How Is The Role Of The Security Installer/Integrator Changing?

The role of the integrator/installer in the physical security marketplace is shifting as technologies evolve and applications expand. Integrators are being faced with a need to augment their expertise both in a wider range of systems and deeper into the specifics of each increasingly complex technology. At the end of the day, it falls to the integrator/installer to ensure a system performs as promised, however much a consultant or even a manufacturer might be involved in the process. We asked this week’s Expert Panel Roundtable: How is the role of the security installer/integrator changing?

Sean Foley - SVP, Customer Success, Interface Systems LLC

With the advent of network cameras and IoT, security integrators can no longer simply mount cameras and sensors, run wires, and connect to an alarm panel and a video recorder. Today’s security needs are multi-faceted and require a great deal of knowledge about network infrastructure and the applications that rely on it. From POS systems and VoIP to WiFi, security systems, and more, ample network connectivity and reliability are paramount for the success of every business. The requirements of multi-location enterprises add further demands to any solution and directly impact an organization's ability to scale. The risk for customers is having too many disparate providers involved, directing to vendor sprawl and operational complexity. Today’s top-tier integrators are able to deliver turnkey solutions that unify an entire range of network services while providing business intelligence to optimize operations and increase revenue.

Jennifer Elliott - Sr. Director of Channel and Sales Enablement, Global, Genetec, Inc.

The role of systems integrators in the physical security industry is undergoing significant changes due to rapid advancements in technology, and evolving customer needs. As software applications become increasingly easy to configure and use, customers are looking for a different kind of expertise from their integrators. End users are increasingly administering their own systems, whether they are in the cloud or on-premises, to ensure data sovereignty, privacy, and cyber resiliency. Systems integrators are also facing increased competition from IT consultants moving into physical security deployments. Hence the role of systems integrators is evolving from installers to trusted advisors and technology partners. This requires an intimate knowledge of their customers’ operations, workflows, and long-term growth plans as well as a deep understanding of the technology solutions they are selling. By reviewing opportunities to bridge the consumption gap for their customers, integrators become trusted partners and increase the likelihood of growing and renewing their system and service contracts. securityinformed.com
 

Summer 2023 Weekend Shooting Analysis
Crime & Violence in America's Big Cities

Big City Violence Continues to Drop Compared to Last Summer

1,315 Shootings - 355 Killed - 1,377 Injured in 15 Cities Over Last 12 Weekends
Shootings (down 9%), deaths (down 19%) and injuries (down 10%) have all declined from 2022

The D&D Daily's Big City Weekend Violence Study - Memorial Day to Labor Day

The Daily's annual study analyzes weekend shooting data in 15 major U.S. cities from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend 2023

Starting Memorial Day Weekend, the D&D Daily compiled and analyzed data from 15 major U.S. cities to get a snapshot of summer gun violence.

Over this past weekend, from August 11th through August 13th, there were 93 shootings recorded in these 15 big cities, resulting in 28 deaths and 96 injuries.

In total, over the past 12 weekends, these cities have recorded 1,315 shootings, resulting in 355 deaths and 1,377 injuries.

Compared to last summer at this time in the study, total shootings in these cities are down 9%, deaths are down 19%, and injuries are down 10%.

The D&D Daily will continue to track this data throughout the summer to capture the weekend violence trend in our nation's big cities as warm weather typically brings about more crime and violence.

Click here to see the list of incidents per city and follow along each week as this spreadsheet will be updated every Monday. docs.google.com

Read more coverage about America's crime and violence surge in the section directly below
 

CNBC's Three-Part ORC Series Continues

New ORC Laws Rolled Out in Nine States Since 2022
Retailers are shaping a wave of laws to crack down on organized theft — here’s how they do it

Nine states have passed new laws cracking down on organized retail theft and Congress is considering federal action.

Since 2022, at least nine states – six so far this year – have passed laws to impose harsher penalties for organized retail crime offenses. Similar bills are pending before legislatures across the country and in the U.S. Senate.

Behind the sweep of legislation are retailers and trade associations, which are using their collective power to get the bills written and past the finish line. They have also seized on a moment when lawmakers in many parts of the country, and from both sides of the aisle, see a political benefit from appearing tough on crime.

The new and proposed laws aim to deter brazen retail crime and go after the so-called kingpins who lead organized theft groups. But critics say the measures may not actually reduce organized retail crime, and could disproportionately harm marginalized groups.
 
The legislative efforts come as more retailers blame rising crime for higher inventory losses, also known as shrink. But they have not shared data that proves how much it is costing them, nor are they required to do so. Experts told CNBC some companies could be overstating theft’s impact on their profits to deflect from internal flaws. More references to retail crime could soon come as a string of major retailers gear up to report second-quarter results starting next week.

Now that the Inform Act has become law, retail has set its sights on a new target: the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA), introduced in January by Sens. Chuck Grassley, R-Iowa, and Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev.
 
CORCA proposes stiffer penalties for theft offenses and calls for a change in the threshold prosecutors must meet before bringing federal theft cases.  cnbc.com

RELATED: Merchants Push for New Laws to Combat Organized Retail Theft


Are Employee Theft & Self-Checkout the Real Culprits?
Retailers say organized theft is biting into profits, but internal issues may really be to blame

Companies are quick to blame organized theft for shrink losses, but behind closed doors the parallel issues of employee theft and self checkout are their primary focus areas, experts say.

Retailers who blame organized theft for lower profits could be overstating crime’s impact to cover up internal flaws or self-inflicted problems, CNBC has learned.

During recent earnings calls, major companies have blamed disappointing bottom lines or shrinking margins in part on roving bands of organized gangs that ransack their shelves. The issue could come up again as a string of major retailers start to report second-quarter results next week.

But behind closed doors, retailers are facing other issues they can better control, including theft by their own employees, that are contributing to losses, according to two sources who advise major retailers. They spoke on the condition of anonymity because they’re not authorized to speak publicly about clients.

Many retailers have invested in technology to better understand what leads to shrink, or the gap between the inventory a company has and what it sells. Some companies have since identified theft from employees as a major contributor to losses, even as they blame external theft in public, said one of the sources.

Losses from self-checkout theft have also become a major issue, the people said. While some retailers may be seeing higher rates of shrink because of poor hiring practices and self-checkout machines, others such as Target and Foot Locker could be using retail crime as a crutch to obscure internal challenges, experts told CNBC.

“Shrink has been going up but sometimes it’s very difficult to unpack how much is down to theft and how much is down to internal retailer issues and stumbles,” Neil Saunders, a retail analyst and the managing director of GlobalData, told CNBC.

“It is a problem, we know that, it does take money off margins, we know that, but there’s too much opacity in the way in which it’s reported and it is being partly used as an excuse for generally bad performance,” Saunders said. cnbc.com

RELATED: Retail crime could be exacerbated by internal errors & employee theft

Read Part 1 of the CNBC series here
 

'Stores Simply Feel Less Safe'
New York Times Opinion: What We Lose to Shoplifting
I thought about this sad atmosphere of surveillance during one of my recent visits to San Francisco, where the broader downtown retail environment has been left tattered by store closures. Walking from aisle to aisle pushing a series of buttons, I felt like an imposition on a pharmacy’s meager staff. After a string of these requests, I left before securing everything I’d planned to buy. The whole experience felt bad: I was sorry for the shopkeeper, sorry for the employees, sorry for being there, sorry for not buying enough.

The social and economic causes of shoplifting have become a source of debate, as has the extent of the problem. There are complicated questions around criminal enforcement, policing and punishment.

But leaving those issues aside, there is also an undeniable quality-of-life impact from the real or perceived increase in shoplifting. It is felt by shoppers, store employees, security personnel, store owners and our communities — and in ways more serious than awkward encounters over tampon purchases.

The most obvious effect is a sense of increased danger. Stores simply feel less safe. Of the nearly 9,000 reported retail thefts in Chicago in 2022, only about 17 percent resulted in arrests, Wirepoints said. This apparent shift in policing priorities can put increased pressure on store security personnel and frontline workers to police their own stores, even when they are inadequately prepared to do so.

Policies that require employees to remain passive in the face of shoplifting can be frustrating. As one employee quoted in the study put it: “You want me to prevent loss, but at the end of the day, if I can’t physically stop someone that I know is stealing, essentially, I’m not loss prevention. I’m just, I’m here to just watch it.” Another employee said policies preventing action make shoplifting too easy: “It is not fair. They have restrained our powers. They have tied our hands. The criminals have all the rights, and we don’t.”

Shoplifting adds pressure to retailers still reeling from Covid-19 and the ongoing pressures of online alternatives. For small shopkeepers, bodegas and mom-and-pops, losses from theft can be devastating to the bottom line. Even large chains like Walmart, Whole Foods, REI and Walgreens have closed or are planning to close major retail locations in cities like Portland, Ore., and San Francisco. While multiple factors are behind the closures, shoplifting is frequently cited as one of them.

Store owners are not the only ones who bear the cost of retail theft. Shoplifting isn’t just their problem. We are all paying a price. nytimes.com


D.C. Stores Facing Pressure to Close Over Theft Surge
Shoplifting pressure threatens to shutter Washington, D.C. grocery store, turn area into food desert
Concerns are growing in Washington, D.C. about some major grocery stores being able to keep their doors open due to shoplifting. During a news conference Friday, Washington Councilman Trayon White, D-Ward 8, said he spoke to the regional management of a popular Giant Food store in his district.

“We had the opportunity to meet with some of the leadership of this Giant,” White said. “Some of the regional leadership at this Giant, what we heard was disheartening." He spoke out forcefully about the high rate of shoplifting plaguing the store.

"We learned that this Giant has lost over $500,000 in product loss, which is about 20% of the sales. We know it's tough times and we know the price of food has skyrocketed in the last three years. But we cannot afford to hurt ourselves by constantly taking it from the store. It means that everybody is going to be without a place to eat. And enough is enough."

“To date, this Giant has had at least 135 stops from people stealing from the store,” he added. “And they almost double that amount that didn't get stopped.”

It’s one of only four major grocery store locations east of the Anacostia River. And if this store closes its doors, White warned the impacts would be devastating and create a food desert for some Washington residents.

Last month, ANC commissioners and community members gathered at the Giant to speak out about their concerns, pleading that they do not want the store to leave their community. cbsaustin.com
 

Youth crime is on the rise in Chicago – and CTU’s school closures may be to blame for the trend
The University of Chicago Crime Lab recently reported a 50% increase in shooting victimizations of school-aged youth 17 years and younger since 2019. Over 90% of victims were not enrolled in school. Earlier analysis by the Crime Lab documented 8% of those arrested were for homicides, 9% for shootings, 32% for robberies and 49% for carjackings were youth 17 years and younger.

What’s driving young Chicagoans to commit more crimes? While the causes of crime are complex, there is widespread agreement – from the FBI Director to former Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot – that young people being out of school plays an important role. No single act was more responsible for keeping students out of school than the closing of Chicago Public Schools campuses for 17 months beginning in 2020. CPS has lost 87,000 students since 2010, when a radical wing of the Chicago Teachers Union took power.

As if that were not enough damage, the CTU and their supporters’ all-out assault on the police undermine their ability to contain crime as the CTU are major public supporters of the anti-police, defund the police movement. illinoispolicy.org

 
Brown County, WI: Rising drug use contributes to increased shoplifting in our area
Ashwaubenon Public Safety says the increase in thefts is heavily tied to an increase in drug use in our area. Capt. Brian Amenson says a large number of thefts are committed by those struggling with drug addiction looking for quick, instant financial gain to support their habit.

Haverford Twp. police report 161% rise in retail thefts

Organised crime fears as shoplifting leaves Scots retailers £90M out of pocket

Security Professional Lost in Historic Maui Wildfires
Allied Universal Mourns Loss of Security Professional in Maui Wildfires, Several Others Unaccounted For
“Like people around the world, I watched in shock as the deadliest wildfire in modern U.S. history devasted Maui last week. I worried about the safety of our valued team members, our customers and the community.

My worries were realized. The Allied Universal team lost a security professional in the fire. Several others remain unaccounted for.

We extend our deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the Allied Universal security professional whose life was lost in the fire near Lahaina. And, we remain hopeful that those who are unaccounted for are safe and will be located soon.

We’ve opened our Maui office as shelter to employees who lost their homes or are unable to access them. We are working to get much-needed supplies, grief counseling and additional support to our team members and others.

We continue serving our clients on Maui where it is safe to do so, including Kahului Airport. I commend our team members who lost loved ones and their homes but continue working to ensure the safety of people and property.

Allied Universal’s top priority is safety – the safety of our team members and the communities we serve. Our thoughts go out to the victims, the survivors, their loved ones, the 29 customers we serve on Maui, the island’s community and the entire state of Hawaii.” aus.com


Can Technology Stop Workplace Fatalities Surge?
Using Technology to Improve Workplace Safety Training

Companies often turn to technology to ensure they’re providing accessible and continuous safety training.

Any accidental or preventable loss of life, whether it’s on the job or at home, is nothing short of a tragedy. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were over 5,000 fatal work injuries in the United States in 2021, an 8.9 percent increase from the year before. This increase in workplace fatalities illustrates a growing need for robust safety training in professional and commercial settings.

Here are six important trends regarding the use of technology to improve workplace safety training:

Leveraging Learning Management Systems

Online safety training and the learning management systems designed to deliver digital safety content are essential across multiple verticals and within different types of organizations. Customers continue to purchase a wide variety of online safety training courses focusing on OSHA compliance topics.

The Power of Microlearning

It has become clear that lengthy, monotonous training sessions are not as resonant or effective with employees long term. As such, microlearning—or the method of providing employees with short, 2- to 3-minute bursts of refresher training—is growing in popularity.

Bespoke Learning Paths

Due to this pace of change and need for individualization, employers are deploying technology solutions for safety training that allow them to map and store individual learning paths and courses for each of their employees. When the time comes for upskilling and re-training, these learning paths make sure employees receive the vital training they need to not only protect themselves and others, but also to advance their careers.

The Multi-channel Approach - Closing the Skills Gap with 3-D Technology - The Role of Artificial Intelligence - Conclusion: ohsonline.com


Consumers Still Spending - But Growth is Slowing Slightly
NRF Economist Says Growth in Consumer Spending is Slowing
U.S. consumers are still buying more than last year, but spending growth is slowing as the economy settles down amid higher interest rates intended to reduce inflation, National Retail Federation Chief Economist Jack Kleinhenz said today.

“The economy was clearly more resilient in the first half of this year than many expected, and the consumer environment has been positive as inflation has slowed,” Kleinhenz said. “Nonetheless, there are ongoing economic challenges and questions, and the pace of consumer spending growth is becoming incrementally slower.”

“Consumers are still spending but are under financial pressure and have been adjusting how much they buy while also shifting from goods to services,” Kleinhenz said. “While job and wage gains have counterbalanced inflation, the stockpile of savings accumulated during the pandemic is dwindling and is no longer providing as much spending power as previously available.” nrf.com  chainstoreage.com


Inflation is Improving for Retailers - But Still a Long Way to Go
Walmart shares a warning for customers about inflation
"In Walmart U.S., general merchandise costs are now lower than a year ago, which is great, but they're still higher than two years ago on like items," he shared. The CEO shared that some categories have remained stubbornly high even as other areas have shown more improvement.

"In the dry grocery and consumables categories like paper goods, we continue to see high single-digit to low double-digit cost inflation. We all need those prices to come down," he shared. "The persistently high rates of inflation in these categories lasting for such a long period of time are weighing on some of the families we serve."

The CEO believes that higher prices in the grocery space also impact customers' budgeting. Basically, if people don't know what their grocery bill will be, not to mention fluctuating gas prices, they may be more conservative in other areas. thestreet.com


Gap closes another mall store amid plans to shutter 350 locations

Major retailers bring $14 billion in revenue to Black-owned brands