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Florida Moving Quickly on ORC Legislation
Bill to increase penalties for organized retail theft gets wide support
You’ve seen the videos; smash and grab robberies, thieves walking out with all they can carry. It's a nationwide trend and it's even been happening in our backyard. Florida lawmakers have taken notice and are getting wide support for a bill that would make this a much harsher crime.

SB 1534 toughens penalties against thieves who steal multiple items from multiple stores in a short period of time. The Senate passed the bill unanimously this week. Under it, theft of 10 or more items from at least two different locations would be a third-degree felony if committed within 30 days.

It would be bumped to a second-degree felony if more than 20 items were stolen. Businesses would also need to write down the losses within those 30 days. The value would need to exceed $750. Many big retailers nationwide are hurting.

It’s even harder for small businesses to take up these losses, as many are still picking up the pieces from the pandemic and now dealing with supply chain issues.

If this bill is approved, the increased penalties would take effect in October. Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody’s office is also supporting this bill. She recently announced a new task force for retailers, law enforcement, and prosecutors to spot trends and identify suspects. cbs12.com

RELATED: FL Retail theft crackdown proposal sails through Senate

In First 2 Months Progressive Manhattan DA Plunders One on TJ Maxx
Manhattan DA Alvin Bragg lowers charges in grand larceny case: sources
The office of “soft-on-crime” Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg allegedly reduced charges for a brazen career crook who stole cash from an unsuspecting woman on the Upper East Side, only to be quickly nabbed by cops who saw the whole thing.

Claude Myers, 54, had 46 prior arrests on his rap sheet and was on parole when he was caught by the NYPD Thursday, sources said.

“Next time I won’t do it right in front of you,” Myers told the arresting officers, according to a source.

Myers was initially facing several charges, including grand larceny — for removing the property from a person — but the DA’s office downgraded the case to simple petty larceny, the sources said.

Last month, the Manhattan District Attorney’s office came under fire after it allegedly “intentionally omitted all facts” about a violent theft in a Chelsea store — including key information about an alleged weapon used during the crime — leading to a mere shoplifting charge and the release of an “assault and robbery recidivist,” according to an NYPD union, sources, and court documents.  nypost.com

New Progressive DA Didn't Take Long to Show How He's Going to Treat Retailers
DA Bragg underplayed shoplifting arrest, NYPD sergeants’ union alleges
The soft-on-crime Manhattan District Attorney’s office “intentionally omitted all facts” about a violent theft in a Chelsea store — including key information about an alleged weapon used during the crime — leading to a mere shoplifting charge and the release of an “assault and robbery recidivist,” according to an NYPD union, sources, and court documents.

Newly-elected DA Alvin Bragg has already been under fire for his left wing ideology, which has even had the NYPD’s top cop worried for the safety of her officers.

On Friday night, the NYPD’s Sergeant Benevolent Association added fuel to a growing inferno, claiming in a beware-of-Bragg message to members that an assistant district attorney in Manhattan was caught apparently trying to white-wash court documents in a shoplifting case at a TJ Maxx store on 6th Ave and West 18th Street.

- Police busted Cristian Hall, 30 — who’s been arrested 21 times with nine cases still open including robbery with a deadly weapon and assault — for trying to rip off the store.
- An assistant district attorney’s affidavit including no mention of the alleged weapon or threats in Hall’s latest arrest.
- The arresting officer refusing to sign off on it until supervisors intervene and the record was corrected.
- Hall was released without bail after his arrest* NYPD official
- Bragg claimed surprise about the SBA backlash.

“It has come to our attention that during the processing of a Manhattan shoplifting arrest where the suspect threatened employees with a pair of cutting-shears, the ADA preparing the accusatory instrument intentionally omitted all facts related to the perp threatening the employees with a weapon,” SBA President Vincent Vallelong wrote in the email obtained by The Post. “Fortunately, the arresting officer had the sense to refuse to sign.” nypost.com

Dylan Roberts’ bill to curtail mass retail theft passes Colorado House

US: 80.1M Cases - 960.1K Dead - 51.9M Recovered
Worldwide: 426.9M Cases - 5.9M Dead - 354.1M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 346  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 665
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Is Another Surge Coming?
More contagious version of omicron spreads in U.S., fueling worries
As the omicron surge continues to decline in the U.S., infectious disease experts are keeping a close eye on an even more contagious version of the variant that could once again foil the nation's hopes of getting back to normal.

The virus, known as BA.2, is a strain of the highly contagious omicron variant that appears to spread even more easily — about 30% more easily.

Because BA.2 quickly overtook the original omicron in South Africa and other countries and has even caused a second omicron surge in Denmark, researchers have been bracing for the same thing to happen in the U.S.

So far that hasn't happened. Instead, BA.2 has slowly, but steadily spread even as the omicron surge continued to dissipate. The fear is that spread may be on track to rapidly accelerate in the near future. npr.org

The Doom May Be Gone But the Gloom is Still Hanging On
Pandemic’s Economic Impact Is Easing, but Aftershocks May Linger

States are lifting mask mandates, and demand is bouncing back quickly after Omicron. Supply constraints are proving harder to escape.

The pandemic’s grip on the economy appears to be loosening. Job growth and retail spending were strong in January, even as coronavirus cases hit a record. New York, Massachusetts and other states have begun to lift indoor mask mandates. California on Thursday unveiled a public health approach that will treat the coronavirus as a manageable long-term risk.

Yet the economy remains far from normal. Patterns of work, socializing and spending, disrupted by the pandemic, have been slow to readjust. Prices are rising at their fastest pace in four decades, and there are signs that inflation is creeping into a broader range of products and services. In surveys, Americans report feeling gloomier about the economy now than at the height of the lockdowns and job losses in the first weeks of the crisis.

In other words, it may no longer be that “the virus is the boss” — as Austan Goolsbee, a University of Chicago economist, has put it. But the changes that it set in motion have proved both more persistent and more pervasive than economists once expected.

Some economists remain optimistic that the economy will normalize as the pandemic recedes, even if the process takes longer than initially expected.

“The new normal is looking a lot different.” nytimes.com

Uneasy Retail Workers & Businesses
Sacramento ends its indoor mask mandate, again
California’s universal indoor mask mandate has once again been lifted for vaccinated residents. But with the coronavirus still present in Sacramento County, customers, workers and business owners now face a patchwork of masking rules and etiquette.

Some businesses have already started letting vaccinated customers and workers come in without masks, going by an honor system. But others are choosing to maintain their indoor face coverings policy.

Many are still deciding whether to change their indoor policy, and to what. While California and Sacramento County have lifted the universal mask mandate, individual businesses can implement their own restrictions.

Throughout the pandemic, essential workers such as grocery store clerks and retail sales people have been some of the most vulnerable to COVID-19. For disproportionately low-wage workers of color, some are in positions requiring they interact with hundreds of customers and coworkers each day. sacbee.com

Post-COVID Work Model Hitting Big City Store Traffic
What Hybrid Work Means For Urban Retail & Foot Traffic
Placer.ai recently released a report analyzing December retail foot traffic in the US’s four largest cities. New York City was down 4%, Los Angeles down 1%, and Chicago and Houston flat to 2019. Similarly, JLL released a city retail report earlier this month that cited Placer.ai data from December 2021, indicating total urban retail traffic across the country was down more than 15% from 2019. This decrease in traffic, especially in office corridors, is likely due to the newly adopted hybrid work model. According to Kastle Systems, office re-entry was less than 28% as of mid-January, indicating many employees are still working from home.

The lack of retail traffic is constant across neighborhoods in most cities, but the residential corridors have recovered faster than office and tourist areas. For example, in December of 2021, foot traffic in urban residential corridors was down 16%, while office and tourist areas were down 24% compared to 2019. Many people moved out of cities during the pandemic and returned last year. However, a hybrid work model means they still spend a lot of time at home and in their local neighborhood. As a result, office neighborhoods are slow to recover.

In the long-term, urban office corridors may be re-developed

The pandemic has changed the way people live and work long-term. The consequences of that change are slowly coming to light, including the effect on retail. Despite people moving back into cities, a hybrid work model will continue to impact retail locations based in office corridors. As a result, landlords continue pandemic rent concessions in these areas. But in the long-term, for retail to thrive, a re-development and mash-up of the tenant mix will have to take place. How that will manifest, only time will tell. forbes.com

As US cases drop, Hawaii is lone remaining state with indoor mask

Boris Johnson announces the end of Covid restrictions in England

The Only Recall Ever to Temporarily Close 400 Stores

Friday FDA Press Release: FDA Alerts the Public to Potentially Contaminated Products from Family Dollar Stores in Six States

FDA Investigation Revealed a History of Rodent Infestation

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration is alerting the public that several categories of FDA-regulated products purchased from Jan. 1, 2021, through the present from Family Dollar stores in Alabama, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri and Tennessee may be unsafe for consumers to use. The impacted products originated from the company’s distribution facility in West Memphis, Arkansas, where an FDA inspection found insanitary conditions, including a rodent infestation, that could cause many of the products to become contaminated. The FDA is working with the company to initiate a voluntary recall of the affected products.

This alert covers FDA-regulated products purchased from Family Dollar stores in those six states from Jan. 1, 2021, through the present. Some examples of these products include human foods (including dietary supplements (vitamin, herbal and mineral supplements)), cosmetics (skincare products, baby oils, lipsticks, shampoos, baby wipes), animal foods (kibble, pet treats, wild bird seed), medical devices (feminine hygiene products, surgical masks, contact lens cleaning solutions, bandages, nasal care products) and over-the-counter (OTC) medications (pain medications, eye drops, dental products, antacids, other medications for both adults and children).

Following a consumer complaint, the FDA began an investigation of the Family Dollar distribution facility in West Memphis, Arkansas, in January 2022. Family Dollar ceased distribution of products within days of the FDA inspection team’s arrival on-site and the inspection concluded on Feb. 11. Conditions observed during the inspection included live rodents, dead rodents in various states of decay, rodent feces and urine, evidence of gnawing, nesting and rodent odors throughout the facility, dead birds and bird droppings, and products stored in conditions that did not protect against contamination. More than 1,100 dead rodents were recovered from the facility following a fumigation at the facility in January 2022. Additionally, a review of the company’s internal records also indicated the collection of more than 2,300 rodents between Mar. 29 and Sep. 17, 2021, demonstrating a history of infestation.  fda.gov

Editor's Note: Alerted to it by a consumer complaint? In the warehouse? Sounds like a whistleblower may be scared about retaliation to me. Just my thought. - Gus Downing

Feb. 18, 7:39 PM, Family Dollar Press Release
Family Dollar Stores Issues Voluntary Recall of Certain FDA-Regulated Products in Six States Including Drugs, Devices, Cosmetics, Foods
CHESAPEAKE, Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Family Dollar, Inc. is initiating a voluntary retail level product recall of certain products regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) that were stored and shipped to 404 stores from Family Dollar Distribution Center 202 in West Memphis, Arkansas from January 1, 2021 through the present due to the presence of rodents and rodent activity at Family Dollar Distribution Center 202.

To date, Family Dollar is not aware of any consumer complaints or reports of illness related to this recall. Stores impacted list

Article Published in the Washington Post on 2-20-22
Family Dollar closes 400 stores, recalls products after FDA finds decaying dead rodents in warehouse
 

U.S. Secret Service Launches Cryptocurrency Awareness Hub

Published By U.S. Secret Service Media Relations on 2-18-22

Washington – The U.S. Secret Service has launched a cryptocurrency public awareness hub featuring a new public service announcement video and information on the security of digital assets and cryptocurrencies.

The new website will feature the latest in the agency’s work combatting illicit use of digital assets as well as provide public awareness information on digital asset security and how to ensure it remains secure.

“Blockchain technology has brought massive development to many sectors, especially within finance. The Secret Service’s mission of investigating financial crimes has advanced in lock-step with this progress,” said U.S. Secret Service Office of Investigations Assistant Director Jeremy Sheridan. “Our obligation to enforce crimes against the nation’s financial systems includes both informing the public on how digital assets work and partnering with them to identify, arrest, and prosecute those engaging in crimes involving digital assets. The Secret Service will continue to expand its capabilities, collaboration, and effectiveness related to all financial crimes investigations.”

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New York Significantly Expands Its Whistleblower Law
The state of New York has amended its whistleblower law to make it one of the most expansive in the country, providing remedies, including potentially punitive damages, to employees, former employees and independent contractors.

The requirement to report any suspected wrongdoing first to the employer now has many exceptions. Moreover, a worker may blow the whistle on any conduct the individual reasonably believes violates any law, rule or regulation, or executive order or any judicial or administrative decision, ruling or order. Workers also are protected for reporting any conduct that they reasonably believe constitutes a substantial and specific danger to the public health or safety.

"Retaliation claims already ranked high among the types of claims asserted in COVID-19 employment lawsuits,"

Expansive new whistleblower laws like New York's "make it probable that an increasing percentage of lawsuits will include whistleblower claims either alone or in conjunction with other statutory and common-law theories of recovery," they predicted.

New York is joining other states with broad protections for whistleblowers, including California and New Jersey. But New York's new provisions are particularly expansive.

Expect an Increase in Litigation

"Employers can expect a significant increase in litigation and potential liability for whistleblower claims in New York," wrote Greg Keating, an attorney with Epstein Becker Green in Boston, and Christopher Shur, an attorney with Epstein Becker Green in New York City.

They noted that the New York whistleblower law now has an expanded definition of retaliation. This definition includes:

● Discriminating against someone for exercising their rights under the law.
● Taking actions or threatening to take actions affecting current or future employment.
● Contacting U.S. immigration authorities.
● Threatening to report the suspected immigration or citizenship status of a whistleblower or a whistleblower's family or household member.

Action Steps - New York employers also should: - Review their internal investigation procedures

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From 600 Floor Scrubbers to 600 'In-Store Data Acquisition Platforms'
Sam’s Club Begins National Deployment of Automated Inventory Analytics Robots
Sam's Club announced the national, chain-wide roll out of Inventory Scan that will be added to their existing fleet of robotic scrubbers in partnership with Brain Corp and Tennant Company.

"By adding Inventory Scan to our current fleet of robotic scrubbers, we obtain critical inventory data that previously was time consuming to obtain," said Todd Garner, VP of In Club Product Management at Sam’s Club.

Utilizing a first-of-its-kind dual function design, the powerful new scanning accessory will be fitted to the almost 600 autonomous floor scrubbers already deployed within Sam’s Club stores nationwide.

Once installed on the scrubber, the new, cloud-connected Inventory Scan tower is able to capture data as it moves autonomously around the club. Reports are then delivered to the club managers that provide numerous insights including: verification of pricing accuracy, planogram compliance, product stock levels and product localization. Each function negates the need for time consuming and manual processes, reducing waste and inventory loss.

"We are actively taking BrainOS-powered robots from primarily task-oriented machines, to in-store data acquisition platforms, able to deliver actionable insights on inventory availability, planogram compliance and more. This adds significant ROI for retailers." samsclub.com

Ghosting Virtual Interviews Happening More & More
Who's really answering your questions?

Do You Know Who That Worker You Just Hired Really Is?

Employers love to talk about “authenticity.” But psychologists say nearly everyone uses some form of deception to get a job.

People, he added, tend to learn from a young age the advantages conferred by fibbing.

Children are taught that when Grandma comes over with the gift of an impossibly ugly sweater, they should act as if they had gotten a PlayStation, Dr. Feldman said. As they get older, the stakes of lying are raised — most notably in a job interview, when there’s money on the table.

Remote hiring processes have given some job seekers the impression that they can get away with extreme forms of dishonesty. Virtual interviews leave open the possibility that candidates can ask a friend to feed them answers. Telephone calls can create a psychological distance between the interviewer and interviewee, Dr. Feldman noted, which may make it easier for people to justify presenting themselves in an inaccurate way. At the same time, people are doing far more interviews than before, with about one in five employees voluntarily switching jobs in 2020.

Research has shown that Americans are more likely to consider using deceptive interview tactics than Western Europeans, and deception is more commonly considered in some parts of the Northeast and California than in other areas of the United States. nytimes.com

CEO of South FL Armored Transport Company Pleads Guilty to Committing Customs Fraud As Part of a $140M Dollar Dirty Gold Money Laundering Conspiracy
Miami, Florida – Jesus Gabriel Rodriguez, Jr., 45, former CEO of Transvalue, a South Florida company that transported gold, cash, and other valuables by armored truck, pled guilty yesterday to submitting false customs documents that hid the true origin of gold being imported into Miami as part of a $140 million transnational illicit gold smuggling operation.

Rodriguez is scheduled for sentencing on April 4, at 11:00 a.m., before U.S. District Judge Darrin P. Gayles, who sits in Miami. He faces up to 24 months in federal prison. justice.gov

To Fill Empty Retail Space, Landlords Tap Doctors and Dentists


Quarterly Results

Kerring FY 2021 revenue up 35%, comp's sales up 13% from 2019
   Total Luxury Houses comp’s +34.9%
   Gucci comp’s +31.2%
   Yves Saint Laurent comp’s +45.6%
   Bottega Veneta comp’s +25.1%
   Other Houses comp’s +43.8%