3SI Security Systems Announces Release of New ORC-Focused Security Solution

Solution developed in collaboration with key retailers interested in taking a stand against ORC

3SI Security Systems is pleased to announce the release of ORC Tracker, an innovative GPS Tracking Device designed to help retailers defend against organized retail crime. Developed with 3SI’s patented 4XG platform, the device is designed to covertly protect high-value goods.

ORC Tracker provides a unique method of protection using various sensing technologies. The solution extends protection beyond the store in robbery and burglary situations and can be used in conjunction with existing deterrent tags. ORC Tracker provides retailers with an additional layer of security that is especially effective against the growing threat of ORC. Read More Here

New Health and Safety Solutions from Indyme Solutions Slash Labor Costs and Provide Post-Pandemic Re-Use Utility
Retailers face a myriad of challenges to assure staff and shoppers of a safe experience during this reopening and recovery phase. Initial store operating safety implementations, many of which are still in practice, require heavy ongoing labor investments to meet rapidly evolving health and safety regulations and social distancing protocols. As retailers settle into this "new normal", labor-saving solutions automating these processes and offering post-pandemic benefits are increasingly valued.

Indyme Solutions, a leading technology provider to the retail industry, responded to urgent inquiries from its customers by adding four new offerings focused on labor savings and re-use. Each solution meets customer requirements of being rapidly deployable, self-installable, low cost, and reusable for other needs after pandemic concerns subside. prnewswire.com

 

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Riots Wreak Havoc in Minneapolis
Customers Getting Aggressive & Violent & Threatening

Minneapolis, MN: George Floyd protest turns violent, deadly

1 killed in shooting as retailers are looted & vandalized

Pawn Shop Shooting - AutoZone burns - Target, Cub Foods & Dollar Tree hit by looters

The second night of demonstrations in the city near the site of Floyd's death began peacefully but grew violent as the night went on. Gov. Tim Walz late Wednesday called it an "extremely dangerous situation" and urged residents to leave the area.

One person was in custody in the shooting death near the site of the protests, outside a pawn shop, police said. Officers responded to an initial report of a stabbing at 9:05 p.m. and found a man who wasn't breathing lying on the sidewalk, police said in a statement Thursday morning.

Multiple fires were reported, and several businesses were looted. Minneapolis police were assisted by officers from nearby St. Paul, state police and metro transit police.

Beyond the shooting, there were no known injuries to protesters or police, and no additional arrests, Minneapolis police spokesman John Elder said at a news conference early Thursday.

A reporter for NBC affiliate KARE11 of Minneapolis who was livestreaming the protest reported that an AutoZone and Target had been looted. A Cub Foods and a Dollar Tree also showed signs of damage and looting.

Video showed the AutoZone with broken windows and spraypaint. One bystander was warning people against damaging the business, saying it had nothing to do with Floyd's death.

Police Chief Medaria Arradondo told the local FOX 9 TV station that he ordered the use of tear gas after violence and looting. He said that he is committed to protecting the rights of people to demonstrate and most did so peacefully, but there have been groups committing criminal acts. nbcnews.com

Read more about the pawn shop shooting in the Retail Crime column below


Wheelchair-riding woman is beaten and sprayed with a fire extinguisher by looters

Protesters claim she was threatening them with a knife

A woman in a wheelchair was punched in the head and sprayed with a fire extinguisher after trying to block protesters - allegedly with a knife in her hand - during the George Floyd riots in Minneapolis last night.

The woman claimed she was 'peacefully protesting' to stop people from looting a Target store, but she was quickly set upon by a crowd who subdued her in angry scenes on the second night of violence in the city. dailymail.co.uk

Trump asks DOJ, FBI to expedite probe into George Floyd death
President Trump on Wednesday said he asked the Department of Justice (DOJ) and FBI to expedite an investigation into the death of George Floyd, who died in the custody of Minneapolis police earlier this week. thehill.com

Minneapolis mayor requests National Guard support after night of protests, looting

Minneapolis Police, Long Accused of Racism, Face Wrath of Wounded City


As Timely as Ever
How One Retailer Managed the 2014 Ferguson Riots
"Tensions are Bubbling. Are You Ready?"
Ferguson, Missouri. Baltimore, Maryland. Taylor, Michigan. New York City -- all were sites of civil unrest and riots in recent years. And restaurants, drug stores, grocery and convenience stores and related retailers were hit hard. Civil unrest and civil disobedience may be a new issue for retailers to contend with, but there are ways to make sure your organization is prepared.

In this 2016 LPNN interview, Jon Grander, VP of Asset Management for Caleres, shares how his company managed business continuity and employee safety amid the volatile 2014 Ferguson protests. Watch Here


Customers Getting Aggressive & Violent & Threatening Associates
Modesto retail worker attacked by customer asks shoppers to 'be patient and show a little kindness'

Customers have grown aggressive, disrespectful as social distancing is implemented

Samantha Clarke said she was "split open pretty good" two weeks ago when she was allegedly assaulted by a customer while police say she was working at a Big 5 Sporting Goods store.

Clarke said she has been working at the sporting goods store for 17 years now. Earlier this month, in the middle of the pandemic, she says a woman calling from Tracy asked her staff to hold a swimming pool for her, but the item was gone when she arrived to pick it up.

Clarke says the woman started throwing items off the counter, hit her in the face with something metal in her hand and casually walked out of the store with her baby's stroller in tote. She said the woman even took the time to cover up her license plates on the way out.

While it's the first time she's been physically attacked, Clarke says disrespect has been an ongoing problem after they began implementing rules in the store like social distancing, requiring masks and limiting the number of people allowed inside. abc10.com

UK Retail Effort by the BRC to Address Retail Crime, Violence & Abuse
New Report: Retail Violence: Attacked and Abused at Work

The Push to Prioritize Retail Crime & Change the Laws

The report – Retail violence: abused and attacked at work by broadcast journalist Jamie Long, sets out the cost to business and staff of violence, threats and abuse against shopworkers.

Every year, 155,000 shop workers are violently attacked or verbally abused in the UK. Jamie Long reports on who should be protecting shop workers, as a parliamentary review into the issue is delayed.

The British Retail Consortium (BRC), the trade association for all UK retailers, released their latest Retail Crime Survey in March.

The report has shown that there were 424 incidents of violence and abuse against shop workers every day of the year, for the period 2018/19. This is an increase of 9% from the previous years' figures.

There are various triggers which have been identified by the BRC. These triggers can often lead to shop workers having to endure threatening or violent behaviour directly from the customers they serve every day. These triggers include enforcing age-restricted sales, such as asking for ID for alcohol and tobacco, dealing with intoxicated persons and encountering theft.

Furthermore, when surveyed, shop owners and retail workers explained that they are seeing an increase in the number of weapons, particularly knives, being used during incidents in store.

But, how can shop workers be better protected and who has the responsibility to ensure that they are safe whilst serving the public? shorthandstories.com

1: The victim
2: Why does it happen?
3: The cost for businesses
4: Changing the law
5: Is there confidence in the police?
6: The current law
7: What is behind the violence?
8: The impact of Coronavirus
9: Working together for a better future
 

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Coronavirus Tracker: May 28

US: Over 1.7M Cases - 102K Dead - 494K Recovered
Worldwide: Over 5.8M Cases - 359K Dead - 2.5M Recovered

Fallen Officers From the COVID-19 Pandemic: 39+| NYPD Deaths: 43
Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 126+
 

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COVID-19 Impact on Conferences
Virtual Conferences Bring Innovation & Global Reach

Security Industry Basically Says 'Not For Some Time' for in-Person Conferences
It's Up to the Next Generation to Define the Future

SSN News Poll: Industry weighs in on future of in-person conferences
With the coronavirus keeping us all grounded for now, and with the future still not clear as to how long it will take us to get back to some type of normalcy, this month’s SSN News Poll looked to gauge readers' thoughts and feelings on the immediate and long-term future of in-person conferences.

When asked the million-dollar question — do you think there will be any in-person conferences in 2020 — half (50 percent) of those responding said no, with only 24 percent saying yes and another 26 percent saying they were not sure.

Digging deeper into readers’ thoughts and feelings on the topic, when asked if they would attend in-person conferences if held in 2020, 50 percent again said no, with only 30 percent saying yes and 20 percent saying maybe.

When we asked respondents how long it will take before in-person conferences return to their pre-coronavirus glory, only 19 percent said by next year, with the majority of respondents (67 percent) saying it will take some time beyond next year. Only 14 percent feel that we will not return to the same levels we once enjoyed.

“A lot of the industry experts are in the high-risk category, so it would not be safe for them to participate in person,” noted Chrissy McCutcheon, principal and senior security consultant, Security by Design, Inc. (SBD). “Once more people have developed the antibodies, we will be able to slowly transition back to in-person conferences.”

Another respondent astutely pointed out that while there may be a willingness to attend these in-person meetings and conferences, and a safe way to manage events, “there may be too much perceived liability for those putting on the events to make them happen this year, especially now that there is talk about a rebound in the fall.”

While most think we will eventually get back to normal, one respondent said, “It’s gonna take 5 years before trade shows and conferences return to normal. A vaccine is needed along with 1-2 years of no infections.”

Even if there is a vaccine developed and the pandemic is controlled, some respondents do not seeing the industry ever getting back to 100 percent. “The past as we know it will return to about 75 to 80 percent of what us old folks are used to,” said one respondent. “Our replacement generation will be the ones structuring our future.”

Another respondent aptly pointed out that the pandemic will spur innovation in virtual conferences, providing stronger content than in-person events. “They’ll be better with more on-site and virtual participation and enablement,” the respondent said. “They’ll also be more global instantly for presenters and participants. They’ll never be like they were; they have to be better to draw attendance.”

Another respondent agreed, adding, “There is nothing better to assess an individual’s competence than to be able to talk face-to-face and to be able to read body language. Virtual conferences are OK during crises but to eliminate the one-on-one, face-to-face will substantially change how we do business and reduce if not eliminate interpersonal working relationships. Will trust eventually erode?” securitysystemsnews.com

The New Customer Priorities - Safety - Empathy - Comfort
Retailers focus on making safe spaces for customers and associates
A recent survey of more than 6,000 people finds that the best actions retailers and brands can take to receive positive marks from Americans is to keep customers (58 percent) and employees (55 percent) safe.

The study associated with the poll “COVID-19 Brand Sentiment Navigator Report” from Social Media Link also found that showing empathy (40 percent) and recognizing new realities (38 percent) were important to consumer perceptions.

With physical retail getting back to business as states relax stay-at-home orders, top of mind is how to ensure that both customers and employees are safe. A group of experts from design, retail, digital and analytics backgrounds, including myself, recently came together to pen an op-ed on the System Contractor News site that offers antidotes to address this anxiety. We unite around the idea that comfort and safety reassurances will become something people expect — affecting architecture, placemaking, interior design and operations. Solutions will need to address questions including:

• How many people are permitted in the store?
• Must face masks be worn?
• Are sanitation requirements in place?
• Who is handling product? Are they handling it safely?
• Will pay stations and other tech touchpoints be made safe? retailwire

The Double Whammy! This Could Be 1 Bad Fall Folks!
Fighting a Pandemic During Hurricane Season
As the hurricane season quickly approaches, leaders can't expect to rely on their previous hurricane planning in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

With social distancing in place to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus and a busier-than-normal hurricane season predicted, organizations need to consider how to "edit our normal preparations,"

And even though hurricane season has not officially begun, May has already brought two tropical storms, Arthur and Bertha.

Yet many organizations have failed to modify their hurricane plans, said Alex Vaccaro, senior vice president of marketing for AlertMedia, which provides notification systems.

If a hurricane is predicted, "it's important to get ahead of the communication" so employees know what is expected of them, Vaccaro said. "If they're left in the dark, they're going to start Googling or guessing what to do."

Before a hurricane nears, HR departments should collect employees' contact information, including cellphone numbers, personal e-mail addresses and emergency contacts, and have a printout with all the information on hand, said Deyrieux, who is the manager of workforce planning for Sarasota County in Florida.

Because many offices have shut down and employees are working remotely, organizations also need to know exactly where their employees are. For instance, Vaccaro, who usually works at AlertMedia's headquarters in Austin, Texas, is currently visiting family in Florida. Homes serve as "hundreds of little satellite offices," Vaccaro said.

Deyrieux explained that because of the pandemic, "shelter in place is probably going to be the way recommendations will go this year." shrm.org

25,000 to Close & How Many Co.'s Seeking Refuge in Ch. 11 in 2020?
Bankruptcies to Double in June - Who's Next?

Bankruptcy cases, store closings pile up as coronavirus wreaks havoc for J.C. Penney, Hertz, others
Companies are rushing to U.S. Bankruptcy Court during the coronavirus pandemic, seeking refuge from their creditors as they grapple with the fallout from temporary store closures and the travel industry shutdown.

So far, most of the bankruptcy filings have been companies that were already in rough shape, including J.C. Penney, J. Crew, Neiman Marcus and Hertz.

Off-price retailer Tuesday Morning and restaurant chain Le Pain Quotidien joined them in Chapter 11 on Wednesday, while Advantage Rent A Car filed on Tuesday.

Coresight Research, which tracks retail openings and closings, has upped its projected store closures for 2020 from 8,000 at the beginning of the year to 15,000 at the beginning of March to about 25,000 now.

“That’s unlike anything the industry has ever seen,” Coresight CEO and founder Deborah Weinswig said. “It’s the speed with which it’s all happening which has been a little surprising.”

But there’s no stopping the bankruptcies now, she said. She predicted that retail the number of June bankruptcies will double May bankruptcies.  usatoday.com

 

2 Organized Crime Gangs Busted
U.S. Losing $$Billions in Tax Dollars
 

TX., 400 Million Cigarettes Seize- $88M - Massive Organized Crime Gang Busted
South Texas man pleads guilty of attempting to export millions of cigarettes
Jose Francisco Guerra, 80, from Mission, Texas, pleaded guilty May 26, before U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez, for attempting to export contraband cigarettes. In addition to accepting Guerra’s guilty plea, Judge Alvarez entered an order of forfeiture against equipment and cigarettes seized from the truck and Guerra’s warehouses. Guerra owned and operated Victor M. Guerra Inc., a custom brokering company in Hidalgo, Texas.

On Jan. 15, law enforcement stopped a tractor-trailer which later revealed approximately 17 million cigarettes headed for Mexico. The shipping manifest had been falsified as to the vehicle’s contents, and the cigarettes lacked the applicable tax stamp as Texas law requires.

The investigation revealed the cigarettes originated in a warehouse located at 2900 North Depot Road in Hidalgo. Guerra controlled and operated that warehouse and facilitated the storage and sale of the cigarettes. Guerra was also found to be in control of another warehouse in McAllen. Both warehouses contained a combined total of 422,917,800 contraband cigarettes destined to be exported to Mexico.

The total value of the cigarettes and equipment authorities seized is estimated at approximately $88 million. Guerra faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 fine. ice.gov

Rochester, NY, Northern - 2nd Organized Crime Gang Busted
Two Brothers Plead Guilty For Their Roles In A Contraband Tobacco Scheme Which Produced Nearly 30 Million Unlicensed Cigarettes

Manufacture & Nationwide Distribution to Indian Reservations - $1.4B Loss in U.S. Fed Taxes

Joseph Thompson, 39, and his brother, Jonathan Thompson, 41, both of the Akwesasne Mohawk Indian Reservation, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Charles J. Siragusa, to wire fraud. The charge carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Defendants worked with others to acquire “cut rag tobacco” which would be used to manufacture contraband cigarettes. Monies to purchase the cut rag tobacco were wired from Rochester, NY to CanStar International Inc., a tobacco broker, in the state of Florida. Once purchased, the cut rag tobacco was delivered to buildings and warehouses controlled by the defendants in Awkwasasne, NY. The defendants then used the cut rag tobacco to manufacture unlicensed cigarettes and distribute the cigarettes to various Indian Reservations in the United States.

Between June 2016 and December 2018, the defendants ordered approximately 72,500 pounds of cut rag tobacco from CanStar, which was used to manufacture approximately 27,923,077 unlicensed cigarettes. This resulted in a loss to the United States of approximately $1,405,368.46 in federal taxes.  justice.gov


Despite Reopenings, 69% of Americans Say They Will Delay Normal Work & Travel

Southeastern Grocers to open 8 new Florida stores

The pandemic could change air travel forever


Quarterly Results
MedMen Q3 sales up 41%
Dollar General Q1 comp's up 21.7%, net sales up 27.6%
SpartanNash Q1 retail comp's up 15.6%, food distribution up 17.1%, Military distribution up 4.9%, sales up 12.4%
Hibbet Q1 comp's down 19.5%, E-Commerce sales up 110.5%, net sales down 21.4%