Renowned Futurist to Keynote TMA’s 2022 Annual Meeting

The Monitoring Association (TMA) is pleased to announce acclaimed global futurist, speaker, and best-selling author Jack Uldrich will deliver the keynote address at its 2022 Annual Meeting on Monday, October 31, 2022 at 11:00AM ET. The meeting will take place in-person at the JW Marriott Marco Island Beach Resort, October 29-November 2, 2022.

Uldrich is highly regarded as a keynote speaker. His authoritative speeches on future trends; emerging technologies; innovation, change emerging technologies, change management; and leadership are filled with knowledge, insight, and creativity. He provides provocative new perspectives on competitive advantage, change management, and transformational leadership. He calls to light the advantages of being creative and using the powers of individual imagination.

Go to https://tma.us/events/2022-annual-meeting/ for detailed meeting information, including program agenda, hotel accommodations, and registration.

New Hanover County ECC Goes Live with TMA’s Automated Secure Alarm Protocol
 

Is retail crime out of control? - Part 1

Part 1 of 2: Latest Retail Crime Statistics and Inflation-Recession Impact

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

It’s not too early during this summer to think about the upcoming holiday season. This is part one of a two-part series on retail crime trends. What has been the impact of pandemic on retail statistics? How are violence patterns evolving? What are the profiles of the crime wave? How will inflation and a potential recession impact retail crime? If retail crime is out of control, what do we do about it?

Retail Crime Statistics

A November 2021 Retail Industry Leaders Association (RILA) published study summarized the following:

● Nearly $69 billion worth of products were stolen from retailers in 2019 (pre-COVID).

● USA retail crime results in $125.7 billion in lost economic activity and 658,375 fewer jobs, paying almost $39.3 billion in wages and benefits to workers.

● Retail theft costs federal and state governments nearly $15 billion in personal and business tax revenues, not including the lost sales taxes

● Nearly 67 percent of asset protection managers at leading retailers surveyed report a moderate to considerable increase in organized retail crime, and 80 percent believe it will only get worse in the future.

● Academic research has suggested that most retail theft represent crimes of opportunity. However, professional criminals identify the availability of anonymous on-line marketplaces as ways to easily fence goods, and prosecutorial changes as being major factors contributing to the growth in ORC.

● The growth in on-line marketplaces is highly correlated (61 percent) to the number of shoplifting events reported each year. In addition, those retail categories most subject to shoplifting activities are also the ones most sought after through on-line marketplaces.

According to the National Retail Federation (NRF), ORC costs retailers an average of $720,000 for every $1 billion in sales as of 2020, up from $450,000 five years earlier.

Read Tony D'Onofrio's full article here

Read more coverage about America's retail crime surge in the section below
 

Organized Retail Crime Wreaking Havoc Across US
Did the Pandemic Pour Gasoline on America's ORC Wildfire?

People have been stealing from retailers for as long as there have been retailers, but the pandemic, along with a shift in organized theft, intensified things.

Incidents of organized retail crime have increased across the country, according to the National Retail Federation, with retailers struggling to stop stolen goods from being sold online. Amid the pandemic, high inflation, staffing shortages and more, organized retail crime is costing businesses more than $700,000 for every $1 billion in sales, according to the organization.

The Delaware Code defines organized crime as theft "in quantities that would not normally be purchased for personal use or consumption," with the intent to resell. It has the effect of hurting innocent consumers when retailers are forced to raise prices to make up for the losses.

What's changed?

The state Chamber of Commerce's Quaranta pointed to staffing challenges as a cause for the rise in thefts. "With fewer 'eyes' on would-be thieves, that’s only served to embolden those intent on shoplifting. Unfortunately, honest customers cover the losses incurred in the form of higher prices," he said.

Staffing challenges are affecting all industries, including police, according to Quaranta. Those challenges, alongside economic strife and the pandemic, have made the loss prevention field "more complex and more costly than ever,” the National Retail Federation’s 2021 Retail Security Survey found.

"No retailer is immune from theft," he said. "Some, however, are better suited to mitigate losses from theft because of higher levels of staffing, store layout, products behind locked displays, security systems and more."

Threats to employees, consumers

When asked what loss prevention-related areas have increased in priority over the last five years, the top answer participating retailers gave was mall and store-related violence, followed by cyber-related incidents and organized retail crime.

“Cyber-related incidents,” which go hand-in-hand with organized retail crime, refer mainly to stolen items being sold online on platforms such as Amazon and eBay. Retail groups are advocating for federal laws to address these issues. delawareonline.com

New Mexico AG Wages War on ORC
Op-Ed: It's not shoplifting, it's organized retail crime
New Mexico Attorney General Hector Balderas deserves credit for starting the Organized Retail Crime Task Force last year, a statewide initiative that joins the AG, local law enforcement, store security personnel and employees in taking action.

We’re not talking about a teenager stuffing a blouse in her purse. This is brazen stealing of targeted, high-value items. Employees are told to not interfere because of potential danger, and some of the perpetrators have brandished weapons or even shot at store fronts.

The task force took its first actions in Albuquerque, but it’s also working with agencies around the state. The Carlsbad and Los Lunas police departments and Sandoval County Sheriff’s Office have joined the task force. Recently Española police coordinated with loss-prevention personnel from Walmart to cite 27 people for shoplifting and arrest five.

The task force has also become a valuable conduit for information sharing by retailers and police. Balderas has urged legislators to crack down on organized retail crime.

During this year’s session, Albuquerque Republican Reps. Bill Rehm and Stefani Lord introduced House Bill 29 for the Courts, Corrections and Justice Committee. It would have created the crime of organized retail crime, defined as one or more people taking and concealing merchandise with the intention of depriving the retailer or altering a label or price tag. If the haul was valued between $250 and $500, it would be a misdemeanor. More than $500 would be a felony.

HB 29 died. Lawmakers were preoccupied with passing the governor’s big crime bill, and Rehm’s bill needed work. Police want to reduce the threshold for felony charges. They also want felony charges if thieves steal from multiple stores or if they’re part of an organized group.

During a recent meeting of the Legislative Finance Committee, the New Mexico Chamber of Commerce told legislators that organized retail crime endangers customers and employees and drives up costs. The financial impact is nearly $900 million, more than 5,000 lost jobs, and $18 million in lost tax revenues. currentargus.com

'NYC's Killing Ground' Residents & Merchants Want Police Back
As shootings surge, this blood-drenched precinct is NYC’s worst
It was once known as New York’s “Killing Ground” — and amid a surge in Big Apple crime, Brooklyn’s 75th Precinct has again scored the dubious distinction of being the city’s bloodiest.

The 5.5-mile area, which covers East New York and Cypress Hills, has recorded the most shootings so far this year — with 48 shootings in which 56 victims were hit, according to NYPD records.

And the bullets are flying again across the 75th this year, with shooting incidents up 26.3% through Sunday, compared to the same period last year.

In an even more ominous sign since the start of the summer heat, shootings actually doubled — up 100% — over the previous 28 days, compared to 2021.

One merchant said, "they wanted to defund the police, so now there is no police in the area. What do you expect?”

“I don’t believe in this banning the police,” said the woman, who gave her name as Cheryl.

“That’s a bunch of crap because we need the police. We need them.” nypost.com

Florida's Crime Crackdown - Including ORC
Gov. DeSantis to Sheriffs: Florida distinguishes itself with law and order
It was a law and order kind of night in ChampionsGate, where Gov. Ron DeSantis told Florida’s Sheriffs the Sunshine State is a source of inspiration for officers nationwide.

DeSantis has staked his claim as the “law and order” 2022 gubernatorial candidate by signing Florida’s anti-riot law and legislation to crack down on organized retail theft. He has also vociferously condemned lax enforcement policies and violent protests.

“Feeling safe and law and order has been a huge thing that Florida has distinguished itself versus a lot of these other states, It’s not just the states you would think of, blue versus red,” DeSantis said. “You know, we have people moving from Buckhead in Atlanta to Florida in numbers we’ve never seen before because the crime is just absolutely off the rails there.”

He also referenced the District Attorney who was recalled in San Francisco for his more lenient stance on crime.

“We believe in enforcing the law across the board, and if you don’t like the law, then go run for office, the Legislature, and try to change the law,” DeSantis said. “But you don’t take it upon yourself as a prosecutor to just simply ignore the law.”

The Governor has also approved $1,000 bonuses for first responders, including law enforcement officials, for the second year in a row. And he touted the Hometown Heroes program, which helps qualifying law enforcement officers and others afford a home in their community. floridapolitics.com

The DOJ's Attempt to Stop Mass Shootings Before They Happen
Merrick Garland Says Mass Shootings Are Hard to Prevent Because DOJ ‘Can’t Just Troll the Internet’ Monitoring Potential Threats
In an interview with NBC Nightly News host Lester Holt this week, Attorney General Merrick Garland admitted that flagging signs of violence can be a bit hard for the DOJ.

Holt pressed Garland on what could possibly be done to root out violent extremists before they get the chance to commit a heinous act. “How do you intercept those people before they shoot?” he posed.

For Garland, there is no simple answer, largely because Americans are guaranteed the right to free speech. As such, not all social media posts can be investigated immediately.

“This is the most difficult question in a democracy,” Garland said. “You know, we have to respect the First Amendment, we can’t just troll the internet looking [at] what everybody in the country is doing. But we have joint terrorism task forces, which evaluate both foreign and domestic terrorists and domestic violent extremists, including racially motivated violent extremists.”

Still, Holt pressed Garland further, noting that it’s continually “so frustrating” when mass shootings happen, and social media posts from the shooters are released, showing “the ticking time-bomb that was.”

In response to that, Garland admitted it is “worrisome,” but focused more on the danger of the weapons themselves, and how easily they can be modified. yahoo.com

The Nationwide Fight Over Bail Policy
Zero-dollar bail is ending in Santa Clara County, but fight continues over jail-release practices

Court allows pandemic-based emergency bail order to expire at end of month; leaders disagree on how jail depopulation initiatives affected crime, court equity

Santa Clara County Superior Court has decided to allow its emergency zero-dollar bail order to expire at the end of the month, marking a quiet end to a polarizing jail-release policy enacted in the throes of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The policy, which made thousands of people accused of low-level crimes eligible for release to relieve jail crowding as the coronavirus spread unchecked, was a lightning rod for fiercely opposing perspectives.

Critics saw it as a dangerous get-out-of-jail free card exploited by repeat offenders, while supporters saw an eye-opening glimpse into a criminal-justice system that didn’t default to bail and pretrial detention practices long tainted by harsh racial and socioeconomic inequities.

Those affected by the zero-dollar bail order are now more likely to see at least some jail time before they can get in front of a judge and argue for release. In essence, it set bail at $0 for an array of mostly misdemeanor offenses and some nonviolent felony offenses, where bail would be less than $25,000, with the express purpose of preventing people from needlessly getting booked into jail and worsening the in-custody COVID-19 risk. mercurynews.com
 
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US: 92.7M Cases - 1M Dead - 87.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 578.8M Cases - 6.4M Dead - 548.8M 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

Cases Highest Since February
U.S. COVID cases remain close to 130,000 a day
Newly diagnosed COVID cases in the U.S. continue to hover close to 130,000 a day, the highest level seen since February, as the BA.5 omicron subvariant continues to spread. BA.5 is understood to be the most transmissible variant seen so far and to have an ability to break through vaccination and prior-infection immunity.

The daily average for new U.S. cases stood at 128,015 on Monday, according to a New York Times tracker, up 10% from two weeks ago. The true case count is likely higher, given the number of people who are testing at home, where the data are not being collected.

The daily average for hospitalizations rose to 42,862, up 12% in two weeks. The daily average for deaths is up 3% at 439. Cases are higher in California than they’ve been in six months, while in New York there are more patients in hospitals than at the peak of last year’s delta wave. marketwatch.com

COVID's Retail Impact
Major retailers are working through an unexpected inventory
After two pandemic years of stocking up on stuff – desk, chair, bookshelf, dresses, blender, knives – Rachel Premack is now all about travel and saving what she can. Last year, she had the stimulus dollars and nowhere to go; now, she's got weddings and family visits and worries about rising prices. This, on a nationwide scale, became the recipe for a whole new problem for some U.S. stores: a glut of inventory.

"It is just a really bizarre back and forth kind of situation," says Premack, who has followed all this as an editorial director at the logistics outlet FreightWaves. "Inventory managers at major big box stores don't even know how to navigate what's happening anymore, they are just exhausted."

Big box stores like Target and Walmart are particularly working through an excess of certain items. Target has specifically named TVs, kitchen appliances, outdoor furniture, electronics and fitness supplies, with the CEO saying the chain did not anticipate "the magnitude" of the spending shift from goods to services. Some clothing stores, too, such as Gap, got stuck with too many hoodies and athleisure as office workers quickly jumped back into suits and dresses.

"If you think about it, [stores are] ordering goods three, six, even nine months in advance," said Mark Mathews, vice president of research development and industry analysis at the National Retail Federation. "Retailers base their forecasting on historical behavior. But there is no template for what consumer behavior looks like coming out of a pandemic." npr.org

Retailers Respond to Latest COVID Wave
Businesses may consider mask policies as COVID-19 cases increase
Lockheed Martin in Troy, Alabama is one of the companies requiring masks during the BA.5 coronavirus subvariant spike. At green, community levels are “low,” and a mask may not be necessary. At yellow, the doctor said people at a higher risk should consider masking. At red, the CDC recommends universal masking indoors.

Alabama retailers have the freedom to enforce masking policies that work for their businesses. “That’s all the retailers have really asked for from the very beginning is that they would be able to set the policies because the health of their customers and employees is paramount to every business owner,” said Nancy Dennis with the Alabama Retail Association.

Some retailers ask those who are feeling sick to avoid the marketplace for the safety of customers and employees. The Alabama Retail Association explained this recent COVID-19 spike only adds to the current worker shortage, as more employees take off to quarantine. wsfa.com

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