D&D Daily Partner	Booth Number
	20019
	21130
	14051
	13114
	7108
Click here to see the full list of ISC West exhibitors

Nationwide Push to Enact New ORC Legislation
Colorado committee advances legislation addressing retail theft, online crime
A Colorado Senate committee unanimously voted to advance a bill on Thursday that seeks to address the state’s increased retail theft and online crime rates.

House Bill 22-1099 would require online retailers in the state to verify certain information about their business such as their name, contacts, and bank account information within 10 days of qualifying as a “high-volume third-party seller” – or a retailer that makes more than 200 transactions per year, according to the bill’s text.

“Right now, it’s far too easy for thieves to resell online goods and take advantage of Colorado consumers making online purchases,” bill sponsor Sen. Rachel Zenzinger, D-Arvada, said in a statement.

Property crime in Colorado has risen steadily over the last several years with more than 164,000 cases reported in 2020, according to data from the state Division of Criminal Justice.

The rising crime rate has also taken a toll taxpayers in the state, according to a study by the Common Sense Institute, a free-enterprise think tank, which found that crime cost Colorado more than $27 billion in 2020, or more than $4,700 per taxpayer.

“This common sense legislation is an all around win for Coloradans,” Zenzinger said. “It will protect consumers and cut down on retail theft, ensuring our online marketplaces remain safe, legitimate places to buy goods and do business.” thecentersquare.com

Another City Grapples with Theft Surge
Tucson businesses seek help against robberies, retail theft
Shoplifting has long been among the most commonly reported crimes in Tucson, but a rise in those incidents escalating into suspects yielding weapons or threatening employees has local businesses looking for help.

Tucson-area business leaders are teaming up with law enforcement and the Tucson Metro Chamber to identify ways to keep employees safe and combat shoplifting as well as internal theft and property damage issues.

The Tucson Metro Chamber launched the Coalition Against Retail Theft in January, gaining interest from 20 businesses that have joined to develop solutions, said Michael Guymon, president and CEO of the chamber.

Some shared how they were fearful about leaving their businesses at night and how shoplifting incidents over the past couple of years have increasingly been escalating into dangerous robberies, said Lt. Steven Simmers, the data governor for TPD.

While there are theories as to why Tucson has seen in increase in robberies, Simmers said there is no exact answer.

“I don’t think anybody knows exactly why that is because we’ve just seen an upward trend across the board and violence in all sorts of areas,” Simmers said. “So, this could just be a reflection of increasing violence across the cross sections.” tucson.com

Major Crimes Surge 20% in NYC - Murders Up 45% - Burglaries Up 23%
Op-Ed: Tackling crime is the best way to really give NYC its swagger back
New York City has come back from the pandemic by one metric, but it’s not a good one: crime.

Major crimes are up 20% over February 2020, per the newest NYPD data. Murders have surged 45% in that month-to-month comparison. Felony assaults are up almost 13%; burglaries, about 23%. Car thefts are up a hideous 130%.

That Adams and his top police brass haven’t yet managed to roll out — or even provide a real timeline for — his new anti-gun units, the Neighborhood Safety Teams, adds more angst among the law-abiding. So does new Police Commissioner Keechant Sewell’s practice of releasing the data without an actual press conference.

Recent polling shows that 74% of New Yorkers consider crime a very serious problem (the highest since 1999). Indeed, it’s also respondents’ “most urgent” issue, in many cases by double-digit percentages, across all five boroughs and regardless of party, gender, race or age. Two-thirds worry about becoming crime victims.

Possibly the only thing all New Yorkers agree on. Except, apparently, the city’s delegation to the Legislature, which with Gov. Kathy Hochul’s acquiescence continues to stonewall any reform of the no-bail and Raise the Age laws. nypost.com

2020 Protests Aftermath Continues - Video Captures It All

DOJ: Tacoma woman sentenced to 5 years in prison for arson & looting stores at downtown Seattle protest
Seattle –A 26-year-old Tacoma, Washington, woman was sentenced today in U.S. District Court in Seattle to 5 years in prison for arson for burning five Seattle P0lice vehicles parked around Sixth and Pine in downtown Seattle on Saturday, May 30, 2020,

Channon is captured on video using fire and aerosol cans to light five Seattle Police Department vehicles on fire. She is also shown entering various stores and stealing clothing. She admitted smashing the window at the Verizon Store and entering a sandwich shop and destroying the electronic cash register. justice.gov

DOJ: South Los Angeles Man Pleads Guilty to Arson for Setting Hancock Park Pizzeria Ablaze During May 2020 Civil Disturbances
Gary Klausner has scheduled a June 27 sentencing hearing, and will face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in federal prison and a statutory maximum sentence of 20 years in federal prison.  justice.gov

DOJ: Mercer County Man Sentenced to 30 Months in Prison for Interfering with Law Enforcement Officers During Civil Disorder

DOJ: Pittsburgh Man Pleads Guilty to Obstructing Police during May 20, 2020 Pittsburgh Protest

US: 80.9M Cases - 984K Dead - 54.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 446.9M Cases - 6M Dead - 380.2M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 353  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 693
*Red indicates change in total deaths

'Return to Normal'
COVID cases continue steep decline in U.S.
COVID case rates continued a steep decline over the last two weeks with the seven-day rolling average dropping to roughly 59,000 cases a day.

The big picture: These falling case rates prompted the CDC in the last week to loosen its mask guidance, recommending universal masking for less than a third of the U.S. population. The White House is also taking steps to bring back the federal workforce and otherwise promote a return to some form of pre-COVID normal.

By the numbers: Nationwide, the U.S. is averaging roughly 18 cases per 100,000 people over two weeks. The lowest case rates were seen in Nebraska with six cases per 100,000 people, followed by Delaware and Maryland, which had nine cases per 100,000, respectively.

What we're watching: As with last week, the latest numbers indicate a cause for optimism as Americans return to more normal activities. But that comes with a caveat that it only takes one bad variant to reverse this progress. axios.com

Replacing Store Masking Requirement with Increased Testing
Apple to increase COVID-19 testing for vaccinated retail employees
Apple Inc. plans to begin testing vaccinated retail staff twice a week for COVID-19, a step toward dropping its mask requirement for employees.

The company announced the plan in a memo to U.S. retail staff Tuesday, changing a policy that had required vaccinated workers to test once a week. Unvaccinated staff had already been required to test twice weekly. At the same time, the company is now allowing employees to verify their results independently rather than providing proof.

“Based on what we’ve learned from our testing pilot, everyone will now be required to self-test twice per week, regardless of vaccination status,” the company said in the memo. “In addition, if you were submitting your test results for verification, you’re no longer required to do so.”

Apple also said in the memo that it is reconsidering the mask requirement for employees and that an update will be shared soon. “At this point, team members should continue to wear a face mask in store,” according to the memo. The company is “currently reviewing our face mask guidance for team members.” fortune.com

Reopening New York City
Adams Ends Pandemic Mandates in New York City Amid Concern He Is Rushing

Masks will no longer be required in public schools and proof-of-vaccination is no longer required for many indoor activities.

Mayor Eric Adams opened a new chapter of the pandemic in New York City on Friday, ending requirements that masks be worn in public schools and that proof of vaccination be presented by those dining indoors, using gyms and going to entertainment venues.

The mayor announced the moves in Times Square, a symbol of vibrancy at a significant moment for a city that was once an epicenter of the pandemic and where nearly 40,000 people have died.

Mr. Adams framed the decision to drop the mandates as part of his broader effort to reopen the city, whose economy has been battered by the coronavirus, and to restore a sense of normalcy after a steep drop in Covid-19 cases.

New York, Mr. Adams declared, had beaten back the Omicron variant of the virus, largely by ensuring that millions of people were vaccinated, and New Yorkers and tourists could enjoy the city again.

“We are winning,” Mr. Adams said. “Let’s celebrate.” nytimes.com

LA Goes Mask-Free for Both Vaxxed & Non-Vaxxed
LA County Lifts Indoor Mask Mandate After Being Reclassified As Having ‘Low’ COVID-19 Activity
Los Angeles County formally lifted its indoor mask-wearing mandate Friday, for both vaccinated and unvaccinated individuals, after it was reclassified by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Thursday as having “low” COVID-19 activity.

Masking in most indoor public spaces — such as restaurants, movie theaters, gyms, retail stores and nail salons — will no longer be required regardless of vaccination status. Patrons will no longer have to provide proof of vaccination. The mandate was lifted by the L.A. County Department of Public Health at 12:01 a.m.

Individual businesses will have the choice, however, of requiring masks if they so choose. losangeles.cbslocal.com

Why have some people never caught Covid? The answers could help protect us all

Retail Closures Sweep Russia Amid Ukraine Invasion
Life After Ikea: A Running List of Retail Closures in Russia

A roundup of retail businesses that have paused shipments or closed up shop:

Apple - After Ukraine Vice Prime Minister Mykhailo Fedorov tweeted a letter to Apple Inc. Chief Executive Officer Tim Cook on Feb. 25, pleading with the tech giant to pull out of Russia, Apple closed stores and paused product sales in the country. It hasn’t yet shut down its local App Store.

Chanel - The luxury brand suspended online sales and deliveries to Russia and will close its stores there.

Hermes - French luxury brand Hermes International said it will temporarily close its stores in Russia and pause all commercial activities.

H&M - Swedish clothing retailer Hennes & Mauritz AB has temporarily paused sales in Russia, where the retailer has 155 stores. According to its 2020 year-end report, Russia is the company’s seventh-largest market.

Ikea - Home-furnishing giant Ikea announced that it was pausing all Ikea-brand retail operations in Russia, export and import in and out of Russia and Belarus, and deliveries from sub-suppliers. A statement on the Ikea Russia website said it was suspending sales in stores and online immediately.

LVMH - French luxury group LVMH said it is temporarily closing its 124 stores in Russia, where it has 3,500 employees.

Nike - Footwear giant Nike Inc. is temporarily closing company-owned and operated shops in Russia, but the company told Bloomberg it will continue to pay store employees during the closures. It is also halting e-commerce sales in the country.

Under Armour - Sports apparel company Under Armour Inc. has stopped all shipments into sales channels in Russia. | See the full list here: bloomberg.com

   More Worldwide Efforts to Isolate and Punish Russia

   ● Feb. 27: UPS and FedEx halting shipments to Russia and Ukraine

   ● Feb. 26: Russian bank customers barred from using Apple, Google Pay

   ● March 5: Mastercard and Visa suspend operations in Russia

   ● March 6: American Express suspends operations in Russia and Belarus

   ● March 6: Netflix, TikTok, and DXC end services in Russia

   ● March 7: Uniqlo owner stays put in Russia as Levi, AMEX and others sever ties


Security Firm 'Defrauds' Federal Government
Whistleblower: Security firm falsified Georgia training records for guards
A whistleblower alleges that an international security firm with ties to Georgia defrauded the federal government and endangered American diplomats abroad when it falsified training records of guards it sent to Afghanistan to protect the U.S. Embassy and other facilities, according to federal court records filed in Macon last month.

The case has forced scrutiny on GardaWorld Federal Services and its training program in Middle Georgia where a whistleblower said the fraud was centered. The whistleblower, GardaWorld employee Justin Fahn, is alleging that the company failed to properly train nearly 100 guards that passed through the program in Perry before they were sent on their security assignment to Afghanistan.

GardaWorld’s federal contract required classroom and hands-on instruction, including physical fitness and use of force training, but the company falsified training records and misled the federal government that was paying for the protection, Fahn alleges in an amended complaint to his whistleblower lawsuit.

The alleged fraud “seriously jeopardized the safety of Department of State personnel and assets in Afghanistan,” Fahn said in the lawsuit originally unsealed in September in U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Georgia. Fahn, a GardaWorld unit support coordinator, discovered the training deficiencies while stationed in Afghanistan, said his Atlanta attorney Jess Johnson. Johnson said Fahn and other GardaWorld personnel were involved in vital security tasks to defend the embassy, including armed patrols and searching for suicide bombers.

“The State Department wasn’t getting what they were paying for,” Johnson said. “The State Department thought they were getting competent guards.”

In a motion to dismiss filed by GardaWorld’s attorneys, the company denies Fahn’s allegations and characterizes them as a repackaging of “minor technical issues of the kind that the government has been aware of for more than a decade.” ajc.com  privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com

Mall Security & Murder Lawsuit
Lawsuit alleges Brooklyn’s Kings Plaza mall security failed to stop fight that led to teen’s murder
A security guard did nothing as a Brooklyn teen got into a vicious fight with a rival at the Kings Plaza mall, failing to intervene in the brawl that escalated into a deadly shooting minutes later, a new lawsuit charges.

“He’s just standing there. They did nothing. They did nothing,” said Stewart’s mother, Charlene Stewart, 46, of the security guard in the video. “I’ve never seen my son have a one-on-one fight. I’ve never seen him in that manner. I was heartbroken. I’m his mother. I can see that he’s being hurt and I do not like that at all.”

The victim’s family told The News that he was accosted by a group of teens — including Glasgow — in the mall as he bought a smoothie with friends. The group demanded Stewart and his pals hand over their money, prompting the donnybrook. Stewart rolled on the the ground, tussling with others boys as a security guard watched, according to the lawsuit and video. Stewart’s parents identified him as the boy wearing a red shirt in the video.

An onlooker laughed at the beatdown and filmed with her phone. “Yo the security guard. The security guard has me dying,” says a girl in the video.

Stewart and his friends eventually left the mall, according to the suit, and got in a car. Glasgow is accused of pursuing Stewart and shooting him in the car. The victim was around the corner from his home in Flatlands.

A law enforcement source confirmed the video of the fight is part of the Brooklyn DA’s investigation of Stewart’s murder. Glasgow was arrested for the killing on April 9, 2021, charged as an adult for the murder though he was underage at the time. He has pleaded not guilty. Stewart died five days after the shooting at Maimonides Medical Center. nydailynews.com

Another One Bites the Dust on Ethics Charge
Ralph Lauren exec Howard Smith resigns
Ralph Lauren Chief Commercial Officer Howard Smith has resigned his position, according to a Securities and Exchange Commision document. The resignation is effective as of April 2. After 20 years with Ralph Lauren, Smith is stepping down from his current role of chief commercial officer.

After an independent investigation, Smith was found to have violated the company's code of business conduct and ethics and other policies, according to SEC documentation. The company's board then concluded Smith's resignation was necessary.

Following allegations made concerning Smith's personal conduct, Ralph Lauren launched an investigation with the assistance of outside counsel. The investigation revealed that Smith violated the company's code of conduct and other policies and "it was decided that Howard would resign," the letter to employees stated. retaildive.com

Whistleblower Case by Former Dia-Foot Employee
Diabetic Shoe Company & CEO Agrees to Pay $5.5M to Resolve False Claims Act Allegations Regarding “Custom” Shoe Inserts
Miami, Florida – Foot Care Store, Inc. d/b/a Dia-Foot (Dia-Foot), a diabetic shoe company based in Wellington, Florida, and its President and CEO Robert Gaynor, have agreed to pay $5,538,338 to settle allegations that the company sold custom diabetic shoe inserts that were not actually custom-fabricated in accordance with Medicare standards. The agreement is part of a civil settlement that resolves claims brought under the False Claims Act.

Dia-Foot billed Medicare and Medicaid for the custom version, or sold the inserts to other providers who then billed government health care programs for custom inserts. This allowed Dia-Foot to produce and sell more inserts and increase profits by cutting corners. The government also alleged that Dia-Foot advertised to customers that it was proud to be Medicare-compliant and had received Medicare approval for its custom diabetic shoe inserts, even though Dia-Foot received the Medicare approvals based on false information.

Dia-Foot and Robert Gaynor entered into a three-year Integrity Agreement (IA) with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). The IA requires, among other things, that Dia-Foot implement updated policies and procedures as part of its compliance program, and hire an Independent Review Organization to review quarterly Dia-Foot’s claims to Medicare and Medicaid. justice.gov

DOJ: Leader of multimillion-dollar tobacco tax fraud and money laundering conspiracy gets 26 months prison

Defendant and his coconspirators defrauded Washington of more than $10 million in tobacco excise taxes

Hyung Il Kwon, 48, of Henderson, Nevada, was the secret owner of TK Mac, a company that owned and operated two smoke shops in Federal Way and Lynnwood, Washington. Kwon conspired with others to cheat the state out of tobacco excise taxes; he also evaded more than $850,000 in federal income taxes. justice.gov

Amazon plans to shut down more than 50 brick-and-mortar stores- book stores & 4-Star locations only

REI Workers in New York Vote to Unionize


Quarterly Results

American Eagle Outfitters Q4 consolidated store revenue up 32%, digital sales down 3%, net sales up 17%
American Eagle Outfitters FY 22 consolidated store revenue up 53%, digital sales up 7%, net sales up 33%

Urban Outfitters Q4 retail segment net sales up 15%, wholesales seg. net sales down 22%, net sales up 13.9%
Urban Outfitters FY 22 retail segment net sales up 16%, wholesales seg. net sales down 23%, net sales up 14.2%

Abercrombie & Fitch Q4 net sales up 4%, digital sales were 48% of total net sales, FY 22 net sales up 19%, digital represented 47% of total net sales

Kroger Q4 identical sales up 4%, digital sales two-year stack up 105%, FY 22 identical sales up 0.2%, digital sales two-year stack up 113%

Best Buy Q4 Enterprise comp's down 2.3%, domestic online sales down 11.2%, FY 22 enterprise comp's up 10.4%

Nordstrom Q4 Nordstrom banner net sales flat, Nordstrom Rack down 5%, Digital sales down 1%, net sales up 23%