Stores Will Feed Security Footage Directly to NYPD in New Pilot Program
'This will allow information to be shared between businesses and the NYPD faster than ever'

In bid to curb shoplifting, New York City Mayor Adams wants more stores to share security video with the NYPD
Mayor Adams announced Thursday that the NYPD will expand an initiative allowing businesses to feed security camera footage directly to the police department – an effort aimed at curbing the surge in shoplifting that’s plagued the city since the COVID pandemic.

The pilot program will be rolled out for the first time in nine police precincts – in addition to 109th Precinct in Queens where it was first unveiled last June as part of a proof-of-concept partnership with the company Fusus by Axon, which is providing the technology.

“Through existing closed-circuit security cameras, this tech will allow information to be shared between businesses and the NYPD faster than ever before,” Adams said at a press conference in Harlem. “It will allow us to gather real-time intelligence on retail crimes and apprehend the criminals responsible.”

The mayor predicted the new program would make fighting retail theft more efficient and “improve community relations between local police precincts and the New Yorkers they serve.”

As it now stands for most precincts, when police respond to a complaint about shoplifting, to view security camera footage they must recover it from the scene of the crime. Under the new program, police will be able to access the footage remotely from the precinct before arriving at the scene, which could give them a headstart on identifying and arresting suspects.

“The capability of business owners to share information with detectives quickly and seamlessly is key,” NYPD Commissioner Edward Caban said. “It launches more efficient investigations, builds stronger cases and leads to more effective prosecutions.”

According to NYPD crime data, retail theft has jumped 5% over the last year alone, with 21,578 complaints coming in over the last 365 days, compared to 20,552 in the prior year-to-date span.

A significant goal of the city’s new pilot program is to shorten the time between the crime being reported and an arrest. NYPD Chief of Crime Control Strategies Michael Lipetri noted that well over 50% of shoplifting cases that result in an arrest within the first day are cleared, but those that stretch on a longer are less successful. nydailynews.com


Retailers Battle Organized Criminal Gangs & Shoppers Aren't Always Happy
Customers are fed up with anti-theft measures at stores. Retailers say organized crime is to blame

Industry group says 'retail is the new frontier' for organized criminal gangs

Many shoppers have made similar complaints as several major retailers beef up their anti-theft tactics.

Contentious measures include metal gates with designated entry and exit points, random receipt checks and tall plexiglass barriers, which recently popped up at many Loblaw stores. Major retailers like Canadian Tire and Walmart have implemented some of the measures; Loblaw has incorporated all of them.

The Retail Council of Canada (RCC) says retailers need to better communicate to shoppers why the measures are necessary.

"The big problem is organized retail crime," said the industry group's CEO, Diane Brisebois. "We're talking here about gangs that are in the business of stealing, and retail is the new frontier."

But some industry experts argue a better solution would be to avoid anti-theft tactics that make regular shoppers feel like they're being targeted.

"It's like turning shopping into airport security, where you're self-conscious about making a mistake that's going to get you in trouble," said Christopher Andrews, a sociologist and author of The Overworked Consumer: Self-Checkouts, Supermarkets, and the Do-It-Yourself Economy.

In response to customers' complaints about its security measures, Loblaw, Canada's largest grocer, has repeatedly said that organized crime is to blame.

"This surge in organized retail crime remains a significant problem for the retail industry," said Loblaw CFO Richard Dufresne during a conference call in late 2023.

"These are sophisticated organizations that are increasingly using violent tactics and complex networks to steal and sell stolen goods for profit."  cbc.ca


Shootings Surged During the Pandemic
A surge in killings not only worsened gun violence in neighborhoods that were already suffering but also spread into new places.

How the Pandemic Reshaped American Gun Violence
Taking a stroll around the neighborhood is a routine activity for many Americans. Yet for 47 million people — about one in seven — such a walk would pass near the location of a recent gun homicide.

The number of people living this close to fatal violence grew drastically during the pandemic years, a New York Times analysis has found, as a surge in killings not only worsened gun violence in neighborhoods that were already suffering but also spread into new places.

To assess the impact of the pandemic years, The New York Times created a map of every gun homicide in the United States since 2020, using data collected from the police and news media accounts by the nonprofit Gun Violence Archive. For every block where Americans resided, The Times then drew a quarter-mile circle to determine how many people lived in close proximity to the killings.

Often, it was not just one killing, but two or three. In extreme cases, a dozen fatal shootings or more fell within those circles.

“There are a lot more guns on the street and when people get angry and frustrated, instead of getting into a fistfight, they get into a gun fight,” said Dr. Regan Williams, an emergency room director at a Memphis children’s hospital who has seen a spike in young shooting victims.

Though the level of violence has fallen since the worst days of the pandemic, Americans are still shooting and killing one another more frequently than they did in the years before the coronavirus arrived. The long-term impact of the surge in violence is being felt in many corners of the nation, and researchers will undoubtedly study it for years to come.

“We’re taking a few steps back from the cliff,” said Dr. Garen J. Wintemute, an emergency room doctor who directs a violence prevention research program at the University of California, Davis. “But there are some ominous developments. What happens in a society that is increasingly violent, increasingly mistrustful, increasingly polarized, increasingly indulgent in hate rhetoric?”  nytimes.com


Nashville Wages War on ORC
MNPD South Precinct cracking down on organized retail crime
In the South Precinct, with more and more people moving into the area, the opening of a new mall caught the attention of many, including criminals. Within the first month of opening its doors, reports of theft came pouring into Metro Police. However, as quickly as they came, Metro Police worked harder to cut down the crime.

“The difference with Tanger is the amount of technology they invested in that location is astounding, I mean it’s helped us exponentially, not just License Plate readers, cameras in positions that we’ve helped them put cameras in that helps us identify people,” Commander Lovell said.

Authorities said thieves are targeting the area between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., using the crowds as a tool to get away, but more often than not, it’s the same people every time. Commander Lovell explained they have three detectives assigned to work the Tanger area.

One of the biggest tools Metro police are using is their relationship with the outlet, owners, and with each other. Commander Lovell explained, that because the same groups continue to target shopping centers, they know how to combat the crime.

“You will be arrested, you’re going to be identified, especially with all the information we share amongst each other,” Commander Lovell said.  wkrn.com


What California's Workplace Violence Law Means for Employers
Podcast: Prevention Planning for Workplace Violence

Matt Doherty, managing director of workplace management with Sikich, discusses what California bill 533 could mean for all employers in terms of providing a detailed workplace violence prevention plan for their companies.

California Senate Bill No. 553 was signed last September and mandates that nearly all California employers need to adopt a workplace violence prevention plan by July 1, 2024.

In this “Talking EHS” podcast, part of the “Great Question” podcast series, we talk to Matt Doherty, managing director of workplace management with consulting firm, about what California bill 533 could mean for all employers in terms of providing a detailed workplace violence prevention plan.

Many companies might think they already have such a plan in place, but as Doherty explains, full 553 compliance involves a written plan, active employee involvement, hazard identification and correction. He’ll also share his experiences consulting with companies on workplace violence, drawing upon his extensive background with includes serving as a Secret Service Special Agent in Charge of the National Threat Assessment Center. ehstoday.com


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The Self-Checkout Debate Rages On
Should All Retailers Utilize Self-Service?
In today’s fast-paced world, convenience is king. Yet currently, there has been a growing divide between supporters and detractors of self-service and self-checkout lanes.

The goal of self-checkout is to put customers in control of their payment experience, mimicking the ease of online shopping in physical stores. For consumers, self-serve checkouts offer speed and autonomy.

For businesses, self-serve retail saves costs, improves capacity, and meets consumer preferences for choice and convenience. By offering both self-serve and traditional checkout options, businesses can cater to a wide range of customers and enhance the overall shopping experience.

However, before diving into self-serve retail, merchants must consider factors like security, compliance, and payment processing. Ensuring that self-serve systems meet PCI standards and implementing fraud protection measures is crucial to safeguarding transactions.

Just last week, California bill SB 1446 proposed regulations for self-checkout systems in stores, aiming to preserve jobs and address concerns about theft. Supported by the United Food and Commercial Workers union, it faces opposition from the California Retailers Association. Retailers like Walmart are exploring alternatives, while self-checkout remains popular among consumers despite concerns about theft.

Furthermore, Raydiant, a platform managing kiosk content, surveyed retail customers over the last three years, finding increased usage and evolving attitudes. The survey found that 85% of customers view self-checkout as faster than employee-staffed lanes, and 60% prefer it over manned checkouts. Despite the popularity, however, 67% have experienced self-service kiosk failures, with 25% discontinuing use due to bad experiences. retailwire.com


Retailers Continue to Deploy 'Game-Changing' RFID
Pacsun plans in-store RFID rollout in summer ‘24
Pacsun intends to build upon a current pilot of RFID technology in its stores. For the past six months, the teen apparel and accessories retailer has been integrating RFID technology into its Manhattan Associates Active Omni store inventory solution at 50 stores.

In an interview with Chain Store Age at the Manhattan Associates Momentum 2024 conference in San Antonio, Shirley Gao, chief digital and information officer, explained how Pacsun utilizes RFID in its brick-and-mortar stores.

According to Gao, RFID-based cycle counting enables store associates to capture new arrivals or items they may have previously missed with a manual count, leading to enhanced accuracy of store inventory tracking. In addition, she said RFID helps Pacsun locate missing products in stores.

“RFID is like a magic wand we can wave to see if an item is in stock,” she said. “Previously, it could take up to a day to determine if an item was on the shelf or in the back room. There would be unopened boxes of products in stores. In one store test, within 30 minutes we found 30 styles that had been turning up in the inventory.”

Although RFID is not a new technology, Gao said changes such as more efficient antennae are turning it into a “game changer” for retail. Beyond increased inventory accuracy and effectiveness, she cited another important benefit for store operations. chainstoreage.com


Employee Safety Concerns Push Target to Pull Back From Pride Month
Should Target Be Scaling Back Pride Month?
Target is reducing the number of stores that will carry its LGBTQ-themed merchandise as well as limiting apparel sizes to adults for Pride Month in June following a boycott last year that negatively impacted results.

About half of Target’s 2,000 stores will sell the Pride collection, according to Bloomberg, which first reported the news. Target said store distribution will be based on “historical sales performance.” The assortment will also be sold on Target’s website.

Last year, however, the discounter was forced to remove some items, including bathing suits designed for transgender people, from its LGBTQ+ themed collection after facing online backlash from conservative commentators and customers as well as in-store confrontations between customers and employees in some stores.

Citing concerns over employee safety, displays at some locations were also moved farther back into the stores. Target blamed the backlash in part for a drop in its sales in last year’s second quarter.

In an interview on CNBC’s “Squawk Box” last November, Target CEO Brian Cornell stressed the moves were done largely for employee safety, with customers yelling, destroying merchandise, and threatening to light items on fire. He said, “I knew personally this was not gonna be well received. But we had to prioritize the safety of the team.”  retailwire.com


The Future of Grocery Stores?
UK Sainsbury’s aims to be an ‘AI-enabled grocer’ with Microsoft AI technology
Sainsbury’s will use Microsoft’s artificial intelligence and machine learning tools to improve store operations and make shopping more engaging and convenient for its millions of customers in the UK.

As part of its ‘Next Level Sainsbury’s strategy’, the supermarket will use generative AI to create a more interactive online shopping experience and improve customers’ search experience.

Sainsbury’s will also provide its store colleagues with real-time data and insights for instore processes like shelf replenishment. Multiple data inputs such as shelf-edge cameras will be connected with AI to guide colleagues on what products need restocking.

All of this will be delivered through Microsoft Azure over the next five years, with data assets combined with Microsoft 365 collaboration tools.

“Our collaboration with Microsoft will accelerate our ambition to become the UK’s leading AI-enabled grocer,” said Clodagh Moriarty, chief retail and technology officer at Sainsbury’s.  technologyrecord.com


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