Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) Developed SDS Outdoor With DHS's S&T
DHS: Reimagining Gunshot Detection for Enhanced Community Safety

New portable system employs two methods of detection for increased accuracy and reduced false positives.

New and improved gunshot detection technology will soon make American communities of all sizes safer. The Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and its industry partner Shooter Detection Systems (SDS) developed SDS Outdoor, a gunshot detection system that builds on existing SDS technology to deliver new capabilities that significantly improve the response and management of outdoor shootings.

Among these new capabilities are portability and ease of system set up at any location, two-source detection—sound and flash—to confirm a gunshot, real-time alerts that provide near-instant situational awareness to law enforcement and emergency medical responders, and enhanced data recording that aids apprehension and conviction of alleged shooters.

Although gunshot detection technology is currently in use, it can only be installed at fixed locations. For outdoor public events, portable gunshot detection technology can add another layer of security to already installed security systems like cameras.

S&T will issue a report of the OFA test findings in June. SDS is now using the first-person feedback collected from the law enforcement officials who participated in the live testing to work on system improvements. The company expects a commercial version of an outdoor solution based on this development effort to be available to law enforcement agencies and first responders nationwide by the end of this year.

Go deeper inside the SDS Outdoor field test in S&T’s Tech Speak podcast Shot Detected. dhs.gov
 

Highlights from Tuesday's Value-Packed Day at RILA AP Conference

By Barbara Jones, CEO & Founder, Freeing Returns

Tuesday at RILA AP Conference was excellent. I began the day with breakfast for women in asset protection. In the general session, Scott Draher from Lowe's and Paul Jackle from Meijer presented on reducing in-store crime. Brian Friedman and Seth Hughes of REI highlighted "first-person cameras” (aka body cams). Hank Jones of Lowe's spoke about how to create a safety culture.

Then, breakout sessions began. I went to hear about how retailers are losing BIPOC customers due to bias in LP policies. Shout-out to the panelists David Brown of Sephora, Karen Osorio of H&M, Jayson Sutton of Burlington and moderator Tshombe Laughman of Open to All for an exceptional session. What was the result of transforming their approach? Better customer experience, fewer incidents of racial bias and higher sales.

The other sessions covered the INFORM Act, CCTV and law enforcement. Then, I went to the Asset Protection Leaders Council meeting.

In the afternoon, Nadine Lajeune of Aldi, Leslie Allen of Footlocker and Jess Pierce of Dick's Sporting Goods spoke on leadership. Later, we heard from Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser and Adam Parks of the Department of Homeland Security.

Between it all, the Expo was busy. My team and I shared with many people about how we can solve total retail loss and return money to your bottom line.

Conversations and networking continued late into the evening.

 



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Jack L. Hayes International's 35th Annual Retail Theft Survey

Shoplifter & Dishonest Employee Apprehensions and Dollar Recoveries Soared in 2022 as 81% of Surveyed Participants Reported an Increase in Shrink

WESLEY CHAPEL, FL - Jack L. Hayes International, Inc. released today (May 3, 2023) the results of their 35th Annual Retail Theft Survey which reports on over 340,000 shoplifter and dishonest employee apprehensions in 2022 by just 26 large retailers, who recovered over $288 million from these apprehended thieves.

“Eighty-one percent of survey participants reported an increase in shrink in 2022 and this is reflected in their total apprehension and recovery statistics. Total apprehensions increased 45.6% and total recovery dollars from these apprehensions increased 70.5% in 2022. Many retailers returned to making shoplifter apprehensions post pandemic and focused more of their attention on external theft issues in 2022. Our survey revealed shoplifter apprehensions and recovery dollars from those apprehensions increased significantly in 2022, up 50.9% and 90.5% respectively,” said Mark R. Doyle, President of Jack L. Hayes International, Inc. Mr. Doyle added, “Recovery dollars where no shoplifter apprehension was made, but merchandise was recovered, increased 44.1% in 2022.” Mr. Doyle also stated, “On the employee theft side, there was an increase in 2022 in both dishonest employee apprehensions and recovery dollars, 18.0% and 14.7% respectively.”

Highlights from this highly anticipated annual theft survey include:

● Participants: 26 large retail companies with 22,182 stores and over $700 billion in retail sales in 2022.

● Shrink: 81% of retailers surveyed reported that shrink increased in 2022.

● Apprehensions: Participants apprehended 340,488 shoplifters and dishonest employees in 2022, up 45.6% from 2021.

● Recovery Dollars: Participants recovered over $288 million from apprehended shoplifters and dishonest employees in 2022, up 70.5% from 2021.

● Shoplifters: 295,654 shoplifters were apprehended in 2022, up 50.9%; and over $237 million was recovered from these shoplifters, up 90.5%. Note: Dollars recovered from shoplifters where no apprehension was made ($485 million) increased 44.1% in 2022.

● Dishonest Employees: 44,834 dishonest employees were apprehended in 2022, up 18.0%; and over $50 million was recovered from these employees in 2022, up 14.7%.

Click here to read the full survey results
 

Theft & Violence a Top Topic at RILA AP Conference
EXCLUSIVE: 5 Tips for Solving the Safety Crisis in Grocery

At RILA Asset Protection Conference, food retailers cite theft and violence as the top threats to their business

Food retailers operating in North America today face a slew of hard challenges, from labor shortages to skyrocketing costs to dwindling profit margins. But there is another challenge lurking in the shadows, not being talked about enough in the industry, retailers say. And that is asset protection.

At the 2023 RILA Asset Protection Conference this month in Denver, Colo., retailers such as Kroger, Walmart, Target, Dollar Tree and many others detailed incidents of e-commerce fraud, violence against store workers, self-checkout fraud, habitual criminal offenders taking advantage of an overtaxed under-resourced criminal justice system, rising organized retail crime losses, shrink numbers trending up, civil unrest, active shooter events, persistent unlawful activity on store property, and more events disrupting operations in profound ways. Session after session, grocery retailers said that the No. 1 threat to their business is lack of asset protection.

Chief of staff of the Manhattan district attorney's office, Jordan Stockdale, reported that retail theft has jumped 77% in New York City over the past five years. The CEO of Ulta Beauty, David Kimball, said his stores have seen a 50% increase in violent incidents in the past six months. Several law enforcement officials speaking on various panels at RILA said that retailers are describing the safety climate in retail stores as "total chaos." And Kroger’s director of asset protection, Chris Harris, discussed how the expiration of expanded SNAP benefits is going to lead to possibly even more incidents or threats.

“In March, the extra government push for SNAP benefits ran out,” Harris said. “And that means the average individual has roughly $85 less in grocery spend every month. Family of four, that's more than $300 less that they're going to have to spend on groceries. Now, they're still going to buy groceries, but not as much. So if sales go down, that's going to put more pressure on shrink. … Plus there’s the uptick in organized retail crime, in theft activity, there’s the decriminalization of minor shoplifting cases. All of that adds complexity, and these are the things that we're concerned about.”

Harris gave three reasons why Kroger has been at the forefront of experimenting with asset protection technology, and deployed a number of AI, machine learning and biometric solutions to help identify and prevent losses via what it now calls its “asset protection ecosystem platform.”  progressivegrocer.com


Shoplifting has never been a bigger issue in Canada
North of the Border ORC is Just as Much of a Problem as in the U.S.

Head of Walmart Canada talks theft, self-checkouts, potential closures

The head of Canada’s largest retailer says shoplifting is a serious issue for the company, but they’re working on it.

Walmart President and CEO Gonzalo Gebara was in Moncton Monday for the grand opening of a massive new distribution centre that will provide over 40 stores in Atlantic Canada with fresh and frozen groceries.

Shoplifting has never been a bigger issue according to Statistic Canada and the world's largest retailer is not immune.

After a tour of the facility, Gebara spoke to CTV News about theft, security and store closures.

“Security in general is something we pay very close attention to,” said Gebara. "We have been working on internal processes. We have been working on investing in technology. We have been very well connected with the RCC (Retail Council of Canada) and collaborating with everyone so that we can make our stores the safest place for our customers to shop and for our associates to work.”

Some have suggested self-checkouts are part of the problem, but the company insists it has no plans to scale back on the trend to curb theft.

Jim Cormier, the Atlantic director of the RCC, says it's not just a problem with Walmart and it's getting worse for all retailers.

"It's not a victimless crime. It's one of the things we're trying to get across to all government officials, that this is not something that is a write-off on a balance sheet at the end of the day. This is something that has real consequences. Retail workers that have to deal with brazen thefts going on within stores,” said Cormier.

“But we're saying that we need some help with government officials and with policing officials to get together, work in community to try and see if there are solutions that we can work on together,” said Cormier.

Walmart closed four of its eight stores in Chicago, Ill., last month in abrupt fashion.

A lack of profits, theft and security concerns were listed as the retailers reasons for the closures according to media reports.

Gebara was asked if closing stores in Canada is a possibility.

"We're working with all of our resources to make sure that we just improve the general conditions of safety,” said Gebara. “Mostly because we want to stay here for our customers and for our associates and provide them safe places to work.” ctvnews.ca


More Stores Closing in San Francisco Due to "Rampant Criminal Activity"

SF Whole Foods Made 568 911 calls in 13 months before closing
The Real Story Behind Whole Foods Closure

In San Francisco, a Troubled Year at a Whole Foods Market Reflects a City’s Woes
Last year, with pandemic lockdowns in the rearview mirror, Whole Foods Market made a bet on a gritty San Francisco neighborhood. The high-end supermarket chain opened a giant flagship store in a part of the city that is home to both tech companies like Twitter and open-air drug dealing.

But the store was soon confronted head-on with many of the problems plaguing the area. People threatened employees with guns, knives and sticks. They flung food, screamed, fought and tried to defecate on the floor, according to records of 568 emergency calls over 13 months, many depicting scenes of mayhem.

“Male w/machete is back,” the report on one 911 call states. “Another security guard was just assaulted,” another says. A man with a four-inch knife attacked several security guards, then sprayed store employees with foam from a fire extinguisher, according to a third.

In September, a 30-year-old man died in the bathroom from an overdose of fentanyl, a highly potent opioid, and methamphetamine.

When Whole Foods announced in mid-April that it was closing the store, citing the safety of its employees, many in San Francisco saw it as a representation of some of the city’s most intractable problems: property crimes like shoplifting and car break-ins, an entrenched network of dealers selling fentanyl and other illicit drugs and people suffering from untreated mental illness wandering the streets.

The Whole Foods was supposed to cater to tech workers and other professionals, part of a long-term redevelopment plan downtown. But the store fell victim to a grinding decline in the city's center that began with the pandemic and could continue for years as companies vacate offices because of remote work.

Many merchants are worried about a domino effect of commercial failures if office workers are permanently absent for about half of the week, while people using drugs, going through mental crises or living on the street remain more visible than ever.

In the famously liberal city, where Republicans make up just 7 percent of the electorate, moderate Democrats like Mayor Breed are calling for aggressive steps to address public safety concerns while progressive voices decry law-and-order strategies as kneejerk responses that trample on the vulnerable.

One of the next big tests for downtown might be this summer’s expected opening of an Ikea store not far from the Whole Foods site.

Police described theft as rampant at Whole Foods, with thieves walking out with armfuls of alcohol, at least at the start. After 250 shopping hand baskets were stolen, the company restocked with 50 more. Those went missing, too. nytimes.com


"Lack of enforcement against rampant criminal activity"
Nordstrom closing both downtown San Francisco department stores
Retail giant Nordstrom plans to close its 312,000-square-foot department store at the Westfield San Francisco Centre in August, citing changing dynamics downtown.

The Seattle company will also close its 45,496-square-foot Nordstrom Rack store across the street at 901 Market St. on July 1, ending a 35-year presence in downtown San Francisco. The closures come as both leases approach the end of their current terms with the option for renewal.

"Decisions like this are never easy, and this one has been especially difficult," wrote Jamie Nordstrom, the company's chief stores officer, in a message to impacted employees. "But as many of you know, the dynamics of the downtown San Francisco market have changed dramatically over the past several years, impacting customer foot traffic to our stores and our ability to operate successfully."

A spokesperson for the Westfield mall and its owner, Unibail-Rodamco-Westfield, told me in a statement on Tuesday that the planned Nordstrom closure "underscores the deteriorating situation in downtown San Francisco."

The spokesperson said the mall owner "has actively engaged with city leaders for many years to express our serious concerns, which are shared by our customers and retailers."

"We have urged the city to find solutions to the key issues and lack of enforcement against rampant criminal activity," the spokesperson said. "The current environment is not sustainable for the community, or businesses, and we are hopeful the city will implement the changes that are so urgently needed."

The closure of both stores means Nordstrom will no longer have a direct retail presence in San Francisco.

Office Depot plans to close its large store at 33 Third St. while Anthropologie will soon shutter its longtime home at 880 Market St. this May. bizjournals.com

Latest SF Store Closures Announced

Shoppers Pushed Away By Anti-Theft Measures?
More NC stores locking down items as shoplifting rises
As retailers implement changes to deter thieves in North Carolina, it is slowing down how quickly shoppers can get in and out of a store.

“We’re dealing with a serious issue nationally with regards to shoplifting and retail crime,” said David Johnston, Vice President of Asset Protection and Retail Operations for the National Retail Federation.

Walgreens and CVS have begun locking up inventory at some of their locations in Raleigh. The rise in thefts is forcing retailers to lock down items like never before. At a Target in San Francisco, entire aisles have been put behind lock and key.

“Customers who walk into a location and and have to wait a long period of time for employee support, may not go back to that location. They may look at either shopping somewhere else or even shopping online.” cbs17.com


State Lawmakers Continue to Battle ORC
Kansas Senate Bill 174 'Needed to Fight Organized Retail Crime'

Senate Bill 174 extends the scope of Attorney General Kris Kobach’s power, something lawmakers have warned against in past months.

Current Kansas law limits the attorney general to prosecuting cases in which the offender was an officer or employee of a city or county. This legislation grants the attorney general concurrent authority with a county or district attorney to prosecute any crimes involving criminal conduct occurring in two or more counties.

Kobach has said this expansion of power is needed to fight organized retail crime, in which criminals steal shopping carts full of goods from big-box stores in multiple counties. It is not clear how much Kansas is affected by such crime. lawrencekstimes.com


Another City Battles Progressive Reforms
This San Antonio charter change means more chaos and crime in city
Proposition A is at the center of their plans. The so-called "Justice Charter" is a political Trojan horse designed to fool naïve liberals with fantasy initiatives to decriminalize marijuana possession and abortion, both illegal measures that will not override Texas law.

The proposed charter poses a direct threat to the future of public safety in San Antonio. Proposition A expands "cite and release" policies – which immediately put dangerous criminals back on the streets – for a broad range of crimes and creates a woke bureaucratic "Justice Director" position that will be weaponized against the men and women of law enforcement.

Property theft, simple assault, criminal mischief, vandalism, graffiti, voyeurism, aka "peeping toms," and other nefarious crimes suddenly become harder to enforce and prosecute in San Antonio overnight. Prop A puts police officers in an even worse position to keep our streets and communities safe. foxnews.com


Video: Rise in shoplifting losses concerns retailers
The president of the California Retailers' Association is blaming the state for a rise in shoplifting. Revenue losses from theft remain higher than they were half a decade ago. Errol Barnett and Adriana Diaz are joined by David Johnston, vice president of asset protection and retail operations for the National Retail Federation, who breaks down this nationwide issue. yahoo.com


Auburn leaders take action to address recent break-ins, crime impacting business owners

America’s unique, enduring gun problem, explained