ISCPO Announces Telaid as a Preferred Vendor Partner

ISCPO Welcomes Telaid as Preferred Vendor Partner to Further Boost Supply Chain Security

Dallas, TX (June 11, 2024) – Today, the International Supply Chain Protection Organization (ISCPO) proudly announces the exciting addition of Telaid as a preferred vendor partner. With the increasing risk of cargo theft, ISCPO members rely on various vendors to provide layers of security. Driven by its commitment to continuous improvement, ISCPO is dedicated to expanding its array of vendor solutions, harnessing proven products, and staying at the forefront of industry best practices. This international partnership with Telaid as a preferred vendor helps our members reduce cargo theft and pilferage, protect brand reputation and limit supply chain interruptions.

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NYC Costco Losing 'Alarming' Amount of Money to Theft
The Target next door has already shut down

Costco’s only Manhattan store not immune from shoplifting epidemic
Manhattan’s only Costco may have a shoplifting problem, it’s been revealed, months after rampant theft allegedly drove the Target next door to close — and even after the company has bragged that their closed-door policy has helped them to steer around the recent retail crime epidemic.

The lone location of the big box retailer on the island — located inside the East River Shopping Plaza at E. 117th St. and the FDR Drive — is said to lose an alarming amount of money due to theft, as people supposedly walk out of the membership-only warehouse store with some surprising steals, a recent Reddit thread claimed.

A photo posted to the popular chat site — purported to have been taken in an employees-only area inside the store — showed a display on a bulletin board that seems to detail just how much the store has lost from its most stolen items during the previous financial year.

Commenters were baffled by the high rate of theft — noting that the wholesaler requires people to have membership to enter, and employs people for the sole purpose of checking receipts on the way out the door.

In perspective, the tens of thousands that the Uptown location reportedly got taken for represents the tiniest sliver when compared to the national theft-ademic.

Major U.S. retailers collectively lost $112 billion due to shrink in 2022 — more than double an already-climbing $50.6 billion in 2018 — according to the National Retail Federation (NRF), which counts both employee theft and shoplifting when crunching the numbers.

Experts say the issue has only worsened since. nypost.com


Rising Violence Against Retail Workers
One in three Asda staff attacked at work, GMB finds

The company claims GMB made no mention of this survey and has requested a full copy and a detailed summary of the results

One in three Asda staff have stated that they have been attacked at work, according to a new survey from the GMB union. The survey includes reports of workers being stabbed, punched and threatened with syringes. The poll of almost 1000 Asda workers found that staff had been spat at, suffered broken bones, hit with bottles and had death threats against them and their children.

Furthermore, 58% of respondents said they had suffered injury or illness on the job while delivery drivers said they have been chased by people in cars and been confronted by customers in the nude. Overall 339 Asda workers (35%) told GMB they had been a victim of verbal or physical violence while doing their job.

In response Asda has stated that it had regular meetings with GMB, including ones last week, where they discuss store security. The company claims GMB made no mention of this survey and has requested a full copy and a detailed summary of the results.

Asda stated: “Unfortunately, like all retailers we have seen an increase in violence and aggression towards our colleagues during the last few years. The safety of our colleagues is a primary concern, which is why we have invested over £30m during the last three years to upgrade the CCTV systems in stores. We have also provided colleagues with body-worn cameras, hired extra security guards in certain stores and amended store opening times when required.

“We work with all of our colleague representatives in the important area of colleague security and also back calls for violence or abuse against retail workers to be made a standalone criminal offence in all parts of the UK and hope this is a priority for any incoming Government.”  retailsector.co.uk


Last Ditch Effort to Save Prop 47
CA Dems 'playing dirty tricks' to keep Prop 47 reform off ballot, GOP leader says

Prop 47 has been blamed by some for organized retail thefts and upticks in some categories of crime

California Democrats are playing "dirty tricks" in response to bipartisan efforts to place a measure to reform Proposition 47 on the November ballot in favor of other public safety bills, officials said.

Prop 47, a voter-approved initiative passed in 2014, loosened the penalties for drug and theft crimes in California and has been blamed for California's rampant theft problems. Californians for Safer Communities, a bipartisan group made up of law enforcement, elected officials and businesses, said it has collected more than 900,000 signatures in support of the proposed amendment to reform Prop 47 in order to increase penalties for criminals.

However, California Gov. Gavin Newsom and some elected Democrats don't support the effort and are pushing some public safety bills circulating through the state Capitol that attempt to address organized retail theft, car break-ins and other crimes. They prefer those bills go before voters instead of the Prop 47 reform measure.

Some Democrats plan to introduce inoperability clauses into the set of proposed public safety bills to prevent them from going into effect if voters approve the Prop 47 reforms. They contend that it's a way to ensure there aren't any inconsistencies in the law.

"The Democrats are playing dirty tricks to try and stop it," California Assembly Republican Leader James Gallagher told Fox News Digital. "They think that Prop 47 is good policy. I think the majority of Californians disagree with them and want to change it."  foxnews.com


Years of Public Safety Efforts Going Down the Drain?
What's the difference between California's legislative public safety package and Prop 47 reform initiative?
Democratic leaders in the Senate and Assembly doubled down on their efforts Monday to add inoperability clauses to 14 public-safety-related bills, signaling the group is prepared to abandon efforts it has spent the year working on if voters pass the reforms to Proposition 47.

Assembly Speaker Robert Rivas and Senate Pro Tempore Mike McGuire claimed on Monday that the two proposals would conflict legally, but were short on specifics.

"We added inoperability clauses to help ensure that if these bills were put into law and the ballot initiative also goes into effect, we don't have a world-class mess of conflicting policies on our hands," McGuire said.

Proponents of the ballot initiative have said they do not conflict. The initiative enhances penalties for fentanyl dealers and manufacturers, while also requiring those convicted of stealing three times to spend added time in prison.

When pressed by KCRA 3 repeatedly about how exactly the ballot initiative and legislative package conflict, McGuire could not say.  kcra.com


Overall Crime Plummets 33% in Oakland
Burglaries Down 53% & Commercial Break-Ins Down 43%

Is Oakland Finally Turning the Corner on Crime?

Crime is down in Oakland: Officers have recovered stolen cars, seized guns linked to crimes, and arrested hundreds of suspects

In addition to local law enforcement efforts, with nearly all types of reported crime in Oakland down, state law enforcement officers have recovered stolen cars, seized guns linked to crimes, and arrested hundreds of suspects — all since February 2024.

Governor Gavin Newsom said, "These results are a clear and concrete example of the effective partnership with state, local, and federal law enforcement in Oakland and the surrounding East Bay. Ensuring the safety and security of Oakland residents, we will continue to make our communities safer by taking down crime and holding individuals accountable."

Public safety work in the entire Bay Area region – Oakland, San Francisco, and surrounding communities – reflects the work of state, local and federal law enforcement to keep communities safe. As these efforts continue to show positive results, the state will work with its local partners on whether to expand the partnership to focus on more regional enforcement.

“Our ongoing crime suppression efforts in the region are making a significant impact. Through increased patrols, community engagement, and targeted operations, there has been a notable decrease in criminal activity in Oakland and the East Bay,” said CHP Deputy Commissioner Troy Lukkes. “We remain committed to ensuring the safety and security of communities throughout California and will continue to work tirelessly to bring down crime.”  gov.ca.gov


The View from the Other Side: The Truth about Retail Theft
Does tough talk by retail giants and politicians distract from what really creates safety?

FBI behavioral analysts digging into the ‘why’ of the Allen mall shooter

Spokane businesses still feel safe after Northtown Mall shooting
 

Shifting Back to Employee Checkout to Fight Shrink
Five Below wants employees to handle 75% of checkouts
After fighting against high shrink for more than a year, Five Below has transitioned to 75% associate-led transactions at all stores and 100% associate-led transactions at high shrink stores, company executives said during an earnings call last week.

Five Below said in March it would scale back self-checkout to fight shrink. It also said it tested additional shrink reduction strategies in about 70 stores during Q1. They include receipt checks by associates, more video cameras, and adding guards. Stores with associate-led checkout and other mitigation measures saw lower shrink rates, CEO Joel Anderson said.

Five Below is joining a growing wave of retailers — Walmart, Target and Dollar General among them — that are limiting self-checkout services or removing it altogether to reduce customer-related shrink and theft.

“While we are implementing changes to address recent sales trends and offset shrink, we remain committed to our strategic pillars and continue to see a long runway of growth for Five Below,” said Anderson. An element of the company’s growth strategy includes significant opportunities to add store density in existing markets and opening in new markets.

Five Below plans to open 230 stores by end of year and Anderson said the company still sees “a long runway of growth” reiterating previous statements that it wants to operate 3,500 locations nationwide by the end of 2030.  retaildive.com


How Prepared Is Your State for a Disaster?
Best States for Disaster Preparedness
The U.S. experienced the most billion-dollar disasters in its recorded history during 2023, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Despite the need for preparation, the latest data from the Federal Emergency Management Agency indicates that only 45% of adults believe they are prepared for a natural disaster, and 42% plan on preparing but have not taken action yet.

In order to highlight the states that understand the importance of disaster preparedness and the ones that need to improve, SmileHub compared the 50 states across 14 key metrics. The data set ranges from fire and police stations per capita to the presence of an enhanced disaster mitigation plan to the community resilience score. smilehub.org

'Companies Are Waking Up'
Retailers are finally cutting prices. Will it last?

5 takeaways from the latest markdowns by Walmart, McDonald’s, Best Buy and others.

After a years-long run up in prices that’s caused many to pull back on spending, things are finally beginning to get cheaper. Target is slashing prices on 5,000 items. And at Walgreens, swim goggles and Squishmallows are discounted by as much as 40 percent.

Those markdowns, and the consumer spending slowdown that prompted them, mark a turning point in the post-lockdown economy, after the sharpest surge in inflation in decades.

New inflation data on Wednesday, the second day of a Federal Reserve Board meeting that starts Tuesday, will offer yet another snapshot of just how much prices have cooled. Although the central bank is expected to hold interest rates steady — as it has done since last summer — many are watching to see whether the Fed will begin cutting borrowing costs later this year or keep pressure on the economy in its fight against inflation.

“Retailers overreached when they started jacking up prices,” said Mark Cohen, director of retail studies at Columbia Business School. “Business has gotten stuck. Things are slowing down. Companies are waking up and realizing they have to start reducing prices.”  washingtonpost.com


Who Would Want To Buy Family Dollar? The Answer Could Be Far-Flung.
Analysts, Brokers Point to Private Equity Firms, International Retailers as Potential Acquirers

The Container Store to open 2 stores in Virginia

White paper: HR’s Role in Safety Transformation