Violence Remains High For Third Weekend in a Row
Especially in America's Big Cities

136 Shootings, 31 Killed in 30 Cities Studied
Shootings Down 9%, Deaths Up 11% Compared to Last Weekend

See the full list compiled by The Daily here
(Check out last week's report here)

Looting & Violence in Seattle

'Well Organized' Group With Baseball Bats Target Businesses,
Injure 12 Cops During Seattle Demonstrations on Sunday

Amazon, Starbucks, Walgreens among stores damaged and looted
 

A "well organized" group marched through downtown Seattle to Capitol Hill Sunday afternoon causing significant damage to businesses and the Seattle Police Department's West and East Precincts, according to a Seattle police spokesperson. The group also injured a dozen Seattle police officers, sending one to the hospital.

"It was kind of a joint effort to target specific businesses and government buildings and do property destruction and vandalism," said Seattle police in a press conference Sunday evening.

A group of peaceful protesters gathered in Westlake Park for several hours Sunday and then a separate group arrived carrying baseball bats and was set out for "destruction and damage," police said. The group marched from Westlake Park to the Municipal Courthouse, where they broke out several windows, police said. They then headed towards the West Precinct on Virginia Street and threw rocks, bottles, and "mortar-type" fireworks at officers.

At least 12 officers were injured and one was taken to the hospital after fragments hit his neck and throat area, police said. Other officers suffered lacerations and abrasion injuries. Police used blast balls and pepper spray to get the crowd to disperse and at least two people were arrested, according to police. Police did not use tear gas, officials said.

Police said the same group then marched to Capitol Hill where some people in the group “committed more property damage and looting. A small fire was set inside one of the businesses after the windows were broken. That fire was extinguished.

The group then gathered around the East Precinct. Police said several people in the group broke the front windows of the East Precinct and threw a “large, mortar-type firework” into the lobby that ignited a small fire inside the precinct. The fire was quickly put out, and no injuries were reported there. Officers found another “unlit large mortar-type firework nearby,” police said.

Police said the group targeted several businesses, including an Amazon store and Starbucks coffee shop. The Macy's downtown and a Walgreens were also among the businesses that had windows broken. There's no word yet on how much the damage will cost or if there will be more arrests. king5.com komonews.com foxnews.com newsweek.com

Federal officials dismiss Portland leaders’ calls to leave city
as clashes with protesters continue
A top Homeland Security official on Sunday said the agency will maintain a heavy presence in Portland — and send reinforcements to other U.S. cities if violence surged — as the mayor of Oregon's largest city implored federal agents to stand down amid escalating clashes with protesters.

Kenneth Cuccinelli, acting deputy secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, said the agency had deployed tactical units from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and U.S. Customs and Border Protection to help defend federal buildings and officers in the Pacific Northwest city. He said DHS had expanded its numbers in other cities as well, including Washington, D.C., as demonstrations escalated in recent months.

DHS and Justice Department personnel have made about two dozen arrests since July 4 in the vicinity of the federal courthouse in Portland, not including short-term detentions of suspects whom agents want to question, according to a DHS official who spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss federal law enforcement operations in Portland. The protesters’ use of black clothing, face coverings and diversion tactics have made it difficult for federal agents to identify suspects, they said. washingtonpost.com

50 Days Of Protest In Portland. A Violent Police Response. This Is How We Got Here.

Federal Officers Deployed in Portland Didn’t Have Proper Training, D.H.S. Memo Said

House Democrats call for 'urgent' investigation into federal policing in Portland

New York City Shootings Are Up 277% From This Time Last Year
New York City experienced yet another weekend of gun violence following a week which saw the number of shootings in the city nearly triple compared to last year. According to the New York Post, at least one person was killed and 10 others injured during a spate of shootings from Saturday into Sunday morning.

According to official NYPD crime stats, there were 49 shootings in the city between July 7 and July 12, a near 277 percent increase on the 13 incidents which occurred in the same period in 2019. The number of victims has also surged compared to last year. Between July 7 and July 12, there were 60 victims of shootings, up nearly 253 percent on the 17 during the same week last year.

The weekend's violence occurred as the city previously confirmed that there were 205 shootings in June 2020, a 130 percent increase from the 89 which occurred in June 2019.

There has also been a significant increase for the year in total, with 634 shootings taking place up to July 12 compared to 394 for the period up to June 12, 2019, a rise of 61 percent. newsweek.com

NYPD Launches Anti-Gun Violence Plan in Response to Spike in Shootings
Faced with an unprecedented surge in shootings across the five boroughs, which has resulted in countless injuries and even the killing of a 1-year-old, the NYPD on Friday launched the End Gun Violence plan that targets high-crime areas.

"We know exactly where to put the cops. And it's not an entire neighborhood, it's two square blocks," said NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea.

The NYPD won't be adding officers, but rather is shifting them. There will be more cops in areas with high numbers of shootings and more detectives sent to investigate shootings. Additionally, the community affairs bureau will be reorganized and more more gun buy-back events will be hosted.

Officers will be moved away from big target areas that are frequented by tourists. The number of officers needed in those areas has been greatly reduced due to the COVID-19 pandemic that has hampered tourism of any kind in the city. nbcnewyork.com

NYC: Protesters March Through Brooklyn To Call For End To Gun Violence

Brooklyn BP Eric Adams wants NYPD to prove there’s no ‘unofficial slowdown’

Chicago weekend shootings: 63 shot, 12 fatally, in violence across city

Chicago: Protesters' attempt to tear down Christopher Columbus statue ends in violent clash with police: 12 arrested, 18 officers injured

Seattle: 1 Dead and 1 Injured After Gunfire in Seattle’s ‘Autonomous Zone’

Philadelphia: Protesters take to city streets to decry gun violence
 

COVID Update

US: Over 3.9M Cases - 143K Dead - 1.8M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 14.7M Cases - 610K Dead - 8.7M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 154+   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 60
*Red indicates change in total deaths

21 Retail CEOs Sign Open Letter to U.S. Governors
Calling for Mask Mandate in All 50 States
In a piece published on CNN Business, 21 retail CEOs called on U.S. governors “to prioritize the health and safety of our workers and the communities we serve by requiring patrons to wear a mask when visiting our stores.”

The call — basically an open letter — comes as many states and regions report fresh coronavirus spikes, and as concerns spread about more deaths and more economic damage. “This simple requirement, along with the social distancing measures and sanitization protocols we have implemented in stores, is the best way to minimize risk and dramatically reduce the spread of Covid-19,” those retail leaders said in calling for new mask mandates.

The letter from the 21 retail executives (a list of them can be found in the article) mentions the frustration that retailers deal with when dealing with consumers who refuse to wear masks, and the risks involved.

“In mandating the use of masks in public settings, the role of enforcement should not fall upon our employees, team members and associates,” the open letter reads. “Requiring retail employees to serve as de facto law enforcement could lead to an unsafe environment for our employees and customers. All retailers will do our part to clearly communicate such policies to our employees and the public, but it must be the role of government to properly enforce this important safety initiative, and it must be the responsibility of every individual to follow the law.” retailleader.com

Administration Won't Do It
Congress Considers Actions To Enforce Mask-Wearing
—And Punish States That Won’t
In the absence of mask-wearing mandates from President Donald Trump and governors in hard-hit states like Arizona and Florida, despite their effectiveness against spreading Covid-19, Sen. Bernie Sanders and other lawmakers in Congress are pushing their own legislative solutions to get more Americans wearing face masks.

Sanders announced in a CNN op-ed with former Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services head Andy Slavitt Friday that he would announce “Masks for All” legislation next week, which will “instruct the Trump administration to acquire and deliver three high-quality, reusable masks” to everyone in the U.S.

The legislation will also provide N95 and surgical masks to health care workers and invoke the Defense Production Act to ramp up production of high-quality masks, which would provide new employment opportunities for Americans who are out of work.

Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) announced Thursday she will introduce an amendment to Congress’s coronavirus stimulus legislation, which would withhold federal Covid-19 relief funds from states that haven’t implemented mask-wearing mandates.

Though he has not presented a legislative solution, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has been a vocal proponent of mask wearing in recent days, saying this week that it’s “the single most important thing” to stop the spread of Covid-19.  edmdigest.com

Legislation would give retailers COVID-19-related tax credit
Legislation has been introduced that would give retailers and other businesses a tax credit to help defray the costs of measures required to make workplaces safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The National Retail Federation welcomed the Healthy Workplace Tax Credit, which would provide a refundable tax credit against payroll taxes for 50% of costs incurred by businesses for COVID-19 testing, personal protective equipment, disinfecting, extra cleaning and reconfiguring workspaces. The credit is limited to $1,000 per employee per quarter for a company’s first 500 employees, $750 for the next 500 and $500 for each employee thereafter. chainstoreage.com

New York City Eases Into Phase 4 of Reopening, but Indoor Limits Remain
Amid concerns about a coronavirus resurgence, New York City will enter a limited fourth phase of reopening on Monday, allowing some art and entertainment venues, like zoos and botanical gardens, to open for outdoor activities at a limited capacity, officials announced on Friday. But stringent restrictions will remain on indoor activities: Gyms, malls, movie theaters and museums will remain shuttered, and indoor dining will still not be allowed. nytimes.com

REI Faces Staff Backlash Over Response to Covid-19 Cases

Winn Dixie forgoes requiring masks to avoid friction with shoppers

Shoppers Issue Warning to Retailers as 66% say They Would Avoid Stores That Fail to Meet Covid-19 Safety Expectations, Cennox Survey Reveals

CDC Issues Guidance on Testing Employees for COVID-19

NYC’s COVID-19 contact tracing will ask about outdoor dining, not protests

'Retailers are canceling coronavirus hazard pay. That's a mistake'

'It's too late for masks alone to turn the tide on coronavirus.
Why the U.S. needs to lock down hot spots right away.'

ASIS Updates Workplace Violence Prevention & Intervention Standard
ASIS International just released the revised Workplace Violence and Active Assailant – Prevention, Intervention, and Response Standard. This Standard provides an overview of policies, processes, and protocols that organizations can adopt to help prevent threatening behavior and violence affecting the workplace and better respond to and resolve security incidents.

The Standard describes the implementation of a workplace violence prevention and intervention program, and protocols for effective incident management and resolution; and also includes an annex on active assailants which provides actionable information and guidance relative to prevention, intervention, and response to incidents involving an active assailant/active shooter

Available for purchase in E-Book or Softcover format. Members enjoy free access to an online version of this document. The online version cannot be downloaded, printed, or viewed offline.

Security Industry Association Announces Winners
of the 2020 SIA New Product Showcase Awards
The Security Industry Association (SIA) has announced the 2020 winners of the SIA New Product Showcase Awards, the flagship awards program in partnership with ISC West recognizing innovative security products, services and solutions.

Top among the winners – who were recognized July 9 during a virtual awards show – was Leica Geosystems, part of Hexagon, which received the 2020 Best New Product Award for its 3D Surveillance With Leica BLK247, submitted in the Emerging Technologies category. securityindustry.org

A risky bet by America’s mall owners:
Plucking retailers out of bankruptcy to salvage a pandemic-hit industry
Dozens of retailers, some of them the lifeblood of America’s shopping malls, have been pushed to the brink and filed for bankruptcy during the coronavirus pandemic.

Apparel brands like J.Crew, Brooks Brothers and New York & Co. parent company RTW Retailwinds. Department store chains Neiman Marcus, J.C. Penney and Stage Stores. The health chain GNC. The kitchen supplies company Sur la Table. The list goes on. And there are more coming.

Now, it’s some of America’s biggest mall owners that are increasingly looking to do deals to salvage them.

Simon Property Group and Authentic Brands Group recently bid $191 million to acquire the assets of bankrupt Lucky Brand. The two also joined together to make a bid for Brooks Brothers after the retailer filed for Chapter 11. The companies, along with sometimes partner Brookfield Properties, are reportedly eyeing further acquisitions as more well known retailers succumb to the effects of the novel coronavirus. cnbc.com

Trader Joe's to change product branding after petition calls it 'racist'
An online petition is asking Trader Joe’s to rename products such as Trader Ming’s and Trader Jose. “While this approach to product naming may have been rooted in a lighthearted attempt at inclusiveness, we recognize that it may now have the opposite effect — one that is contrary to the welcoming, rewarding customer experience we strive to create every day,” said Kenya Friend-Daniel, Trader Joe’s national director of public relations. “With this in mind, we made the decision several years ago to use only the Trader Joe’s name on our products moving forward.” abcnews.com

Mall owner CBL prepping a Ch. 11 filing

Rue21 opening new stores as business returns

Breaking Down the Cost and Options of CCTV Systems [Full Guide] – The Security Camera Guy

Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross hospitalized but ‘doing well’


Quarterly Results
Richemont Q1 sales down 47%


Last week's #1 article --

Walmart Joins Other Retailers in Requiring Masks for U.S. Shoppers
Walmart and Sam's Club to require masks nationwide starting July 20

'Health Ambassadors' placed at store entrance could setup potential confrontations

Walmart Inc. will require customers to wear masks in all of its U.S. stores to protect against the coronavirus, an admission that the nation's pandemic has reached new heights and setting up potential confrontations with customers who refuse to don them.

The measure will go into effect starting July 20, U.S. Chief Operating Officer Dacona Smith said in a corporate blog post Wednesday. The retailer will place employees, dubbed "Health Ambassadors," near the entrance to "remind those without a mask of the new requirements," it said. Stores will have a single entrance. Walmart already demands that its workers wear masks and shoppers had been encouraged to do so with signage. bloomberg.com