Federal Hearing on Retail Crime Surge?
Lawmaker demands congressional hearing on spike in retail crime

The Retail Industry Leaders Association called on Congress to act in December

Republican Rep. Jim Jordan has sent a letter to the House Judiciary Committee Chairman Rep. Jerry Nadler, a Democrat, demanding a hearing to address the rise of crime and theft at retail stores across the country.

"Retail stores in major cities are suffering from an unprecedented spike in theft," Jordan, the ranking member on the committee, wrote in the letter. "The criminals carrying out these acts are emboldened by 'soft on crime' policies and progressive prosecutors who refuse to enforce the law. These retail businesses are already suffering due to record inflation, a massive labor shortage, and supply chain issues. Now this surge in theft is forcing some retail stores to close permanently. Given our Committee’s jurisdiction and the importance of this issue to American commerce, we urge you to convene a hearing of the Committee soon so that we may examine and begin to address the surge in retail theft in our country."

Jordan outlined his belief that the surge in retail thefts across the country is related to progressive district attorneys in cities like San Francisco and New York City easing sentencing requirements and declining to prosecute criminals.

"San Francisco and New York City are among the U.S. cities suffering from a surge in retail theft," Jordan wrote. "In September 2020, San Francisco law enforcement seized $8 million in goods that a group of criminals had stolen from Walgreens, CVS, and Target stores. In May 2021, Walgreens executives stated that theft at its San Francisco stores was four times the national average, forcing the company to close 17 stores."

Additionally, Jordan said that progressive backed bail reform laws across the country have contributed to the rise in retail thefts.

Jordan’s letter comes roughly two months after nearly two dozen CEOs of prominent retailers like Home Depot, Target, Best Buy, and CVS signed on to a letter to Congress, urging them to address the "growing impact of organized retail crime on retail employees and communities" in America.

The letter was sent by the Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) and supported by 20 leading retail chief-executives representing apparel, sporting goods, electronics, home improvement, and health and beauty supplies. foxnews.com

Florida Inches Closer to Enacting Retail Theft Law
(Update) Bill cracking down on retail theft on its way to House vote
The proposal (HB 1511), filed by Newberry Republican Rep. Chuck Clemons, would implement stiffer penalties against thieves who steal from multiple stores within a short period of time. The House Judiciary Committee approved the bill in a 12-5 vote on Monday, sending it to the House floor.

The proposal comes as lawmakers nationwide wrestle with a wave of organized shoplifting rings. The crime — coined “boosting” — involves multiple thieves coordinating to steal multiple items across different retailers. The thieves often return the merchandise later for a store credit or sell the merchandise online. The latter makes it nearly impossible for law enforcement to trace, according to a staff analysis.

The legislation would subject perpetrators to a third-degree felony if they commit five or more retail thefts within a 30-day period and steal 10 or more items from at least two different locations. Those who steal 20 or more items, meanwhile, may face a second-degree felony.

Clemons said it will also strengthen the ability of State Attorney General Ashley Moody’s recently established task force, the Florida Organized Retail Crime Exchange (FORCE).

The bill received support from the Attorney General’s Office, as well as the International Council of Shopping Centers, Florida Smart Justice Alliance, Home Depot, Florida Sheriffs Association and the Florida Retail Federation.

“Organized retail crime is a real threat,” Scott Shalley, president and CEO of the Florida Retail Federation, said in a statement. “The growth of this criminal activity across the country impacts not only our retail members but our customers. Florida shoppers deserve to be in a safe and enjoyable retail environment."

A Senate version of the legislation was approved by the chamber last Thursday. Bradenton Republican Sen. Jim Boyd sponsored that proposal. bizjournals.com

NY's Crime Surge - Bail Reform - Gun Violence $$
Campaign trails hot on crime issues as elections near
With political activists gearing up for an election season in which statewide offices and state Legislature seats are up for grabs, the debate over criminal justice is taking center stage.

Rep. Lee Zeldin, R-Long Island, called for the enactment of a state "bill of rights" for police officers, saying their "inherent right of self-defense" should be enshrined in law and to prevent them from being "unfairly targeted by investigations."

Gov. Kathy Hochul has also been turning her attention to public safety. Last Friday, she joined New York City Mayor Eric Adams to announce a plan to increase police patrols and use psychiatric outreach services to urge homeless and mentally ill people using the mass transit system to seek help.

Candidates focus on public safety issues because they get the attention of voters, said Tom Doherty, a veteran political strategist who served in the cabinet of former Gov. George Pataki, the last New York Republican to hold statewide office.

While the New York GOP is at a distinct voter enrollment disadvantage to Democrats, "the Republicans see an opening with the crime issue and they think this is the year to talk about it," said Democratic campaign strategist George Arzt.

So far, Democratic legislative leaders in Albany have spurned Adams' request to retool the cashless bail law so that judges are again empowered to remand defendants to jail based on the potential danger they pose to communities.

But Arzt predicted the Legislature could soon face an increased public clamor to address bail if the wave of crimes continues to dominate headlines. The public safety issue also impacts the state's ability to attract tourists, with tourism a major economic driver, Arzt said.

Hochul, in her state budget presentation last month, proposed spending $224 million to address rising gun violence. northcountrypublicradio.org

Crime Becomes Top Issue as Police Reform Fades Into the Background
Nearly two years after George Floyd's murder, rising crime has turned police reform debate upside down

While US Democrats struggle to follow through on promises of police reform, Republicans are trying to keep voters’ attention on rising crime rates. Lauren Gambino reports

The May 2020 killing of George Floyd in Minneapolis at the hands of a police officer set off a wave of Black Lives Matter protests across the US and drew impassioned calls to “defund the police” from progressive activists. In the aftermath of Floyd’s death, Democrats – including the then presidential candidate Joe Biden – campaigned on promises of police reform. But nearly two years later, with crime rates on the rise across America, Democrats are now revising their message, Lauren Gambino tells Michael Safi.

Gun violence and homicides rose sharply in the US in 2020 and 2021, with Black and Latino communities hit the hardest. Though crime figures are still far lower than they were in the early 1990s, the jump from 2019 to 2020 represented the largest single-year surge in homicides in modern history, according to the CDC. According to a recent Gallup poll, only 24% of Americans said they were satisfied with efforts to reduce or control crime – a new low.

On a recent visit to New York, President Biden tried to strike a balance between competing messages. He forcefully asserted his support for law enforcement, clearly distancing himself from the “defund the police” movement. At the same time, he sought to convey a message that he was listening to – and even learning from – the communities of colour most affected by rising crime. Meanwhile, Republicans are determined to make the issue of crime a focus of the 2022 midterms. theguardian.com

Violent Crime Up 20%, Property Crime Up 9% in Seattle
Seattle police release report showing troubling crime trends
The police department’s top officers presented a 12-page report Tuesday morning, showing troubling crime trends in Seattle. Between 2020 and 2021, overall crime is up 10 percent, violent crime has increased 20 percent and property crimes are up nine percent.

The largest increase in property theft is motor vehicle parts and accessories like catalytic converters, up 79 percent. The violent crime rate reached a 14-year high in 2021, shootings and shots fired calls are up 40 percent.

“This year our trends are already not in a good place,” Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz said.

For those needing help, response times also hit their highest points in 10 years. Mayor Harrell and city leaders have already said the department is down 350 officers: “I continue to be alarmed by the lower staffing levels at our police department,” councilmember Alex Pedersen said.

SPD wants to hire 100 new officers a year for the next five years to build up staffing. The data also reflects community concerns, which said 21 percent say thefts and burglaries are their top concerns.

These are tied with homelessness (21%) and followed by policing issues (20%). komonews.com

Grocery Stores Impacted by Another Type of Theft Wave
Beekeepers turn to anti-theft technology as hive thefts rise

About a thousand beehives worth hundreds of thousands of dollars have been reported stolen across California in the past few weeks

For a few frenzied weeks, beekeepers from around the United States truck billions of honeybees to California to rent them to almond growers who need the insects to pollinate the state's most valuable crop.

But as almond trees start to bloom, blanketing entire valleys in white and pink flowers, so begin beehive thefts that have become so prevalent that beekeepers are now turning to GPS tracking devices, surveillance cameras and other anti-theft technology to protect their precious colonies.

Hive thefts have been reported elsewhere in the country, most recently three hives containing about 60,000 bees taken from a grocery chain's garden in central Pennsylvania. They happen at a larger scale and uniquely in California this time of year because bees are most in demand during the largest pollination event in the world. abcnews.go.com

Retail thieves targeting smaller businesses in metro Atlanta

New push to combat retail crimes in Palm Beach County

New York's Subway Violence Shows Challenge Adams Faces on Crime

US: 80.2M Cases - 963.3K Dead - 52.1M Recovered
Worldwide: 428.7M Cases - 5.9M Dead - 356.8M 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: 668
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Cases, Hospitalizations & Deaths Plummeting

More Good News: No New COVID Surge Coming
New omicron subvariant not expected to lead to another COVID-19 surge
As omicron cases continue to decline across the region, health departments in the District, Virginia and Maryland have reported new cases of a subvariant strain of the illness, but one expert said it doesn’t appear the newest version of COVID-19 will lead to another spike in cases.

The original omicron variant, which sent case numbers soaring over the winter, is known also as the BA.1; the new subvariant is called BA.2.

“I think it’s important to note that while case numbers of BA.2 are increasing, they’re not increasing anywhere close to the way that the BA.1 cases increased,” said Dr. Andy Pekosz, professor and virologist with Johns Hopkins’ Bloomberg School of Public Health.

He said that early observations show that the newest edition of the virus may not be as efficient when it comes to how it spreads. wtop.com

Apple Stores Relaxing COVID Restrictions
Apple once again drops the mask mandate in its US retail stores
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, Apple has been requiring all customers to wear a mask in its retail stores, a policy the company unsuccessfully tried to discontinue last year. However, it seems that the company once again wants to drop the mask mandate for Apple Stores in the United States.

As reported by Bloomberg on Tuesday, the company told its employees in a memo that customers will no longer be required to wear a mask in “eligible stores.” However, Apple Store employees will still be required to wear masks. At the same time, Apple says it will continue to recommend that everyone should wear masks in its stores.

The new policy applies to Apple Stores located in Ohio, North Carolina, Georgia, Kansas, Kentucky, and other states that no longer require people to wear a mask. The report notes that the mask mandate will remain valid in a few states like Hawaii, which have “stricter guidelines” on wearing a mask.

After dropping the mask requirement in November 2021, Apple reinstated the mandate in its retail stores in December as the numbers of COVID-19 cases rose again in the United States due to new variants. The company has also shut down multiple stores across the United States and Canada during the past three months to prevent the spread of COVID. 9to5mac.com

Walmart’s COVID-19 Vaccine Report
Walmart: 4 In 5 Covid Vaccines Went To ‘Medically Underserved’
Walmart administered 80% of its vaccines against Covid-19 in “medically underserved” areas of the U.S. since the shots became widely available a year ago, the company said.

The disclosure in Walmart’s COVID-19 vaccine report released Wednesday is the latest snapshot into the effort by retailers to expand deeper into the business of providing healthcare services, particularly during a time of crisis. In addition to its vaccination and pharmacy effort, Walmart has been expanding outpatient services, opening more “Walmart Health” centers that feature an array of primary medical services, dental care, and behavioral health services as part of a new model.

Already, retail drugstore chains CVS Health and Walgreens have disclosed their vaccination roles in the pandemic. In all of last year, CVS administered more than 59 million Covid-19 vaccinations while Walgreens has administered more than 56 million vaccines including “over 9 million boosters,” those companies have said.

For its part, Walmart said it has administered “tens of millions of vaccines” during the pandemic. Walmart wouldn’t disclose a specific number of vaccines it has administered.

Walmart said 4,000 of its 5,100 stores are in urban or rural areas of the U.S. considered “medically underserved” by the federal Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), which essentially means they don’t have enough access to healthcare services. forbes.com

Retail's 'COVID Grace Period'
Retailers Aren’t Getting the Benefit of the Doubt Anymore: Why The ‘COVID Grace Period’ is Gone and Never Coming Back
Amid unending supply chain issues, e-commerce still booming as a result of the pandemic, and another COVID-19 variant looming, small to midsize businesses (SMBs) and retailers have had a chaotic 2021. This is a trend that will continue into 2022, but we can’t expect consumers to give retailers a "grace period." Nearly two years after the coronavirus outbreak, there's a renewed expectation that retailers have figured out the main issues causing shipping delays and are able to provide an unmatched customer experience, even in the face of uncertainty. Here are some of my predictions on how consumer trust, e-commerce platform strategy, and the gig economy will play out in 2022:

Consumer Trust Needs a Paradigm Shift

The pandemic has brought about long-term changes across business operations and consumer expectations, and we’ll likely never go back to the old “normal.” Amid these changes, we’ll see a paradigm shift in 2022 related to the foundation and establishment of consumer trust that adheres to new ways of doing business. For example, retailers will need to embrace an increasingly digital-first style of communication, transactions, and more. This will also need to include a focus on transparency, overcommunication, and the ability to be nimble to provide the best customer experience.

SMBs Will Need to Evaluate Their Platform Approaches to Win on Customer Experience

In 2022, SMBs will need to think hard about how platform partnerships reflect their brand and empower greater levels of connectivity to strengthen customer experience. It will be important to prioritize platforms that prioritize digital innovation, enable businesses to maintain direct connection and communication with customers, and allow embedded integrations with existing technology stacks without separating them with their customers.

Gig Economy Will Open a Market Opportunity for SMBs: mytotalretail.com

Chicago Ends Indoor Mask & Vaccine Mandate
Chicago to lift indoor mask mandate on Feb. 28, Mayor Lightfoot says
Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot, CDPH Commissioner Dr. Allison Arwady announced Tuesday the city will remove the mask and vaccine requirements for certain public spaces on February 28. This is in alignment with the State of Illinois.

Mayor Lori Lightfoot said the key metrics of cases and hospitalization numbers are putting Chicago in position to no longer require masks in most indoor spaces. She said she is also dropping the proof of vaccination requirement.

At XEX Salon the news that the mask mandate is about to end is providing a sense of relief the owner said he and his staff are ready to be done wearing face coverings Masks will still be required in health care settings, on public transit, and in other congregate settings. The city said business owners may still impose their own mandates if they choose.

The owner of Nuevo Leon in Little Village said she got a lot of push back on the requiring the vaccination cards. She's hoping some of the regulars come back. abc7chicago.com

Luxury retail is still alive despite COVID

San Jose mall preps for new retail and dining, eyes post-COVID upswing