The Zellman Group Supports the Loss Prevention Benevolent Fund

The Zellman Group, LLC and the Loss Prevention Foundation are teaming up at NRF PROTECT 2022 to support the Loss Prevention Benevolent Fund. The Zellman Group, a doctorate-level partner with the Loss Prevention Foundation is donating 100% of the proceeds from a sports memorabilia silent auction at NRF PROTECT 2022 in Cleveland, OH.

An example of some of the items being auctioned includes an Alex Morgan autographed jersey, a Bobby Knight autographed photo of a chair toss, a Mariano Rivera autographed "Sandman" jersey, and a rare Joe DiMaggio autographed baseball. The silent auction table will be in The Zellman Group's booth #4009.

The Zellman Group and the Loss Prevention Foundation are looking forward to seeing how the LP community shows their support for the Loss Prevention Benevolent Fund at NRF PROTECT 2022.
 

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The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

INFORM Consumers Act Will 'Dissuade Retail Crime Rings'
Op-Ed: Organized retail crime wave must be stopped

Thieves are hitting stores across the country and selling online with little risk

Smash-and-grab thefts plastering our local news day after day have surpassed petty shoplifting. What we’re seeing is professional stealing or, more accurately, organized retail crime, and it’s proving to be dangerous to businesses and consumers alike.

It’s bad for businesses everywhere, but it is especially pervasive in the Lone Star state. So much so that the National Retail Federation named Houston one of the top 10 cities impacted by organized retail crime in 2021. In just one instance at the height of the pandemic, Houston police uncovered more than $1 million worth of stolen merchandise stored from floor to ceiling in one resident’s single-family home alone.

Even more disturbing is that our problem is spanning state lines. An Illinois man was recently found guilty of operating a $20 million crime ring that stole goods from a number of Texas retail stores and fenced them online through e-commerce platforms to generate more than $11 million in profit. Crossing Texas’ border with illicit items and selling them online meant that Homeland Security Investigations Dallas had to join forces with the U.S. Attorney’s Office, U.S. Postal Inspection Service and Illinois’ Arlington Heights Police Department to close this case.

Thanks to the internet and its accessibility, the impact of retail theft is becoming less localized, and cases like the Illinois ringleader’s that involves a state-spanning network of law enforcement at the state and federal level are becoming all too common. It's time this national problem be met with national policy, starting with H.R. 5502 — The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers (INFORM Consumers) Act — currently being considered in the broader China competitiveness package. It has broad, bipartisan support in Congress.

If passed, the INFORM Consumers Act would essentially help dissuade these retail crime rings empowered by the anonymity of the internet by requiring them to verify their identity; including their name, tax ID, bank account information and contact information. Moreover, it protects consumers from stolen and counterfeit goods without unnecessarily imposing undue burden on small online businesses.

The INFORM Consumers Act is a common-sense piece of legislation that, in addition to earning the praise of law enforcement, has brought opposing political parties and competing industries together in support. It’s a sensible solution we can all get behind. Let’s not wait to give Texas and the country a reprieve from organized retail crime and pass the INFORM Consumers Act. The committee reviewing this omnibus package must include H.R. 5502 in its final version. foxnews.com

Just 4% of City Blocks Account for Majority of Chicago's Violence
'Living in Violence': In some communities, shootings are a daily occurrence
Thirty-five people were killed in mass shootings in Buffalo, Uvalde and Tulsa over the past few weeks, focusing national attention on America’s unique gun problem.

This is what daily life looks like for many Black Chicagoans. Across the city, the murder rate for Black people is higher than it was from the 1980s through the 1990s — a violent period that drove a nationwide push for mass incarceration.

Black Chicagoans are nearly 40 times more likely to be shot to death than their white peers, according to an analysis by the University of Chicago Crime Lab.

The violence is highly concentrated: Just 4 percent of city blocks account for the majority of shootings across Chicago, according to the Crime Lab.

The disparities have held up as murders have spiked across the country since 2020. So while the numbers are typically reported through a national lens, the reality on the ground is that a small slice of the population — disproportionately poor, Black and brown — suffers the most from it.

The concentration of violence has another effect: It pushes violence out of sight for most people. In Chicago, 51 people were shot in Chicago over Memorial Day weekend — a five-year high. Almost all of the victims were on the city’s South and West Sides, which are mostly Black and brown.

Only when violence hits closer to home does it typically grab more people’s attention. That happened nationwide this year after mass shootings in schools and grocery stores, where Americans can imagine themselves or loved ones falling victim.

But that is the kind of violence that poorer, minority communities deal with daily, with little to no public attention. The vast majority of shootings never make national headlines. nytimes.com

Chicago Homicides Slowing Down in 2022?
Chicago homicides in 2022: 265 people have been slain. Here’s how that compares with previous years.
In Chicago, 797 people were slain in 2021 — 25 more than in 2020. The number of people slain so far in 2022: 265. That’s 21 fewer people killed at this same point in 2021.

Information about homicides is released daily by the city of Chicago. The release of homicide victims’ names is delayed by two weeks to allow time for the victims’ families to be notified of a death by Chicago police.

The homicide figures do not include killings that occurred in self-defense or in other circumstances not measured in Chicago police statistics. Homicide data from Illinois State Police, which patrols the city’s expressways, also is not included here.  chicagotribune.com

Law Enforcement Killings Spiked in 2021
In Case You Missed It: 129 officers killed in line of duty in 2021, FBI report says

The number of felonious deaths increased from the previous year

Last month, the FBI released its 2021 Statistics on Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the Line of Duty. According to the report, 129 officers were killed in the line of duty in 2021, which is 27 more than the previous year. Of those 129 deaths, 73 were related to felonious acts and 56 were accidents.

Felonious Deaths

Seventy-three officers were feloniously killed in 2021, an increase of 27 when compared to the 46 officers who were killed as a result of criminal acts in 2020. The 73 felonious deaths occurred in 28 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.  police1.com privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com

America's Police Exodus
Police exodus causes nationwide officer shortage
There has been a rise in crime across the country that is only expected to get worse in the hot summer months. But right now, some police unions are sounding the alarm over a nationwide officer shortage.

In New York City alone, new data is revealing that 1,596 officers have either resigned or retired so far this year. That’s up nearly 40% from this time last year, the largest mass departure on New York Police Department record.

A 2021 survey from the Police Executive Research Forum showed a 45% increase in retirements and a nearly 20% spike in resignations over the previous year.

Retired NYPD detective Michael Alcazar said, “This is not the time to lose police officers. Historically, summer months are always the highest in crime, highs in shootings and highs in homicides. We’re on track to hit that also, and we have been losing a lot of police officers.”

The same thing is happening across the nation in cities like Chicago and Oakland, California. Police recruitment is at an all-time low. The departments don’t feel supported by the council members in the local community.

Alcazar believes that it’s become “just a job” to a lot of officers, and it isn’t worth it to them or their families. It’s not safe for police to do their jobs, and Alcazar said officers don’t want to do it anymore.

There’s been a 40% increase in robberies in the city of New York and a nearly 15% increase in rapes. According to the NYPD crime statistics, police are busier than ever, and they need more officers on the force to keep up with the demand. myfox8.com

Buffalo Tops Mass Shooting Update - One Month Later
When will Tops reopen? How will victims be compensated?
The store's owner has set a path to reopening this summer, and a compensation fund for victims' families has been drafted. Both involve speed: The reopening date ensures that East Side residents won't have to wait what could have been years to rebuild a grocery store. And the compensation fund sets a rapid timeline — with just one month between the opening of applications and the deadline — a timeframe that could deliver payments by late October.

Tops President John Persons told The Buffalo News last week that rebuilding the store — which opened in 2003 after years of campaigning by local officials — would have taken years. The better option, he said, was to restore the store and reopen by the end of July, commandeering materials for planned upgrades at other Tops locations for the Jefferson Avenue rebuild. The store will have new floors, registers and an updated decor, he said.

Meanwhile, The National Compassion Fund — part of the National Center for Victims of Crime — issued a draft protocol for how victims will be compensated, and the deadlines for applications to the Buffalo 5/14 Survivors Fund. People will have to act fast to be compensated, with just one month between the opening of applications and the deadline. The fund will be administered by a local steering committee, which will decide who is eligible and how funds are distributed. democratandchronicle.com

Agency zeroes in on organized retail crime in Hawaii

Eastern Shore Sheriff Slams Baltimore’s ‘Revolving Door’ Justice System

 

COVID Update

591.9M Vaccinations Given

US: 87.7M Cases - 1M Dead - 83.5M Recovered
Worldwide: 542.6M Cases - 6.3M Dead - 517.9M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 359  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 784
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Cases, Deaths & Hospitalizations in the U.S.

COVID Cases Leveling Off
After a spring surge, confirmed U.S. cases are leveling off
After a rise in known infections this spring, new coronavirus cases in the United States have leveled off in recent weeks, even as hospitalizations continue to inch upward and new Omicron subvariants rapidly circulate.

The country is recording just over 105,000 new coronavirus cases a day, on average, a rate that has more or less held steady over the last month, according to a New York Times database.

That figure is sure to be an undercount, as more people have turned to at-home testing, the results of which often go unreported. But other indicators are also showing signs of steadying: The number of patients hospitalized with the virus is still growing, but doing so slowly, with the average hovering for most of this week around 29,000. Deaths have stayed below 400 a day for several weeks. nytimes.com

Post-COVID Return to Work: A Failure to Launch
Return to the office or else? Why bosses' ultimatums are missing the point

Major companies in tech and elsewhere remain determined to get workers back to the office full-time. But it's not going to happen.

It's impossible to ignore the paradigm shifts that have rattled the workplace over the past two years. Remote working has provided flexibility and greater work-life balance to millions of knowledge worker employees, many of whom were feeling battered, bruised and burned out long before the pandemic.

This better way of working is not something that employers will be willing to give up on at a click of their boss's fingers – and those who think otherwise are probably kidding themselves. The numerous benefits that remote working brings employees far outweigh the negative impact it has on bosses, many of whom scarcely make an appearance in the office anyway and cling to the notion that good work only gets done when other people are sat at a desk.

Add to this the growing financial pressures facing workers and it's going to be increasingly hard for bosses to justify their return-to-office mandates – and we've already seen employees ignore calls for them to do so. zdnet.com

COVID Created Prison Staffing Crisis
1st federal prison to experience COVID-19 outbreak now short-staffed: Officials
The first federal prison to experience a COVID-19 outbreak in March of 2020 is now severely short-staffed, the Louisiana congressional delegation and members of the Bureau of Prison union say.

FCI Oakdale in Louisiana experienced a severe COVID-19 outbreak in March of 2020, so bad the Justice Department inspector general was critical of the BOP for how it failed to separate inmates at the facility during the first weeks of the pandemic.

The Louisiana congressional delegation, led by Republican Sen. John Kennedy, wrote to the Bureau of Prisons to make sure it takes care of the staffing issues at the facility. "FCC Oakdale faces unsustainably low staffing levels that is nearing crisis," the congressional delegation writes.

"Staffing conditions at FCC Oakdale have understandably forced many veteran staff members to actively seek opportunities for promotion or transfer to other federal prison facilities and agencies or even retire."  abcnews.go.com

A new COVID subvariant appears to be taking over in the U.S.

Dr. Anthony Fauci tests positive for Covid, is having mild symptoms

 

Dollar Recoveries Up 30.7% in 2021
The Hayes Report on Loss Prevention
Quarterly - Summer 2022 - Vol. 37 No. 3

Topics: 34th Annual Retail Theft Survey - Mystery & Integrity Shopping - Theft Survey Statistics - Testing For Success - Theft Survey Highlights - The Bulletin Board

Mark Doyle Talks --- Thank You Survey Participants!

This Summer newsletter reports the results of our 34th Annual Retail Theft Survey. I would like to express my sincere THANK YOU to the 25 large retail companies who participated in this survey! Without your support this survey would not be possible. We do this annual theft survey at our own expense for the retail asset protection/loss prevention community, and we hope it helps justify budgets, minimize staff reductions and helps retail executives keep in mind the most important role their AP/LP personnel play in helping to improve overall company profits.

Also, Mike Mershimer discusses the history of Mystery & Integrity Shopping and how it can be used as a cost-effective tool in your loss prevention program.

I hope you enjoy this issue of The Hayes Report newsletter and have a safe and enjoyable summer!

Click here to read the full newsletter

Grocery Chain Exec Hit with Discrimination Lawsuit
Ex-employee’s lawsuit accuses Stew Leonard’s boss of making racist, sexist, anti-Semitic remarks

A former longtime employee accused Stew Leonard’s and CEO Stew Leonard Jr. of creating a hostile work environment.

A new federal lawsuit accuses the chief executive of the New York metropolitan area-based Stew Leonard’s grocery store chain of making racist and sexist comments about workers and customers.

Former longtime employee Robert Crosby Jr. also claims in his civil complaint that he was terminated from his job in violation of the Americans with Disabilities Act after his bout with Covid-19 left him disabled.

Crosby, a 58-year-old father of four, accuses Stew Leonard’s and CEO Stew Leonard Jr. of creating a hostile work environment. The suit cites “systemic racial, sexual, religious and ageist discriminatory practices” carried out by management.

Crosby is seeking at least $500,000 in damages in the suit filed this week in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York.

The claims in the suit contrast with the farm-folksy image of the grocery chain, which once was praised by President Ronald Reagan and business guru Tom Peters. The family-owned company now has almost $400 million in annual revenue at seven locations in Connecticut, New York and New Jersey. cnbc.com

Adidas-Nike Federal Lawsuit
Adidas sues Nike for alleged patent infringement, targets mobile applications
In the latest legal battle between two of the largest athletics retailers, Adidas filed a federal lawsuit against Nike on Friday alleging it is knowingly infringing on nine Adidas patents. Adidas is asking that the court award it “damages in an amount sufficient to compensate” for the patent infringements, and an injunction against Nike to stop using the patented technology listed.

Adidas’ suit calls out the Nike Run Club, Nike Training Club and SNKRS mobile apps as violating patented technology. The athletic company also claims Nike had pre-suit knowledge of the patent infringement based on it citing Adidas patents within Nike’s own U.S. patents and applications.

The latest legal action follows a U.S. International Trade Commission complaint from Nike in December asking for several Adidas shoe imports to be blocked because they infringed on a patent for Nike’s Flyknit technology.

The continued rivalry between the brands shows they believe owning technological innovation is key to remaining competitive with each other, with Adidas claiming it was the first in the industry to bring these advancements to athletes. retaildive.com

The Ups & Downs of Retail's Union Push
Why is Starbucks’ union drive speeding ahead while Amazon’s stumbles?

More than 100 of the coffee shop’s locations have unionized, while just one Amazon warehouse has managed it

Isaiah Thomas, a pro-union worker at the Amazon warehouse in Bessemer, Alabama, sees many reasons for the different pace – and said the biggest was the different size of the workplace. “There might be only 28 workers at a Starbucks, but 6,000 at our Amazon warehouse. In terms of what the organizing committee has to do at Starbucks, it’s not a lot of people. They can keep a close-knit friendship. They can coordinate things closely.”

Thomas said it was far harder to maintain close coordination at a 6,000-employee warehouse: “You have to have an active campaign constantly.” The Bessemer workers voted in March on whether to join the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union, and although the vote count showed the union trailing, there are enough challenged ballots yet to be counted that it might still win.

Colin Cochran, a Starbucks barista in Buffalo, agrees that the size of the workplace plays a big role. “Starbucks stores are way smaller than Amazon warehouses,” he said. “When the Amazon Labor Union won at Staten Island, they organized more people in one fell swoop than we have yet to organize [at Starbucks]. It’s a completely different beast.” theguardian.com

'Danger Season' Could Impact Your Stores
California is facing drought, heat, power outages and fires — all at once

Drought. Extreme heat. Wildfires. Potential power outages. It’s ‘danger season’ for California and much of the West.

This year’s extraordinarily dry, warm weather, which is expected to continue in the coming months, is stoking fears of a multitude of problems: increasing water restrictions, extreme heat, power outages, wildfire and smoke — potentially all of the above in one vicious swoop.

The Union of Concerned Scientists, a nationwide advocacy group led by scientists and policy experts, went as far as using the term “danger season” this month to characterize the summer that may lie ahead for parts of the United States.

Already in California, climate volatility, as palpable as it’s been, has joined the list of reasons people cite for wanting to move away, after soaring home prices, high taxes and traffic. The state’s population, which had grown for decades, dropped in each of the past two years. sfchronicle.com

NRF Responds to May's Retail Sales Data
May Retail Sales Slow Amid Ongoing Inflation
Retail sales slowed in May as consumers faced continuing inflation and higher prices for essentials like food and gasoline, the National Retail Federation said today.

“Retail sales are reflecting Americans’ growing concern about inflation and its impact on the cost of everything from groceries to gas,” NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. “Retailers are doing what they can to keep prices down, but we continue our call on the administration to repeal unnecessary and costly tariffs on goods from China to relieve pressure on American consumers and their family budgets.”

The U.S. Census Bureau today said overall retail sales in May were down 0.3 percent seasonally adjusted from April but up 8.1 percent year over year. That compared with increases of 0.7 percent month over month and 7.8 percent year over year in April. nrf.com

RELATED: Steady consumers, inflation push May retail sales up 7.2%

McKinsey & Company on Fear's Role - It's With Us Everyday
Fear factor: Overcoming human barriers to innovation

Research found that the fear of career impact emerged as the biggest differentiator between those who work at top innovation companies and others

Such worries have predictable consequences. When we believe our decisions can put our advancement or compensation at risk, loss aversion takes the steering wheel and drives us to hedge our bets. This results in employees being reluctant to fully invest (or gamble) their careers on innovation, let alone on a single innovation project.

Leading innovators are much more successful at alleviating these career concerns by making innovation an explicit requirement of professional success. mckinsey.com

Revlon files for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection

Amazon Fresh ramps up expansion with five new stores

Amazon Opening “Amazon Style” Clothing Store at Easton Town Center

Petco opening first Neighborhood Farm & Pet Supply

Ikea scales down Russian operations, including selling its 4 factories