CSR at Axis - Focusing on a Smarter, Safer & More Suitable World

Sustainability Spearheads Axis' Corporate Social Responsibility Efforts

Axis Communications is much more than just a manufacturer of network cameras for the physical security and video surveillance industries. Sustainability is a natural part of its operations, and it is this focus on developing products and solutions for a smarter, safer world that drives Axis’ corporate social responsibility (CSR) efforts.

Fredrik Nilsson, Vice President of the Americas for Axis Communications, told Security Systems News that the company’s CSR efforts, as outlined in the Axis 2021 Sustainability Report, is more than just volunteering.

“We emphasize being a sustainable company by choosing the right suppliers, reducing emissions, reducing plastics and implementing sustainable practices wherever possible,” he explained. “Axis also prioritizes its employees by investing in trainings and internal events that focus on diversity, equity and inclusion (DE&I) and work to empower colleagues through mentorship programs.”

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Johnson Controls and Accenture Join Forces on New AI-enabled OpenBlue Innovation Centers

NEW YORK and MILWAUKEE, June 23, 2022 -- Accenture and Johnson Controls, the global leader for smart, healthy and sustainable buildings, are collaborating to deliver and operate two new OpenBlue Innovation Centers. The centers will drive Johnson Controls' rollout of building control system products and services using technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), digital twins, internet of things (IoT), 5G and the cloud. The goal is to accelerate advanced automation in building operations to achieve greater sustainability, safety, security and user experiences.

Read more here
 

Drug Addiction Fueling the Shoplifting Crisis?
FDNY firefighter-turned-drug addict tragically reveals the crisis on our streets
David is here to steal items from a popular department store to support his 10-bag-a-day heroin habit he picked up nearly 20 years ago.

Outside Queens Place Mall, David is too high to do another shot of heroin and eventually gives up and decides to go in to start boosting. He walks quickly, his gait bouncy, in studded Doc Martin boots, tight black jeans and a sheepskin jacket over a black and white tie-dye T-shirt. Mall security sees him coming, mostly because of his pace and the way he’s hunched over, but they don’t engage.

A couple of levels up, outside Target, a uniformed NYPD officer is talking to a female employee and they pause when they see David get off the escalator. The officer’s eyes follow him as he enters the store. Once inside, David walks around, perusing items and making his selections. He works slowly, looping around the aisles, acquiring a bag to put things in, then dropping items in as he makes his way around various departments.

Once he has enough items in his bag, he makes a beeline for the exit, purposefully finding one with no active checkout lines or security. He goes for the elevator, but it’s slow to arrive, so he finds an exit door to an elevated outdoor parking lot, then to a stairwell that takes him to ground level and out onto the street. He walks with purpose, long strides, clutching his bag full of electronics.

This process is repeated over the course of the day. The goal is to get $1,500 to $2,000 worth of items, which can be fenced at a Midtown electronics store for a set amount of 25% of the sticker price.

David has gotten caught stealing in the past and threatened by store security. Sometimes they go as far as making him sign a document saying he’ll be hit with stiffer charges if he returns.

“Usually when they do that, I’ll stay away for a while,” he says. “Like a good while, a good six, seven months I’ll stay away. Because they mean that. Pretty sure they mean that. Macy’s really means that. They got their own jail in there.”

He says that most days he steals only from larger stores, and when we stop into a small mom-and-pop cosmetics store to buy blue hair dye, he’s polite and kind to the woman at the register who’s eyeing him warily. “You gotta pay for some things in life, you can’t just steal it all,” he says. nypost.com

Shooting Surge Scaring Away Shoppers
Fear over recent shootings has some avoiding crowds, businesses

Shootings at two D.C. area malls and an outdoor event, as well as mass shootings nationwide, have left people on edge

Reeling from high-profile mass shootings at a Buffalo supermarket and Uvalde, Tex., elementary school, some have expressed heightened concern that they could be the next victim of random gunfire. In the D.C. area in recent days, two instances of gunshots in crowded public spaces reinforced that no one is immune from violence.

As a result, some area residents have begun to pull back. People have started to think twice before going to concerts and the mall. A restaurant manager reports diners have been scared off by fears of gunfire. An activist canceled his anti-violence event over worries about violence.

And when a loud noise goes off, many often think the worst. The incidents on U Street and in the Virginia mall came on top of a rise in homicides and some violent crime that has attracted less attention, but nonetheless has made the streets feel less safe.

Danielle Kastner, 26, of Vienna, Va., had just popped into the Tysons Corner Center on Saturday, when she, like Forrest, saw a throng of people running toward her. Kastner did not know a shooting had just occurred, but she instinctively retreated into an H&M clothing store.

Kastner, who patronized the mall about every other weekend, said she won’t be going back for the time being. She plans to shop at stand-alone stores, which she said feel safer than bigger gathering places like Tysons.

Ahmed Mohamed, 49, who is the director of operations for Lupo Verde and other restaurants near the scene of the U Street shooting, said a recent spate of violence has hurt his bottom line. Over the last few months, there have been at least three shooting incidents nearby, according to D.C. police.

Mohamed said the gunfire has scared people away from outdoor dining. Revenue at each of the three locations, he said, has fallen by at least 25 percent over the last few months. washingtonpost.com

Workplace Shootings: The Employee Impact
Why Many Employees Have Limited Legal Recourse After A Workplace Shooting
According to the FBI, there were 61 active shooter incidents in 2021. That’s about one active shooter incident every six days. The FBI defines an active shooter incident as “one or more individuals actively engaged in killing or attempting to kill people in a populated area.”

Many of these active and/or mass shooting events occur at a location where people are working, resulting in employees being injured or killed. When these tragedies occur, do the employees have any employment-related rights?

The answer to that question depends on many factors, such as the negligent conduct (if any) of the employer or third parties, injuries sustained, the motivation of the shooter and the type of relief sought by the worker.

When it comes to employment rights as they relate to workplace violence and shootings, there aren’t many laws that are directly on point. And the ones that are will normally exist at the state level. Even when these laws apply, the employee will usually have to prove that the employer was negligent or violated a state mandate and that this negligence or state law violation led to the workplace shooting. In many cases, this is hard to do.

One thing to keep in mind is that generally speaking, whether an employer is a government entity or a private organization often makes little difference in the substantive legal relief options available to the employee. But it’s possible some public employers in certain states may enjoy greater protection from liability due to government immunity laws. forbes.com

Chicago Crime Exodus Continues
Third Major Firm & Ill. Wealthiest Resident Leaving Chicago Because of Rising Violence
Billionaire Ken Griffin is relocating his big hedge-fund firm Citadel from Chicago to Miami, the third major employer to announce the move of a corporate headquarters from Illinois in the past two months.

Mr. Griffin is the wealthiest resident of Illinois, so his departure will hurt state tax collections on both the individual and corporate side. Citadel is one of the most successful hedge-fund firms, managing $51 billion in assets.

Mr. Griffin and Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, have had a running feud in recent years, lately over rising violence in Chicago.

In an April interview with the Journal, Mr. Griffin suggested he might move his operations out of Illinois because of a rising crime rate and incidents involving employees in the state’s largest city.

“If people aren’t safe here, they’re not going to live here,” he said then. “I’ve had multiple colleagues mugged at gunpoint. I’ve had a colleague stabbed on the way to work. Countless issues of burglary. I mean, that’s a really difficult backdrop with which to draw talent to your city from.”

Caterpillar Inc. said earlier this month it was moving from its longtime Illinois base to Texas. wsj.com

Private Security Officers Enlisted Amid Crime Surge
More private security officers hit the streets of Chicago
Beginning this week, private security officers will patrol commercial strips throughout the 19th Ward in an attempt to aid the Chicago Police Department (CPD) and deter crime.

19th Ward Ald. Matt O’Shea announced the news in a mass email on June 16, saying the plan was developed in consultation with the CPD with a goal “to provide a visible security presence as well as additional eyes and ears in the community for the 22nd District.”

Private security, O’Shea said, was the top choice of local business owners. “While I believe this program will make our neighborhoods safer, we must be clear that a private security guard is not a Chicago Police Officer,” O’Shea said. “The duty of private security officers will be to observe and report. When a private security officer encounters suspicious activity, he or she will immediately contact the Chicago Police Department and remain on scene until CPD responds.”

Connors said the program “is not intended to be a substitute” for the CPD. Instead, its intent is “to serve as extra eyes and ears and as a deterrent to stop crime before it happens.” ’Shea noted that the program is part of the city’s public-safety strategy that includes “a significant investment in our camera network.”

Connors wants small-business owners to feel safe and be able to focus on their job. privateofficerbreakingnews.blogspot.com

Crime & Unrest Triggers Target Remodeling
Target remodels downtown Mpls. store entrance after period of 'disruptive activity'

The store has been boarded up several times in recent years amid civic unrest.

Target is remodeling the entrance to its downtown Minneapolis store and adding new security measures. "Along with other businesses, we've seen a rise in disruptive activity around our downtown Minneapolis store over the past few years," the company said in a statement.

Target and other downtown retailers experienced property damage in the riots after the police slaying of George Floyd in 2020. The company's store on Lake Street near Hiawatha Avenue was looted and burned at the time. Target rebuilt it later that year.

Its downtown store, which is connected in two directions to the skyway system, is getting a new atrium that the company said will be "aesthetically pleasing and more conducive to the flow of foot traffic than it has been in the past."

The store will remain open while construction proceeds over the next few weeks. startribune.com

Supreme Court Affirms Right to Carry Firearms in Public
U.S. Supreme Court expands gun rights, strikes down New York law
The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declared for the first time that the U.S. Constitution protects an individual's right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense, handing a landmark victory to gun rights advocates in a nation deeply divided over how to address firearms violence.

The 6-3 ruling, with the court's conservative justices in the majority and liberal justices in dissent, struck down New York state's limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home. The court found that the law, enacted in 1913, violated a person's right to "keep and bear arms" under the U.S. Constitution's Second Amendment.

The ruling, authored by Justice Clarence Thomas, declared that the Constitution protects "an individual's right to carry a handgun for self-defense outside the home." The ruling could undermine similar restrictions in other states and imperil other types of state and local firearms restrictions nationwide.

Gun rights, held dear by many Americans and promised by the country's 18th century founders, are a contentious issue in a nation with high levels of firearms violence including numerous mass shootings. President Joe Biden, who has called gun violence a national embarrassment, condemned the decision. reuters.com  politico.com

New Gun Safety Measure Passes Senate
Senate Passes Bipartisan Gun Bill, Breaking a Decades-Long Impasse

The 65-33 vote late Thursday was aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people.

The Senate approved bipartisan legislation on Thursday aimed at keeping firearms out of the hands of dangerous people, after a small group of Republicans joined Democrats to break through their party’s longstanding blockade of gun safety measures and shatter nearly three decades of congressional paralysis on toughening the nation’s gun laws.

It would enhance background checks for prospective gun buyers ages 18 to 21, requiring for the first time that juvenile records, including mental health records beginning at age 16, be vetted for potentially disqualifying material. The bill would provide incentives for states to pass “red flag” laws that allow guns to be temporarily confiscated from people deemed by a judge to be too dangerous to possess them. And it would tighten a federal ban on domestic abusers buying firearms, and strengthen laws against straw purchasing and trafficking of guns.

It also includes hundreds of millions of dollars in funding for mental health programs and to beef up security in schools.

“This is not a cure-all for all the ways gun violence affects our nation, but it is a long overdue step in the right direction,” Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the majority leader, said on the Senate floor. “It’s significant — it’s going to save lives.” nytimes.com

House bill creating active shooter alert system doesn't pass
The bill would create a role in the DOJ to coordinate responses to active shooter situations

New Orleans, LA: Rash of burglaries costs business owners thousands
Tens of thousands of dollars are lost for local business owners as JPSO reports a rash of burglaries along the Veterans’ Corridor in Metairie this month.

Rick Caruso says crime is up in LA, but incidents are down at his shopping complex

Lakeland Fla hires armed guard to patrol downtown & needs to hire additional officers

Minnesota Supreme Court rules Minneapolis mayor failed to hire more police

US: 88.5M Cases - 1M Dead - 84.2M Recovered
Worldwide: 547.5M Cases - 6.3M Dead - 522.8M Recovered

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

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 360  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 787
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Cases Falling Again
Coronavirus tally: U.S. cases are down 13% from two weeks ago
U.S. cases are averaging 97,069 a day, down 13% from two weeks ago, according to a New York Times tracker. The country is averaging 30,216 hospitalizations a day, up 3% from two weeks ago. The daily death toll stands at 298 on average, down 13% from two weeks ago.

On a global basis, total cases are now above 541.1 million. Total deaths are above 6.32 million, according to data aggregated by Johns Hopkins University, with the U.S. still leading the way with 86.6 million cases and 1,014,835 deaths. marketwatch.com

Another Workplace Issue COVID Has Brought to Light
Helping Employees Cope with the Death of a Co-Worker
Helping employees cope with the death of a colleague or co-worker is not typically covered in leadership training or employee handbooks. However, the pandemic and other public health crises have prompted many organizations to create policies that address the needs of grieving employees while still achieving business outcomes.

A study conducted by the Grief Recovery Institute found that the annual loss in productivity due to grieving employees exceeds $75 billion. It also found that grief can impact workplace performance of grieving employees in several ways.

As the former president of the Crisis Care Network in Grandville, Mich., VandePol was instrumental in developing a crisis communication process that organizations can use to shape and guide their response to an employee's death. This approach is captured in the acronym ACT: Acknowledge, Communicate, Transition.

"Leadership matters more than policy. Employees will remember less about their employer's policies and more about how company leadership treated them," Casablanca said. "Caring can go a long way toward healing." shrm.org

Post-COVID Return to Work Continues to Fizzle Out
After an uptick observed this spring, office-space usage has mostly flattened

Publix supermarkets not offering COVID vaccine to young kids

Retail Body Cams for Store Safety
UK: Co-Op Rolls Out Bodycams to Ensure Colleague & Customer Safety

Co-op is rolling out colleague body cameras to a further 38 stores in the UK.

After an initial roll out proved successful, the retailer is trying to combat crime and keep colleagues and customers safe. The symbol group retailer, which has over 260 stores across 16 counties, launched the body cams in over 50 of its stores last year after an initial trial in two Birmingham stores.

This news comes after tougher penalties came into law for those who attack shop workers following a campaign by retailers, including Central England Co-op. Under the new legislation, abuse against individuals who serve the public has become an aggravated offence.

Loss prevention advisor Nicola Walton said: “Our body camera roll out last year to over 50 of our stores was a great success. It allowed our colleagues to feel safer while serving their communities and played its part as another deterrent to prevent crimes before they take place."

“Over the past few years, we have invested heavily in a range of measures to keep our colleagues and customers safe, ranging from centrally monitored CCTV systems that can be activated at the touch of a button, to increased numbers of security guards.

“Today’s news is just another way we can continue to invest in keeping people safe at work and while they shop.”

Store manager Nigel Smith, whose store was included in the initial roll out of the technology, added: “Having the body cams in our store has proved beneficial – they’ve given colleagues that extra reassurance and they have all taken to using them well.

“If people come into the store with intent to cause trouble, if they see that we have a camera on, it does make them think twice.” grocerygazette.co.uk

Retailers: Prepare for More Unrest - When & Where Do Major Protests Begin?
Supreme Court overturns Roe v. Wade, eliminating constitutional right to abortion
The Supreme Court ruled Friday that Americans no longer have a constitutional right to abortion, a watershed decision that overturned Roe v. Wade and erased reproductive rights in place for nearly five decades.

The decision instantly shifts the focus of one of the nation's most divisive issues to state capitals: Republican lawmakers are set to ban abortion in about half the states while Democratic-led states are likely to reinforce protections for the procedure. Access to abortion, in other words, will depend almost entirely on where a person lives.

Corporate leaders were warned they should brace for potential protests and disruptions if the US Supreme Court overturns or weakens abortion rights, according to law enforcement and workplace experts.

A memo from the Department of Homeland Security obtained by Axios said that extremists on both sides of the abortion issue might target protestors, government officials, companies that make or sell medication to end pregnancies, and "organizations that fund and facilitate travel for those seeking abortions."

Insider spoke with top CEO consultants to understand what steps business leaders should take to prepare for any potential fallout from a reversal or watering down of Roe. That readiness could be particularly important in the 26 "trigger ban" states that are poised to prohibit or limit access to abortions if the Supreme Court overturns Roe. usatoday.com businessinsider.com

The Importance of Branding in Retail
The World's 2022 Top 5 Most Valuable Retail Brands

With a Peek at the Top Global Technology Brands of 2022

By Tony D'Onofrio, Global Retail Influencer & Prosegur's CEO & Managing Director, Global Retail Business Unit

For quite some time, I have been predicting that the future of retail will be driven by stronger branding and increased digitally influenced immersive customer experiences. COVID-19 became a major accelerator of digital transformation trends with technology often becoming the differentiator to changes in consumer loyalty.

“The pandemic ushered in an unprecedented level of channel switching and brand loyalty disruption. A whopping 75 percent of consumers tried new shopping behaviors, with many of them citing convenience and value. Fully 39 percent of them, mainly Gen Z and millennials, deserted trusted brands for new ones. That restlessness is reflected in the fact that many younger consumers say that they are still searching for brands that reflect their values.”

This article summarizes the continued importance of branding focusing on the 2022 leaders as researched in one of my favorite annual reports from Brand Directory / Brand Finance.

Strong Brands Consistently Outperform the Market

According to McKinsey, “the world’s 40 strongest brands yielded almost twice the total return to shareholders (TRS) of an investment in a Morgan Stanley Capital International (MSCI) World index certificate over the course of the 20-year period ending in 2019.”

Read the full article here

C-Store Owner Punished in Court for Refusing to Operate 24/7
7-Eleven Franchisee Who Rebelled Against Company Loses in Court

Mitoshi Matsumoto, who closed for a few hours every night, was ordered by a judge to hand over his store and pay damages to the corporate giant.

Mitoshi Matsumoto, the man who has waged a David-and-Goliath campaign against the Japanese convenience store giant 7-Eleven, stood in front of a roomful of the company’s franchisees on Thursday, bowed deeply and apologized.

Mr. Matsumoto has spent the last two and a half years fighting in court for control of a 7-Eleven store that the company forced out of business after he refused to operate it 24 hours a day, seven days a week. His struggle has become a rallying point for thousands of convenience store owners across the country who have bristled against the company’s rigid control of their franchises, hoping that a victory would help them win a measure of independence.

But on Thursday afternoon, a judge ordered Mr. Matsumoto to immediately hand his store in the Osaka suburbs, which he opened in 2012, over to the company and pay around $845,000 in estimated damages for lost business.

After the ruling, Mr. Matsumoto said that he was sorry to have let his supporters down, but that he intended to fight on and appeal the ruling. “It would have been better if we’d gotten a good result, but the push to shorten hours is going to keep moving forward,” he said.

The case’s final outcome is likely to have profound implications for the relationships between Japan’s convenience store companies and the more than 50,000 outlets they control. 7-Eleven’s locations account for more than 40 percent of those stores, and for decades the company has been seen as the industry standard. nytimes.com

Sale of Juul E-Cigarettes Banned in the U.S.
FDA bans Juul e-cigarettes as U.S. pursues broader crackdown on nicotine products

The FDA rejected Juul’s application to sell its e-cigarettes in the U.S.

The Food and Drug Administration announced Thursday that it is banning the sale of Juul e-cigarettes in the U.S. Juul intends to seek a stay on the decision and is exploring options, which include appealing the decision or engaging with the FDA, Chief Regulatory Officer Joe Murillo said in a statement.

The ban is part of the FDA’s broader review of the vaping industry following years of pressure from politicians and public health groups to regulate the segment as strictly as other tobacco products after vaping became more common among high schoolers.

A ban on the sale of those remaining products by Juul would deal a hefty blow to the company. Juul’s international expansion efforts have been hamstrung by regulations and a lack of consumer interest. The U.S. remains its largest market. cnbc.com

Illegal Union Busting?
Starbucks used "array of illegal tactics" against unionizing workers, regulators say
The National Labor Relations Board is asking a federal court to order Starbucks to stop using what the federal agency calls an "array of illegal tactics" aimed at workers involved in unionization efforts at the coffee chain's stores.

The NLRB's petition, filed Tuesday in a U.S. District Court in western New York, is the board's third against the company since workers at a Starbucks store in Buffalo in December voted to join a union — a first for the retailer's nearly 10,000 company-owned stores in the U.S. At least 151 stores have since voted to unionize, and more than 289 stores have filed with the NLRB to hold elections.

Starbucks opposes the unionization effort, arguing the company runs better when dealing directly with its employees. But it has consistently rejected claims it uses unlawful tactics aimed at discouraging workers from trying to organize. cbsnews.com

Gap Inc. unveils 4 lab stores at San Francisco headquarters

Target CEO said chain had to rip the inventory bandage off
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director, AP & Corp Security job posted for Staples in Framingham, MA
Accountable for developing and executing all programs within the Supply Chain & Corporate locations relating to Physical Security and Asset Protection (AP). This role will include driving company programs designed to reduce Shrink, Cargo Loss, Workplace Violence (WPV), internal/external investigations, and injuries to associates. The Director will focus on maximizing the performance & productivity of the Staples Supply Chain & Corporate security teams to meet established business goals & roadmaps. careers.staples.com