational field audits remote, virtual and in person, within a base of 60 retail stores to ensure compliance to operational standards to drive operational excellence and preserve profitability...

Regional Asset Protection and Safety Manager (UK)
London, UK - posted January 3

Responsible for ensuring application of Environmental, Health & Safety (EHS), occupational safety, and loss prevention programs and policies at the store, region, and cross-regional levels. Works with the Team Leaders and Team Members to ensure education, communication, and understanding of safety and loss prevention policies, including how safety and asset protection contributes to profitability and business success...

Manager of Asset Protection & Safety Operations
Woodcliff Lake, NJ - posted December 9

The Manager of Asset Protection & Safety Operations is responsible for the physical security, safety compliance and reduction of shrinkage for Party City Holdings, by successfully managing Asset Protection (AP) Safety programs for all PCHI locations...

Loss Prevention Auditor and Fraud Detection Analyst
Boston – Framingham, MA - posted December 2

District Asset Protection Manager
Phoenix, AZ - posted November 17

As the District Asset Protection Manager you will lead administration of Asset Protection programs and training for an assigned district in order to drive sales, profits, and a customer service culture. Oversees Asset Protection Programs by providing leadership and guidance to Asset Protection teams and General Managers on methods to successfully execute programs in stores...

Asset Protection Associate
Riverhead, NY - posted November 4

The Asset Protection Associate (APA) is responsible for the detection, apprehension, or deterrence of customer and associate activity that could result in a loss to Ralph Lauren. APAs are also responsible for ensuring a safe environment for all customers, associates, and vendors. APAs promote and monitor compliance to Polo Ralph Lauren policies and procedures related to theft prevention, safety, and inventory control...

Featured Jobs

View Featured Jobs | Post Your Job

If you've lost your passion, are you merely one possibly small step away from just collecting a paycheck? Worse yet, doesn't this attitude reflect itself in your team? Necessity might get you out of bed every morning (i.e. mortgage, car payments, tuitions, etc.) but it's passion that should keep you striving for ways to excel and develop your replacement. Most good leaders agree they'd rather have someone they need to hold back than someone they need to prod forward.

Just a Thought,
Gus

Post Your Tip or Advice!
(content subject to approval)

NRF Big Show 2023
January 15-17, 2023

RFID in Retail/Apparel 2023
February 7, 2023

Solink Secure Summit
February 7-8, 2023

FMI AP & Grocery Resilience Conference
March 19-23, 2023

Retail Secure Conference
March 21, 2023

ISC West 2023
March 28-31, 2023

RLPSA Conference
April 2-5, 2023

2023 ISCPO Conference
April 11-13, 2023

RILA AP Conference
April 30-May 3

NRF PROTECT 2023
June 5-7

GSX 2023
September 11-13

APEX Conference
September 13-15

LPRC IMPACT
October 2-4, 2023

See More Events

Recruiting?
Get your job e-mailed to everyone... everyday
Post on our Featured Jobs Board!

Not getting the Daily?
Is it ending up in your spam folder?
Please make sure to add d-ddaily@downing-downing.com to your contact list, address book, trusted sender list, and/or company whitelist to ensure you receive our newsletter.
Want to know how? Read Here

SUBSCRIBE

FEEDBACK

www.downing-downing.com

Advertise With The D&D Daily