LPF Announces New Advisory Council Members

LPF adds new members to the Loss Prevention Foundation Advisory Council (LPFAC)

The Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) is pleased to announce the newest members of the Loss Prevention Foundation Advisory Council (LPFAC), Hedgie Bartol, LPC and Jonathon Burris, LPC.

"I am honored and humbled to be chosen to serve on the LPF Advisory Council," said Hedgie Bartol, LPC or Auror. "Having been a supporter of the LPF since its inception, I am looking forward to being a part of its continued growth and the professional development of LP/AP professionals."

Jonathon Burris, LPC stated, "I’m very excited to be joining the LPF Advisory Council and its wealth of talented and passionate professionals. During my 20+ year career, my vision has always been to be an advocate for the Loss Prevention/Asset Protection industry and I look forward to continuing that vision with the LPFAC”.

Read more here


TMATraining.org Introduces New Online Education Offerings – Adding More Than 75 Hours of CEU courses

The Monitoring Association (TMA) has greatly expanded its online library of education and training courses offered on its Learning Management System (LMS) at TMATraining.org. More than 75 hours of course work have been added as a result of a formal collaboration with SecurityCEU.com. Topics vary widely and include customer service; sales; access control; IP video; IP networking; perimeter security detection; troubleshooting; writing effective incident reports; wireless technologies; cyber and cloud security; effective communication; alarm science; project management; and more.

Read more here
 

ORC's Perfect Storm
NRF: Meeting the challenge of organized retail crime

The retail industry is responding with innovation and collaboration

NRF surveys show that organized retail theft has been a growing problem over the past five years. The brazen, targeted and coordinated activity occurs in communities across the United States.

How did we get here?

Several states have worked to keep non-violent criminals, or those with minor misdemeanor offenses, out of the U.S. criminal justice system. Diversion programs and other job and economic development programs encourage these individuals to become productive members of society.

States have also changed laws regarding the amount of bail assessed to minor offenses, increased felony theft thresholds and worked to remove non-violent offenders from the prison system in the hopes they do not become “career criminals” or fall into a life of more violent crime. The result is that criminals can recruit people to steal inexpensive items in great quantities with no fear of retribution or prosecution.

COVID-19’s impact

Unfortunately, pandemic-era retail innovations also attracted enterprising criminals looking to exploit gaps in security and take advantage of opportunities to quickly resell merchandise online, on street corners, in black markets and even back to the retail supply chains and stores they stole from. A perfect storm for organized retail crime emerged — and the results of that storm are being captured on mobile devices and shared via social media and news stories across the country.

Solutions

The costs for security budgets for retailers have grown significantly in recent years — partly due to these retail crimes. Retailers continue to revisit their policies and shift strategies to fight and prevent ORC-related incidents. NRF supports their efforts through advocacy and opportunities to convene the retail industry’s leading professionals in loss prevention, asset protection and cybersecurity. nrf.com

Walgreens Crime-Fighting Partnership with ALTO
Walgreens expands partnership with Alto US to reduce crime

Walgreens is focusing on crime prevention as it looks to reduce theft in its stores.

The pharmacy retailer said it is expanding its effort to address theft and organized retail crime across more than 2,200 stores nationwide in partnership with Alto US, a provider of loss prevention and tech-enabled security services. The Alto solution has been used across approximately 500 Walgreens stores since 2019.

In the stores where Walgreens has partnered with Alto, theft has been cut by nearly 30%, according to Todd Lyle, VP of asset protection solutions at Walgreens.

The solution puts Alto’s “customer success specialists” in Walgreens stores to foster collaboration between team members, law enforcement, prosecutors and community members. The effort is not only aimed at preventing crime, but also helping to identify and assist in the prosecution of crime suspects.

“Retail crime is one of the top challenges facing retailers today,” said Lyle. “Alto shares our commitment to provide a safe environment for our patients, customers, and team members. Our expanded partnership with Alto compliments our asset protection and operations teams while directly supporting 2,250 stores and communities we are honored to serve.”

Walgreens noted that retail crime has evolved beyond shoplifting and petty theft to the sale of stolen and counterfeit goods online, with unregulated, online marketplaces and third-party sellers giving criminals additional means to sell stolen and legitimate goods. On Walgreens’ earnings call in January, CFO James Kehoe said that organized crime has helped to increase shrink 40% to 50% "over the last two years."

The company is advocating for the passing of the Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces (INFORM) for Consumers Act, which would require online marketplaces to collect and verify third-party sellers’ government ID, tax ID, bank account information and contact information, and require high-volume sellers to disclose that contact information to consumers. chainstoreage.com

More States Take Action Amid ORC Surge
Ohio fights retail theft by regulating sales on on-line marketplaces like Facebook

Ohio became the third state — after Arkansas and Colorado — to regulate sales on such sites such as Amazon, Ebay and Facebook Marketplace.

States are doing something that Congress has yet to accomplish — make it harder for criminals to sell stolen items online. On Wednesday, Ohio became the third state — after Arkansas and Colorado — to regulate sales on such sites such as Amazon, Ebay and Facebook Marketplace, according to the Retail Industry Leaders Association.

The new laws require “high-volume” sellers, people who sell at least $5,000 worth of items within two years, to share their banking and identification information with sites in order to keep professional thieves from making a fast dollar.

Ohio’s new law comes nearly four months after NBC News embedded with local police in Perrysburg Township, south of Toledo, as undercover detectives busted organized theft rings who hawk stolen new-in-box power tools on Facebook Marketplace.

Both chambers of Ohio’s legislature passed Ghanbari’s bill unanimously in March, and the governor signed it on Wednesday. It becomes effective July 6.

A spokesperson for Amazon, wouldn’t comment on Ohio’s new law and said the company still supports the House version of the INFORM ACT. “It would prevent an unworkable patchwork of state-level regulations,” the spokesperson said.

Illinois, Michigan, New York and several other states are now considering laws similar to what Arkansas, Colorado and Ohio have passed.

Meanwhile, Congress has not yet finalized its version, the INFORM Consumers Act, which has both House and Senate drafts. Tech giants such as Amazon and Ebay support the House version, passed in February, which would require sellers who earn more than $20,000 in online sales to disclose their banking information. nbcnews.com

   RELATED: Ghanbari’s bill to combat organized retail crime signed into law

Theft is Crushing NYC Businesses
Op-Ed: New York City’s retail theft spree, seen up close
Small businesses across all five boroughs are being pummeled by retail theft, and it’s putting us, as well as our employees and customers, in considerable danger. We need to address this spike in crime before more New York businesses are forced to close.

The numbers tell part of the story. The NYPD reports that grand larceny is up 56% year to date across the city. Burglary is up 30.8%. Petty larceny, 38%.

However, New Yorkers must also understand what this feels like from the perspective of someone who operates a small business. I opened the doors of my first boutique in 1989. Working in retail for three decades, theft has become something that I’m unfortunately all too familiar with. However, the times have certainly changed. Retail theft has become more brazen, violent and organized.

Like many other retailers across the city, I am grappling with unpaid rent and having to hire additional staff just to combat the crime. For a small business owner such as myself, these prices are debilitating. Although my business may be better off than others, hiring security guards is still off the table.

Businesses across the city and of all different industries are being targeted. According to the NYPD, we haven’t seen a crime wave like this since 1995. Just from January through September, there were more than 26,000 complaints for shoplifting — 6,000 more than the previous year. No wonder businesses are being forced to keep their products under lock and key, something that Al Sharpton can attest to firsthand.

In Washington, Congress is considering the INFORM Consumers Act. It aims to curb retail theft by requiring e-commerce platforms to vet their third-party sellers and prevent thieves from selling stolen products online. The criminals who rob my stores are no longer turning only to the streets to sell my clothing — they’re likely ending up on sites like Amazon and Facebook Marketplace.

And right here in New York State, lawmakers are considering legislation that would establish a retail crime task force. To stop these criminals, law enforcement officials and retailers must work hand in hand. I hope that Albany sees the merits of this measure and passes it this year. nydailynews.com

Cracking Down on 'Ghost Guns'
Biden announces measures to crack down on ‘ghost guns’

The White House said there had been a tenfold increase in reports of ‘unserialized, privately made firearms’ since 2016

Joe Biden has announced an attempt to crack down on “ghost guns”, kits which can be bought without a background check, from which a working gun can quickly be made, and which have been used in an escalating number of shootings.

In a release, the White House said 20,000 “unserialized, privately made firearms” were reported to the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) in 2021, a tenfold increase on 2016.

Ghost guns are an increasing problem for US law enforcement. The critical component in building an untraceable gun is the lower receiver, a part typically made of metal or polymer. An unfinished receiver – sometimes referred to as an “80% receiver” – can be legally bought online with no serial numbers or other markings and no license required.

On Monday, the administration also released an executive action to regulate “split receiver” firearms with serial numbers and background checks and to require gun sellers to maintain sales records more than 20 years old. theguardian.com

NYC Subway Station Attack - The City's Violence Epidemic Continues
At least 16 injured in Brooklyn subway shooting, undetonated devices found
At least 16 people were injured, including eight who were shot, when a suspect set off a smoke grenade and unleashed gunfire on a Brooklyn subway train during Tuesday morning rush hour, the NYPD and law enforcement sources told The Post.

The gunman — possibly disguised as an MTA construction worker and wearing a gas mask — launched his bloody assault around 8:30 a.m. on a Manhattan-bound N train at the 36th Street station in Sunset Park, where authorities later discovered several undetonated devices, FDNY and police said.

The suspect is believed to have set off the smoke grenade moments before firing off a barrage of bullets, police sources told The Post. Cops and sources said at least five people were shot in the third car of the train and others were injured by smoke inhalation. A pregnant woman was among those hospitalized, sources said. nypost.com

In Case You Missed it: Lawmakers pass bill to combat the rise in ORC in Illinois
The legislation closes gaps in current Illinois law that criminals exploit and provides law enforcement with more tools to address ORC. Reported in the D&D Daily's ORC column here.

US: 82.1M Cases - 1M Dead - 79.9M Recovered
Worldwide: 500.1M Cases - 6.2M Dead - 450.2M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 354  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 753
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Nationwide COVID Spike Fueled by Northeast
COVID-19 cases rising in Northeast, partly fueled by BA.2, experts say
As COVID-19 cases continue to tick up in the United States, the Northeast appears to be fueling the increase. Four of the five states with the highest seven-day case rates per 100,000 are in the Northeast. In the 10 states with the highest seven-day rates, seven are Northeastern, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Rhode Island currently has the highest seven-day case rate at 172.4 cases per 100,000 people. This is nearly three times higher than the national rate of 59.4 cases per 100,000 people. Other Northeastern states seeing increases include Vermont, New York, New Jersey, Maine and Connecticut. In particular, New York and New Jersey have seen their average daily cases increase by 64%, the CDC data shows. abcnews.go.com

Looking Back on COVID Business & School Lockdowns
California, New York handled COVID-19 lockdowns the worst, Florida among the best, a new study shows
A new study has graded states by how well they handled the coronavirus pandemic and its subsequent restrictions and lockdowns, showing a stark contrast between liberal and conservative states.

The Committee To Unleash Prosperity study compared state performance on metrics including the economy, education, and mortality from the virus, and examined how states and their respective governments handled the pandemic response.

"Shutting down their economies and schools was by far the biggest mistake governors and state officials made during COVID, particularly in blue states," Steve Moore, co-founder of the Committee to Unleash Prosperity, told Fox News Digital. "We hope the results of this study will persuade governors not to close schools and businesses the next time we have a new virus variant."

New York, California, New Jersey and Illinois were among the worst in dealing with the coronavirus, performing "poorly on every measure," the report said.

These states "had high age-adjusted death rates; they had high unemployment and significant GDP losses, and they kept their schools shut down much longer than almost all other states," the report added.

States like Utah, Nebraska, Vermont, Montana, South Dakota and Florida received the highest scores in the study, first through sixth, respectively. news.yahoo.com

The Return of the Indoor Mask Mandate in Philly
Philly will require masks in indoor public spaces again as COVID-19 cases rise

The new mask mandate will begin on April 18 to give Philly businesses time to adjust.

By resuming the indoor mask mandate, city officials hope to stave off another surge in hospitalizations and deaths that could accompany the current case increase that appears to be caused by the BA.2 omicron subvariant.

“We don’t know if the BA.2 variant in Philadelphia will have the kind of impact on hospitalizations and deaths that we saw with the original omicron variant this winter,” Bettigole said. “I suspect that this wave will be smaller than the one we saw in January.”

“This is our chance to get ahead of the pandemic, to put our masks on until we have more information on the severity of this variant.” inquirer.com

White House may extend mask mandate for planes and public transit, Covid czar says