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1/18/22 D-Ddaily.net
 

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Mark Stinde named Senior Vice President Operations, Retail and Compliance for The Integritus Group

Mark Stinde has accepted the role of Senior Vice President Operations- Retail and Compliance for The Integritus Group, where he is responsible for supporting the retail and compliance practice. Mark brings with him an MBA from Southern Methodist University and over 35 years of experience in the retail world, having worked for major national retail organizations. He most recently served as the Vice President of Asset Protection for Kroger, heading their entire US retail operation.

Read more in the Vendor Spotlight column below


See All the Executives 'Moving Up' Here   

Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions or New Position

 

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Interface "Ask Our Expert" video series

What Are Video Verified Alarms?

Sean Foley, SVP Enterprise Security, Interface Systems explains the benefits of video verified alarms when compared to traditional alarm monitoring. With video verification of alarm events, enterprises can secure their locations more effectively and avoid paying false alarm fines.

To learn more, read this case study.

CLEAR Taps TalkLP to Execute its Annual Conference

CLEAR has selected TalkLP to execute its National Conference in Orlando November 8-10, 2022 in Orlando, Florida.

Nashville, TN, (January 18, 2022) – The Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail (CLEAR) selects TalkLP, a subsidiary of Calibration Group, to execute its 2022 National Conference. TalkLP will strategize and execute the CLEAR conference designed to provide a value-packed experience for both the attendees and solution provider partners. TalkLP responsibilities include coordinating on-site logistics, production, marketing, promotion, and emceeing the conference.

“CLEAR has seen incredible growth and success over the last few years with our Annual Conference,” said Ben Dugan, President of CLEAR. “We believe TalkLP’s skill in executing superior conference experiences will take CLEAR to the next level for both our attendees and valuable solution provider partners.”


Read more here
 



Visit These D&D Daily Partners at the NRF Big Show


D&D Daily Partner

Booth Number


6611
5811
616
3158
3164
1030
3203


Click here to see the full list of NRF 2022 Exhibitors
 



The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact


City by City Gun Violence in 2021 Stats
A National View - 1 Big City Every Day

King County Prosecutor: Gun Violence Spike 'Related to the Pandemic' Not Drugs
No single cause for 2021’s surge in gunfire in Seattle
According to the Times’ data, 36 of 41 homicides in the city were committed with firearms as of Nov. 29, compared with 32 of 52 homicides in 2020.

Seattle saw
more gun violence in 2021 than any year in at least a decade — more people killed by guns, more people hurt by guns, more shots fired.

Reason: “Not just one specific thing”

Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz sees
no single cause for the recent surge in gun violence, which is mirrored in many other American communities. In addition, King County as a whole experienced a spike in gun violence in 2021.

Seattle saw more shots fired in 2021 in every area of the city, in every single precinct.

Seattle police have seized more than 1,000 guns and responded to more than 580 shootings, and many of those are believed to be connected to drug-trafficking enterprises.

King County Prosecutor Dan Satterberg said current levels of gun violence are reminiscent of violence seen in the mid-1990s, when street gangs were battling each other for territory to establish lucrative crack cocaine markets. While gangs and neighborhood “crews” haven’t disappeared, he thinks a lot of the violence is now retaliatory in nature and stems from a fight-on-sight mentality.

Today, I don’t think it’s drugs. Today, I can’t help but think it’s related to the pandemic — the anxiety and depression and fear and all of that somehow makes people’s tempers shorter,” Satterberg said. “ “It’s more difficult than what we saw in the mid-1990s because it isn’t just about the trafficking of crack, it’s about a whole lot of other things. A lot of these gangs don’t have anything to do with drugs at all but they still have an ethic where they want to fight when they see each other. seattletimes.com


Progressive DA's Facing Challenging Times Across the Country
Will electing Progressive DA's trend come to an end?
They're certainly not friends of retail


1/16/22: "Sense of Lawlessness & Lack of Accountability" Exist in Hennepin Co.
Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman Takes Heat From Mayors & Police Chiefs on Progressive Policies
Progressive Prosecutor's last year in office & he's not running for a 7th term

No Bail For Thefts Under $35,000 in Minneapolis & 7 Suburbs

Minneapolis police reported a record of more than 600 attempted or successful carjackings in 2021. The crime spree has spilled into many suburbs, including Edina, St. Louis Park, Eden Prairie, Robbinsdale, Roseville, Maplewood and Woodbury.

The crime surge is particularly acute in Minneapolis, which recorded soaring numbers of violent crimes last year as the police department contends with a wave of nearly 300 retirements, resignations and an unpresented level of PTSD claims over the past couple of years.

Earlier this month,
seven suburban mayors wrote a letter asking Freeman to get tougher on criminals and revisit a new policy in which suspects no longer need to post bail for nearly 20 low-level crimes, like possessing a small amount of narcotics and theft under $35,000.

"There is
a sense of lawlessness and lack of accountability that is stemming from criminals who commit crimes and then are being turned back to the street in short order — with little or no consequence — and that conduct is repeated," the letter read.

When he unveiled the change, Freeman said there is
no proof that imposing bail on low-level offenses reduces crime. He said it merely punishes low-income defendants, who risk losing their jobs and their homes. Instead of bail, suspects in these crimes now must promise to make all court appearances and are free until their next court hearing.

Plymouth Mayor Jeffry Wosje said he was not happy with Freeman's new policy ending bail for low-level offenses. His police chief, along with others, was upset that auto theft was initially included in the offenses no longer requiring bail.

On Friday, DFL Gov. Tim Walz convened a private call with suburban police chiefs to discuss the crime surge.

For his part,
Freeman plans to meet with police chiefs this week to hear their concerns.

Maple Grove Police Chief Eric Werner, who is also president of the Minnesota Chiefs of Police Association, said the surge in violent crime is a result of policies implemented or influenced by the Hennepin County Attorney's Office. startribune.com


Progressive Prosecutors Update - Under Pressure Nationwide

1/17/22: Baltimore State's Attorney Marlyn Mosby Indicted By Fed's - fights for her political life, what role does her husband, the Baltimore City Council president, play?
Publicly silent since Thursday, when
federal prosecutors charged his wife with perjury and false statements to withdraw early from a retirement fund and apply for mortgages to buy homes in Florida, and lied about it when asked by investigators.

The indictment, which emerged from a
monthslong federal investigation, has thrust the already high-profile couple and their personal and political partnership into an even brighter spotlight. baltimoresun.com

12/6/21: LA County DA: New Recall Efforts Launched Against LA County District Attorney George Gascón
Since his time in office began, Gascón has been under fire for his progressive policies. These policies include refusal to seek the death penalty, re-evaluation of prisoner sentences that have been withstanding for over 20 years, and the dropping of “sentence-enhancing” allegations in criminal cases. He has also ended the use of associating gang affiliation in sentencing and charging juveniles as adults. latimes.com

11/10/21: San Francisco’s Top Prosecutor Will Face a Recall Election
Mr. Boudin, like other liberal prosecutors in places such as Philadelphia and Los Angeles, has faced sharp pushback from conservative activists, as well as other residents concerned about public safety, who say that he is not taking a hard enough line on crime and that his policies have made San Francisco less safe. nytimes.com

1/12/21: Dallas: GOP candidate for Dallas County DA vows to end Creuzot’s policy on misdemeanor thefts if elected
Faith Johnson emphatically promised to prosecute all Class B misdemeanor thefts if elected, reversing is a hallmark of John Creuzot’s first term.

“As your chief law-enforcement officer of this county, I want you to be able to count on me,” said Johnson, who was Dallas County’s DA from 2016 to 2018. “
I want the shop owners to be able to count on me. I want the large grocery chains to be able to count on me.

Creuzot, who is running for a second term, upset law-enforcement groups and conservative politicians when he announced his office
would not prosecute misdemeanor theft of personal items worth less than $750 without evidence the crime was for financial gain. He has said the policy aims to avoid saddling people struggling with poverty with a criminal record.

Last week, Creuzot released a one-page
explainer of his policy, which shows that misdemeanor thefts are down for the fourth straight year and Class B misdemeanor thefts specifically are at a six-year low. The number of cases law enforcement filed has steadily decreased from 2,428 in 2017, when Johnson was district attorney, to 1,314 in 2021. dallasmorningnews.com

1/10/22: Manhattan: New York City can expect to see more brazen crime this year - New Progressive DA Alvin Bragg
On January 3, newly minted Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg distributed a
memo setting out a number of radical changes to the office’s approach to law enforcement.

More serious charges, like robbery and burglary, will be downgraded in many cases, according to the memo. If someone robs a convenience store with an empty gun, a Manhattan prosecutor must now charge the offender with petit larceny (a Class A misdemeanor) instead of robbery in the first degree (a Class B felony). Never mind that in a situation like that, the clerk, if armed, would be well within her rights to shoot the crook dead—such conduct is no longer deemed serious enough to warrant the kind of prison sentence that would normally accompany a robbery conviction. foxnews.com

12/25/21: Chicago DA Kim Foxx ripped as soft on crime following Oakbrook Center mall shooting

12/21/21: Liberal Illinois state's attorney Kim Foxx facing calls to resign

1/3/22: Philadelphia: State Rep. Martina White wants to ban Philly DA Larry Krasner from serving a third term in office


Retail Crime & Violence Surge Continues

'Stolen Goods on Steroids'
Online marketplaces enabling smash-and-grab criminals

57% of retailers reported a rise in thefts during the coronavirus pandemic

Online marketplaces have created a black market business model for thieves, driving the surge in smash-and-grab robberies that have been on the rise throughout the United States in recent months and years, retail industry leaders told FOX Business.

Ben Dugan, the head of the Coalition of Law Enforcement and Retail, estimates that retail theft is now responsible for $68 billion in annual losses, a number that has gone up during the coronavirus pandemic.

More than half of retailers nationwide,
57%, said that there has been more organized retail crime since the pandemic began, according to a survey conducted last year by the National Retail Federation.

The forces that have led to the increase in thefts were put in place about a decade ago, according to Jason Brewer, the executive vice president at Retail Industry Leaders Association.

"The difference between today and 10 years ago is the rise in online marketplaces and the ease of anonymously selling stolen products," Brewer told FOX Business. "It has put the problem of stolen goods on steroids and it has created, unfortunately, a business model for some criminals to steal and very
quickly and anonymously resell stolen products."

The surge in retail theft has prompted some law enforcement agencies to convene task forces and operations targeting the criminals responsible. Retail industry leaders said that
the problem won't go away until online marketplaces tighten up security and transparency around peer-to-peer transactions.

The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act
(INFORM Act) has been introduced in both chambers of Congress with bipartisan co-sponsors.

The bill would
require online platforms to verify the identities of high-volume third-party sellers and require sellers to give contact information upfront. foxbusiness.com

In Case You Missed It: Walgreens Shrink Rate Surges
Walgreens executives say the drugstore chain is losing 50% more money due to loss and theft

Walgreens has lost 50% more income to theft and damaged items in the last two years.

Roz Brewer, the chief executive of Walgreens Boots Alliance, said the company has a shrink rate, or the loss of inventory attributed to theft, fraud, and damage, at about 3.25%.
The shrink rate had been a little over 2% 10 years ago, she added.

Brewer said the last two years have led to a
40% to 50% increase in shrink, due in large part to organized crime.

"This is not petty theft," Brewer said on a January 6 call with investors. "It's not somebody who can't afford to eat tomorrow. These are
gangs that actually go in and empty our stores of beauty products. And it's a real issue."

Walgreens reported a net earnings from continuing operations of $2 billion in the 12 months ending August 31. With a shrink rate of 3.25%, the company's could have
lost $65 million from its net earnings last year because of theft.

US retailers lost an estimated 1.62% of revenues to shrinkage in 2020, totalling an record $61.7 billion, according to the National Retail Federation.

Retailers said the growth of
third-party e-commerce stores exacerbated retail crime. Two retail spokespeople told Insider's Áine Cain anonymous online merchants can make it easier for thieves to market their loot without drawing suspicion.

Twenty retailers, including Target, Best Buy, and Kroger, have asked Congress to pass legislation to curb illegal business activity by anonymous vendors online. markets.businessinsider.com

Lenient DAs Fueling Crime?
UCLA grad student fatally stabbed while working at high-end LA furniture store
A UCLA grad student was fatally stabbed by a random maniac while she was working as a consultant at a high-end furniture store in Los Angeles, police said.

Brianna Kupfer, 24, was alone and working at
Croft House on North La Brea Avenue at around 1:50 p.m. on Jan. 13 when a stranger walked in and knifed her to death, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The
father slammed local politicians as too lenient, saying crime has been rampant. Over the weekend, LA officials announced a nearly 12 percent jump in homicides in 2021 from the year prior.

“I think our city leaders need to make smarter decisions about what they do with criminals and how they incarcerate them,” he told The Post on Monday. “I get it, there is a lot of racial injustice. But it doesn’t change the fact that
somebody who is doing evil shouldn’t just get a slap on the wrist. Unfortunately, this is what we are seeing now.”

The
murder rate in Los Angeles has soared in recent years and violent crime has rocked even the city's wealthiest enclaves.

Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón, a Democrat, won over voters last year with promises of sweeping criminal justice reforms that
critics say put the interests of criminals before the safety of the community. nypost.com  foxnews.com

More Line-of-duty Deaths Since the Al Capone & Prohibition Days - 1930
COVID leading line-of-duty cause of death in police officers in 2021 for 2nd year
A sobering study released by the
National Law Enforcement Memorial and Museum revealed that, for the second consecutive year, COVID-19 sustained on the job was the leading cause of police officer deaths.

“Preliminary data shows that some
301 officer fatalities have been identified as caused by COVID this year, and this number appears to increase almost daily.”

The report also notes that
458 total law enforcement officers died in the line of duty in 2021, an increase of 65% from the 295 officers killed during the same period last year, and the highest total line-of-duty officer deaths since 1930 when there were 312 fatalities. mercurynews.com


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COVID Update

526.8M Vaccinations Given

US: 67.6M Cases - 874.3K Dead - 43.1M Recovered
Worldwide: 331.8M Cases - 5.5M Dead - 269.2M Recovered


Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 343  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 613

*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Cases, Hospitalizations & Deaths


On Vaccine Mandates, The Ball's Back in Retailers' Court
The #1 Topic this week

This week, everyone will be talking about how retailers approach the question of unvaccinated employees
Nike and some other brands have said
they will fire unvaccinated employees at corporate offices, but few have required store workers to get shots

Some retailers, including Macy’s and Lululemon, have
reduced store hours and taken other measures as rising infection rates made finding enough staff a struggle

The fashion industry helped lead the charge against the mandate, arguing it would
exacerbate a retail labour shortage that has only grown worse as the requirement made its way through the courts. Now, the ball is in retailers’ court: some have ordered employees in corporate offices be vaccinated or risk losing their jobs. Few have extended that requirement to stores.

The rapid spread of the Omicron variant complicates matters further, with some stores forced to close because so many employees are sick or quarantining. That’s almost certainly contributing to retailers’ reluctance to require store workers be vaccinated. The high number of breakthrough cases among the vaccinated means requiring shots wouldn’t necessarily prevent widespread illness in the office or at the mall. What it would do is reduce the number of workers who become seriously ill, or die.

The Bottom Line: Whether it’s lockdowns, mask requirements or vaccine mandates, the pandemic has repeatedly forced brands and retailers to weigh the health of their businesses against the health of their employees. Often, the fashion industry has chosen the former over the latter. That need not always be true; when retailers first objected to the mandate in November, some executives said they would be more open to requiring vaccines after the holiday rush. They had their day in court and won. Will they now move ahead with mandates on their own, or come up with new excuses?  businessoffashion.com

USSG: "The Next Few Weeks Will Be Tough"
US Surgeon General warns ‘next few weeks will be tough’ as Omicron spreads
US Surgeon General Vivek Murthy warned Sunday that the
“next few weeks will be tough” as COVID-19 infections driven by the Omicron variant continue to surge.

Murthy said that the country is
still pushing around 800,000 new cases per day, though some regions, such as New York, have begun to see a plateau in infections.

The challenge is that not the entire country is moving at the same pace. The Omicron wave started later in other parts of the country,” Murthy said on CNN’s “State of the Union,” adding, “the next few weeks will be tough. nypost.com

California surpasses 7 million coronavirus cases, adding 1 million in one week

California has recorded more than 7 million coronavirus cases, after its fastest accumulation of reported infections in the history of the pandemic.

The unprecedented count, recorded in California’s databases late Monday, comes one week after the state tallied its 6 millionth coronavirus case.

The stunning speed of new infections is a testament to the Omicron variant’s transmissibility, believed to be two to four times more contagious than the Delta variant, which in turn was more infectious than earlier strains that pummeled California last winter.

California’s daily COVID-19 death rate has also risen dramatically. For the seven-day period that ended Sunday, the state was recording 103 deaths a day; that’s roughly double the last week of 2021, when 55 deaths a day were tallied. L.A. County’s peak death rate last year was about 240 deaths a day. latimes.com

Biggest Concern: Preserving Your Company Culture in Hybrid or Remote Offices
Corporate America is coming around to remote work. But more big changes lie ahead.

Flexible work is here to stay. But the shape it will take is up for debate in virtual board rooms around the world.

Corporate leaders attempting to coax employees back to the office have largely accepted the inevitability of the hybrid work model — a strategy buttressed by the reality of raging coronavirus rates, a tight labor market and the nation’s more than 10 million job openings. Now they are learning to leverage its benefits, according to Adam Galinsky, a professor of leadership and ethics at Columbia Business School in New York.
That includes more flexibility and less time commuting for employees, and lower real estate and operating costs for companies.

“We are fundamentally not going to go back to what we had before,” he said. The ability to do their jobs remotely has changed when people work, what they wear, and what tasks they save for the office and do at home.

But the downside of remote work — particularly the deleterious effects on
mentorship and person-to-person interactions that shape company culture — still trouble corporate leaders. More than a third of the executives polled in Deloitte’s 2021 Return to Workplaces survey said the biggest concern about hybrid or remote work was preserving company culture. Maintaining performance and collaboration also were top concerns.

The tension between the demand for flexibility and the costs of committing to it entirely is likely to grow.
Fewer than 28 percent of those employed in the nation’s 10 biggest business districts, including Washington, New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, were at the office the first week of January, according to data from Kastle Systems. And 55 percent of remote workers would consider quitting if their companies tried to force their return to offices, according to research this month from Morning Consult.

The days of the 9 to 5, Monday through Friday workweek, those are gone,” Johnny C. Taylor Jr., chief executive of the Society for Human Resource Management, told The Post.

“Remote is permanent,” according to Marc Cenedella, chief executive of Ladders. Cenedella said. “
It’s here to stay, it’s accelerating, and it’s the largest change to American living and working arrangements since World War II.

“If you want the opportunity to grow your business in 2022, if you want to hire, it turns out that you have to hire out of office,” he told The Post. washingtonpost.com

Hallucinations and headaches: Seven ways COVID can affect your brain

Covid testing: How to get free at-home rapid test kits
 



Massive Winter Storm - The Retail Impact


Nearly 20 States Impacted by Major Winter Storm
Winter Storm Warnings for 19 States - Izzy Brings Up to 20 Inches of Snow
Winter storm warnings for Sunday were issued
for 19 states, with up to 20 inches of snow forecast in places and travel expected to be near impossible in some areas. National Weather Service (NWS) issued a series of ongoing warnings early Sunday morning ahead of expected heavy snow, ice accumulations and gusty winds during Storm Izzy.

States where winter storm warnings were issued at the time of publication were:
New York, Ohio, Vermont, Virginia, Kentucky, Maine, Massachusetts, Arkansas, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, West Virginia, Maryland, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and the District of Columbia.

Total snow
accumulations of up to 20 inches are expected in the Chautauqua Ridge and Boston Hills areas of New York, and in parts of the Blue Ridge Escarpment mountain range in South Carolina and Georgia. newsweek.com

Winter Storm Hits at Worst Possible Time for Supermarkets
Massive winter storm could keep grocery shelves empty even longer
Grocery stores had already been struggling to keep their shelves stocked because of supply chain delays and Omicron sickening workers. Now, markets across America are bracing for a major winter storm that could keep store shelves empty even longer.

A
significant winter storm headed toward the Midwest, South and East Coast over the long holiday weekend is poised to deliver another blow to grocery sellers struggling to keep enough supplies of everyday essentials — milk, juice, produce, soups and meats — in stock.

Severe weather events are notorious for triggering grocery stockpiling by consumers, said Miguel Gomez, Robert G. Tobin professor of food marketing at Cornell University's Dyson School of Applied Economics.

"These winter storms are unfortunately going to add delays to an already strained supply chain," he said. "I do think shoppers will see out-of-stocks in stores for certain grocery products."

The timing of the storms couldn't be worse for supermarkets. In recent days, consumers around the country have unleashed their frustration on social media, posting photos on Twitter of bare shelves at Trader Joe's locations, Giant Foods and Publix stores, among many others. cnn.com

Businesses Close Over Winter Storm
Extreme winter weather causing business closures and closing Cleveland's COVID-19 testing site
Following an overnight winter storm that dumped
more than 10 inches of snow in many cities across Northeast Ohio, businesses, parks and institutions announced closures on Martin Luther King Jr. Day due to major snowfall and winter weather.

Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio says it will close all retail locations and attended donation centers for Monday, January 17, 2022. All locations will reopen Tuesday, January 18, 2022. Goodwill Industries of Greater Cleveland and East Central Ohio operates 22 retail stores, eight attended donation centers and two warehouses across our 10-county footprint.

All Northeast Ohio Heinen's stores will close early on Monday due to the inclement weather. Stores will close at 5 p.m., the chain announced. news5cleveland.com

'We've mastered that program': Waffle House prepared for bad weather

Winter storm turns deadly, creating travel nightmares & thousands of power outages

Winter storm prompts city to declare state of emergency


Here we go again? 2 more winter storms could be brewing


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Rail Theft Gaining National Attention
‘It’s ugly out there’: Rail thefts leave tracks littered with pilfered packages

Organized Groups Halting Trains & Recruiting the Homeless to Ransack Cars

Thieves are pilfering railroad cars in a crime that harks back to the days of horseback-riding bandits, but is fueled by a host of modern realities, including the rise of e-commerce and Southern California’s role as a hub for the movement of goods.

The images have generated national attention and
revealed tension among rail operators, government officials and authorities over what can be done to reduce the thefts.

A bottleneck in the supply chain and the presence of homeless encampments near rail lines have contributed to the thefts, officials said.

Organized and opportunistic criminal rail theft ... impacts our employees, our customers in the overall supply chain industry,” said Adrian Guerrero, a director of public affairs for Union Pacific.

Guerrero estimates that about 90 cargo containers a day are
compromised, sometimes by an organized group that has halted trains and recruited people living on the street to ransack the containers.

Union Pacific is deploying more drones, has brought in extra security and enlisted the Los Angeles Police Department, California Highway Patrol and the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to combat the thefts, Guerrero said.

But Union Pacific is partly to blame for not deploying more security, said Los Angeles Police Capt. German Hurtado, who works in the Hollenbeck Division. latimes.com

Railroad Asking Progressive LA County DA to Reverse Policy
UP wants help combating 160% spike in thefts in LA

Railroad says if criminals aren’t prosecuted it will consider ‘significant changes’ to operations

Union Pacific is pressing local and state officials to help it with a spike of robberies occurring on the railroad’s property in Los Angeles. The thefts involve trespassers climbing onto trains and breaking into cargo containers.

UP said Sunday that it asked Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón last month to reconsider local persecution policies so that trespassers are held accountable.

The situation has gotten so bad that customers such as UPS and FedEx have been “seeking to divert rail business away to other areas in the hope of avoiding the organized and opportunistic criminal theft that has impacted their own business and customers,” Guerrero said.

UP continued in the letter that it was “
contemplating serious changes” to its operating plans to avoid Los Angeles County, which the railroad acknowledged could significantly impact local, state and national supply chain systems.

Besides seeking help to modify policies on criminal penalties, UP said it is partnering and engaging with other elected leaders and government agencies, including the office of California Gov. Gavin Newsom, to curb criminal activity.

For its part,
UP has beefed up its security force and is working with local law enforcement, and the railroad has deployed technology such as the use of drones, trespass detection systems and specialized fencing. While these efforts have resulted in hundreds of arrests, UP says that less than half of the trespassers are booked and some are released in less than 24 hours.

Although local media reports have been relaying a UP cargo theft spike in recent days, the railroad was grappling with container theft in Southern California last fall, FreightWaves reported. Slower speeds and longer dwell times as a result of the supply chain congestion have contributed to making intermodal trains an
attractive target for theft.

UP has experienced a more than
160% increase in criminal rail theft in Los Angeles County, according to its December letter. In three months in the fall during intermodal peak season, UP said over 90 containers were compromised per day on average and over 100 arrests were made between local law enforcement and UP. But of those arrests, UP has not been contacted for any court proceedings.

UP estimated in December that criminal activity over the previous 12 months totaled approximately $5 million in claims, losses and damages to UP. freightwaves.com

Backlogged Logistics Infrastructure Targeted By Organized Crime
Cargo theft up 35.8% as thieves take advantage of increased traffic, idled shipments
Record container backlogs at U.S. ports and overstressed supply chains are creating conditions ripe for cargo theft, according to experts.

“The backlog across all logistics infrastructure is causing containers and shipments to sit idle, not just in the ports but outside the ports, increasing opportunities for them to be
targeted by criminals,” Ron Greene, vice president of business development at Overhaul, told FreightWaves.

Cargo that finally makes its way out of backlogged ports is being
aggressively targeted by criminals eyeing containers filled with everything from home appliances and electronic goods to apparel and more.

Especially right now at places like the Port of Los Angeles, the trains come to the port and they take containers off of the ship and put them on the train, then those containers are sitting for days on end and not moving,” Coughlin said.

Not only does idle freight create more opportunities for thieves, it also complicates trying to protect freight in transit, according to Scott Cornell, transportation lead, crime and theft specialist at Travelers.

CargoNet reported
1,502 total theft events last year when the pandemic began disrupting supply chains. Up 35.8% from 2019. That compared with 1,106 total theft events in 2019 and 1,181 in 2018. freightwaves.com

FYI -Those With Truck Fleets: 2nd Top Article This Week in Freight Waves
Truckers using cocaine more than marijuana, study finds

Mandatory hair testing needed to correct DOT underreporting, according to truckload carrier group

A
new study reveals that the U.S. Department of Transportation may be underreporting cocaine abuse by truck drivers, a finding that could put more pressure on federal regulators to allow hair testing as an alternative to urine testing for preemployment drug screening by trucking companies.

Because the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s Drug & Alcohol Clearinghouse does not allow hair test results to be included in the database,
DOT “is seriously underreporting the actual use of harder drugs by truck drivers, such as cocaine and illegal opioids,” said Doug Voss, a professor of logistics and supply chain management at the University of Central Arkansas (UCA).

Since FMCSA began publishing clearinghouse data in 2020,
marijuana has far outranked other illegal drugs in positive test results, with cocaine and methamphetamines coming in a distant second and third, respectively.

However, 2020 data collected by UCA comparing preemployment urine and hair drug test results from major truckload carriers with urine tests in the federal clearinghouse found that
an additional 58,910 drivers reporting into the federal clearinghouse would have failed preemployment drug tests had they submitted to hair testing.

The study found that cocaine and opioids were the most commonly identified substances in positive hair tests from the truckload carriers, with 16.2% more cocaine users and 14.34% more opioid users than were found in federal clearinghouse urine tests. freightwaves.com

Only 9 Retailers Made Top 100 Best Places to Work By Employees' Choice
Lululemon tops as best U.S. retail company to work for in 2022

Athletic apparel retailer the only retailer to crack top 25 in Glassdoor's annual ranking of the best companies to work for.

Lululemon took the ninth spot in Glassdoor’s 14th annual Employees’ Choice Awards honoring the 100 Best Places to Work in 2022 (among employers with 1,000 or more employees) across the United States.

In total,
nine retailers made this year’s list. In addition to Lululemon, the other retailers recognized were:

Trader Joe’s (#32); H-E-B (#33); eBay (#55); Wegmans Food Markets (#80); Madewell (#88); Scheels (#93); Costco (#93); and REI (#95). glassdoor.com

Wakefern to Test Frictionless Stores with Israel-based computer vision company Trigo to deploy AI-based checkout tech

Frictionless Gains Ground in Europe as Trigo's "Pick&Go" Partners With Major Food Retailers
 



Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Assets Protection Director, Global Supply Chain & Logistics job posted for Target in Midlothian, TX
As an AP Director supporting Global Supply Chain & Logistics, you will develop and communicate AP strategies and priorities, including tactical plans and expectations, to your team, peers and leadership across multiple teams. You will be financially accountable by prioritizing and driving continuous improvement. You will experience leading a large remote team in Assets Protection through multiple layers, across multiple markets and establish a culture of accountability through hiring, setting clear expectations, talent & development strategies and performance management. jobs.target.com
 



Last week's #1 article --

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Mark Stinde named Senior Vice President Operations, Retail and Compliance for The Integritus Group

The Integritus Group is proud to announce the addition of Industry Veteran Mark Stinde as the Senior VP Operations-Retail and Compliance.


Boston, MA - Mark Stinde has accepted the role of Senior Vice President Operations- Retail and Compliance for The Integritus Group, where he is responsible for supporting the retail and compliance practice.

"We are extremely pleased that Mark Stinde will be joining our team. Mark has an extensive background in retail and is one of the key thought leaders in retail loss prevention and asset protection. Mark has experience in significant executive leadership roles in asset protection, operations, and safety with some of the largest retailers”, says
Kevin O'Brien, VP Business Development.

Mark brings with him an MBA from Southern Methodist University and over 35 years of experience in the retail world, having worked for major national retail organizations. He most recently served as the Vice President of Asset Protection for Kroger, heading their entire US retail operation.

Prior to that, Mark was the Senior Vice President of Asset Protection at JCPenney. In addition, Mark has led Asset Protection at other large retailers including serving as Vice President of Asset Protection for 7-Eleven and Vice President of Asset Protection for Circuit City.

His experience also includes a variety of leadership roles in Asset Protection at Sears, The Home Depot, and Toys' R' Us. He is a dynamic leader who champions change that drives value to the business and improves results.

"I am so excited to join this innovative business where I am able to partner with retailers to mitigate loss, maintain compliance and keep their locations safe." -
Mark Stinde

Mark is a passionate supporter of the Asset Protection/Loss Prevention field. Mark is on the board of directors for the Loss Prevention Foundation, where he is also the secretary and holds the Loss Prevention Certification credential. He also sits on the editorial board of Loss Prevention Magazine.

For more information on The Integritus Group please visit theintegritusgroup.com


 

 

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Is This a Game Changer? Or Russian Ploy?
Then again what's a bunch of cybercriminals vs. an entire country?

World Politics & Cybersecurity - Russia Currying Favor From the West?
Russia Takes Down REvil Ransomware Operation, Arrests Key Members

Moscow and White House sharing intelligence now Via White House-Kremlin Experts Group

Russia's Federal Security Service (FSB) has arrested members of the prolific REvil ransomware group at the US government's request in a significant development that is being received with some skepticism given its timing in the middle of brewing geopolitical tensions between the two nations.

REvil, aka Sodinokibi, has been
one of the most notorious ransomware operations in recent years, amassing more than $200 million in illicit profits, according to the U.S. Department of Justice.

The FSB said that the arrests were made in part thanks to
intelligence shared by the U.S. government. The Biden administration Friday said that it's been continuing to share intelligence with Moscow via the White House-Kremlin Experts Group set up last June.

In a statement, the FSB said it had
detained 14 members of the REvil gang and searched 25 addresses associated with them in an operation that resulted in the seizure of numerous assets belonging to the group. This included the equivalent of some $6.8 million in various currencies including cryptocurrency; 20 premium vehicles; computer equipment; and cryptocurrency wallets the REvil group used in its operations.

The FSB described its investigation as a complex and coordinated effort that resulted in the REvil operation being taken down and its criminal infrastructure being neutralized. The investigation and takedown were launched at the behest of US authorities, who identified REvil's ringleader to the FSB and provided detailed information of the gang's ransomware activities targeting foreign entities, the FSB said. US authorities have been provided full details of the operation, it added.

It's not clear for how long the FSB might have been monitoring the suspects before arresting them. But chatter on the cybercrime underground has revealed
the FSB exerting increasing pressure on some ransomware operations - including Avaddon, Darkside, Hive and BlackMatter - since at least spring 2021, says Advanced Intelligence's Boguslavskiy.

Skepticism Over True Motives

Several security experts Friday welcomed the FSB's action and described it as an overall good thing.

However, there is some
skepticism of the true motives behind this action, considering it comes amid growing tensions between the US and Russia over concerns that the latter is preparing to invade Ukraine. Talks between the two countries to deescalate the situation in Ukraine have so far led nowhere and there's growing concern that conflict in the region could lead to a major disruption in US-Russian relationships.

This is Russian ransomware diplomacy. It is a signal to the United States:
If you don't enact severe sanctions against us for invasion of Ukraine, we will continue to cooperate with you on ransomware investigations," tweets Dmitri Alperovitch, chairman of the Silverado Policy Accelerator, who previously served as the CTO of cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike. "I suspect the U.S. government will not bite," he adds.

"They couldn't care less about these guys," Alperovitch says. "They are not members of the security services. They are not oligarchs. They are not close to Putin.
They are pawns to be used and discarded."

"Taking REvil down serves Russia well during talks with the United States and helps to curry favor from Western countries that may be likely to interfere in the conflict with Ukraine," says Josh Lospinoso, CEO, and co-founder of Shift5 and founding member of US Cyber Command. "
This public display also gives Russia plausible deniability [that] REvil was responsible for the JBS cyberattack, where they received $11 million in ransom."

By taking down REvil, Russia sends the message they are taking the onslaught of cyberattacks against critical infrastructure seriously. However, ransomware groups, particularly those working directly or indirectly with Putin’s regime, have a history of bouncing back, Lospinoso says. It is quite likely that another group will emerge to replace REvil, he said. darkreading.com govinfosecurity.com

Editor's Note: If Russia & Putin truly build a cooperative law enforcement group that stops and apprehends these cybercriminals this could make a huge dent in cybercrime and remove some of the pressure and losses from corporate America. Let's hope it is a genuine effort. But history has shown there are no coincidents. - Gus Downing

Ransomware Mayhem Over Money?

Ransomware isn’t always about gangs making money. Sometimes it’s about nations manufacturing mayhem.
Ransomware is fundamentally about reaping massive profits from victims — payments were on pace to cross the billion-dollar threshold in 2021, according to the U.S. government — but there are signs
foreign government-connected groups are increasingly moving into a territory dominated by criminal gangs, and for an entirely different motive: namely, causing chaos.

Research that Microsoft and cybersecurity company CrowdStrike recently publicized separately concluded that Iranian hackers tied to Tehran had been conducting ransomware attacks that
weren’t about making money, but instead disrupting their enemies. It echoed research from last spring and summer by FlashPoint and SentinelOne, respectively.

AdvertisementWhen disruptive ransomware pays off, those who have studied the phenomenon say, it can embarrass victims. It can be used to steal data and leak sensitive information the public. It can lock up systems, disabling targets. And given the prominence of ransomware, it’s another method that foreign intelligence and military agencies can use to hide in the shadows, wreak havoc and make it look like the work of others.

If the tactic spreads, it could lead to even more companies and other targets fending off ransomware in the line of nation-state cyberwarfare and cyber-espionage. Like any other malware, ransomware is built to break things.

Who cares about the money?

Suspected Chinese hackers last March were behind a strain of ransomware that claimed victims in the U.S., Germany, Indonesia and elsewhere that some intelligence analysts say was possibly
motivated less by money than havoc. Threat intelligence firm Recorded Future says the hackers behind it showed little sign that actually cared whether they got paid — suggesting another intent, possibly disruptive in nature.

“I think it’s a trend,” said Allan Liska, director of threat intel at Recorded Future. “
If that continues to breed success, you’ll see more of that.”

What’s more, given that multiple Iranian groups appear to have adopted the tactic,
it might not be long before disruptive Iranian ransomware claims U.S. victims, predicted Adam Meyers, senior vice president of intelligence for CrowdStrike.

“As we watch the ongoing dissolution of relations with Iran and the U.S. and the international community, I think this is a marker … of what they may look to do when the gloves come off,” Meyers said. cyberscoop.com

Remember If It's Free - You Probably Have a Problem
Ransomware warning: Cyber criminals are mailing out USB drives that install malware

Don't insert USB drives from unknown sources, even if they're addressed to you in the post.

A cybercrime group has been mailing out USB thumb drives in the hope that recipients will plug them into their PCs and install ransomware on their networks,
according to the FBI.

The USB drives contain so-called 'BadUSB' attacks. They were sent in the mail through the United States Postal Service and United Parcel Service. One type contained a message impersonating the US Department of Health and Human Services and claimed to be a COVID-19 warning. Other malicious USBs were sent in the post with a gift card claiming to be from Amazon.

While BadUSB attacks aren't common, cyber criminals in 2020 posted BadUSB drives to targets in the post with a message
claiming to be from BestBuy that urged recipients to insert a malicious USB thumb drive into a computer in order view products that could be redeemed from a supposed gift card. That attack was attributed to the FIN7 group, which is also believed to be behind this attack. zdnet.com

Zero-trust security market to reach $64.4B by 2027


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How to Save In-meeting Chat to the Zoom Cloud

Did you know, if you are a licensed user with cloud recording enabled on Zoom, you can choose to save your in-meeting chat to the Zoom Cloud when you cloud record? First, sign into the Zoom web portal. In the navigation menu, click Settings. Click the Recording tab. Under Recording, click the Cloud recording toggle to enable or disable it. If a verification dialog displays, click Enable or Disable to verify the change. Note: If the option is grayed out, it has been locked at either the group or account level, and you need to contact your Zoom admin. Under Cloud recording, select the Save chat messages from the meeting / webinar check box. Under Advanced cloud recording settings, select the Save panelist chat to the recording check box to allow more files to save from the webinar. The messages sent by panelists during a webinar to either all panelists or all panelists and attendees will be saved to the recording. Then, click save.


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Feds Coming for Amazon
The true cost of Amazon’s low prices

Critics say the “everything store” does too much. Is 2022 the year antitrust hawks come for Amazon?

On the heels of yet another year of record sales, Amazon is dealing with a couple of unwelcome updates in the new year. The Senate Judiciary Committee has announced it will soon be marking up the American Innovation and Choice Online Act, an antitrust bill targeting Amazon and other Big Tech companies. This follows reports that the Federal Trade Commission is ramping up its years-long antitrust investigation into Amazon’s cloud computing arm, Amazon Web Services, or AWS.

It’s clearer now than ever that Amazon, which was allowed to grow mostly unhindered for more than two decades, is caught in the middle of an international effort to check Big Tech’s power.

The Senate bill, one of several bipartisan antitrust bills in Congress, would prohibit Amazon from giving its products preferential treatment, among other things. It’s the bill that would affect the company the most, and the one it has been fighting hardest against. Meanwhile, the renewed scrutiny from the FTC about alleged anti-competitive behavior from AWS, which represents a significant and largely invisible source of Amazon’s profits, could threaten Amazon’s long-term dominance in a number of industries.

Just because a company is successful and dominates a market (or even several markets) doesn’t mean it’s violating any antitrust laws. But Amazon’s critics say it illegally uses its power to harm competition and consumers, particularly with its Marketplace, where outside, or third-party, businesses can sell their products to Amazon customers alongside Amazon’s own wares. Amazon has been accused of copying popular products to sell under its own labels, using non-public seller data to inform its own decisions, and forcing sellers into agreements that essentially prohibit them from offering lower prices elsewhere. Amazon denies some of these allegations and says other actions are simply meant to provide the services its customers want at the best price.

Some of these complaints have been around a while, but 2022 may be the year that Amazon faces meaningful and real consequences for them. There are still caveats. State attorneys general are rumored to be looking into some of Amazon’s business practices, but only one has filed a lawsuit so far. The FTC is still waiting for the confirmation of a fifth Democratic commissioner who would break up the deadlock of two Republican and two Democratic commissioners. And while antitrust bills are making progress in Congress, Democratic lawmakers currently seem focused on other initiatives ahead of the midterm elections — elections that could give Republicans a majority in one or both houses of Congress. vox.com

Amazon Tornado Wrongful Death Lawsuit
Wrongful death lawsuit filed over tornado at Amazon site
Lawyers on Monday filed a
wrongful death lawsuit in Madison County, Illinois against Amazon and two other companies on behalf of Austin McEwen’s family. The delivery driver was killed on Dec. 10, 2021, when a tornado hit the Amazon fulfillment center where he was working.

The tornado, with top winds estimated at 155 mph, ripped the roof off the facility just after 8:30 p.m. and caused the building to collapse on itself. McEwen was
one of six people killed. Forty-five Amazon workers were able to get out of the warehouse safely, with one airlifted to a hospital for treatment.

The lawsuit accuses Amazon of forcing McEwen and others to work when management knew conditions were unsafe after tornado warnings had been issued. McEwen was also told to continue working instead of evacuating when the possibility of a serious tornado was apparent, the suit alleges.

“We spent the last month reading articles on how Amazon knew the tornado was coming, but made the decision to have our son and others work during a peak delivery season for Amazon instead of evacuating the area with no storm shelter in place,” said Alice McEwen, Austin’s mother.

McEwen did not work for Amazon but was a contracted delivery driver who worked with the company to make deliveries from the warehouse in Edwardsville.

Attorneys for the McEwen family claim
the facility had no basement shelter and no adequate emergency plan as required by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration. Attorneys have also questioned if the building was built to code, an issue the company confronted directly in a statement Monday morning. news10.com

'Friendly fraud' risks messing up CFOs' metrics


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ICE Press Release:
ICE HSI Dallas collaboration with federal, state and city law enforcement agencies lead to dismantlement of large-scale retail theft ring
DALLAS – Twenty-nine members of a large-scale theft ring operating from northeastern Oklahoma were charged by federal and state prosecutors for their roles in an organization whose operations crossed state lines, resulting in more than $10 million in losses to retailers, announced acting Special Agent in Charge Christopher Miller, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Dallas, U.S. Attorney Clint Johnson of the Northern District Oklahoma and Oklahoma Attorney General John O’Connor.

According to the federal indictment and the state of Tulsa’s probable cause affidavit, defendant Linda Been led a criminal enterprise of “Boosters” netting more than $4.5 million from the sale of stolen merchandise and over-the-counter products to fencing organizations outside of Oklahoma. The “Fences” then sold the stolen products through e-commerce sites, like eBay and Amazon.

Been and her team of boosters allegedly stole products from retailers in Oklahoma, Kansas, Texas, Missouri, Arkansas, and Colorado. Been would pay boosters’ expenses when they traveled outside Tulsa. She would further pay boosters’ bond when arrested so they could continue their illicit activity. Boosters would then deliver the goods to predetermined locations in Tulsa, Sand Springs, and Cleveland, Oklahoma. The stolen goods were either bulk shipped to other regional fencing operations in the eastern United States or sold online to individual purchasers both domestically and internationally.

Financial payments for the stolen products were often made through PayPal, Venmo, and Cash App, and some payments were made with drugs. Stores targeted in the theft of goods included Reasor’s, Sprouts, Walmart, Sam’s Club, Costco, Walgreens, CVS, GNC and others.

The investigation into the retail theft ring began in 2019 when an organized crime investigator from a pharmacy retailer shared information with law enforcement about bulk thefts at their Tulsa area locations. The investigation is ongoing. In some cases, the defendants are being charged by both state and federal statutes. ice.gov

   Case originally posted on Jan. 13, 2022

Louisville, KY: UPS workers took part in 'criminal syndicate' that stole more than $11K in jewelry
Several UPS employees are accused of stealing thousands of dollars of jewelry worth nearly $12,000 -- and investigators believe the total theft may far exceed that. According to court documents, investigators determined that seven employees were working together to steal Swarovski jewelry during their shifts. Police say some would conceal the jewelry while others made sure to block the view of other employees and dispose of the empty boxes to avoid detection. The thefts were recorded on surveillance video, according to police. Police say the value of the stolen jewelry is $11,805.00, but the actual total "is expected to exceed far beyond that." They're all charged with engaging in organized crime. Herrera also faces a charge of tampering with physical evidence after police say she tried to toss a piece of jewelry as she was being escorted from the property by a UPS employee. They are scheduled to appear in arraignment court Tuesday morning. wdrb.com


California: More than $19M in stolen items recovered through CHP’s Organized Retail Theft Program
Since the Organized Retail Crime Task Force was established in 2019, the California Highway Patrol has handled over 870 investigations, KRON4 reported. CHP said it has retrieved $19.7 million in stolen merchandise and made a total of 371 arrests out of the 877 investigations. Assembly Bill 1065 has mandated the CHP to work alongside the Department of Justice to determine locations that record a spike in property crimes. The operation will now be extended from July 1 this year to Jan. 1, 2026, as stipulated in Assembly Bill 331. The National Retail Federation said about $30 billion were lost in the economy because of organized retail crime. While this program is linked with shoplifting, it also counts in organized criminal activity such as vehicle burglary, credit card fraud, organized criminal acts, forgery, identity theft, as well as fencing of frozen property. Three regional task groups – one each in Los Angeles, Orange, and San Diego counties – were created in the Golden Gate Division in the Bay Area. CHP is accepting organized retail theft incident reports through its website. sftimes.com

Ventura, CA: Organized Retail Theft Crew Pleads Guilty To All Charges In Thousand Oaks, Camarillo And Oxnard Offenses
District Attorney Erik Nasarenko announced today that Areonah Walker (DOB 07/29/03), of Riverside, and Terrion Phillips (DOB 10/13/03), of Los Angeles, pled guilty to eight felony charges this week. On November 27, 2021, Walker and Phillips entered the Ulta Beauty store in Oxnard and stole 46 bottles of perfume. They proceeded to the Ulta Beauty store in Camarillo and stole 33 bottles of perfume. At each location, the two used “booster bags” which are designed to avoid security detection. Ventura County Sheriff’s deputies were alerted and attempted to stop the vehicle driven by Phillips, who was driving at dangerous speeds during heavy holiday traffic. Phillips and Walker were eventually apprehended. Investigators later connected Walker to thefts that occurred on October 30, 2021, at Ulta Beauty stores in Camarillo and Thousand Oaks, and at a Sephora store in Thousand Oaks.

Walker pled to five counts of felony grand theft, including the thefts committed in October. Phillips pled to two counts of felony grand theft and one felony count of evading a police officer. The total value of items stolen from Ulta Beauty was over $27,000, and items stolen from Sephora were valued at over $12,000. “Thanks to the efforts of our sheriff’s department and prosecutors, these defendants have been held accountable,” said District Attorney Erik Nasarenko. “If an organized theft crew enters Ventura County, we will vigorously prosecute the crimes and ensure that felony charges are filed when the evidence supports doing so.” citizensjournal.us

Lower Macungie, PA: State Police say Ulta Beauty store has been targeted by thieves for the second time in a little more than a month
Investigators say three men walked into the store at Hamilton Crossings in Lower Macungie Township Sunday afternoon. Police say one of the suspects, who was walking with a cane, distracted a worker while two others filled trash bags with $3,000 worth of fragrances. The men got away in a newer model Toyota Highlander. The same Ulta Beauty store was also targeted by criminals with trash bags back on November 29. In that case, the thieves got away with at least $20,000 in merchandise in less than a minute. 6abc.com

Memphis, TN: Gucci, Chanel eyeglasses among $32K stolen in eyewear heist
Memphis police are searching for four men who they say broke into an eyewear business and stole numerous pairs of eyeglasses on Monday. Officers said the burglary happened on the 400 block of Perkins Extended in East Memphis at Eyewear Gallery. When they arrived on the scene, they were told that four men broke into the business and stole pairs of Gucci, Chanel, Ray-ban and Tom-Ford eyeglasses. According to police, two suspects went inside the business and stole over $32,000 in merchandise while the other two men stood outside as lookouts. All four men then fled the scene.  wreg.com

Lakewood, WA: Three arrested in overnight shoplifting spree at drugstore
Police arrested three people overnight in what they called an organized retail theft at a drugstore in Lakewood. Lakewood police said three shoplifters stripped shelves of products from the Walgreens, located in the 9500 block of Bridgeport Way Southwest. It occurred around 12:30 a.m. Sunday. The alleged shoplifters also scared other customers, causing them to leave the store, police said. Authorities said when the suspects tried to flee in a vehicle, police stopped and arrested them. Two of the people were booked into the Pierce County Jail for first-degree theft. There’s no word on whether the third person was released. kiro7.com

Hoover, AL: Police investigating $1200 theft of merchandise


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Shootings & Deaths

Houston, TX: Police fatally shoot man suspected of killing Cracker Barrel manager
Police officers fatally shot the gunman who murdered a manager at a Houston Cracker Barrel when she tried to protect a co-worker from being mugged, officials announced Sunday night. Undercover deputies from the Harris County Sheriff’s Office were conducting surveillance on the murder suspect, a 28-year-old black male, when they saw him leave the location around 6 p.m. and begin walking down the street, Mike Lee, assistant chief with the Harris County Sheriff’s Office, said at a press conference. During the altercation, the suspect shot Cracker Barrel manager Robin Baucom in the chest. She was rushed to the hospital and underwent surgery, but succumbed to her injuries.Universal Images Group via Getty. He was approached by the deputies, who called him by name before two deputies opened fire when they believed he had a weapon. nypost.com


Syracuse, NY: Gas station employee shot and killed Sunday morning
Syracuse police say a Syracuse man has been arrested in Ohio in connection with a fatal shooting at a Syracuse gas station. Syracuse.com reports 30-year-old Kareen Huggins has been charged with the murder of 32-year-old gas station employee, Raouf Muharram as well as possession of a weapon. Police say Huggins was driving a stolen vehicle after the Sunday shooting. Officers say Ohio State Highway Patrol found Huggins at a Sandusky, Ohio rest stop on Monday around 12:45 a.m. while he was parked in the same stolen vehicle.
fingerlakes1.com

Milwaukee, WI: GoFundMe Freezes $ 40,000 Raised for Killed Burger King Employee Helping Stage Armed Robbery
Authorities in Milwaukee say a robbery that left a 16-year-old Burger King employee was staged, and she was involved. Niesha Harris-Brazell was working on the drive-thru window on the night of Jan. 2 when a black Chevy Impala drove up and the driver demanded cash. The driver leaned in through the restaurant window, aimed a gun at Niesha and ordered her to hurry. When Niesha turned around to get the money from the cash register, she signaled to her colleagues for help. One of those employees, Derrick D. Ellis, 34, produced a handgun and fired twice at the robber, who slipped into the driver’s seat and set off empty-handed. Niesha fell to the floor and told her colleagues she had been shot. She was rushed to hospital and later pronounced dead.

Police say she was shot by her colleague, Ellis, a convicted felon who is now in the wind Surveillance video shows Ellis struggling to pick up the used shell casings from the floor after accidentally shooting her colleague. He then handed the weapon to a store manager, who stored it in the restaurant’s safe. Prosecutors filed a charge of murder and possession of a weapon against Ellis last week.
mcutimes.com

Homewood, AL: Police Apprehend Man After Gunshot Is Fired in Walmart Store
Authorities have arrested a suspect after a shooting inside an Alabama Walmart. The gunfire happened shortly after noon on Monday in Homewood, Al.com reported. No one was injured, Homewood police Sgt. John Carr said. The victim, who is from out of state, was in the store with his family, including two children, Carr said. Another man approached him and had words with him, then pulled his handgun and fired one shot, he said.
Police say the encounter between the two men — who did not know each other — was captured on surveillance video. The suspect fled the store and was pursued by Walmart security employees. He was taken into custody by Homewood police a short time later.
usnews.com

Saginaw, MI: Teen charged as adult in Saginaw Family Dollar shooting, armed robbery
A suspect is facing 10 charges in connection with a shooting and armed robbery that happened at a Family Dollar in Saginaw on New Year’s Eve. James T. Johnson, 17, was charged as an adult with assault with intent to murder and armed robbery during his arraignment on Friday afternoon, according to the Saginaw County Prosecutor’s Office.
These felonies carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. Johnson also faces unlawful imprisonment, felonious assault, carrying a dangerous weapon with unlawful intent and five counts of possessing a firearm during the commission of a felony. Johnson is accused of showing a handgun and shooting an 18-year-old female clerk in the face at the Family Dollar store. wnem.com

Houston, TX Security Officer Shot But Still Subdues Armed Robbery Suspect
A security officer has revealed how he tackled a man who wanted to rob a game room in Houston, Texas. Police said the man entered the building in the 9200 block of Richmond with an AR-15 just before 1:30 a.m. Monday and announced that he was robbing the business. Trelynn Robinson told reporters he was working on Monday night at Legends Poker Room when a man demanded money. That individual, according to Houston’s police department, was armed with the rifle when he walked into the games room in Richmond, a suburb in the west of Houston, at about 1.30am. abc13.com

 



Robberies, Incidents & Thefts

Chicago, IL: ‘Straight To The ATM’: As Chicago Area Thieves Target Cash Machines, Store Owners Work On Solutions To Curb The Crime
There’s new video of an ATM taking a beating from a pair of thieves in Hyde Park. They slammed their bodies against the cash machine, ripping it from the floor of a gas station, eventually dragging the whole ATM right out the door. CBS 2’s Steven Graves reports from Hyde Park where he’s asking about solutions to get it to stop. While businesses and even legislators are eyeing solutions. One industry expert said time is proving there’s only one sure way to end this. It’s a crime that keeps on hitting Chicago and its suburbs year after year. Bold ATM thefts, like one early Monday morning one at a gas station in Hyde Park. Not even bolts could stop these burglars who body slammed the machine down. Video shows a similar tactic, playing out last week at a store on the North Side. That’s why ATM security expert David Tente of the ATM Industry Association said the physical attacks on ATMs are rising, as fraud protection measures on machines get better. The problem is only spiking more since the pandemic. chicago.cbslocal.com


Gangs suspected in Apple Store robberies in Spain and U.K. "Porsche gang" accused of Apple Store thefts in Spain
A gang of six men is suspected of carrying out a series of robberies of phone stores in Spain, traveling to each one in a stolen Porsche Cayenne. Euro Weekly News reports the men came away with 147 mobile phones, iPad tablets, and computers from the Apple Store on Colon de Valencia Street in Valencia. According to the report, the crew uses axes and maces to break windows before clearing the stores out. So far, all of the robberies have taken place between 4 a.m. and 4:15 a.m.
appleinsider.com

Five arrested in robbery of Apple Store in U.K.
Five teenagers were arrested for a robbery of the Apple Store in Brighton in the U.K. that took place just before Christmas. According to The Argus, the five stole iPhones from the store. All were arrested on suspicion of robbery, theft from a shop, dangerous driving, failing to stop, and participating in the criminal activities of an organized crime group.
appleinsider.com

Bettendorf, IA: Man charged with first-degree robbery after pulling a knife on Home Depot Loss Prevention employee over a $199 angle grinder
Rock Island man who allegedly tried to steal a $199 angle grinder from the Home Depot in Bettendorf on Sunday upped his charge to armed robbery when he allegedly pulled a knife on a store loss prevention employee, Bettendorf Police said. Eric A. Willemarck, 42, also known as Eric Wilemarck, in Scott County District Court electronic records, is charged with one count of first-degree robbery, a Class B felony under Iowa law that carries a prison sentence of 25 years, 70%, or 17 ½ years, of which must be served before parole can be granted. Willemarck also is charged with one count of third-degree theft, an aggravated misdemeanor that carries a prison sentence of two years.
qctimes.com

Chesterfield County, VA: Two people rob Midlothian Turnpike Walmart, injure employee

Gulfport, MS: Hattiesburg Man Pleads Guilty to Hobbs Act Robbery

Platte County , MO: Man sentenced to 25 years in prison for armed robbery at Waffle House

Fresno, CA: Man Rams Truck Into Convenience Store To Steal Cases Of Lottery Tickets

St Catherine, Jamaica: Four men arrested for $2 million corned beef theft


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Beauty – Tupelo, MS – Robbery
C-Store – Laredo, TX – Armed Robbery
C-Store – Laredo, TX – Armed Robbery
C-Store – Harrisburg, PA – Armed Robbery
C-Store – Providence, RI – Robbery
C-Store – Moorhead, MN – Armed Robbery
C-Store – Columbus, OH – Armed Robbery
C-Store – Honolulu, HI -Armed Robbery
C-Store – Fresno, CA – Burglary
C-Store – Newport, VT - Armed Robbery
Clothing – Honolulu, HI – Robbery
Cricket – Joliet, IL – Robbery
Dollar General – Detroit, MI – Armed Robbery
Dollar General – Forked River, NJ – Armed Robbery
Family Dollar – Perquimans County, NC - Armed Robbery
Gas Station – Memphis, TN – Burglary
Gas Station – Indianapolis, IN – Armed Robbery
Gas Station – Indianapolis, IN – Armed Robbery
Grocery – Omaha, NE – Armed Robbery
Home Depot - Bettendorf, IA – Robbery
Jewelry – Memphis, TN – Burglary
Jewelry – Albuquerque, NM – Burglary
Jewelry – Tampa, FL – Burglary
Jewelry – Deer Park, NY – Robbery
Jewelry – Ridgeland, MS – Robbery
Jewelry – Buford, GA – Robbery
Jewelry – Denver, CO - Robbery
Jewelry – Tacoma, WA – Robbery
Jewelry – Novi, MI – Robbery
Jewelry – Panama City Beach, FL – Robbery
Restaurant – Oxnard, CA – Armed Robbery
Restaurant – Clackamas County, OR - Armed Robbery
Restaurant – Clackamas County, OR - Armed Robbery
T-Mobile – Bonney Lake, WA – Armed Robbery
Tobacco – San Francisco, CA – Armed Robbery
Walgreens – Lakewood, WA – Robbery
Walmart – Utica, NY – Robbery
Walmart – Exton, PA – Robbery
Walmart - Chesterfield County, VA: - Robbery
7-Eleven – Lehigh Acres, FL – Robbery
7-Eleven – Bellflower, CA – Armed Robbery
7-Eleven - Long Beach, CA – Armed Robbery
7-Eleven - Los Angeles, CA – Armed Robbery                                                                                               
               

Daily Totals:
• 38 robberies
• 5 burglaries
• 0 shootings
• 0 killed



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Chuck Lindow, LPC, CFI named Divisional Asset Protection Leader for Rite Aid



Robert Toliver named Market District Loss Prevention Manager for TJX Companies

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Regional Manager, Asset Protection
Northern PA/NY/NJ- posted January 18

The primary purpose of this position is to supervise and coordinate the efforts of District Asset Protection Managers within their region to achieve maximum shrink prevention, safety awareness and the protection of company assets. This position is responsible for ensuring the effectiveness of Asset Protection policies and procedures...



Regional Asset Protection Manager
Central US Remote (Dallas, Chicago, or Houston)
- posted January 6

The successful candidate will be responsible for the management of the Asset Protection function in their assigned area. Guide the implementation and training of Asset Protection programs, enforcement of policies and procedures, auditing, investigations and directing of shrink reduction efforts...



Asset Protection Associate
Charlotte, NC - posted January 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. The APA is also required to promote awareness and conduct training...



Regional Loss Prevention Manager
Detroit, MI - posted January 4

Support store and delivery center management in the areas of Workplace safety and Loss Prevention (LP). Assist store and delivery centers in compliance with Safety / LP policies and procedures. Serve as main point of contact as the Safety / LP subject matter expert for stores and delivery centers in the assigned Region. Collaborate with other support staff as needed...




Region Asset Protection Manager–South Florida Region (Bi-lingual Required)
Doral, FL - posted December 21

Responsible for managing asset protection programs designed to minimize shrink, associate and customer liability accidents, bad check and cash loss, and safety incidents for stores within assigned region. This position will develop the framework for the groups’ response to critical incidents, investigative needs, safety concerns and regulatory agency visits...



Corporate Safety & Security Leader
San Francisco, CA - posted December 15

RH is seeking a Corporate Safety & Security Leader. The role will lead a team of Safety & Security Associates on our Corporate Campus in Corte Madera, CA. The Leader acts as the key point of contact for safety and security incidents including identifying, investigating, mitigating, and managing risks...

Legends


Regional Loss Prevention and Safety Specialist
New York, NY - posted November 29

You will act as a coach, trainer, mentor, and enforcer to support the risk management program at Legends. Responsibilities can include, but are not limited to: Identify, develop, and implement improved loss prevention and safety measurements with risk management team; Conduct internal audits that have a focus on loss prevention, personal safety, and food safety, and help the team to effectively execute against company standards and requirements...



Safety Director (Retail Background Preferred)
Jacksonville, FL - posted November 3

This role is responsible for developing, implementing, and managing purpose-directed occupational safety and health programs designed to minimize the frequency and severity of customer and associate accidents, while complying with applicable regulatory requirements. This leader is the subject matter expert on all safety matters...

Director, Loss Prevention & Safety
Goleta, CA - posted September 24

The Director of Loss Prevention & Environmental, Health and Safety plans, organizes, implements, and directs HERBL’s programs, procedures, and practices to ensure the safety and security of company employees and property...

Corporate Risk Manager
Fort Myers, Miami, Tampa FL - posted October 5

Summary of Role and Responsibilities: A proactive approach to preventing losses/injuries, whether to our employees, third parties, or customer's valuables. They include but are not limited to cash in transit, auto losses, or injuries...
 



Featured Jobs


JOB TITLE COMPANY CITY/STATE DATE ADDED

Vice President
VP of AP Bath & Body Works Columbus, OH September 13
VP, Global Head of Security & Resilience WeWork New York, NY October 29

Director
Dir. AP Albertsons Companies Englewood, CO January 5
Dir. Global Security APL Logistics Scottsdale, AZ January 10
Dir. LP Ashley Furniture Advance, NC September 7
Dir. AP Burlington New York, NY December 22
LP Director The Company, Retail Gas Stations Upland, CA August 9
Dir. Security Risk Mgmt & Governance Dell Austin, TX November 15
Dir. GME Field LP GameStop Los Angeles, CA December 8
Dir. Assets LP Goodwill of North Georgia Decatur, GA November 22
Dir. AP Goodwill of Greater New York Brooklyn, NY January 10
Dir. Investigations & Fleet Goodwill of Greater New York Newark, NJ October 25
Dir. Safety/Risk Mgmt. Goodwill of SE Louisiana New Orleans, LA April 2
Dir. Security & Compliance Goodwin Recruiting Battle Creek, MI November 15
Dir. LP Lamps Plus Chatsworth, CA December 22
Dir. of Safety Ocean State Job Lot North Kingstown, RI June 1
Executive Dir. AP Panda Restaurant Group Rosemead, CA January 28
Dir. Security Securitas Security Services Cambridge, MA January 10
Security & LP Dir. Tamarack Marketplace Beckley, WV January 5
AP Dir., Global Supply Chain & Logistics Target Midlothian, TX January 18
Dir. Security (Strategic) Walmart Bentonville, AR December 9

Corporate/Senior Manager
Sr. Supply Chain AP Mgr Advance Auto Parts Phoenix, AZ November 4
Mgr Physical Security Lowe's Mooresville, NC December 21
Retail Risk & Compliance Mgr Now Optics Palm Springs, FL December 13
Safety & AP Manager Star Furniture Houston, TX January 10
 

 


 
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The speed of the day and today's economic pressures often tempts even the most defined professional to take shortcuts and risk exposures that ultimately they have to mentally deal with and occasionally have to face the consequences for. There is no better use of the adage, It's the Tortoise vs. the Hare, and the tortoise always wins, that applies here. Staying grounded in your principals, committed to your mission and being a professional is what should drive every executive every day - remembering that long term actions speak louder than words and the tortoise always wins will hopefully rule the day.


Just a Thought,
Gus

 

 

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