Genetec helps customers break free from proprietary access control systems with next-generation Synergis Cloud Link

Provides more features, enhanced cybersecurity, and helps future-proof security installations

MONTRÉAL, June 21, 2022 -- Genetec Inc. (“Genetec”), a leading technology provider of unified security, public safety, operations, and business intelligence solutions, today announced the immediate availability of a new generation of its Synergis™ Cloud Link PoE-enabled IoT gateway for access control. Manufactured in North America to mitigate supply chain delays, Synergis Cloud Link addresses increasing demand for non-proprietary access control solutions and provides a safe and secure gateway to a cloud or hybrid deployment.

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Appriss Retail Increases Investment in Appriss® Secure and Launches Coaching Module for Employee Education

Exception-based Reporting Solution Extended for Omnichannel Retail

IRVINE, Calif. (June 21, 2022) – Appriss Retail, an industry leader in using data science to transform the consumer purchase cycle, today announced the company has extended its Appriss® Secure exception-based reporting (EBR) solution for omnichannel retailers and added several new features. This caps off an exciting year of investment in the Secure product. The new functionality was unveiled at the 2022 Appriss Retail Global User Conference in April and will be ready for demonstrations at the NRF Protect show in June.

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The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact

Grocery Stores Turning into Violent Hot Spots
Grocery stores are a hotbed of racism and hate crimes, data shows

Hate crimes at grocery stores have quadrupled since 2010, as the pandemic, politics and mask mandates collided in one of the few public gathering spaces still open in 2020.

The mass shooting in Buffalo is the latest in a wave of racism and hate that has swept over grocery stores across the country in the past decade, a trend that data shows has greatly accelerated since the start of the pandemic in 2020.

According to an NBC News analysis of FBI hate crime data from the last 10 years, more than 160 hate crimes were recorded at grocery stores in 2020, 65% more than in 2019 and four times as many as in 2010.

“With regard to 2020, we saw grocery stores were a more common target than they were a decade ago,” said Brian Levin, executive director of the Center for the Study of Hate and Extremism at California State University, San Bernardino.

Experts who follow hate crime trends gave several reasons for their rise in 2020, from the pandemic to the presidential election. But they also noted the special role that grocery stores played, serving as one of the few places that year where people could gather in public, as restaurants, schools and businesses were closed.

Stop AAPI Hate, a nonprofit organization that works to combat racism against Asian American and Pacific Islander communities, cataloged more than 10,000 hate incidents from 2020 to 2021 and found that 1 in 10 hate incidents occurred in grocery stores.

Experts said that grocery store employees, like other essential workers, were often stuck enforcing city or state mask mandates on irate customers. And for some, a request to mask up was often the spark needed to launch into racist verbal assaults. nbcnews.com

Crime Closures Hit Chicago
Aldi closes store in crime-ridden Chicago neighborhood without notice after 13 years blaming 'repeated burglaries'

Company said the store closed over 'repeated burglaries' and 'declining sales'

Aldi has closed a store in a crime-ridden neighborhood of Chicago without notice after 13 years and blamed 'repeated burglaries'. The supermarket chain closed the store in South Side neighborhood Auburn Gresham on June 12 leaving only a sign that said the shop is 'permanently closed' and that the nearest store is three miles away.

Aldi said the store had closed for a number of reasons including 'repeated burglaries' and 'declining sales' but declined to say why residents were not notified of the decision. It is not the first time Aldi has abruptly shuttered a store in the city after closing an outlet in Chicago's West Garfield Park last year.

Chicago has become the latest city to be hit by rampant shoplifting and its Magnificent Mile, the once highly-populated retail destination, is now dotted with empty storefronts as businesses are being driven away by the brazen thieves.

Crime rates across the board in Chicago are already above what they were at this time last year, data from the Chicago Police Department's data up until June 19 shows.

Burglaries in the Windy City have risen 31 per cent year on year, rising from 2468 to 3235 up until June 19 while thefts have increased 65 per cent from 4712 to 7770 for the year to date.

Observers have pinned some of the blame on Mayor Lori Lightfoot, who backed calls to defund the police in the wake of BLM protests in 2020 before u-turning after a Chicago policewoman was shot dead.  Others have pinned blame on District Attorney Kim Foxx, after she stopped pursuing shoplifters who steal less than $1,000. dailymail.co.uk

Price Increases Causing Theft Surge
Skyrocketing gas prices have sparked fuel thefts using hidden tanks, power tools and stolen gas ads on social media

Thieves are finding creative ways to get around paying for record high gas prices.

This nationwide rise stirred panic and some have found illegal ways around the hefty price of a full tank. In Virginia Beach, two men were charged with grand larceny, conspiracy, and possession of burglary tool, accused of stealing thousands of dollars' in fuel this week from a closed local Citgo station, CNN reports.

According to the Virginia Beach Police Department, they used "devices" to take the gas from pumps - then sold it at a discounted price, advertising on social media.

Local news reported highly modified trucks "being used to steal tens of thousands of gallons" during the past few months from Las Vegas gas stations. Police grew suspicious of motorists spending over an hour at gas pumps - yet paying only $20 - and discovered they were filling hidden tanks.

In California, residents are being warned that their cars also are potential targets for fuel thieves. Gas theft could leave car owners with costly damage to their tanks as power tools replace rubber hoses to siphon out fuel, Fontana Police Department told KTLA.

In Utah this week, a man was captured on surveillance as he caught fire attempting to steal gas from a truck, Newsweek reports. Branch manager of Summit Fire and Protection, Travis Mills, told the local news station that the company's trucks have been targeted before. businessinsider.com

Lawmakers Unveil Gun Violence Legislation
Bipartisan Senate group releases bill text for gun safety deal

'The most significant gun safety legislation in decades'

A bipartisan group of senators released legislative text Tuesday for their gun bill, which includes enhanced background checks for those under 21, funding for mental health and school safety, incentives for states to implement "red flag" laws and limits on the "boyfriend loophole."

This bill, titled "Bipartisan Safer Communities Act," falls well short of what Democrats and President Biden want. But, if passed, it will be the most significant gun safety legislation in decades.

Key provisions:

● Enhanced background checks: Requires the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) to conduct an enhanced review of purchasers under the age of 21 to determine whether juvenile records disqualify that individual from purchasing a firearm. NICS is given 10 days to complete the investigation, and it unsets after 10 years.

● State incentives for "red flag" laws: Provides $750 million over five years that will go to states for "crisis intervention programs" including red flag laws, mental health courts, drug courts, veterans’ courts and extreme risk protection orders.

● Appropriates hundreds of millions for mental health and school safety programs, including $120 million over four years for a community mental health block grant program to prepare and train communities and first responders on how to appropriately and safely respond to individuals with mental disorders.

● Illegal firearm trafficking: Prohibits the straw purchasing and trafficking of firearms by criminals and enhances penalties for possession of firearms by prohibited persons. axios.com

Progressive DAs Under Fire Over 'Soft on Crime' Policies
Virginia judge boots liberal DA off criminal case for 'misleading' public, GOP AG prepared to take over

The suspect is accused of 'a possible 12 burglary crime spree spanning four counties over 10 days'

A Loudoun County, Virginia, judge removed the county’s Commonwealth’s Attorney Office from a serial burglary case for "deliberately misleading the Court and the public." The state’s Republican attorney general is now ready to step in after calling the move "unprecedented."

Plowman said prosecutor Michele Burton offered a six-month plea deal to Valle by downplaying Valle’s previous criminal history and not including other burglary charges against him.

The judge said the plea agreement from the Commonwealth’s Attorney Office stated the crimes occurred within a matter of hours last year, which he said is "entirely inaccurate" as Valle is accused of "a possible 12 burglary crime spree spanning four counties over 10 days."

The state’s Republican Attorney General Jason Miyares sent a letter to the chief judge for the 20th Judicial Circuit on Monday saying the court "has rightfully lost confidence" in Biberaj and her office. His office is now ready to assist and even prosecute the case "considering this unprecedented development," according to the letter which was provided to Fox News Digital on Tuesday. foxnews.com

Mastercard And Visa Won’t Shut Down Payments For Ghost Guns
The credit card giants say they are following the law and don’t have a responsibility to act despite pleas from lawmakers and gun safety advocates.

Safety concerns after three shot in north Austin shopping center

This bank wants to track suspect credit card sales of guns & ammo. Why can't it?

Antioch violent crime down overall, reports show

 

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COVID Update

592.2M Vaccinations Given

US: 88M Cases - 1M Dead - 83.9M Recovered
Worldwide: 544.9M Cases - 6.3M Dead - 520.3M 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, Hospitalizations & Deaths

Glimmer of Hope: 100K Cases a Day, But Deaths Remain Steady
COVID-19-related deaths remain steady despite recent surge in infections

On average, more than 100,000 people are testing positive in the U.S. every day.

More than 1 million Americans have died from COVID-19, but recent data shows that deaths and severe disease are not increasing with the same vigor despite a surge in infections.

The U.S. has reported more than 700,000 new cases in the last week, but experts say totals are likely significantly undercounted as states shutter public testing sites and more Americans use at-home COVID-19 tests.

Although the number of people requiring hospitalization has doubled in the last two months, the total has plateaued in recent weeks, rather than surging significantly as they did in early January, when there were more than 160,000 patients receiving care. abcnews.go.com

Frontline Workers, AI Technology & Lessons from the Pandemic
AI is making the frontline a more compelling place to work after the pandemic shined a light on difficult conditions

Artificial intelligence-driven cameras and sensors will improve the jobs and rewards of frontline workers.

If you are at a company that depends on frontline workers, such as those who work on operating trucks, heavy machinery, or production lines, you're going to see increasing degrees of automation reshaping these positions. One thing that may not happen any time soon, however, is seeing these workers replaced by automation or AI. Instead, their roles will be enhanced. For example, while completely autonomous trucks are years away, intelligent vehicles will manage employees' driving habits through cameras and sensors.

While this may sound like a negative, it's actually helping to enhance the employee experiences of drivers and workers. The increased commitment to safety also makes for more attractive places to work at a time when skilled workers are hard to find.

That's the word from Sanjit Biswas, co-founder and CEO of Samsara, who has been focusing on building technology for the frontline since launching his company in 2015. I caught up with Biswas at his company's latest user conference, where he reflected on how the critical role of frontline workers was brought to light during the pandemic.

"Our customers did not stop, they are essential services," he says. "They kept the world running, If they stopped for any reason, we wouldn't have food, we wouldn't have electricity, we wouldn't have water. For that reason, figuring out how to enable them, and give them the best tools is important." zdnet.com

COVID & Remote Work Hitting Compliance Reporting
Compliance Reporting Drops 30% Due to Pandemic

“The increase in remote and hybrid working practices has reduced the amount of misconduct and the potential to observe it,” says a new study by Gartner.

The fallout from the pandemic has reached the compliance arena, with reporting dropping 30% according to a new survey from Gartner, Inc. Employees are both less likely to observe misconduct and less likely to report it when observed.

“The increase in remote and hybrid working practices has reduced the amount of misconduct and the potential to observe it,” said Chris Audet, senior director, research in the Gartner Legal, Risk & Compliance practice in a statement. “However, what we see in the data is more complex: misconduct such as gifts and entertainment and travel abuse is falling, but things such as intimidation and unwanted behavior are on the rise.” Misconduct is certainly still occurring since the pandemic, albeit in changing ways, but compliance is hearing about it 30% less frequently than before.

“Since the pandemic, employees are a lot less likely to speak up if they sense something is wrong, whether or not the frequency of misconduct is higher or lower,” said Audet. “A culture where employees don’t think others are reporting misconduct has negative implications for the business. Employees are less likely to see their company as ethical, less likely to think the company cares about them, and less likely to be engaged in their jobs.” ehstoday.com

COVID-19, digitization and hybrid workspaces: A critical inflection point for public sector governance and workforce development

Covid-19 vaccinations begin for US children under 5

 

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Retailers' Inconsistent Messaging on Unions?
How retailers’ attitudes toward unionization clash with their ESG policies

Consumers and investors are concerned that the industry’s stance on issues like collective bargaining at overseas suppliers isn’t being applied to U.S. operations.

More consumers and investors are beginning to see some retailers’ policies in the U.S. as at odds with much of their ESG-based rhetoric around issues like collective bargaining, especially when their workers try to form a union, experts say. As the labor movement revives in the U.S., this contradiction is likely to become more glaring, and more companies will struggle to rationalize it.

David Schilling, senior adviser at the Interfaith Center on Corporate Responsibility, sees a lot of contradiction between what many retailers say in their ESG reports and how they treat their own workers.

“Freedom of association and collective bargaining — these are basic human rights,” he said. “The good news is that there’s a greater recognition of the responsibilities of companies and investors to really engage in a full range of human rights.”

Pro-worker rights, but anti-union?

Might a retailer so dedicated to listening to its workers support their collective action? On paper, it appears so. Target in its ESG report endorses the International Labor Organization Core Conventions, which include the right of workers to organize and bargain collectively. Yet, when Target store workers in Christiansburg, Virgina moved to unionize, a company spokesperson declined to say whether the retailer supported the effort.

Retailers including Amazon and REI have been more vocal than Target about opposing unionization at their locations, saying it interferes with their relationship with their employees. Like Target, Amazon says that the International Labor Organization’s Declaration on Fundamental Principles and Rights at Work informs its own approach on human rights.

The new labor activism

U.S. corporations will probably have to do more work to square their ESG goals with their internal reality, according to NYU’s Taylor. “I’m pretty certain that the rise of the employee voice is not going away,” she said. “Companies can choose to fight this tooth and nail, or they can accept it and try to work successfully in this new world. It is just the beginning of this story.” retaildive.com

Are You Handing Out Receipts At Your Stores?
$100K Embezzlement Scheme: Why Paper Receipts are Money at the Drive-Thru
This particular Jimmy John’s franchise — in Sunset Hills, Mo. — was among those that chose not to incentivize its customers to insist upon receiving receipts. Thanks to that oversight, Saladin was forced to close the store last week and fire the husband-and-wife managers for allegedly embezzling nearly $100,000 in cash payments from customers.

Saladin said he began to suspect something was amiss after he agreed to take over the Monday and Tuesday shifts for the couple so they could have two consecutive days off together. He said he noticed that cash receipts at the end of the nights on Mondays and Tuesdays were “substantially larger” than when he wasn’t manning the till, and that this was consistent over several weeks.

Saladin said his attorneys and local law enforcement are now involved, and he estimates the former employees stole close to $100,000 in cash receipts. That was on top of the $115,000 in salaries he paid in total each year to the two employees. Saladin also has to figure out a way to pay his franchisor a fee for each of the stolen transactions.

Now Saladin sees the wisdom of adding the receipt sign, and says all of his stores will soon carry a sign offering $10 in cash to any customers who report not receiving a receipt with their food.

Many business owners are reluctant to involve the authorities when they discover that a current or former employee has stolen from them. Too often, organizations victimized by employee theft shy away from reporting it because they’re worried that any resulting media coverage of the crime will do more harm than good. krebsonsecurity.com

Is the Union Push Fueling Starbucks Exodus?
Rossann Williams, head of Starbucks North America and face of anti-union push, exits company

Williams is leaving Starbucks at the end of the month after 17 years at the company, and is now the third executive to leave Starbucks in two months

Amid mounting labor tensions between Starbucks and its rapidly growing union, another executive is poised to leave the company: Rossann Williams, executive vice president of Starbucks, North America, will be exiting Starbucks this month after 17 years with the company. Williams played a key role in the push against unionization over the past year and is now the third executive in the company to leave in the past two months (following the retirement of former CEO Kevin Johnson and ousting of general counsel Rachel Gonzalez, both of which occurred in April).

According to a letter sent to employees, Williams’ exit was “preceded by discussion about a next opportunity for Rossann within the company, which she declined,” though there has been no mention of where Williams will work next. After she leaves, Williams will be replaced by Sara Trilling, who is currently senior vice president and president of Starbucks Asia Pacific, and has been with the company for 20 years.

As the number of unionized Starbucks stores edges toward 160, and legal battles between the union and its parent company continue, Starbucks’ stance against unionization strengthens. From the beginning of the unionization movement last September, when three stores in the Buffalo, N.Y. area organized a grassroots movement to push for labor representation, Williams has been at the forefront of the anti-union response from the company. In October 2021, Williams wrote a letter to Starbucks employees asking them to vote no in union elections. nrn.com

Circle K and Couch-card to install self-checkouts in 10K stores
Touchless ‘Smart’ Checkout Technology Coming to Thousands of ACT C-Stores
Alimentation Couche-Tard said it will install more than 10,000 touchless self-checkout machines in over 7,000 stores over the next three years under its Circle K and Couche-Tard convenience banners. The machines from Mashgin boast a 99.9 percent accuracy rate. retail-insider.com

GNC’s food delivery service goes national

Biden Says He Is Considering Seeking a Gas Tax Holiday
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Senior Director II, Security - Strategic Security job posted for Walmart in Bentonville, AR
The Senior Director II, Strategic Security position is a critical role charged with mitigating risk from sophisticated external threat actors and insider threats that may seek to steal sensitive corporate information and impact Walmart's brand, reputation, and operations. The Director of Strategic Security will design, develop, and enhance our Strategic Security program, and will work with a team of subject matter experts focused on preventing, detecting, and responding to these threats by establishing best practices and collaborating with cross functional teams. walmart.wd5.myworkdayjobs.com