'Historic' Retail Theft Bills Pass in California
California Legislature Passes Historic Bundle of Retail Theft Bills
A total of 10 mostly bipartisan proposals addressing retail theft and property-related offenses passed through the state Assembly and Senate on Thursday, receiving final votes on Monday. By the end of the day, they were sent to Governor Gavin Newsom’s desk for final sign-off.

The package of legislation orbits around the California Retail Theft Reduction Act (AB 2943), which was introduced in February by select committee on retail theft chair and Assemblymember Rick Zbur (D-L.A.).

One of the most multi-faceted proposals to come out of the State Assembly this year, the law solidifies a new crime classification for possessing stolen merchandise worth over $950 with the intent to resell, carrying a prison sentence of up to three years. Evidence may include repeat offenses or the possession of large volumes of stolen property. The law also stipulates that the value of thefts from different retailers can be tallied up and prosecuted as grand theft—a felony charge.

AB 2943 foists some responsibility onto online marketplaces, as sellers would be required to maintain records proving their products were obtained legally. Larger retail businesses would also be required to provide data to law enforcement to help strengthen crime laws and prevent stolen stuff from being sold on the web.

The bill package, which operates under the header of “Californians Against Retail Theft,” also includes AB 1779, which allows California district attorneys to prosecute theft cases across multiple jurisdictions at once, AB 1802, which removes the sunset provision for the state’s organized retail crime statute, making a statewide California Highway Patrol (CHP) criminal task force permanent, and AB 1972, which expands that CHP task force to include cargo theft.

Passed in the State Senate on Monday was SB 1144, which would require online marketplaces to establish and maintain policies for prohibiting the sale of stolen goods. Meanwhile, SB 1242 imposes longer sentences on individuals convicted of setting reckless fire to a retailer’s property in order to commit organized retail crime, and SB 1416 beefs up sentences for those convicted of selling, exchanging or returning stolen goods. SB 982 eliminates the statute of limitations for prosecuting organized retail theft.

The lawmakers behind the bundle of bills have been chomping at the bit to get the proposals passed as a means of thwarting the advancement of a ballot initiative that would imperil one of the state’s most controversial laws: Prop. 47. But despite the crime reduction proposals’ rapid advancement in recent days, Prop. 36, the Homelessness, Drug Addiction and Theft Reduction Act, is still headed to the polls. yahoo.com

   RELATED: California lawmakers send Newsom organized retail theft bills


Ex-LP Manager Files $20M Lawsuit Against Safeway
The former LP manager says was fired for giving food to officers conducting a shoplifting operation

Former supermarket manager sues chain for $20M, claiming he was terminated for giving food to SFPD cops

Oscar Santos Jr. has filed a lawsuit against Safeway, arguing that a new manager fired him for giving food to officers conducting a shoplifting operation

A former Safeway loss-prevention manager has filed a $20 million lawsuit against the supermarket chain, alleging wrongful termination after giving deli sandwiches and fried chicken to police officers conducting shoplifting stings, the San Francisco Standard reported.

Oscar Santos Jr., 33, claims he was falsely accused of violating company policies after another employee reported that he took food from the deli counter in late 2023, according to the report. Santos maintains that the food was provided to police officers with the store management’s approval as a thank-you gesture for their assistance with shoplifting operations.

Santos, who managed organized retail crime investigations from Fresno to the Oregon border, stated that this practice was customary and approved by his previous supervisor. However, after the supervisor’s death, a new director questioned him about the practice and subsequently suspended him, according to the report.

Santos received a termination letter a few weeks later, citing violations of company policy. He argues that the accusations were unfounded, stating that he was never accused of stealing the food but rather of giving it away without proper documentation.

A law enforcement official who worked with Santos confirmed that he occasionally provided food to officers, describing it as “a nice gesture.” Attorney Neil Eisenberg, representing Santos, claims that Safeway used the sandwich issue as a pretext to terminate him and other high-paid employees, replacing them with lower-paid workers, according to the report.  police1.com


Cities Making Progress in Bringing Down Crime
Stats show violent crime down in Portland since 2022
Compared to the same point at this time last year, violent crime is down in Portland, the Department of Justice said. In the first six months of 2023, there were 41 homicides in Portland. This year, 34 — and of those, 25 are gun-related deaths.

Elizabeth Perez, the Chief of Staff to Mike Myers, the Deputy City Administrator, said a big success the office has had is prevention and intervention, but she noted enforcement and communication both need to be improved.

Statistics provided to KOIN 6 News by the Portland Police Bureau shows the number of shootings has definitely dropped in the city since 2022, when 826 shootings were recorded by early August. So far this year, 522 shootings have been recorded.

The DOJ statistics reveal violent crime in most of the cities in the US and Canada is down year-to-year. koin.com


In Case You Missed It
Violent crime in US cities drops by 6% in first half of year compared with 2023
The preliminary data, collected from 69 major US cities and published by the Major Cities Chiefs Association, shows that overall, violent crime dropped during the first six months of 2024 compared with the same period in 2023. Homicides fell by 17%, according to an analysis by Axios.

Those numbers arrive as polls show that reducing crime is a top priority for many American voters. And as the 2024 election nears, a drop in violent crime undermines a frequent Republican talking point that higher crime plagues cities run by their Democratic opponents.  theguardian.com


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Retail Work is Becoming More Physical
Target workers say they're walking as much as 20 miles a day. It's a sign of just how physical retail work has become.

Retail work in the age of e-commerce and curbside pickup can be surprisingly physical.

Walmart's chief financial officer, John David Rainey, said in June that warehouse workers walked "up to 10 miles a day" and lifted thousands of pounds — a job he said was increasingly being assisted by AI-powered robots.

The industry has basically always required store workers to spend long hours on their feet, but the miles can add up quickly, especially for employees tasked with picking online orders or restocking shelves.

It's not uncommon to see users sharing screenshots with daily step counts of 20,000, with some saying they've topped 40,000 during especially busy periods like the holidays or Target Circle Week. For an average-height person, 20,000 to 40,000 steps translates to 10 to 20 miles walked, or 40 to 80 laps around a typical track.

By comparison, a US Postal Service letter carrier in Tennessee told CNBC in 2021 that he typically covered 14 miles during the course of his day.  businessinsider.com


The Downsides of AI
Is ‘Artificial Intelligence’ a Consumer Turnoff?
A new study finds that the words “artificial intelligence” in marketing cause many consumers to have a negative opinion of the product, suggesting a growing backlash and disillusionment with the technology.

The study, which presented 1,000 U.S. adults with questions and descriptions, found that products and services described using AI were consistently less popular.

“When AI is mentioned, it tends to lower emotional trust, which in turn decreases purchase intentions,” said lead author and Washington State University clinical assistant professor of marketing Mesut Cicek in a statement. “We found emotional trust plays a critical role in how consumers perceive AI-powered products.”

In the experiment, the survey respondents were found to be less likely to choose a smart television with AI cited in the description versus an identical description without an AI reference. For “high-risk” purchases, such as expensive electronics or medical devices, the effect was even more pronounced. Researchers suggested that AI mentions caused more concerns about monetary loss or danger to physical safety. retailwire.com


'Pivotal Tool' to Keep Customers Coming Back
Are Customer Loyalty Programs the Best Method for Retention?
Customer loyalty programs are proving to be a decisive force in the retail industry, with varying amounts of data fueling the study and implementation of this retention strategy.

In 2023, loyalty card promotions emerged as a pivotal tool for customer retention because retailers with well-established loyalty programs saw their customer bases remain “relatively steady,” even in the face of competition from discount stores, according to Retail Express.

The outlet also speculated how more personalized offers, integrated cross-promotional sales, and customized voucher programs that target individuals based on their purchasing patterns would be key to enhancing these programs. With the rise of AI-driven data, this tactic will be empowered with the means to dive deeper into the behaviors of customers and gather more insight into their data.  retailwire.com

 
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