Axis Communications Unveils State-of-the-Art Experience Center in Atlanta

Axis Communications recently announced the opening of a new Axis Experience Center (AEC) in Atlanta, Georgia. The state-of-the-art technology center is designed to provide business leaders, partners, and customers with hands-on experience to view and test the latest in high-performance network cameras and other edge devices as well as emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies, analytics and IP-based security technologies in a simulated environment. Visitors will also enjoy direct access to dedicated Axis industry experts.

In alignment with their expansion plans for the Americas, the new Atlanta Axis Experience Center is the twelfth AEC in the Axis Americas network to open its doors, preceding four more AECs which will launch in 2022-23. Other locations include New York City, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Fort Lauderdale, Los Angeles, San Jose, Washington D.C., Mexico City and Sao Paulo.  Read more here


ANSI 60-day Public Comment Period is Now Open for the TMA-AVS-01 Alarm Validation Standard

Review and comments requested by September 13, 2022.

July 15, 2022, McLean, VA – The Monitoring Association (TMA) Standards Committee has received confirmation from ANSI that the Public Comment Period for its TMA-AVS-01 Alarm Validation Standard is officially now open through September 13, 2022.

Initiated in 2020, the standard provides a method of creating an alarm scoring or classification metric for unauthorized human activity detected by alarm systems that will assist law enforcement with resource allocation and Call-for-Service prioritization.

All comments must be received through the TMA website no later than 8:00 PM ET on September 13, 2022. All interested may access the draft document at https://tma.us/wp-content/uploads/2022/07/TMA-AVS-01-Pub-Com-R1.pdf and the TMA online comment form at https://tma.us/tma-avs-01-public-comment-portal/.
 

Beefing Up Store Security to Fight Crime
Supermarkets, Restaurants Hire Security and Limit Hours to Combat Crime
Restaurants and grocery stores said they are revamping operations in response to crime, with some operators limiting hours, spending more on security and closing stores entirely.

Violent crime has been on the rise in the U.S. since the onset of the pandemic, with cities including Seattle, Los Angeles, Chicago and New York reporting a surge in shootings and killings. Murder rates have also soared in rural areas. Local officials and law enforcement point to pandemic-related stress, a proliferation of guns and increased alcohol sales, among other factors.

While violent crimes in restaurants and grocery stores remain a small part of the overall U.S. total, incidents have increased in recent years, according to Federal Bureau of Investigation statistics. The number of aggravated assaults that took place in restaurants increased by 60% from 2018 to 2020, the FBI data showed, and the number in grocery stores increased by 73% during the period.

Mod Pizza is installing more panic buttons in its stores, and offering emotional support resources to employees after an incident. Some Burger King and McDonald’s Corp. franchisees said they have had to deal with crime in parking lots and people loitering in stores, particularly at night.

Store safety issues at supermarkets, driven by theft and homelessness, have become a bigger challenge in recent years, merchants say. They said they are hiring more security guards and locking up theft-prone products, while coaching employees on how to manage conflicts.

Fresh Market gives all employees safety training and coaches them to avoid confrontations and diffuse conflicts, he said. Earlier this month, Mr. Drosos said, store management discussed whether managers should carry weapons in the store, and decided they wouldn’t for now.

About 72% of 18 food retailers representing over 12,000 stores surveyed by FMI said they have plans in place to deal with violence prevention, while 88% said they are ready to deal with robberies.

Theft is a growing problem for U.S. retailers, executives said, partly as organized crime rings steal from stores, then sell goods online. Kroger, CVS Health Corp. and other major retailers have cited theft as a growing pressure on their businesses. msn.com

Blaming Big City Leaders for Crime Closures
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz blames Dem-run cities for store closures
Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz said Democratic mayors and city councils have “abdicated their responsibility” in fighting crime and addressing mental illness, which has forced his company to shutter stores due to fears over employee safety.

Schultz made the comments in leaked video that was posted to Twitter over the weekend by Ari Hoffman of KVI-AM talk radio based in Seattle.

Last week, Starbucks announced it was closing 16 restaurants in various cities across the country due to what the company said was employee complaints of drug use and violent crime on the premises.

Schultz said he believes the Seattle-based coffee chain will have to close “many more” locations. “This is just the beginning,” said the interim chief executive, who came back to run the company earlier this year following the retirement of his predecessor, Kevin Johnson. “There are gonna be many more [store closures].”

In the video leaked over the weekend, Schultz cited the “issues of mental illness, homelessness, and crime.” “Starbucks is a window into America,” Schultz said. “We are facing things in which the stores were not built for.”

Schultz then took Democrat-run cities to task for not providing solutions: “In my view, at the local, state, and federal level, these governments across the country and leaders — mayors, governors, and city councils — have abdicated their responsibility in fighting crime and addressing mental illness,” he said.  nypost.com

Cities Respond to Retail Violence Surge
Communities hiring private security as crime rises amid police shortage
This year’s violent crime numbers are on pace to surpass 2021 for cities like Baltimore, New York, Los Angeles, Washington D.C. and Seattle. The New York Times reports that assaults at retail establishments are increasing faster than the national average.

Earlier this week, Starbucks announced the closing of 16 stores, mostly in L.A. and Seattle. A letter to employees cited safety concerns. Staffing levels for police departments in many cities are hitting critical lows.

“It's a crisis. It continues to worsen, “ said Jason Johnson, president of the Law Enforcement Legal Defense Fund. “People who are law enforcement officers — for, I think understandable reasons — are discouraged, demoralized and are really looking for an exit.”

Crime is not only dangerous for citizens, it’s also bad for business. In an effort to boost safety, some communities are now hiring private security companies to help fill in the gaps when police don’t have enough manpower.

Earlier this year, the Downtown Seattle Association hired unarmed private guards to help patrol a business district overrun by homeless people and drugs. Last month in Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot dedicated $5.3 million to protect homes and businesses with private security devices.

“I get what the businesses are doing, the cities with the lack of resources, but this is not a good move,” said Johnson. “We can’t outsource law enforcement this way to the private sector they’re not empowered to make arrests and enforce the law.”

With recruitment numbers dwindling, some worry about the future of the profession, the quality of new recruits, and growing fears of rising crime for the foreseeable future. local12.com

RELATED: Businesses hiring security, reducing hours due to crime

Mass Attacks Defense Toolkit
Preventing Mass Attacks, Saving Lives

The Mass Attacks Defense Toolkit can help reduce casualties from mass shootings and other violent attacks

NIJ-funded researchers created this toolkit to help reduce the likelihood of mass shootings and other public attacks, and reduce the casualties of completed attacks. Whatever your role or level of experience, this toolkit can make you a better defender against mass attacks.

After studying 600 mass attack events and plots, interviewing dozens of experts, and reviewing hundreds of references, the team identified the Mass Attacks Defense Chain, a series of defenses that work together to reduce the probability of mass attacks and their impacts.

In this toolkit, researchers describe the most important tips they found to help reduce the likelihood and casualties of mass attacks. They also point to key guidance and resources to provide more-detailed information.

There are three top takeaways on what community partners—and the public—can do to defend against mass attacks.

Proactive prevention - Almost two-thirds of foiled plots in our data were foiled because of public reporting.

Relentless follow-up - An interagency team led by a single point of contact designated for each case should lead the necessary follow-up.

Diligent training - Advance planning and training are required of all agencies and partners who will jointly respond to mass attacks.

Click here for the toolkit

Violence Surge Isn't Just a Big City Problem
As Violent Crime Rises in Portland and Across the Nation, Should Progressive Reforms Bear the Blame?

A report looks at the national context surrounding some high-profile Portland attacks.

Violent crime rates are rising across the country, and the trend is making people feel unsafe in their cities—and, by extension, threatening progressive efforts to reform the criminal justice system in Portland and major cities across the country.

But are progressive reforms and activist politicians to blame for the latest crime wave? That question was posed by a timely report published last Tuesday by researchers at the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law.

Their conclusion: There just isn’t enough evidence to establish a link between increased violence and progressive policies. “We’re seeing narratives about crime and public safety being used to rollback gains in the reform movement—largely without evidentiary basis,” Ames Grawert, an author of the report and senior counsel at the Brennan Center, told WW.

The problem is real: The nation’s murder rate rose by nearly 30% in 2020 alone, the report notes. In Chicago, murders increased 57% from the prior year. In Portland, there was an 83% jump in homicides.

But, Grawert said, it’s “not a blue state problem.” The pandemic-fueled crime wave is hitting red and blue states, progressive cities and conservative rural counties.

Still, the electorate’s appetite for criminal justice reform appears to be waning. New York Gov. Kathy Hochul recently rolled back aspects of major bail reform legislation passed in the state in 2019. And in San Francisco, a progressive district attorney was ousted from office following backlash over the city’s lack of progress in addressing persistent low-level crime. wweek.com

Here’s what to know about the Los Angeles County DA recall effort

US: 91.4M Cases - 1M Dead - 86.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 568.7M Cases - 6.3M Dead - 540M 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, Hospitalizations & Deaths

Cases Up in 40 States
Covid Rises Across U.S. Amid Muted Warnings and Murky Data

Many health officials say the wave is cause for caution, not alarm.

Covid-19 is surging around the United States again in what experts consider the most transmissible variant of the pandemic yet. But something is different this time: The public health authorities are holding back.

In Chicago, where the county’s Covid warning level was raised to “high” last week, the city’s top doctor said there was no reason for residents to let the virus control their lives. The state health director in Louisiana likened a new rise in Covid cases there to a downpour — “a surge within a surge” — but characterized the situation as concerning but not alarming.

The latest surge, driven by a spike of BA.5 subvariant cases in this country since May, has sent infections rising in at least 40 states, particularly in the Great Plains, West and South. Hospitalizations have climbed by 20 percent in the last two weeks, leaving more than 40,000 people in American hospitals with the coronavirus on an average day. nytimes.com

COVID-Induced Worker Shortage Continues
Restaurants are short-staffed, and that’s taking a big toll on customers and workers alike

The industry is still down 750,000 jobs — roughly 6.1% of its workforce — from pre-pandemic levels as of May, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Lockdowns in spring of that year led to layoffs and furloughs for many cooks and waitstaff, prompting the federal government to back billions of dollars in forgivable loans for small businesses. The disease ravaged the U.S. workforce, killing more than a million people over the course of two-plus years while sickening many millions more, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

As states relaxed their restrictions, restaurant employment recovered, although the industry is still down 750,000 jobs — roughly 6.1% of its workforce — from pre-pandemic levels as of May, according to the National Restaurant Association.

Customers are noticing the difference. In the first quarter of 2022, customers mentioned short staffing three times more often in their Yelp reviews than in the year-ago period, according to the restaurant review site. Mentions of long waits rose 23%. cnbc.com

Illinois & California Residents Fled During the Pandemic
California cities are bleeding residents. How long will the trend last?
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it seemed like everyone knew a co-worker fleeing the Bay Area. Now, a new report out of the Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago shows just how much the exodus is gaining steam.

Only Illinois ranked worse off than California when it came to moving vans heading for the border during the pandemic, according to the report, which focused on data from the moving company United Van Lines. In 2018-19, 56% of moves in California were families fleeing the state. In 2020-21, that figure jumped to nearly 60%.

The state that was by far the biggest draw of California residents? It was Texas, the destination for more than 7,500 California families during the four years in the study, perhaps little surprise given that Silicon Valley’s tech giants like Oracle, Tesla and Hewlett Packard Enterprise picked up and moved their headquarters there too.

California also continues to lose residents to Washington, Florida and Virginia while attracting consistently fewer movers arriving from those states. mercurynews.com

California’s soaring summer COVID wave could top winter surge
New coronavirus infections in parts of California may be surging even higher than winter’s Omicron wave, potentially explaining why so many people seem to be infected simultaneously.

Coronavirus cases soar at L.A. County workplaces, complicating back-to-office push

Anthony Fauci likely to retire by the end of Biden's term

The Toys R Us Revival Continues
Macy’s and Toys R Us ramp up store-in-store partnership

Macy's is bringing Toys R Us to all of its 500+ stores

Macy’s and WHP Global plan to bring Toys R Us-branded shops to every Macy’s store, an acceleration of a store-in-store partnership that began last year. Macy’s and WHP, which acquired the Toys R Us brand last year, said the store rollout will run from late July through Oct. 15, in time for the holiday shopping season.

The store-in-store footprints range from 1,000 square feet to 10,000 square feet for what the companies call flagship locations in Macy’s in large metropolitan areas including New York, Miami, Atlanta and Chicago.

When Macy’s and WHP first announced their plan to open Toys R Us shops in Macy’s department stores, the plan called for over 400 locations that would roll out through this year. The announcement this week represents a significant increase given the 570 stores in Macy’s portfolio as of March.

The partnership for the Toys R Us brand gives what may be its largest platform since the big box version of it was liquidated in bankruptcy in 2018. Under previous ownership, it opened a mere two stores in partnership with b8ta, which liquidated in the pandemic era. retaildive.com

Supply Chain Pressures Finally Starting to Ease
Supply chains inching back to normal brace for headwinds of softer demand
Supply strains, while still afflicting many consumers and businesses, are becoming more mundane than menacing like they were six months ago, especially in the U.S., where snarls have eased back from their pandemic peaks and some are already adding less inflationary pressure.

Modest improvements are showing up in gauges maintained by forecasters ranging from Bloomberg Economics to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York. But the gradual end of the pandemic-driven supply crunch might give way to another potential headache: a slump in consumer demand that throws economic growth into reverse and leads to an ugly inventory pileup.

"Pressures in the global goods sectors, which have been a central driver of inflation, may finally be easing,” Citi economists led by Nathan Sheets wrote in a research note this month. "The bad news is that this looks to be occurring on the back of a slowing in the global consumer’s demand for goods, especially discretionary goods, and thus may also signal rising recession risks.” japantimes.co.jp

NRF Responds to June Retail Sales
June Retail Sales Increased Despite Rising Inflation
Retail sales increased in June even as inflation climbed higher and drove up prices across the board, the National Retail Federation said today.

“June’s numbers show consumers are powering through price pressures, but inflation is eating away at savings built up during the pandemic and is wiping out recent income gains,” NRF Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said. “Inflation remains a challenge to consumers trying to make ends meet and will continue to be an issue even if it cools down in the months ahead. Despite that, consumers are holding up notably well and continuing to spend.” nrf.com

'The Great Resignation' Continues
Nearly one-third of workers plan to quit: Conference Board
Nearly one out of three workers (31%) plan to quit their jobs in the next six months, and 94% of workers who left their companies during the past year do not regret the move, the Conference Board said, describing findings from a survey primarily of professional employees and office workers.

Only 38% of respondents said they plan to remain with their current employer in the next six months, the Conference Board said, citing the June 21-28 survey of 1,100 individuals. Nearly one out of four workers (22%) left their jobs for higher pay, while 17% quit for a more flexible work schedule. cfodive.com

Big Pay Raises Coming?
Companies next year plan biggest average pay raise since 2008
U.S. companies facing a tight labor market, high turnover and the biggest price pressures in 40 years plan in 2023 to raise worker pay on average by 4.1% — the largest increase in 15 years, according to Willis Towers Watson (WTW).

Nearly three out of four companies (73%) attribute their planned pay increases to the need to attract and retain employees in a highly competitive labor market, WTW said Thursday, describing a survey of 1,430 companies. Almost half of respondents (46%) cited employee expectations for higher pay as a cushion against inflation. cfodive.com

Ross opens 29 stores in 2 months - Planning 100 Stores in 2022
Those openings include 21 Ross Dress for Less and eight DD’s Discounts stores in 12 different states as part of the retailer’s plans to add about 100 stores in 2022.

Retail braces for second half of 2022, as cautious shoppers pay more but get less

Old Navy closing its Chicago store on State Street

Kohl’s replaces executive leading tech, supply chain

100 Iconic Brands That Changed Grocery
 

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director LP & Analytics job posted for Dollar Tree in Chesapeake, VA
The Director of Analytics and Support for Protection measures the effectiveness of asset prevention programs for the enterprise and delivers valuable insights to support the successful operations of the company as it relates to loss reduction. The Director possesses a high degree of knowledge and experience in Asset Protection that is vital to the business operation. The Director must foster good working relationships with corporate work groups to develop and support programs based on data, observations and recommendations to improve inventory shrinkage and operations.  sjobs.brassring.com