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Agilence Introduces Outsourced Loss Prevention Services

Agilence Analytics Plus delivers a complete loss prevention solution designed for retail, grocery, and restaurant businesses that may lack the in-house resources to fully manage loss prevention. This service combines the powerful Agilence Analytics software with a team of seasoned consulting professionals who act as your extended loss prevention team.

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Summer 2024 Weekend Shooting Analysis
Crime & Violence in America's Big Cities

Tracking Big City Shootings, Killings & Injuries Throughout Summer 2024

300 Shootings - 96 Killed - 291 Injured in 15 Cities Over Last 3 Weekends
Shootings (down 23%), deaths (down 6%) & injuries (down 26%) so far from 2023

The D&D Daily's Big City Weekend Violence Study - Memorial Day to Labor Day

The Daily's annual study analyzes weekend shooting data in 15 major U.S. cities from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend 2024

Starting this past Memorial Day Weekend, the D&D Daily compiled and analyzed data from 15 major U.S. cities to get a snapshot of summer gun violence.

Over this past weekend, from June 7th through June 9th, there were 101 shootings recorded in these 15 big cities, resulting in 25 deaths and 106 injuries.

In total, over the past three weekends combined, these cities have recorded 300 shootings, resulting in 96 deaths and 291 injuries.

Compared to last summer at this time in the study, total shootings in these cities are down 23%, deaths are down 6%, and injuries are down 26%.

The D&D Daily will continue tracking this data throughout the summer to capture the weekend violence trend in our nation's big cities as warm weather typically brings about more crime and violence.

Click here to see the list of incidents per city throughout the summer. docs.google.com

Read more coverage about America's crime and violence surge in the section directly below
 

ORC 'Dilemmas' of the Future: Are You Ready?
Organized retail crime syndicates are already contemplating what comes next. Shouldn’t retailers be doing the same?

NRF PROTECT: Futurist Nikolas Badminton on changing our mindset to change the world

Nikolas Badminton, chief futurist for Futurist.com, sees his role as igniting “new thinking.” He did that at NRF PROTECT by asking the crowd some big questions: What if the next decade or two brings a shift to stealing water, food, energy and medicine?

What if there’s a rise in vigilantism and non-organized retail crime activity, led by “normal folks” who are at or below the poverty line, or just don’t want to pay the rising prices?

“And what if our best course of action at that point is unclear?” he said. “Because our morals, and wanting to be good people in society, are really, really challenged at that point. Who’s going to put a mother in jail for taking baby formula? These are big dilemmas that are going to come up. Big dilemmas that I think we already face.”

Hope for a better world

Imagination is a potent skill, he said, one that we forget how to ignite. But we must push against the boundaries of what’s normal, as that’s what those against us are already doing.

There’s also a need for creating anticipation and the capability to expect unknown opportunities, threats and risks. And third, he said, we must deepen our empathy, not only for “the customers and the teams that we serve, but also an empathy for the people that we’re trying to fight — organized retail crime and beyond. How are they thinking? What are they doing? Why are they doing it?”

Signals of change

Changing a mindset involves several building blocks, beginning with scanning for signals of change. This might be, for example, technology, academic research or a cultural/societal shift. It could also be something like the COVID-19 pandemic. We can move forward to understand trends, and then future scenarios.

Global megatrends - Question everything:  nrf.com


Lawmakers Continue to Push 'Combating Organized Retail Crime Act'
"This is not your recreational shoplifting. This is organized crime, that is being run by sometimes, international criminal syndicates."

‘Not your recreational shoplifting’: Feds put more heat on organized retail theft
A bill co-sponsored by U.S. Rep. Susie Lee would put the weight of the federal government behind efforts to prosecute criminals taking part in organized retail theft, the Las Vegas congresswoman announced Friday.

The proposed Bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act, targets individuals or groups involved in organized retail theft, with coordinated thefts of merchandise that can be resold at a lower price or returned to a store for refunds.

“The truth is that organized retail crime hurts every Southern Nevadan, from small business owners, to consumers, to taxpayers,” Lee said. “Let’s face it: This is not your recreational shoplifting. This is organized crime, that is being run by sometimes, international criminal syndicates.”

Lee noted that the proceeds from organized retail theft fund their criminal enterprises like human trafficking and drug smuggling.

Bryan Wachter, senior vice president of Retail Association of Nevada, noted that this type of crime “doesn’t have a ZIP code” and represents a safety issues for retail employees.

One challenge in addressing organized retail crime is determining its scope. In a Brennan Center for Justice article, Ames Grawert and Ram Subramanian write that data on the prevalence of organized retail theft is often unreliable due to how its legal definition varies across municipalities.

Nevada has passed its own law on organized retail theft and Lee hopes to pass the Bipartisan Combating Organized Retail Crime Act before the general election in November. reviewjournal.com

RELATED: Nevada rep, retail leaders say more needs to be done to curb costly theft


'Lego Larceny' Becomes Nationwide Problem
'I might be supporting a crime ring': Calif.'s black market Lego problem

Thieves are targeting big-box retailers and small businesses alike, making off with tons of Lego bricks for a thriving black market

One eye-opening string of thefts has flown somewhat under the radar in Southern California so far. It seems that some smaller, specialized crews have quietly — and systematically — been targeting a series of retailers from Whittier to Irvine, making off with familiar toys that have become coveted goods: Lego bricks.

The spate of Lego thefts isn’t just relegated to Southern California, either: Different theft rings have stolen Lego bricks from retailers in Pennsylvania and Las Vegas, leading “Inside Edition” to dub it “Lego Larceny.”

To average consumers, the toys might seem like an unusual thing to target, but Lego minifigures and sets can go for hundreds or thousands of dollars. While the secondary market for Lego sets isn’t exactly new, these newer retail thefts seem to have a different flavor to them, Reddit user Mescad, a moderator of the 1.6 million-strong online fan community r/Lego, told SFGATE.

“Twenty years ago, the biggest concern when buying Lego from a third party online was that someone might be lying about the condition of the spare parts you were buying,” Mescad wrote over email. “Today, I worry that every good deal I find might be supporting a crime ring somewhere. Retail theft has always been common, but it wasn’t something that we worried about at the fan level before.”

A confluence of factors — including the surging popularity of the Lego brand among adults — has contributed to a thriving black market in recent years, one that seems to spur people to steal Lego en masse from big box stores and mom-and-pops alike.  sfgate.com


Theft Becomes Presidential Campaign Issue
Trump said mobs of crowds are stealing large appliances from department stores en masse

Trump claims mobs of 500 people are raiding stores to steal air conditioners
Former President Trump escalated his claims about rampant crime during a campaign stop Friday, alleging without proof that mobs of crowds are stealing large appliances from department stores en masse without action from law enforcement.

“You go to some of these department stores, 500 people walk into the stores, they walk out with air conditioners — they strip the whole store,” Trump said in a nearly hourlong, off-the-cuff address to Turning Point Action in Arizona while railing against the Biden administration’s policies. “The company goes out of business, the store is vacant for 25 years. The whole city becomes a slum.”

When The Hill asked the Trump campaign for further information on his remarks in Arizona, a spokesperson directed the outlet to news reports of residential HVAC thefts and reports of “pack theft” sprees that have hit cities.

It’s not the first time the former president has cited massive waves of unchecked large appliance thefts from department stores.

He alleged that “gangs of hundreds of young” people regularly “attack” department stores and walk out with “big stuff” like refrigerators and air conditioners, during the NRA-ILA Leadership Forum in Indianapolis last year.

“As an example, when you see these gangs of hundreds of young, usually young people go and attack a department store, department stores in San Francisco and Los Angeles and Chicago, and they run in by the hundreds and they’re running out carrying refrigerators and carrying air conditioners and big stuff,” he said.

Such “pack thefts” as Trump often describes have been associated with smaller but organized crimes targeting pricy cosmetics, designer clothes and other luxury items.  thehill.com


Bipartisan Retail Theft Bills Under Attack in Calif.
California Democrats threaten to repeal retail theft bills over Prop. 47 changes, angering GOP
California Democrats are facing blowback from Republicans over amendments to a package of retail theft bills that would void them if voters approve a ballot measure changing portions of Proposition 47.

Assembly Republican leader James Gallagher of Yuba City and Senate Minority Leader Brian Jones of San Diego on Thursday sent a letter to Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas, D-Hollister, and Senate President Pro Tem Mike McGuire, D-Healdsburg, saying the amendments “threaten to do grave damage to the bipartisan progress we have made with the retail theft package.”

“The poison pill amendments — specifically, an urgency clause and the automatic repeal of retail theft bills should voters adopt the (ballot) initiative — undermine these efforts,” the letter said. “These amendments set a dangerous precedent, forcing our constituents into a false choice between legislative reforms and necessary modifications to Proposition 47.”

Republicans are angry about amendments Democrats want to add to some bills that would cause them to take effect immediately after Gov. Gavin Newsom signs them and would repeal them if voters approve the ballot measure in November.

It’s unclear whether Republican influence will do much damage to the measures in a Legislature with a Democratic supermajority. But it shows ballot measure backers may be concerned about whether the bill package could affect support for their initiative.

Nick Miller, a Rivas spokesman, said leaders don’t plan to add the repeal amendments to all the bills. For example, they wouldn’t amend Assembly Bill 1972 from Assemblyman Juan Alanis, R-Modesto, which expands the regional property crimes task force to include cargo theft.  sacbee.com


'Effective Prosecution' is Key to Fighting ORC
In Our View: Law enforcement fighting organized retail theft
As retailers add security measures — personnel and cameras — and law enforcement increasingly spends resources to deal with retail theft, the sense of safety in our communities is eroded. As organized theft rings increase in their number and brazenness, they often expand into other crimes. And as retail outlets close, with blame pointed at an epidemic of shoplifting, consumers are left with fewer choices.

In generations past, shoplifting was thought to be the province of minor thugs and delinquents. Now it is big business, with organized theft rings systematically targeting retailers and fencing items for big profits. Online selling has made it easier to find buyers for stolen items, and retailers and law enforcement agencies reported a large spike in thefts in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In 2022, Washington Attorney General Bob Ferguson announced the formation of an Organized Retail Crime Theft Task Force. The goal is to increase coordination between law enforcement agencies by targeting theft organizations that can extend across multiple jurisdictions. At least nine other states have established similar organizations.

Funding for Washington’s 10-person unit became available in July 2023, and its first prosecution was announced in November. “Our new unit is hitting the ground running and pursuing cases as we hire our team,” Ferguson said. “This is the first of what we hope will be many cases bringing accountability to this significant and growing problem.”

Effective prosecution is essential to protecting retailers and consumers. So are laws that distinguish between petty thieves and coordinated criminal organizations. So is adequate funding for what can be complex investigations. Washington law (RCW 9A.56.350) defines “organized retail theft” but could use an update to reflect modern realities.

In the meantime, local law enforcement is doing its best to confront a costly issue. columbian.com


Violent Crime is Down, But Americans Don't Believe It
Why aren't Americans willing to believe good news about crime?
The best data we have available shows that violent crime in the United States has declined significantly over the past couple of years. But ask the average American and they’ll confidently tell you that it’s actually going up.

According to the FBI’s preliminary analysis, crimes like murder, rape and assault fell in 2023 at what could prove to be a record pace, erasing a pandemic-era spike in violent crimes and bringing the national rates near the lowest levels ever recorded. The rate of property crimes like burglary and theft has also declined.

In survey after survey, though, Americans consistently say they believe crime is increasing. In a poll taken late last year, 77% of people said crime is getting worse, and two-thirds said crime is an extremely or very serious problem. The last time Americans were so pessimistic about crime was in the early 1990s, when the violent crime rate was more than double what it is today.

This gap between perception and reality has real-world impacts. The campaign to enact police and criminal justice reform gained major momentum in the wake of the nationwide protest movement following George Floyd’s murder in 2020. But it has largely stalled — and in some cases been rolled back — as members of both parties have returned to promoting “tough on crime” policies.

Part of the disconnect appears to come down to human nature. We tend to put more weight on negative events, whether we experience them personally or simply hear about them, much more than times when everything goes well. Gallup has been polling on perceptions of crime for 25 years, and almost every year a majority of people say it’s going up, even though the actual crime rate has been cut by more than half over that same period.

Experts say there are also plenty of cultural forces that feed our predispositions on crime. Watching the news or using social media, which frequently focuses on out-of-context acts of individual violence, can make crime seem much more prominent than it really is. Politics plays a major role as well. yahoo.com


Will Mexico's New President Worsen Crime Problem?
And how will it impact the United States?

Mexico’s election: A victory for organised crime

Under Claudia Sheinbaum’s presidency, organised crime will likely be calling the shots.

While the United States prefers to categorically blame Mexico’s violence on drug cartels and end the discussion there, the truth of the matter is that the US itself plays an outsize role in maintaining the violent landscape south of the border. For one thing, the simultaneous demand for and criminalisation of drugs in the US is what spawned the whole cartel business in the first place.

Add to that the US demand for undocumented labour and criminalisation of migration, on which front AMLO has been only too eager to do the gringos’ dirty work – a pattern Sheinbaum will no doubt continue.

As Mexico now prepares for a new administration, it is safe to assume that violence, official corruption, and impunity will remain the name of the game. A woman may have won the Mexican election, but the real winner is organised crime – in every sense of the term. aljazeera.com


San Jose: Police conducting training exercise at Oakridge Mall

Colorado Springs, CO: New space in Citadel Mall for group working to reduce gun violence
 

Demand for Retail Space Outstrips Supply for 1st Time in 2 Decades
NY Times: What Retail Apocalypse? Shopping Centers Are Making a Comeback.

Vacancy is the lowest it has been in two decades, at 5.4 percent, according to a recent report. The properties are thriving even as retailers like Macy’s and Express shutter many stores.

Shopping center landlords have found themselves in a wholly unfamiliar position: For the first time in 20 years, demand for retail space outstrips supply.

That demand has soared recently and, after years of muted construction and a purge of weak-performing properties, met a retail market with less available space. Properties that survived the purge signed up tenants that would draw more shoppers and give them more reason to linger. That meant more restaurants and venues that promote recreational experiences, like ax throwing and, more recently, pickleball. It also meant less space for traditional retailers that weren’t performing as well, like bookstores and apparel brands.

Because of those moves, “there’s not as much redundancy from tenants, and landlords are creating much more robust tenant mixes,” said Barrie Scardina, president of Americas retail services, agency leasing and alliances for Cushman & Wakefield, a real estate firm. “We are seeing some of the most productive occupancy recorded in the last 10 years.”

Shopping center vacancy is the lowest it has been in two decades, at 5.4 percent, Cushman & Wakefield said in a recent report, and the edge in lease negotiations has shifted from tenants back to landlords. nytimes.com


DEI is Here to Stay - Despite Criticism
72% of C-Suite and Human Resources leaders plan to increase DEI commitment

Business Leaders Continue to Support DEI Initiatives Despite Year of Attacks

Bridge Partners' Second Annual Inclusion Barometer highlights the continued positive impact and commitment to DEI programs in Corporate America.

In the second annual Inclusion Barometer, released today by executive search firm Bridge Partners, business leaders show a continued commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion. Despite a year filled with attacks and criticisms of DEI programs from some well-known business and civic leaders including Bill Ackman, Elon Musk, and Senator Tom Cotton, 72% of C-Suite and Human Resources leaders in Corporate America plan to increase their commitment to DEI within the next two years, while only 4% plan to cut back or eliminate their programs.

94% believe DEI is important for its positive impact on recruiting, hiring, and retention.

"It's encouraging to see that, despite the near-constant attacks on DEI programs in the last year, business leaders are still focused on the facts — that diverse teams, equitable hiring processes, and inclusive cultures are all valuable drivers of stronger organizations."

The study makes clear that, despite some positive news, there remain key challenges and needs around DEI, particularly at the leadership level. Less than half of respondents (46%) believe their executive team fully reflects the diversity of their employee and customer base, while roughly one in four executives believes DEI programs are one-sided, biased, and potentially a fad that will go away.  prnewswire.com
 

AI's Impact on Brands & Human Connection
Will AI Impede Brand Connections?
A global survey from Interpublic’s Momentum Worldwide found that 70% of consumers worry human connections will be lost as AI continues to grow and are looking for brands to help them connect socially.

Momentum’s past research found consumers’ priorities around experiences have shifted from social currency in 2014 as Instagram was taking off to a sense of optimism in 2019, but the pandemic, political unrest, climate change, economic instability, and other factors have driven an increasing desire for genuine human interaction.

“Connection is now the priority,” Momentum said in the executive summary of the study. “We’re not looking for brand experiences that are just for bragging or showing off. Consumers want brand experiences that connect them with others. That bring them closer together. That celebrate being human.”  retailwire.com


Spirit Halloween Hiring 50,000 Seasonal Employees Ahead of 2024 Store Openings

How Should Retailers Like Walmart Handle Local Communities?

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