Register Now: 2023 ISCPO Global Supply Chain Security Conference

April 11-13 at the 7-Eleven Store Support Center in Irving, Texas

There will be a wide range of topics related to global supply chain security, Ecommerce, industry trends, and investigations. As in year’s past, the conference provides a great venue to network with global industry peers, transportation/logistics professionals, law enforcement, and select vendor partners.

We encourage Solution Providers to participate in this event. Those interested should submit requests to Rhett Asher at Rhett.Asher@iscpo.org or Byron Smith at Byron.Smith@iscpo.org.

Agenda Topics

• Social Media Investigations
• Workplace Violence and Police Interaction
• Human Recourses in a Challenging Labor Market
• Unions in Supply Chain
• Human Trafficking in the Supply Chain
• Global eCommerce Security

By attending the conference you'll stay ahead of the latest technologies, manage risk across all supply chain channels, and bring best practices back to your company.

Register now
 

Retail Organizations Applaud New ORC Legislation
Retailers welcome Senate bill dealing with organized retail crime
The Senate has introduced legislation that would create new tools to assist in the federal investigation and prosecution of organized retail crime (ORC) and help recover lost goods and proceeds

The “Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2023” was introduced by Senators Charles “Chuck” Grassley (R-IA) and Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV). It would establish a coordinated multi-agency response and create new tools to tackle evolving trends in organized retail crime. A companion bill is expected to be introduced next week in the House of Representatives.

“Retailers face security-related challenges on many fronts, and ORC continues to be a formidable threat in communities across the country,” said David French, senior VP of government relations, National Retail Federation. “This legislation is a critical step to increase collaboration between federal law enforcement agencies, retail investigators and state agencies to more effectively combat these increasingly violent criminal activities.”

In a recent survey of retail asset protection managers conducted by the Retail Industry Leaders Association, more than 86% of respondents said retail associates had been verbally threatened with bodily harm, nearly 76% reported associates were physically assaulted or threatened with a weapon, and more than 40% of associates were harmed by a weapon used by an ORC criminal.

“Organized retail crime is leading to more brazen and more violent attacks in retail stores and centers throughout the country, putting employees and consumers at risk,” said Tom McGee, president and CEO of ICSC. “In light of the increased number of attacks and lost revenue, we’re pleased that this legislation will broaden the statutes dealing with the transport of stolen goods and provide additional resources to law enforcement at both the federal and state level.”

The legislation is supported by ICSC, the National Retail Federation, the Retail Industry Leaders Association, the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the Peace Officers Research Association of California, the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, Sergeants Benevolent Association NYPD and the PASS (Protect America’s Small Sellers) Coalition. chainstoreage.com

   RELATED: ICSC Welcomes Legislation Addressing Threat of Organized Retail Crime


35,000-Foot View of Increasing Violent ORC
Why are retail thefts on the rise across the country?

It’s organized retail crime — where the thefts are planned, and part of organized rings.

"We're getting more information on 2020 and '21, because the pandemic and then all the wild looting and burning and all the serious crimes it started affecting retailers in a different way, have kind of kind of skewed what we've got there," said Read Hayes, a research scientist at University of Florida and director of the Loss Prevention Research Council.

And it could only be a matter of time before it affects Americans’ wallets and how they shop. But the NRF says this is something bigger than shoplifting. It’s organized retail crime — where the thefts are planned, and part of organized rings targeting everything from high-end items to razors and toothpaste.

"These are all items that are portable and they're very valuable and are readily converted to cash by the offender. So they fit the what we call the 'crave model,'" Hayes said. "But handbags and shoes, particularly handbags, are a very, very high loss right now."

Lisa LaBruno with the Retail Industry Leaders’ Association says many shoplifters feel it’s a high reward, low risk crime.

"It’s getting more brazen. It’s getting more violent. And that’s caused in part by the lack of accountability that these criminal actors are being held to," LaBruno said. "Which I think is a significant factor. These criminal actors feel as though nothing’s going to happen to them."

Online marketplaces are also enabling shoplifters, allowing them a quick cash turnaround— while remaining anonymous. The Biden administration is hoping to slow things down. Last December the president signed the Inform Act.

In addition to federal response Illinois and Colorado now have their own retail theft task forces. And cities from coast to coast are implementing local task forces. scrippsnews.com
 

Can SkyCop Cameras Deter Crime & Increase Police Accountability?
As Officers Beat Tyre Nichols, a Crime-Fighting Camera Watched Over Them

A SkyCop camera in Memphis provided overhead footage that was instrumental in shaping the public’s understanding of what unfolded.

It was one of the hundreds of SkyCop cameras, as they are known, that the Memphis Police Department has installed around the city. It was watching from above, recording as Mr. Nichols was beaten and then as officers and medics delayed providing aid. He died three days later.

The overhead footage, publicly released on Friday along with some of the officers’ body camera videos, has been widely regarded as critical in shaping the public’s understanding of what unfolded after the police pulled over Mr. Nichols that night, by offering an unobstructed bird’s-eye view.

Camera systems like SkyCop, which have been adopted by police departments around the country, have been criticized by activists and privacy advocates as a costly investment that does little to deter crime while adding to the overbearing presence that the police often have in neighborhoods — especially poor ones — where the cameras have proliferated.

Yet in this case, the round-the-clock camera has been a vital tool for accountability as Mr. Nichols’s death has unleashed pain and anger in Memphis and around the country. nytimes.com


54 Mass Shootings So Far in 2023
Victims identified in 6th mass shooting in 13 days to rock California
Three women, all out-of-state tourists, were killed and four people were injured in the second mass shooting to erupt in Los Angeles County in eight days -- the sixth in California this month, according to police.

The mass-casualty shooting unfolded around 2:30 a.m. when police received multiple 911 calls of a shooting in progress at a short-term luxury rental home, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The Beverly Crest shooting came just eight days after a Jan. 21 mass shooting in the Los Angeles County city of Monterey Park, where 12 people were fatally shot at a dance studio allegedly by a 72-year-old man, who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound when police cornered him in a van in Torrance, California.

Nationwide, there have been 54 mass shootings since the start of the year, according to the Gun Violence Archive. President Biden is calling for an assault weapons ban. abcnews.go.com


NYC Store Owners Continue to Fight for Action Against Theft
Inside City Hall: Coalition of store owners urge action against shoplifting
Mayor Eric Adams last week during his State of the City address vowed to protect New York’s small business owners from shoplifting — as retail theft rates remain high across the five boroughs.

Meanwhile, retail and grocery industry groups recently joined together to form a new coalition called the Collective Action to Protect Our Stores. They are asking the city’s district attorney’s to form specialized units to address shoplifting directly.

On Monday night, the founder of that group, Nelson Eusebio, and Vice President of the Supermarket Association Nallely de Jesus joined “Inside City Hall” to talk about all this and more. ny1.com


Mass shootings are just one part of the US’s gun problem

Violent crime plagues some Indy bars, yet the state does little to enforce its policies
 

US: 104.1M Cases - 1.1M Dead - 101.3M Recovered
Worldwide: 675.3M Cases - 6.7M Dead - 647.7M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 830

The Impact of Ending the COVID Public Health Emergency
What the end of the COVID-19 emergencies in the US means
The end of the public health emergency will mean that Americans start paying more for certain COVID-19 health measures, but the increase likely won't all be felt at once.

One of the most obvious new costs will be at-home rapid tests, which have been free for most of the time they've existed. People can get eight free tests a month covered by their insurance, for example, or order free tests in the mail from the government.

But that ends with the public health emergency on May 11, Kates at KFF said. The same is true for walking into a clinic or doctor's office to get a test. That could come with costs in the future, whereas it is free under the emergency order.

But vaccines will remain free for people with insurance. Because of work in Congress and by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 vaccines are mandated to be covered by insurance -- through the end of the public health emergency and even once the government stops buying and distributing them for free. abcnews.go.com


$45 Billion in COVID Theft
GOP Oversight chairman sounds alarm over 'massive amounts' of COVID 'theft' as reports say billions missing
House Oversight Committee chairman James Comer, R-Ky., on Wednesday sounded the alarm over "massive amounts of fraud" taken from U.S. COVID-19 programs after reports found that tens of billions were stolen or simply went missing during the pandemic.

Comer is holding a hearing to investigate COVID-19 fraud. Government watchdogs and the Department of Labor (DOL) itself have indicated that COVID-19 waste, fraud and abuse cost the U.S. up to $163 billion throughout the pandemic.

The Government Accountability Office (GAO) found this week that the DOL spent $45 billion on fraudulent claims for unemployment insurance during the pandemic. It also stated that the department has yet to implement reforms that might prevent future fraud. foxnews.com


Is the Remote Work Bubble Bursting?
Analysis: Remote Work Bubble Begins to Pop

At the pandemic’s three-year mark, many employees and employers are at odds over where work gets done.

Early indicators suggest we might be witnessing a remote work bubble that’s being punctured by some employers who want their employees in the office—at least two or three days a week.

A recent Wall Street Journal article carried the headline, “The Job Market for Remote Workers Is Shrinking.” The Jan. 24 article reported: “Remote jobs made up 13.2% of postings advertised on LinkedIn last month—down from 20.6% in March. Other job sites such as Indeed.com and ZipRecruiter also report declines in remote listings.”

At the three-year anniversary of the pandemic, some employers are recognizing the erosion of their company cultures as well as diminished camaraderie of work teams because co-workers spend so little time together in person. tcbmag.com


How will life change once the COVID-19 emergency ends?

China is tracking ‘Orthrus’ – an emerging, more transmissible Covid variant

National Conference of State Legislatures (NCSL)

State Crime Data and Strategies to Lower Crime

Part 2 of a 4 Part Series


Change in Violent Crime Rate, 2019–2021






Click here to see more
 

The Great Debate: How Retailers Should Manage the Union Push
Should retail seek a middle path between being pro- or anti-union?
In an open letter last week, McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger blasted proposed California legislation related to conditions for fast food workers as stemming “almost entirely at the behest of organized labor’s firm grip on many of the state’s lawmakers.”

Mr. Erlinger argued that the impetus for the bill is that despite “years of work, and hundreds of millions of dollars,” organized labor continues to lose ground. He said that the U.S. unionization rate in 2022 shrunk to 10.1 percent, the lowest on record.

The act, AB257, could raise the minimum wage for fast food workers as high as $22. The bigger change, however, is the planned formation of a 10-member, state-run council to negotiate wages, hours and working conditions for non-union fast food workers in California, potentially setting a precedent across the U.S. for negotiating workplace standards. Proponents argue that worker challenges during the pandemic demonstrated the need for an independent council.

Despite stagnant membership growth, unionization has been on the rise at Starbucks, Amazon.com, Apple and elsewhere. A Gallup poll last August found that 71 percent of Americans approve of unions, up seven percent since before the pandemic and the highest rating since 1965.

In a recent Harvard Business Review column, Sharon Block, executive director of the labor and worklife program at Harvard Law School, said that, given the tight labor market and organization efforts, past antagonistic unionization approaches should be reconsidered. She wrote, “An ugly anti-union effort can hurt morale, reputation and increase turnover. Conversely, companies that take steps like voluntary recognition, partnering to create the best conditions for a fair campaign and respecting workers’ decisions can preserve a positive relationship with their employees.” retailwire.com


Biometric Security Technology Continues to Expand
Raleigh-Durham International becomes 50th airport to use new biometric eye-scanners to speed up security
Security remains one of the most time-intensive and unpredictable parts of air travel, but a new futuristic system now in use at Raleigh-Durham International Airport may help to speed up the process.

On Wednesday, RDU airport introduced CLEAR biometric security lanes. If you travel much by air, you may have already spotted CLEAR’s white terminals near the security lines in more than 40 U.S. cities. Raleigh marks the brand’s 50th airport.

The idea is simple. When you step up to one of these terminals, it can scan your eyes or fingers to verify your identity, eliminating the need to take out your driver’s license. A CLEAR ambassador then leads travelers through the lane and directly to physical security.

“RDU is proud to partner with CLEAR to provide travelers another option to expedite the security screening process,” said Michael Landguth, president and CEO of the Raleigh-Durham Airport Authority, in a news release. “RDU’s commitment to leveraging technology to provide our guests with a world class experience makes CLEAR an excellent fit.” wavy.com


China Continues to Top Notorious Markets List
USTR Releases 2022 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy
WASHINGTON - The Office of the United States Trade Representative (USTR) today released the findings of its 2022 Review of Notorious Markets for Counterfeiting and Piracy (the Notorious Markets List). The Notorious Markets List highlights online and physical markets that reportedly engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy.

The 2022 Notorious Markets List also identifies 39 online markets and 33 physical markets that are reported to engage in or facilitate substantial trademark counterfeiting or copyright piracy. This includes continuing to identify the WeChat e-commerce ecosystem as one of the largest platforms for counterfeit goods in China. Other listed markets in China include online markets Aliexpress, Baidu Wangpan, DHGate, Pinduoduo, and Taobao, as well as seven physical markets located within China that increasingly use brick-and-mortar storefronts to support online sales of counterfeits.

Goods from China accounted for 75 percent of the value of all of the counterfeit and pirated goods seized by U.S. Customs and Border Protection in 2021, a new report found.

The complete 2022 Notorious Markets List can be found here mailchi.mp


Top 15 Grocery Retailers in the U.S.
H-E-B tops Amazon as best grocery retailer in the U.S.
H-E-B regained its leadership position from Amazon in the sixth annual Dunnhumby Retailer Preference Index (RPI), a nationwide study of the approximately $1 trillion U.S. grocery market. Costco Wholesale came in second, while Amazon fell to third. Wegmans Food Markets took the fourth spot for the third year in a row, followed by Sam's Club.

While H-E-B ranked first overall, Amazon is still superior in online shopping even as online retailers are closing the gap. The top six retailers for digital are Amazon, Amazon Fresh, Target, Sam's Club, Walmart and Walmart Neighborhood Market.

See complete list of top 15 grocers below
 

1. H-E-B 2. Costco 3. Amazon 4. Wegmans 5. Sam's Club 6. Market Basket 7. Amazon Fresh 8. Trader Joes

9. Winco 10. BJ's Wholesale 11. Target 12. Aldi 13. Shoprite 14. Walmart Neighborhood Market 15. Walmart chainstoreage.com