D&D Daily Analysis: Weekend Crime Throughout July
658 Shootings, 159 Killed in 30 U.S. Cities Studied

Following the historically violent July 4th weekend, where we reported 233 shootings with 70 killed and 276 injured in 30 cities studied, the D&D Daily has continued to monitor violent crime in these same cities over the three weekends that followed. Click here to view all the week-to-week crime data for each city.

Here are the total crime stats for the past four weekends:

NYC’s 47 shootings last week are 176% increase since last year

Fourteen murders are included in that figure. Last year, there were only five murders citywide during that time.

On Sunday alone, there were 15 shooting incidents with 18 victims, compared to only two with two victims on the same day last year, police said. Six murders were reported.

On Saturday, the city saw 6 shooting incidents with 6 victims, compared to two incidents with 4 victims that day last year.

On Friday, 8 shooting incidents with 10 victims, compared to last year’s figure of 5 with 5 victims.

The violence continued into early Monday with a trio of shootings over a two-hour period. nypost.com
 

Nationwide Protests

Protest Chaos Rocks Cities Across U.S.
Tens of thousands of people continued to demonstrate against racism and police tactics in protests across the country that at times turned violent, with shootings in Texas and Colorado and officials declaring "riots" in Portland, Ore., and Seattle. wsj.com

Police and protesters clash in violent weekend across the US
Protests took a violent turn in several U.S. cities over the weekend with demonstrators squaring off against federal agents outside a courthouse in Portland, Oregon, forcing police in Seattle to retreat into a station house and setting fire to vehicles in California and Virginia.

A protest against police violence in Austin, Texas, turned deadly when police said a protester was shot and killed by a person who drove through a crowd of marchers. And someone was shot and wounded in Aurora, Colorado, after a car drove through a protest there, authorities said.

In Seattle, police officers retreated into a precinct station early Sunday, hours after large demonstrations in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood. Some demonstrators lingered after officers filed into the department’s East Precinct around 1 a.m., but most cleared out a short time later, according to video posted online.

Protesters in Oakland, California, set fire to a courthouse, damaged a police station, broke windows, spray-painted graffiti, shot fireworks and pointed lasers at officers after a peaceful demonstration Saturday evening turned to unrest, police said.

In Virginia’s capital, Richmond, a dump truck was torched as several hundred protesters and police faced off late Saturday during a demonstration of support for the protesters in Portland. inhomelandsecurity.com

Portland protesters showered by tear gas again
- and with solidarity from across the U.S.
The nightly standoffs in downtown Portland between protesters and federal agents continued early Sunday, with several dozen agents in camouflage deploying tear gas and other munitions as they waded into the streets beyond the federal courthouse to push back demonstrators who authorities said had breached a fence.

The confrontation was one of several nationwide over the weekend, including in Seattle, Austin, Texas, and downtown Los Angeles, sparked by anger over police brutality and by President Trump’s recent orders to send federal agents into cities around the U.S. to address ongoing protests.

In Seattle, the situation turned violent and according to the Associated Press, 21 officers suffered minor injuries and 40 arrests were made.

Some protesters set off fireworks and used leaf blowers and hockey sticks to redirect the plumes of white tear gas toward federal agents.

In downtown Portland, several thousand protesters from all walks of life came to the federal courthouse. But after several hours, authorities declared it to be a riot, saying that some in the crowd had torn down fencing at the perimeter of the courthouse and were creating a “grave risk of public alarm.” latimes.com
 

Vallejo, CA: Police Release Walgreens Security Cam Looting Video From Night Of Sean Monterrosa Shooting

 

COVID Update

US: Over 4.4M Cases - 150K Dead - 2.1M Recovered
Worldwide: Over 16.5M Cases - 654K Dead - 10.1M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 154+
   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 67
*Red indicates change in total deaths

U.S. Coronavirus Cases Rise at Slowest Pace in Weeks

New infections rise by 55,000, the lowest daily figure since July 7

Nationally, deaths have not surged in the same way that coronavirus cases have over the past month. The number of cases has jumped 69% since June 27th, from just over 2.5 million to more than 4.2 million cases across the U.S. During the same time period, deaths increased by about 17%, from just over 126,000.

The average number of new cases confirmed each day in Texas jumped from around 1,000 in late April and early May to more than 10,000 on many days in July, but has begun to taper. The state reported 5,810 new cases on Sunday.

While higher case counts in the U.S. are partly attributable to expanded testing across the country, a patchwork of rules and regulations has contributed to a resurgence of infections. wsj.com

All Eyes Are On Texas Right Now
Will Texas Shut Down Again Amid Surge in Covid-19 Cases?
Debate over how to combat mounting coronavirus cases has left Gov. Greg Abbott bouncing between policies and appeasing no one.

Face coverings, which Republican Gov. Greg Abbott made mandatory this month, remain a lightning rod of controversy.

“If there’s another shutdown, it will be a cataclysm that will go way past the normal left/right divisions,” Mr. Roberts said. “I can tell you from being in D.C., all eyes are on Texas right now.”

“I know that many of you are frustrated,” the governor told the state GOP at its virtual convention last week.

“So am I. I know that many of you don’t like the mask requirement. Neither do I. It’s the last thing I wanted to do. Actually, next to last. The last thing is lock Texas down again. We must do all we can to prevent that, but every day the facts get worse.”

In Texas, the average number of new Covid-19 cases confirmed each day jumped from around 1,000 in late April and early May to more than 10,000 on many days in July, but has begun to taper slightly. Texans are now dying of the disease at a rate of nearly 140 a day, and more than 4,500 have died of it total. wsj.com

Florida Now Has 2nd Highest Number Of Coronavirus Infections As Crisis Deepens
After weeks of witnessing a record shattering coronavirus crisis, Florida has now surpassed New York to report the second highest number of statewide infections after California, the latest Reuters tally shows.

Still, the Sunshine State is vastly outpacing any other in terms of new daily cases: with 10,000 new confirmed infections a day, it surpasses California’s 8,300 new daily infections.

The daily death tolls in hard-hit states like Florida, California, and Texas are still a way off from New York at its peak, which saw daily deaths exceed 1,000 in April. forbes.com

CNN: Who's Going to Enforce Masks Mandates?
Walmart and others will still serve customers who refuse to wear masks, despite new rules

Retail Union Says - Let Security Do It

"Many retailers feel like they have to act since some governors haven't," said Melissa Murdock, spokesperson for the Retail Industry Leaders Association.

Labor advocates and retailers agree that store employees should not be the ones enforcing mask wearing. But it's not clear who will fill the void.

"Either security or management needs to tell people that they must wear a face mask in order to be served. It's no different than wearing shoes or a shirt," said Stuart Appelbaum, president of the Retail, Wholesale and Department Store Union. If companies "are not requiring customers to wear a mask within their store, then they never had a requirement. All they had was a public relations stunt."

Violent incidents

Anti-maskers have sparked violent incidents at stores, restaurants and other businesses over requirements to wear them. A security guard at a Family Dollar store in Michigan was shot and killed in May after he told a customer to wear a mask. In recent weeks, videos of confrontations between angry customers and clerks at Costco (COST), Target (TGT) and other stores over these rules have gone viral.

The home improvement chain Lowe's says it's also added signs at its stores, requesting that customers wear masks for the safety of everyone. It is also providing free masks to customers who need them.

"We will not ask our associates to put their safety at risk by confronting customers about wearing masks," a Lowe's representative said.

Indeed, a Home Depot spokesperson compared the company's mask requirement to its shoplifting policy, where employees are told not to block the entrance or chase after a customer. "It's too dangerous to forcibly or physically deny entry."

Meanwhile, CVS said it will "ask for [customers'] cooperation" with the mask policy. "In the event of non-compliance [the store] will expedite their transaction and provide them with other options for their future needs," such as delivery and drive-thru," a representative for the company said.

Retailers internationally are also making similar calculations.

In the UK: "While enforcement of this policy will be handled by the police, the ultimate responsibility remains with customers who must ensure that they wear a face covering when going into stores," said Tom Ironside, director of business and regulation at the British Retail Consortium.

Some retailers have increased their hiring of private security guards to help diffuse confrontations over masks.

Companies also have varying policies on whether to call the cops. CVS and Home Depot said they would not call the police if a customer did not wear a mask in an area where mask wearing is mandated. However, the Home Depot representative said "if a customer becomes combative or habitually refuses to comply, we'll take further action to prevent them from entering our stores." cnn.com

UK's Biggest Grocers Not Enforcing Nationwide Masks Mandate 
UK: Three major supermarkets are refusing to challenge shoppers not wearing face masks

Tesco, Sainsbury's and Adsa have all said their staff will not be challenging shoppers who are bare-faced.

The laws that make it compulsory for customers to wear face masks or coverings in shops, takeaways, supermarkets, shopping centres and transport hubs came into force Friday. Masks must also be worn when buying takeaway food and drink, although they can be removed in a seating area, and people who do not comply will be liable for a £100 fine ($128 U.S.)

While they have agreed to encourage customers to wear masks, store bosses all say staff will not be acting as enforcement officers.

There are exemptions to the new rules for children under 11 and people with disabilities or certain health conditions, such as respiratory or cognitive impairments that make it difficult for them to wear a face covering.

“Help Stop the Spread of Coronavirus” collaborative campaign with six-foot pop-up banners and other posters in stores is being rolled out. The effort includes the National Health Systems, local authorities and police across the UK. miltonkeynes.co.uk

'Over Half Want Fraud Eradicated'
Paysafe's Study: Lost in Translation -
Has COVID-19 moved the needle on security vs convenience?
YES - For the significant majority, COVID-19 has had an effect
COVID-19 has made an identifiable impact on the way consumers are going about making payments. Some of these changes have been enforced by the physical challenges of coping with day-to-day life during the pandemic; a greater reliance on eCommerce while shops are closed and the move to contactless payments for in-store payments being the most obvious.

But might COVID-19 also be having a psychological impact on how and when consumers make payments? Has there been a change in attitude when it comes to choosing a payment method and the preferences when it comes to the checkout experience? And if so will this shift be permanent?

In order to answer these questions, we surveyed 8,000 consumers from the US, UK, Canada, Germany, Austria, Italy, and Bulgaria on how COVID-19 has altered their priorities when selecting a payment method, as well as their physical habits. COVID-19's Impact - Full Story

Major Truck-Stop Chains Will Require Drivers to Use Face Masks

McDonald’s adding protective divider panels to front, back of house; to require masks

DOL Issues Return-to-Work Guidance Under the Families First Coronavirus Response Act
Time furloughed does not count against FFCRA/FMLA leave entitlement

Staples Requires Face Masks in All Stores

Asheville, NC: 'Grocery stores need bouncers': When masks are required, who enforces the rules?
 

Coming to Retail Regardless
Facial recognition market to hit $12B by 2026, report says
The facial recognition market will reach $12 billion in value by 2026 and will see an 18% compound annual growth rate, according to a report by Global Market Insights Inc.

Companies are using the technology for a variety of purposes such as identifying customer demographics with digital signage to deliver dynamic content, identity management in buildings, and tracking depressed patients from facial expression analysis.

The North American segment will show the rapid growth from 2020 to 2026 due to growing demand in defense, retail, homeland security, banks and healthcare, according to the report. retailcustomerexperience.com

Are boycotts becoming bigger risks?
Goya and Whole Foods are two brands currently facing boycotts in today’s politically-charged climate. Two new surveys indicate that consumer boycotts are becoming more pervasive.

According to new YouGov survey data, half of Americans have boycotted a business at some point in their life. Roughly two-thirds of respondents agree boycotts are very (21 percent) or somewhat (42 percent) effective.

A survey commissioned by CompareCards found 38 percent of consumers are currently boycotting at least one company, up from 26 percent in January 2019.

The leading driver of the current boycotts are disagreements about politics. Among the boycotters, 19 percent are refusing to spend money with a company due to their support of Black Lives Matter, while 18 percent are boycotting companies that do not support the movement. Sixteen percent are boycotting businesses that don’t require shoppers to wear masks, while 15 percent are boycotting places that do require masks.

In CompareCards’ survey, about half of Gen Z (51 percent) and Millennials (52 percent) are currently boycotting at least one company versus 37 percent of Gen X, 22 percent of Baby Boomers and 16 percent for the Silent Generation. Overall, 41 percent say they would cut ties with their favorite retailer if it publicly supported something or someone they strongly disagreed with.

Others encountering boycott threats in recent years include Amazon.com over labor practices, Nike over its affiliation with controversial former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick, Dick’s Sporting Goods over gun control and L.L. Bean over a donation by the founder’s granddaughter to the Trump campaign.

“We’re a divided country in so many ways and people seem to be becoming more emboldened in their beliefs and more willing to use their wallets to express them,” said Matt Schulz, chief credit analyst for CompareCards. retailwire.com

Senior LP & AP Jobs Market

Director of Asset Protection & Safety - Paradies Lagardére - Atlanta, GA
The Asset Protection & Safety Director is responsible for the protection of assets and the reduction of loss in the retail and dining divisions. This shared services position oversees the hiring, training and development of a team of Market Managers and the creation, development and implementation of Asset Protection and Safety programs. The individual will build partnerships with the Regional Vice Presidents, Regional Directors of Operations and Management in a collaborative environment.

Paradies Lagardère is a leading North American travel retailer and restaurateur, operating 850 stores and 170 restaurants and bars in more than 100 airports. ultipro.com

Director, Loss Prevention/Safety (West) - Navy Exchange Service Command (NEXCOM) - National City, CA
Responsible for development implementation monitoring and oversight of NEXCOM LPS programs and policies to include physical security loss prevention investigations safety and LPS Op Reviews in Distribution Centers and NEXCOM facilities.

NEXCOM has six different business lines covering 300 Navy Exchange stores, 40 lodges, over 100 uniform shops along with an uniform mail order program and approximately 160 ship stores operated under our technical guidance providing sailors with a little bit of home across the world. taleo.net
 

Manager, Safety and Security - Thrive Market (eCommerce Retailer) - Sparks, NV

Target to close for Thanksgiving

Lands End Issues 'Going Concern' Warning


Quarterly Results
Albertsons Q1 comp's up 26.5%, digital sales up 276%, revenue up 21.4%



Last week's #1 article --

'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.

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
 

Social Media Impact on Retailers & Professionals

Safety Top's Consumer Concerns on Social Media
Social Media Engagement Soars 40% in Q2

Safety Plays #1 Role in Customer Journey

Personal safety is a key concern for consumers as they worry about whether schools will reopen in the fall. The volume of social media posts that included keywords "safe" or "safety" surpassed 40,000 from Jan. 1 to June 30, and received more than 596,000 engagements, per Sprout Social's social listening analysis.

Concerns about personal safety and social distancing are key topics that retailers need to address during the back-to-school shopping season. Those worries not only will affect whether people shop online or in stores, but also will sway what kinds of products they buy. Retailers need to be ready to respond quickly to consumers who engage with them on social media, with shoppers having higher expectations of brands than in the past.

Marketers also need to consider partnerships with influencers and giving campaigns to help boost engagement with consumers. Marketers don't need to hire a major celebrity for their campaigns, but can instead collaborate with influencers who are accessible and relatable, and can create content remotely, per the report.  mobilemarketer.com

LinkedIn's Huge Impact Grows
LinkedIn's up to 690 Million Members, Q3 Reports 26% Growth in User Sessions
Microsoft has reported ongoing sessions growth on LinkedIn, with the platform seeing "record levels of engagement". Membership grows from 675M to 690M in Q3. 15M in 3 months.

In overall terms, LinkedIn now has more users than ever before, and those users are more active on the platform than in times past. That could facilitate greater opportunity to connect.  Indeed, during the COVID-19 lockdowns, LinkedIn is seeing even higher levels of engagement.  While 'active users' usage on the platform remains a mystery - typical LinkedIn.

"Professionals watched nearly 4 million hours of content on LinkedIn Learning in March, a nearly fifty percent increase month-over-month. With LinkedIn Live [...] streams are up 158% since February." socialmediatoday.com
 

Google to Keep Employees Home Until Summer 2021

Amazon Announces 4 New Fulfillment Centers - Arkansas, Tenn., 2 in Texas

Tractor Supply Earnings Jump 61% As E-Commerce Sales Skyrocket