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New Solink Video Alarm Notifies You of Important Incidents, Instantly
With temporary closures and longer off hours, ensuring the security of your business through remote monitoring is essential for peace of mind and to ensure your premise is secure. Traditional alarm systems notify you and the authorities of possible intrusions into your business through the use of sensors. It can take up to 5 minutes for an alarm to be actioned and sent to a dispatching station. Further, false alarms are prevalent, which can lead to expensive fines and unnecessary stress for you. When a break-in occurs, you may spend hours reviewing footage to share with the authorities to assist with the investigation.

With this in mind, Solink has created a state of the art system that automatically alerts you of motion, when armed, and allows you to verify the footage from the existing Solink mobile app. If the authorities are required, you can make that call and easily share the video clip to assist first-responders. This can all be done in a matter of seconds. Learn More Here

ALL-TAG Announced as New Loss Prevention Foundation Bachelor Level Partner
The Loss Prevention Foundation (LPF) announces ALL-TAG, an American manufacturer of RF labels, and a leading supplier of AM Anti-theft Security Tags, Labels, and other loss prevention products, as the newest Bachelor Level Partner. The Bachelor level partnership allows ALL-TAG to provide LPQ and LPC certification course scholarships, as well as LPF memberships, to loss prevention industry professionals. ALL-TAG, headquartered in Boca Raton, FL has been manufacturing RF Labels since 1992, and has been helping top retailers and consumer goods manufacturers (CGM) around the world source tag their hard goods and apparel since the year 2000. Read More Here

DeKalb County, GA Alarm Users to Experience Faster,
More Accurate Emergency Alarm Response
DeKalb County, GA has implemented Automated Secure Alarm Protocol (ASAP) to automate communication between alarm monitoring central stations and Public Safety Answering Points (PSAPs) / 911 centers, resulting in faster, more accurate emergency response for users of monitored alarms. The benefits of ASAP for monitored alarm users and first responders include:

Less phone calls to emergency response centers - Quicker processing times - Greater accuracy of information transmitted - Read More Here
 

Jack L. Hayes International's 32nd Annual Retail Theft Survey

Over 348,000 shoplifters and dishonest employees were apprehended in 2019 by just 21 large retailers who recovered over $136 million from these thieves, according to the 32nd Annual Retail Theft Survey conducted by Jack L. Hayes International, the leading loss prevention and inventory shrinkage control consulting firm.

“Two-thirds of retailers participating in this survey reported an increase in shrink in 2019, which is reflected in their reported apprehensions and recovery dollars. Overall apprehensions increased 2.44% and recovery dollars from those apprehensions were up 4.88%. Shoplifting apprehensions and recover dollars increased 3.04% and 3.50% respectively, with recovery dollars from shoplifting incidents without an apprehension increasing by 11% (to $176 million) over the prior year,” said Mark R. Doyle, President of Jack L. Hayes International, Inc. Mr. Doyle added, “While employee theft apprehensions were down 2.93%, the recovery dollars from those apprehensions increased 7.75%. Overall, retail theft continues to be a serious problem for retailers negatively impacting their bottom-line, and creating more out-of-stocks and higher prices to the consumer.”

Highlights from this highly anticipated annual theft survey include:

• Participants: 21 large retail companies with 18,994 stores and over $510 billion in retail sales (2019).

• Shrink: 66.7% of survey participants reported an increase in shrink in 2019, with 23.8% reporting a decrease in shrink, and another 9.5% reported shrink stayed about the same.

• Apprehensions: 348,036 shoplifters and dishonest employees were apprehended in 2019, up 2.4% from 2018.

• Recovery Dollars: Over $136 million was recovered from apprehended shoplifters and dishonest employees in 2019, up 4.9% from 2018.

• Shoplifter Apprehensions: 315,095 shoplifters were apprehended in 2019, up 3.0% from 2018.

• Shoplifter Recovery Dollars: Over $90 million was recovered from apprehended shoplifters in 2019, an increase of 3.5% from 2018. An additional $176 million was recovered from shoplifters where no apprehension was made, up 11.0% from 2018. Dollar recoveries have increased in 21 of the past 22 years!

• Employee Apprehensions: 32,941 dishonest employees were apprehended in 2019, down 2.9% from 2018.

• Employee Recovery Dollars: Over $45 million was recovered from employee apprehensions in 2019, up 7.8% from 2018.

• Employee Case Value: The average Dishonest Employee case value in 2019 was $1,380.62, a substantial increase of 11.0% from 2018.

Full survey results are available at: http://hayesinternational.com/news/annual-retail-theft-survey/
 

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Coronavirus Tracker: May 5

US: Over 1.2M Cases - 70K Dead - 188K Recovered
Worldwide: Over 3.6M Cases - 253K Dead - 1.2M Recovered

U.S. Law Enforcement Deaths | NYPD Deaths: 37
Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 82+


 

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Faster Opening = Costs More Lives
The cost of reopening the economy, in lives
Relaxing business closures and stay-at-home rules could cost 13,000 lives in Texas and 12,000 lives in Georgia by September 1. But it will also preserve $3.4 billion in statewide income in Texas, and $1.7 billion in Georgia. New York’s tougher restrictions will save 5,000 lives, but cost $2.4 billion in lost income.

These insights, from a new online tool built by the Rand research organization, highlight the agonizing tradeoffs governors and mayors face as they decide whether to let businesses reopen and risk a resurgence of the coronavirus that has shut down much of the world economy. The virus has infected more than 1.2 million Americans so far, and killed 68,000. President Trump has now raised his forecast death toll to as many as 90,000, and some estimates are higher.

A simulation by the Penn Wharton Budget Model estimates 116,000 total coronavirus deaths by the end of June if tough restrictions remain in place—but 353,000 deaths if those restrictions are partially lifted. If fully lifted, with no further restrictions, deaths would spike to 895,000. That would save jobs, though. yahoo.com

Editor's Note: Now that this formula is out there some boards and C level executives may hesitate on full-scale opening of their stores. Expect restrictions to continue in a number of retailers for quite some time.

The Daily is Only Listing New York & California Re-Opening Phases

May 15th Remains a Key Date

Cuomo’s N.Y. Reopening Plan: 10 Regions, 4 Phases, Many Caveats
The calculations apply to the state’s 10 regions, which include heavily populated areas like New York City and its suburbs and large rural swaths of upstate like the Southern Tier, which borders Pennsylvania.

Mr. Cuomo said New York would rely heavily on progress in key areas — declines in new positive virus cases and deaths, and increases in testing, hospital capacity and contact tracing — under a complex formula that will determine when parts of the state are eligible to reopen.

Once the requirements are met, the plan would first allow construction and manufacturing and some retail stores to reopen for curbside pickup, similar to California, after May 15.

The effect of phase one would be evaluated after two weeks. If indicators are still positive the second phase of reopening would include professional services, more retailers and real estate firms, among others, perhaps as soon as the end of May.

Restaurants, bars and hotels would come next, followed by a fourth, and final, phase that would include attractions like cinemas and theaters, including Broadway, a powerful financial force in New York City.

Each of the ten regions would have to satisfy seven specific criteria before businesses and services can open again. The criteria, heavily influenced by guidelines issued last month by the White House and the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, include: Read more here

California's Four-Stage Blueprint for Easing Restrictions
Phase one is where we currently are: operating under an unprecedented stay-at-home order that limits all but essential activities while the state focuses on safety and preparedness.

Phase two, which could start as soon as a few weeks from now, will see some lower-risk businesses begin to reopen with safety modifications.

Phase three — which officials have categorized as being months, not weeks, away — will allow higher-risk workplaces to reopen.

Phase four is when things fully go back to “normal.” latimes.com

What the CFO's are reading - Prepping for COVID Bankruptcy
Retailers: Your Lenders Are Watching You

Stuck with Spring Goods & Opening to Summer Season

Many borrowers already have drawn down much or all of their available credit line.

It may be too late to draw down any more funds. Lenders have begun to restrict such borrowings. Lenders are concerned about their collateral and about their ability to liquidate collateral.

Lenders expect their borrowers to take appropriate measures and want to see reduced compensation, that all expenses, including payroll, have been appropriately reduced and that the borrower is seeking relief from unsecured creditors. This includes seeking retroactive vendor discounts, deferred payment terms, and return of goods.

The key to survival is to anticipate a lender’s every move and every question. Be proactive. cfo.com

NYPD union wants cops out of ‘social distancing enforcement’
The city’s largest police union is demanding cops get “out of the social distancing enforcement business,” while slamming New York pols for “releasing criminals,” “discouraging proactive policing,” and leaving subways “in chaos.”

Lynch added that the politicians are “still watering down our laws, releasing real criminals and discouraging proactive enforcement of fare evasion and quality of life issues.”

Public Advocate Jumaane Williams also wants cops out of the social distancing business but for different reasons. He believes the process is racist.  nypost.com
 

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Philadelphia Responds to Retail Theft & Burglary Spikes
Police now booking burglary, theft suspects again

Huge Step Against the Decriminalization Trend

A spike in commercial burglaries and shoplifting incidents has prompted the Philadelphia Police Department to roll back arresting protocols established last month to prevent the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

Police Commissioner Danielle Outlaw announced Friday that officers will now be booking suspects accused of burglary, theft and stealing cars in the traditional matter.

Since mid-March, those suspected of nonviolent offenses were typically finger-printed and issued an arrest warrant, rather than brought to a station for paperwork and a mugshot. The change was made to better deploy resources and prevent crowding, Outlaw said at the time.

Recently, police have noticed an uptick in retail theft as well as burglaries committed by the same offenders, the department said in a statement.

Burglaries targeting businesses are up nearly 46% since March 30, and retail theft is up about 36% compared to this time last year, according to the most recently released police data.

The department said it has the capacity to handle processing more suspects. philly.metro.us

"Enormous Demand For Security Guards" Across North America
Security guards in high demand in Canada, face more stress on job during COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic has spurred an enormous demand for security guards, whose job descriptions have been expanded to include temperature checks, grocery store crowd control and -- in at least one case -- removing bodies from a morgue.

Ontario has added over 4,000 new guards and security firm Garda has seen a 25% increase in billable hours over last eight weeks, as the need from essential retail outlets and hospitals by far offsets the drop from special events and airports.

Scott Young, with security firm Garda World, said there were initial problems with guards booking off because they feared for their safety, but the company has worked to allay those concerns.

Over the past two months, Garda has hired 2,500 staff, about double what it normally would over that time period.

It's also becoming the new normal to have guards check temperatures to avoid sick people entering buildings.

He said he's also heard from guard company clients that shoplifting is up, but police have understandably been too preoccupied to get involved.

He said staffing has been an issue as guards exposed to COVID-19 have to isolate. Within a pool of 1,000 or so guards his client base represents, between 130 and 180 have been off work at any given time during the past six weeks.

"What I hope that comes out of all this is a true recognition of the value that they bring to the organization all the time, and not just during emergencies when it's glaringly obvious that they're providing a valuable service." ctvnews.ca

Huge Divorce in the Making Could Spell Penney's Doom
J.C. Penney files suit as Sephora looks to exit department store chain

What many said helped save them now seems like they're deserting the ship.

The honeymoon between J.C. Penney Co. and Sephora USA Inc. is over.

The ailing department store company filed a temporary restraining order against Sephora in an attempt to prevent the LVMH-owned beauty giant from closing its in-store shops in J.C. Penney stores, some of which are being reopened, reported CNBC.

Sephora and Penney have had a joint enterprise operating agreement since Feb. 1, 2009. Sephora is Penney’s only beauty partner. There are about 600 in-store Sephora shops In Penney. Sephora reportedly wants to end the contract in April 2021, according to the Dallas Morning News.

“JCPenney filed a temporary restraining order so Sephora could not prevent JCPenney from reopening Sephora inside JCPenney (SiJCP) locations.” chainstoreage.com

Former CEO Charged With 7 Felony Charges in Cover-Up Linked to 3 Deaths
'Blue Bell Creameries Pleads Guilty & Pay $19.35M for Ice Cream Listeria Contamination'

Route Drivers In Stores Quietly Removing Contaminated Ice Cream - No Recall or Formal Communication

Texas-based ice cream manufacturer Blue Bell Creameries L.P. agreed to plead guilty to charges it shipped contaminated products linked to a 2015 listeriosis outbreak, and the company’s former president was charged in connection with a scheme to cover up the incident, the Justice Department announced today.

Five adults in Kansas developed listeriosis after eating products produced at the Blue Bell creamery in Brenham, Texas. Three patients died.

The company distributed ice cream products that were manufactured under insanitary conditions and contaminated with Listeria monocytogenes.

Blue Bell directed its delivery route drivers to remove remaining stock of the two products from store shelves, but the company did not recall the products or issue any formal communication to inform customers about the potential listeria contamination. Two weeks after receiving notification of the first positive listeria tests, Texas state officials informed Blue Bell that additional testing confirmed listeria in a third product. Blue Bell again chose not to issue any formal notification to customers regarding the positive tests. justice.gov

InHomelandSecurity.com for Homeland Security News
How To Know When It Will Be Safe To Fly Again In COVID-19 Era

What will it take to get people to feel safe and flying again?

A COVID-19 vaccine would work to allay fears, but one is not likely to be ready before the second half of 2021 at the earliest. Until then, would-be passengers need to know that airlines are fully informed on COVID-19 developments and playing by the same set of safety rules, just the way they did when it came to terrorism post 9/11.

As of April 22, about 76 percent of US airline capacity had been taken out of service, data from Oliver Wyman’s PlaneStats.com show, and more aircraft are expected to be parked in May. US domestic flights are averaging 10 passengers per flight, according to the trade group Airlines for America; net bookings are down 99.5 percent year over year, and booked revenue is 103 percent lower.

Making the public feel safe is also important for the broader economy. To succeed, what’s needed is a well-coordinated effort to convince the flying public that airlines are staying ahead of the virus and protecting them. Travelers need a system in place that spells out how serious the threat is on any given day and what airlines are doing to mitigate it.

Threat assessment for disease

What we need the government and industry to do now is create something similar to the 9/11 color-coded threat level assessment program called the Homeland Security Advisory System, for infectious disease outbreaks like COVID-19. But unlike the terrorism alerts, this system would need to be much more transparent about the data determining the risk and much more specific about the safety procedures that would accompany each level.

We propose a five-level, color-coded infectious disease threat assessment that would spell out conditions that correlate to each color and procedures travelers could expect every airline and airport to follow. Continue Reading: inhomelandsecurity.com

CDC Reopening Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting
The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has drafted a 17-page document that details interim guidance on how businesses, schools, churches, mass transit and other organizations should handle safely reopening to the public amid the coronavirus pandemic.

The guidance is still under review by the Trump Administration and could change, a CNN report says.

The interim guidance is available here.

Convenience Retailers Receive Six-Month Delay for Outdoor EMV Compliance - Now April 17, 2021

Express Inc. to Open Approx. 300 Stores before Memorial Day with Safety Protocols

L Brands Agrees to Let Sycamore Walk Away

David's Bridal to open all stores by June 1


Quarterly Results
Del Taco Q1 comp's down 2.5%, sales down 3.1%