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Allied Universal Names Honorable William J. Walker Vice President and Corporate
Security Director
 IRVINE,
Calif. — Sept. 6, 2023 —
Allied Universal®, the world’s leading security and facility services
provider, today announced the appointment of Retired U.S. Army Major General
William J. Walker to the position of vice president and corporate security
director.
Walker will draw on his civilian and military executive leadership expertise to
serve as a resource to Allied Universal customers in developing comprehensive
security strategies. He will determine priorities for the protection of people,
property and assets and will advise on the allocation of resources based on
risk, operational needs and company policies. Walker will also provide counsel
to help customers leverage cutting-edge technology and data to deploy smarter,
more effective security programs.
“William is an accomplished safety, security and threat mitigation professional
with a proven record of success
 designing,
developing and integrating organization-wide strategies to protect against
internal and external vulnerabilities,” said Steve Jones, global chairman and
CEO of Allied Universal. “His recruitment to our already-winning team is going
to be a game changing asset to the customers and communities we serve.”
Read more here
Greg Houting, LPC promoted to Field OPS &
Safety Manager for Dick's Sporting Goods
 Greg
Houting has been with Dick's Sporting Goods for more than nine years, starting
with the company in 2014 as District Loss Prevention Manager based in the South
Florida Market. Before his promotion to Field OPS & Safety Manager, he served as
District Loss Prevention Manager based in the Houston Market. Earlier in his
career, he held LP/AP roles with Golf Galaxy, Toys R Us, The Home Depot, and
Foley's. Congratulations, Greg! |
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See All the Executives 'Moving Up' Here
Submit Your New Corporate Hires/Promotions or New Position
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New Whitepaper: 'Secure Retail in the New World'
Sensormatic Solutions holistic loss prevention tools support retailers in
escalating fight against theft and shrink
The brand’s comprehensive suite of loss prevention solutions can help
retailers address shrink, eroding profit, and organized retail crime activity so
they can effectively navigate today’s retail landscape.
 NEUHAUSEN,
Switzerland—September 6, 2023—Sensormatic
Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of
Johnson Controls,
shows its continued commitment to supporting retailers through innovation.
Today, the brand released
“Secure
Retail in the New World,” a resource to help industry leaders understand the
future of loss prevention and guide holistic operational improvements that help
mitigate the impact of shrink
by leaning on connectivity, leading with data, and regaining control of their
environments.
“Not only has the financial
impact of organized retail crime grown significantly in recent years, but so
have safety concerns for both shoppers and associates,”
said Craig Szklany, vice president and product general manager, Loss Prevention
& Liability at Sensormatic Solutions. “These changes have made it necessary for
retailers around the globe to reconsider what it means to protect their stores.
Adopting a data-led approach rooted in holistic operational insight and
supported by emerging technology
can help brands not only improve their loss prevention tactics today but prepare
for new challenges that arise tomorrow.”
 Sensormatic
Solutions
loss prevention portfolio empowers retailers with the holistic solutions they
need to remain agile and effective
in the face of rising retail crime. The brand’s solutions are designed for easy
adoption, helping retailers seamlessly integrate advanced hardware and software
into existing loss prevention systems.
To learn more about the benefits of adopting a holistic approach to loss
prevention and how to get started, download Sensormatic Solutions latest white
paper:
Secure Retail in the New World.
The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact
'Mayhem on Main Street': Retail Theft
Epidemic Series
ORC Gangs Motivated by Lack of Theft Prosecution
California is ground zero for retail theft prosecution controversy
In this series, Mayhem on Main Street, the
Washington Examiner will investigate the causes behind the scourge of
shoplifting, the role of the cartels, the cost to stores big and small, and the
complicity of lax prosecutors. Part four will focus
on law enforcement of retail theft. To read parts one, two, and three, click
here,
here, and
here.
 Retail
giant
Nordstrom’s flagship store in a San Francisco mall permanently closed last week,
marking the latest store to fall as the city grapples with a glaring exodus of
brick-and-mortar shops.
The cause of the closure, according to a mall spokeswoman, included “unsafe
conditions for customers, retailers, and employees, coupled with the fact that
these significant issues are preventing an economic recovery of the area.”
She said the closure "underscore[d] the deteriorating situation in downtown San
Francisco.”
Retail crime in urban areas is one of the well-documented
factors for these store closures,
but an increasingly
accommodating environment for organized retail crime
and viral surveillance footage capturing brazen incidents of thievery has
magnified the problem.
San Francisco, Los Angeles, and Sacramento
were found by the National Retail Federation to be “hot spots” for organized
retail crime for the last several years, signaling
the problem may be statewide in California.
Chicago and New York were also annual hot spots, as were Houston, Atlanta, and
Miami.
The survey’s findings suggest that
neither red nor blue states are immune to retail crime but that a pattern of
rampant theft can be found within populous, Democratic-run jurisdictions.
At the state level, one point of contention in combating retail theft has been
the
dollar threshold
at which a misdemeanor becomes a felony. Proponents of raising the thresholds in
states want
to reduce prison time and claim the dollar amount should be adjusted for
inflation.
Critics say allowing theft of higher-dollar items to be deemed a misdemeanor is
wrongly reducing punishment and therefore encouraging crime.
California has been the poster child for this controversy,
raising its threshold in 2014 via Proposition 47,
a ballot measure
bankrolled by Democratic megadonor George Soros.
After its passage, theft of items under $950 could only be
prosecuted as a misdemeanor, if prosecuted at all.
washingtonexaminer.com
Retailers Worldwide Use New Tactics to
Thwart Thieves
Crime-fighting fog hits shoplifters as retail theft spirals out of control
Stores across country lost billions in retail theft last year, according
to Capital One Shopping Research
 A
disorienting and blinding fog connected to a store's alarm is a
relatively new security measure to stop would-be thieves as organized retail
crime spirals out of control.
The technology, which was created by DensityUSA, is already in use in several
countries in the European Union and Australia but is becoming more prevalent in
the U.S., said Mike Egel, president of DensityUSA.
Stores lost an estimated $86.6 billion to retail theft in 2022, and projections
indicate that amount may reach $115 billion in 2025, according to Capital
One Shopping Research.
Businesses have been forced to hide products behind registers or lock them up in
glass cases to protect their inventory. That hasn't stopped orchestrated
smash-and-grab robberies in which thieves execute intricate plots to grab as
many items as possible and leave before witnesses get a good look or police
respond.
"Once it's activated, the DensityUSA system creates a
dense fog with near-zero visibility conditions in just seconds," Egel
said. "The fog is designed to be dense and disorientating to deter an intruder
from following through with their intentions."
In the case of the U.K. jewelry store, the thieves came away empty-handed, he
said: "Thieves can’t steal what they can’t see." The company is based in
St. Louis, but the European Union was the first to approve the fog machine as a
crime deterrent.
After seeing its success, Egel said he and his business partner, Scott Bader,
introduced their security measure to the United States, which is used in stores
in a handful of states.
"The system can be used in all retail settings, from clothing stores and
pharmacies to cannabis stores, from convenience stores to gun shops."
foxbusiness.com
Anti-Theft Measures Not Working?
Retail theft surge driving businesses to explore more safety options
Stores are beefing up security with cameras and cables, but these measures don't
seem to be holding back coordinated attacks.
From Los Angeles to Chicago to New York City, retail thefts have left major
companies reeling,
citing massive hits to profit margins and serious concerns about safety as large
groups target stores.
 David
Johnston, Vice President of Asset Protection and Retail Operations for the NRF,
says historically, companies would not discuss the impact of thefts on their
bottom line, thinking it reflected a failure in their ability to control their
store security.
"But what we're seeing today, we are beyond the retailer, being the individual
who can correct what's happening today with the several acts of lawlessness, the
brazen acts of shoplifting.
This is not a retailer only solution to solve,"
Johnston said.
A small business owner in Portland says he has seen an
800% increase in shoplifting.
From additional cameras to security cables, Johnston says stores
aren't holding back on security measures.
But these measures
don't seem to be holding back coordinated attacks.
Read Hayes is the director of the Loss Prevention Research Council.
The Florida-based research company works with more than 70 major retail chains
to find effective solutions for loss prevention.
"We have a team of 16. We've got
six inside labs that can simulate store environments and/or any environment we'd
like in our simulation lab.
We also have outside areas that we can test and learn. And we are doing a whole
lot of field testing too. So, we've got the greater part of Gainesville,
Florida, as one big living lab now, but we're also going to be setting up
similar capability in places like Atlanta coming up," Hayes said.
Since 2022, a handful of states, including
Illinois, Oregon, New Mexico, Indiana, and Florida, have passed tougher retail
crime legislation. A
federal proposal would increase penalties in cases where evidence shows multiple
thefts.
scrippsnews.com
New Mexico's Retail Theft Crackdown Takes Effect
Albuquerque prosecutors take new approach to combatting retail theft
Prosecutors in New Mexico’s largest metro area are
taking over all cases involving retail theft including small-scale shoplifting,
in efforts to enforce
new state sanctions against coordinated retail crime.
Albuquerque-area District Attorney Sam Bregman and New Mexico Gov. Michelle
Lujan Grisham
on Tuesday announced the approach to combatting retail crime.
Previously, police officers in the Albuquerque area often processed misdemeanor
sanctions for shoplifting less than $500 worth of merchandise. Prosecutors say
they can then
consolidate related cases of retail theft over a 90-day period and possibly
bring felony charges.
Lujan Grisham
signed legislation in April to create a new category of “organized retail crime”
and stiffen penalties
for organized theft of store merchandize as retailers have highlighted losses
from coordinated pilfering.
“People should be able to go to the store without being afraid. Business owners
are also fed up,” said Bregman, announcing the new approach to prosecution. “We
think these new changes will hold repeat shoplifters accountable.”
In New Mexico and beyond, major retailers are trying to curb theft while not
angering shoppers as they lock up everyday items on display.
A new federal law requires online marketplaces to verify high-volume sellers on
their platforms amid heightened concerns about retail crime.
Lujan Grisham said
the new approach across Bernalillo County will help ensure consistent and
effective efforts to combat retail theft,
and free up police officers to handle other public safety concerns.
dailynews.com
Petition Calls on Retailers to Take
More Action to Stop Theft
Some US shoppers fearful as organized retail theft rises
Ann McGee, a New Yorker from the borough of Queens, doesn't like the recent
sensation she has when entering stores: fear. "It's not
normal to be scared" when shopping, McGee told AFP.
She's behind a recent petition denouncing the insecurity caused by rising
retail theft -- sometimes by thieves operating in groups and threatening
anyone near them with violence -- in her neighborhood.
US retailers across the country have reported a sharp rise in theft in the last
few months, alongside a worrying increase in violence. "You cannot accept the
fact that these people can go into stores without fear and choose to rob these
stores and get away with it," she said.
"It has to stop and the only way to get things done is if people start getting
involved," she said. "It's time to rally -- I want to start a class action."
The drugstore chain CVS was targeted in June by McGee's petition, which
she also sent to her local councilman, Democrat Robert Holden.
Holden reached out to the group's chief executive Karen Lynch to denounce what
he called "rampant retail theft" in four CVS stores and the
lack of action by the company to alert the police.
"Failing to report retail theft constitutes a dereliction of duty and poses
serious consequences," he wrote in a letter to Lynch.
"It inadvertently incentivizes criminals to continue their unlawful
activities while putting CVS staff and consumers in unnecessary danger," he
added.
Holden's office told AFP that he received a response from CVS's head of
security, who pledged that all incidents would be reported to the police
from now on.
news.yahoo.com
Business owner in Elmwood Village may shutdown due to rising retail theft
Nebraska retailers work to combat organized theft
'We just want laws to protect us': CA jewelry store wants change after robbery
scare
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Technology Has Advanced, But Has Workplace Safety
Lagged Behind?
Workplace Injuries and Death Are Shockingly Common in the US in 2023
We haven’t made nearly as much progress as we should have.
In 2022, the Bureau of Labor Statistics recorded 5,190 workplace fatalities, an
8.9% increase from 2020.
In 2021, a worker died every 101 minutes from a workplace
injury.
Workers of all ages, backgrounds, and identities are left asking: How much is my
life worth?
 It
is shocking how many incidents resulting in workplace injury or death involve
employers who are, technically, following the rules. The Occupational Safety and
Health Administration (OSHA) is the federal agency tasked with enforcing
workplace safety laws and holding employers accountable. But, according to a
2023 report from the American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial
Organizations (AFL-CIO),
the median penalty a company faces when a worker dies on the job is $12,063
under federal OSHA, and $7,000 under one of the agency's state branches.
Then there are the
employers who actually do violate the law.
For many of these violators, the
fines they are required to pay barely count as pocket change.
Amazon, for example, was cited by OSHA in February for failing to keep workers
safe.
Multiple workers have died in the company's facilities,
including Caes Gruesbeck, a man who died from blunt-force trauma in an Indiana
warehouse. His death is under investigation by the state’s OSHA.
Reuters reported that the company has racked up around
$150,000 in OSHA fines since January of this year. Comparatively, in 2022, the
company generated over $500 billion in revenue.
There is also the problem of what happens when there isn’t even a law in place
to violate. This summer, heatstroke and other heat-related illnesses have
claimed the lives of far too many workers, but there is currently
no specific federal law protecting workers from extreme heat.
Tony Rufus,
a Teamster working in a Kroger distribution center in Memphis,
did not die under the sun’s rays; according to a report in The Guardian, Rufus
had been searching for a way to cool down all day, finally stepping over to the
produce section to take a quick break. That’s where he took his last breath.
In addition to deadly heat, the AFL-CIO has estimated that about
120,000 people lost their lives to occupational diseases in 2021.
Health care workers are regularly exposed to COVID-19 and other viruses; coal
miners and construction workers breath in toxic silica dust;
warehouse workers fall victim to musculoskeletal disorders; the list goes on and
on.
teenvogue.com
Reducing On-The-Job Opioid Deaths
Opioid Overdose Drugs Unite Groups Over Workplace First Aid Kits
OSHA doesn’t regulate stocking the drug
Reducing the number of on-the-job opioid deaths is the goal of of workplace
safety advocates and industry groups that
want businesses to include an overdose prevention drug—Naloxone—in their first
aid supplies.
 A
significant roadblock to employers stocking Naloxone was lifted this year as the
Food and Drug Administration approved two nasal spray versions of Naloxone—Narcan
and RiVive—as
non-prescription drugs that can be sold in stores or online.
“Whether as part of a first aid kit or elsewhere,
Naloxone serves as another tool in the toolkit to help keep workers safe,”
Lorraine Martin, president of the National Safety Council, said. “Now that it is
available over the counter, Naloxone should be in every workplace.”
The push comes as the
US continues to grapple with an opioid crisis
that has claimed thousands of lives nationwide.
In workplaces, unintentional drug
overdoses, such as from fentanyl, led to 464 occupational deaths in 2021,
according to US Bureau of Labor Statistics data. That’s
9% percent of the year’s 5,190 on-the-job fatalities and the fifth most common
cause. Transportation,
warehousing, and construction workers accounted for 42% of the deaths.
While a voluntary industry standard could potentially materialize in the next
few years, some employers are already moving ahead with
plans to have Naloxone at their worksites.
news.bloomberglaw.com
Security Guards Replaced By Robots?
Las Vegas is the latest flashpoint between workers and AI, from robot bartenders
to casino security guards
Robots are already replacing some jobs, such as bartenders and security guards.
Add bartenders and security guards in Las Vegas to the list of
workers concerned about
AI replacing human jobs.
Restaurants, bars, casinos, and other attractions in the city are using AI
instead of humans for some jobs,
NPR reported Monday.
Between 38% and 65% of jobs
in Southern Nevada, where Las Vegas is the biggest city,
could be automated by 2035,
NPR reported, citing a
2019 article from the Nevada Independent.
The Culinary Union, which counts about 60,000 members in Nevada's service and
hospitality industry, is planning to
bargain for protections to guard against AI taking jobs in a contract
that the union hopes to win later this year, according to NPR. The union's
membership is even considering the possibility of striking in order to get those
protections, Secretary-Treasurer Ted Pappageorge told NPR.
AI is poised to eliminate some jobs and
change others,
Insider has previously reported.
In another example, the M Resort, located south of Las Vegas proper in
Henderson, Nevada, started
using a security robot in its parking lot
earlier this year. TikTok user lasvegaslina posted a video of the robot at work
in June. "It cruises around looking for any potential trouble with
50 cameras and sensors on it,"
local TV station
KVVU reported in February.
businessinsider.com
NRF Announces Acquisition of Reverse Logistics Association
WASHINGTON
– The National Retail Federation today announced its acquisition of the Reverse
Logistics Association (RLA), a global trade association for the returns and
reverse industry. The announcement was made during the RLA Leadership Summit in
Atlanta and is part of NRF's unrivaled commitment to support sustainable
practices throughout the retail industry.
nrf.com
Bath & Body Works hiring for holiday season
Bath & Body Works is accepting applications for season work at its distribution
centers and is expected to hire 30,000 sales associates.
Manhattan retail shows signs of life as office market lags
Express Inc. leans on cost cuts as sales, profits plummet
Will Best Buy See a Holiday Recovery?
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All the News - One Place - One Source - One Time
Thanks to our sponsors/partners - Take the time to thank them as well please. If
it wasn't for them The Daily wouldn't be here every day for you.
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Raising the Watch Tower
Results from LVT's Crime-Fighting
ACCESS Taskforce
According to the Loss Prevention Research
Council (LPRC), LVT Units
led to a 40% decrease in shoplifting.
The ACCESS Taskforce
from LVT provided proven
results for two communities, helping both their police departments and local
retailers by contributing to a decrease in crime. See the results for
yourself in
LPRC's study.
Read the Results Here
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In Case You
Missed It
Summit Agenda Now Available
The RH-ISAC Cyber Intelligence Summit features three days of
member-driven professional development, including:
• Sessions delivered by prominent thought leaders
• Collaborative workshops
• Cybersecurity exercises
• Exceptional networking opportunities
This is the "can't-miss" event for cybersecurity professionals from
the retail and hospitality industries.
Register now to join us October 2-4 in Dallas, Texas.
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Google Chrome Targeted by Data-Stealers
Google's Souped-up Chrome Store Review Process Foiled by Data-Stealer
Researchers have discovered that despite Google's adoption of the Manifest V3
security standard to protect against malicious plug-ins, attackers can still get
bad extensions past its review process.
 Malicious
yet legitimate-looking
Google Chrome browser
extensions that steal people's passwords and other sensitive data
can still make it into the official app store, despite Google's adoption of a
standard aimed at preventing this from happening.
That's the word from researchers at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, who
have created a proof-of-concept,
data-stealing browser extension
that successfully passed the Chrome Web Store review process despite its
compliance with
Manifest V3, Chrome's latest security and privacy standard, they reported in
a research paper
posted online.
Google Chrome's adoption of Manifest V3 — which Microsoft Edge and Mozilla
Firefox also now support — is a "balancing act" between allowing browser
extensions the access they need to run effectively, while
protecting users by not giving
malicious extensions the same access,
Mark Stockley, a cybersecurity evangelist from Malwarebytes Labs, wrote
in a blog post published this week.
"The standard tightens up security in a number of ways, most notably by
stopping extensions from downloading code from remote websites,"
he wrote. This, in turn, stops them from changing their functionality once
they're installed, allowing Google to understand what an extension does before
allowing it to be posted on the Chrome store.
darkreading.com
Infiltrating Corporate Networks
MinIO Attack Showcases Fresh Corporate Cloud Attack Vector
The open source object storage service was the target of a never-before-seen
attack on corporate cloud services, which researchers said should put DevOps in
particular on notice.
A brand-new attack vector has emerged in the cloud,
allowing cybercriminals to remotely execute code and take full control over
systems
running the distributed object storage system called MinIO.
&uuid=(email)) MinIO
is an open source offering compatible with the Amazon S3 cloud storage service,
which allows companies to handle unstructured
data like photos, videos, log files, backups, and container images.
Researchers at Security Joes recently observed threat actors making use of a set
of critical vulnerabilities in the platform (CVE-2023-28434 and CVE-2023-28432)
to infiltrate a corporate network.
In the attack, the cybercriminals duped a DevOps engineer to update MinIO to a
new version that effectively functioned as a backdoor. Security Joes incident
responders determined that the update was a weaponized version of MinIO
containing a built-in command shell function called "GetOutputDirectly()," and
remote code execution (RCE) exploits for the two vulnerabilities, which were
disclosed in March.
Further, it turns out that this booby-trapped version is available in a GitHub
repository under the moniker "Evil_MinIO." Security Joes researchers noted that
while this particular attack was stopped before the RCE-and-takeover stage,
the existence of the evil-twin software should put users on notice to watch for
future attacks, especially against software developers.
A successful attack
could expose sensitive corporate information and intellectual property, allow
access to internal applications, and set attackers up to pivot deeper into
organizations' infrastructure.
darkreading.com
Cybersecurity Becoming Larger Part of C-Suite
Focus
Corporate boards expand cybersecurity risk oversight, report finds
A study from EY shows Fortune 100 CISOs more
closely engaged with the board of directors and C-suite.
With new Securities and Exchange Commission disclosure rules set to take effect
in early September, a study from the
EY Center for Board Matters shows director oversight of cybersecurity at
Fortune 100 companies is rapidly evolving.
In SEC filings, 4 in 5 companies disclosed how often management reported to
the board or committees on cybersecurity, the study found. Almost half of
the companies reported at least annually to the board on cybersecurity.
More than 3 in 5 companies disclosed cybersecurity as an area of expertise
sought by the board, up from 1 in 5 in 2018.
cybersecuritydive.com
Cyber talent gap solutions you need to know
Cybercriminals target MS SQL servers to deliver ransomware |
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Thank you
for nominating Sapphire Risk!
We'd greatly appreciate if you would vote
Sapphire Risk Advisory
Group for
"Cannabis Consulting Firm of the Year"
The winners will be announced on stage at The Pearl Theater at the Palms Casino
Resort in Las Vegas on November 30, 2023.
Vote for Sapphire Here
|
Storing Your Cannabis Security Footage
Video Storage Options for Cannabis Businesses
Video storage can take place either on-site or remotely, with potential benefits
and drawbacks to each option. Depending on the operations of the business, as
well as regulatory requirements, one option or a combination of both options
may be best suited for the cannabis business.
 Most
often, cannabis businesses choose to store their video on-site via large
servers. These on-premises solutions are controlled by the cannabis business
directly or their IT department. But depending on the data retention
requirements and quality of the video being stored, on-site storage solutions
can be expensive. On the other hand, remote cannabis video storage has grown in
popularity due to enhancements in cloud technology and cybersecurity.
Cloud-based video storage solutions offer more flexibility and scalability, but
also come with their own set of concerns.
On-Site Storage
For some cannabis businesses, on-site video storage and management can be more
of a headache than a benefit. When choosing to store video footage on-site,
consider the cost of both the NVR or server as well as the added cost of
protecting the physical storage devices. Most on-site storage solutions
require their own security measures to prevent physical damage, theft, and
tampering. Depending on the size of the recorded video files, number of
deployed cameras, regulatory storage requirements, and other factors, the sheer
quantity and cost of on-site storage devices adds up quick.
Remote Storage
When it comes to security, some cannabis business owners may have issue with
putting a third-party in charge of their recordings. Cloud storage comes with
its own security risks not typically associated with on-site solutions, such as
hacking, though modern cloud-storage providers have gone through extreme lengths
to mitigate cyber-attacks. Remote storage solutions also require a reliable
internet connection, which may be a problem for some cannabis businesses with a
slow or unreliable network connection.
sapphirerisk.com
Biden Admin Moves to Loosen Weed Restrictions
US Health Officials Urge Moving Pot to Lower-Risk Tier
Change would remove drug from most restricted designation
US health officials are recommending easing restrictions on marijuana,
a move that sets the stage for potentially expanding the cannabis market
across the country.
&uuid=(email)) A
top official at the Department of Health and Human Services wrote Drug
Enforcement Administration head Anne Milgram
calling for marijuana to be reclassified as a Schedule III drug under the
Controlled Substances Act,
according to a letter dated Aug. 29 that was seen by Bloomberg News.
A DEA spokesperson confirmed the department had received the letter with HHS’s
recommendation. With final authority to reschedule a drug,
DEA will now initiate its own review,
the spokesperson said.
Reclassification is
a step short of legalizing the drug entirely, but it would mark a critical shift
away from marijuana’s status as a Schedule I substance,
which includes drugs with high risk of abuse, like heroin, LSD and ecstasy.
Schedule III substances, such as ketamine, are seen as less dangerous and can be
obtained legally with a prescription.
It could also give President Joe Biden an accomplishment to point to ahead of
next year’s election, while
reducing the taxes that cannabis businesses pay.
Cannabis advocates say that re-scheduling would be an acknowledgment by the
federal government that marijuana has legitimate uses, and would be one step on
a path toward greater acceptance and availability.
bloomberg.com
NY's Cannabis Rollout is in a 'Death Spiral'
Judge’s ruling brings NY legal cannabis rollout to a complete standstill
New
York’s already slow legal cannabis rollout has been stopped cold by an upstate
judge in a case with sweeping implications for the fledgling weed industry.
Albany Supreme Court Judge Kevin Bryant had initially given 23 cannabis shops
the go-ahead to open in an exemption to an injunction that has placed a pause on
the opening of new dispensaries. But Bryant reversed his decision after ruling
that
the state’s Office of Cannabis Management failed to comply with the court.
“It is clear to this Court upon review of the affidavits that OCM failed to
comply with this Court’s Order regarding exemptions to the injunction,” Judge
Bryant wrote in the decision, which was filed Monday.
This is the latest twist in the
state’s sluggish rollout of legal dispensaries.
Lawyers and advocates worry it also marks
the beginning of a potential death spiral for the program,
which aims to prioritize social justice goals by doling out licenses first to
those impacted by the war on drugs and their families. About two dozen legal
dispensaries are currently open across the entire state, while several hundred
licenses have been issued to diepsenaries waiting to open.
The Albany case threatens to change the legal weed rollout for good, opens the
door even wider to the exploding gray market and will possibly create even more
havoc in the legal world, with lawyers warning of more lawsuits to come.
nydailynews.com
Maryland dispensaries identify challenges as recreational cannabis sales
continue to grow
Detroit’s not so red-hot cannabis real estate market |
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The FTC is Likely to Sue Amazon This Month
FTC’s Amazon Antitrust Suit Likely to Be Filed in September
The Federal Trade Commission is likely to sue Amazon.com Inc. later this month,
capping a four-year antitrust investigation into the company,
people familiar with the matter said Tuesday.
 The
antitrust suit is expected
to target the online retail giant’s popular marketplace, where third-party
merchants, who now account for more than half of the company’s online sales,
pay a commission on each sale, according to the people, who asked not to be
named discussing the potential suit. Merchants have complained that Amazon
unfairly ties access to its marketplace with its logistics service.
The long-expected complaint will be
the fourth the agency has filed this year targeting Amazon, stepping up pressure
by the Biden administration, which has focused on antitrust and competition as a
keystone of its economic policy.
FTC Chair Lina Khan, Biden’s pick to lead the agency, has long had the online
commerce giant in her sights, writing a seminal paper as a law student about how
to rethink the antitrust laws in connection with its online platform.
Top company executives met with the FTC’s three commissioners in mid-August to
discuss the suit, though
no settlement was discussed,
according to the people.
The FTC, which has both antitrust and consumer protection mandates, has been
investigating Amazon for potential anticompetitive conduct over several aspects
of its business, including its marketplace, Prime subscription service and cloud
computing.
In May, the agency
sued the e-commerce giant in two separate cases for failing to delete data about
children collected by its Alexa speakers and illegally spying on users of its
Ring doorbells
and cameras. Amazon said it disagreed with the FTC’s allegations, but agreed to
pay $30.8 million to resolve the cases.
One month later, the FTC again sued Amazon in a consumer protection case,
alleging
the company duped consumers into signing up for Prime membership and
deliberately made it hard to cancel.
Amazon denies the allegations and that suit is ongoing.
finance.yahoo.com
Global Crackdown Against Big Tech
E.U. targets Apple, Amazon, Alphabet, ByteDance, Meta, Microsoft in next phase
of digital crackdown
The six
companies were classified Wednesday as online “gatekeepers” that must face the
highest level of scrutiny under the 27-nation bloc’s Digital Markets Act.
The European Union is
targeting Apple, Amazon, Microsoft, Google parent Alphabet, Facebook owner Meta
and TikTok parent ByteDance
under new digital rules aimed at reining in the market power of online
companies.
The six companies were classified Wednesday as
online “gatekeepers” that must face the highest level of scrutiny
under the 27-nation bloc’s Digital Markets Act.
The act amounts to a list of do’s and don’ts that seeks to
prevent tech giants from cornering digital markets, with the threat of whopping
fines or even forcing Big Tech companies to sell of parts of their business
to operate in Europe.
It’s part of a sweeping update to the
EU’s digital rulebook that’s starting to take force this year,
and comes weeks after a companion package of rules aimed at keeping internet
users safe, the Digital Services Act, started kicking in.
nbcnews.com
Temu is overtaking Amazon in many countries. Here's how
Best Practices For Improving Online Shopping Experiences |
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Indianapolis, IN: 2 charged with organized retail theft in Indy as lawmakers
crack down on the crime
 Felony
charges are filed against two people accused of running an organized retail
theft ring in Indianapolis. Prosecutors claim the two suspects, who were
arrested this week, stole thousands of dollars in tools from several businesses
and then tried to sell those items on Facebook Marketplace. Lawmakers are trying
to crack down on the crime. This year, they passed a new law which means that
sort of crime can now carry a tough punishment. From the Walmart in Beech Grove,
to a Lowe’s on Emerson, a second Lowe’s on Madison and a Menards on Emerson,
prosecutors claim two accused thieves stole thousands of dollars in expensive
DeWalt table saws and drills last month, then tried to resell those items to
unsuspecting customers online. “When someone is organized like this and
reselling it, that is just beyond the pale of egregious,” said Indiana Senator
Aaron Freeman. To help fight organized retail theft, State Sen. Freeman authored
Senate Bill 343, which passed the statehouse and became law in May. The law
increases the penalty for that crime. Specifically, the law changes the crime
from a level 6 felony to a level 5 felony in cases involving stolen items over
$50,000 or stolen firearms. Prosecutors can also seek the enhanced felony if the
suspect has a previous conviction for the same crime. “I’m proud of the bill. I
just wish it wasn’t necessary,” said Freeman. “We just felt the court system and
prosecutors needed another tool in their bag to deal with organized retail theft
rings.”
cbs4indy.com
Kensington, MD: Thieves steal $70K in jewelry from Kensington shop
 A
jewelry store in Montgomery County was robbed Tuesday, and the entire incident
was caught on a security camera. The jewelry store owner, Raffie Bardizbanian,
is really upset, and he hopes this surveillance video helps police catch the
suspected thieves. Bardizbanian says he has only been robbed four times over 37
years in business. But this theft was extraordinary. He says these women were
methodical, professional, thieves. The crystal clear surveillance video appears
to show four women distracting the jewelry owner as another woman is seen
crawling on the ground, out of the owner’s view. The suspect grabs a box of
jewelry that the owner repaired. He said it belonged to customers,
and then she crawls behind the display case and places the jewelry under another
woman’s blue dress. The woman sits down, and then the suspects leave the store
with more than $70,000 worth of jewels.
fox5dc.com
Burleson, TX: Shoplifting suspects in Texas arrested with over $15,000 in
merchandise from various retailers
Local authorities recently apprehended a group of shoplifting suspects, leading
to the recovery and return of over $15,000 worth of stolen merchandise to
various retail stores. The Burleson Police Department was alerted to the
suspects who were seen stuffing numerous makeup items into a trash bag at a
local department store. The suspects managed to flee the scene in a vehicle, but
were later identified by an observant store employee who promptly informed the
police. Officers were able to locate the suspect vehicle and conducted a traffic
stop. The subsequent search of the vehicle revealed several more stolen items
from various locations. Thanks to the swift action of the victims and officers,
and after hours of investigation, the police were able to return the stolen
merchandise, valued at more than $15,000, back to the retailers.
mytexasdaily.com
Marion County, IN: Update: The Gathering card thieves charged with felony theft
Two men who allegedly stole $300,000 worth of Magic: The Gathering cards from an
Illinois retailer setting up at tabletop convention Gen Con have been
charged with felony theft, according to the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office in
Indianapolis. Thomas Dunbar and Andrew Giaume, who created a game called Castle
Assault, have been charged with felony theft for their parts in the alleged
theft of the Magic: The Gathering Cards from retailer and tournament organizer
Pastimes Comics & Games. Should Dunbar and Giaume be found guilty, they face one
to six years in prison and up to a $10,000 fine. The prosecutor's office said
the charges come after an investigation that spanned both Indiana and New York,
where Dunbar and Giaume reside. “During the course of the investigation, the
stolen merchandise was located and recovered as evidence,” Marion County
prosecutor Ryan Mears said in a statement issued to Polygon. “The filing of
charges today ensures that there are criminal consequences for this conduct.”
gizmodo.com
Billings, MT: Shoplifting Wall of Shame unveiled at Billings business
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Shootings & Deaths
Dewitt, NY: 2 teen suspects killed by Deputy after they tried to run him over
 A
sheriff’s deputy investigating a burglary in upstate New York fatally shot two
teenagers Wednesday who were in a vehicle he thought was about to run him over,
according to authorities. The deputy fired three shots into the vehicle during
an encounter around dawn in the Syracuse suburb of Dewitt, said Onondaga County
Sheriff Tobias Shelley. The deputy, who was investigating one of two smoke shop
burglaries in the area, had responded to a call just before 6:30 a.m. about
people seen transferring items between two vehicles. He drove bumper to bumper
with one of those vehicles, which backed up as the driver attempted to escape.
The deputy was caught by his vehicle in a narrow space, according to the
sheriff, and fired to protect himself. “He had nowhere to flee to. This whole
thing happens in seconds,” Shelley said. The deputy did not activate his body
camera but Shelley said a video taken by a resident documented the shooting.
That video has not yet been made public.
witn.com
Henrico County, VA: Man shot outside Whole Foods dies; suspects now charged with
murder
The victim in a shooting outside a Henrico County Whole Foods has now died,
police say. The victim, 30-year-old Julian Leshon McClenny, of Drewryville, was
shot Saturday around 8:50 p.m. on the 11100 block of West Broad Street.
Officials said McClenny died of his injuries Tuesday. As a result, the suspects,
Deontae Winston and Katoya Brown, have now been charged with second-degree
murder. A preliminary investigation found the pair were in the Whole Foods
parking lot when they got into an argument with McClenny.
wtvr.com
Eugene, OR: Suspect in 7-11 fatal shooting in Eugene turns himself in to police
Eugene Police said Jaisi Tavin Savath turned himself in at 4:45 p.m. Wednesday
and is now in custody. Eugene Police are seeking the suspect in a fatal shooting
that occurred last week near the University of Oregon campus. Officers responded
early Saturday to a shooting at a 7-11 store on East Patterson and Broadway. An
employee at the store was hospitalized and has since died. On Wednesday, the
Eugene Police Department identified the victim as 32-year-old Stephen Anthony
Forrest. Officials said the case is being treated as a murder investigation.
klcc.org
Aurora, CO: Aurora Officers cleared in Jor’Dell Richardson killing
Two officers involved in the shooting death of 14-year-old Jor’Dell Richardson
will not face criminal charges, the 18th Judicial District Attorney’s Office
announced on Wednesday. Police shot and killed Jor’Dell on June 1 after an
Aurora convenience store robbery, with
responding officers thinking he was armed. It turned out Jor’Dell was carrying a
pellet-gun replica of a 9mm pistol, and his killing led to protests in
the city. But prosecutors found that the officer’s belief that it was a real gun
was reasonable at the time, and body camera video shows the gun “clearly
visible” in Jor’Dell’s hands, according to the DA’s investigative report.
Investigators also found that the people involved in the store robbery thought
the gun was real.
kdvr.com
Wichita, KS: U.S. Marshals make arrest in connection to murder of Garden City
restaurant owner
U.S. Marshals arrested a woman in connection to the fatal shooting of Ernie
Ortiz in September 2019. The suspect in the case was not in Kansas when she was
caught. Garden City police say they worked with U.S. Marshals to locate her.
ksn.com
Portage, IN: Fired Menards employee threatens to 'shoot this place up,' Portage
police say
Police say a 27-year-old Gary man made matters much worse for himself over the
weekend when after being fired from the local Menards store, he threated to
return and "shoot this place up." A security guard reportedly told police that
as he was escorting Nicholas Pruitt out of the store early Saturday afternoon,
Pruitt began to yell and curse loudly. "I'm going to come back and shoot this
place up straight fire," Pruitt allegedly said. "I'm going to shoot (fellow
employee) point blank, I got warrants I don't care." When police arrived at the
store at 6220 U.S. 6, they found Pruitt sitting in a vehicle and said he was
argumentative with an officer. "Mr. Pruitt provided conflicting information as
to his employment status, and denied saying any verbal threats to other
employees," according to the arrest report. Pruitt was taken to the Porter
County Jail and has been charged with a felony count of intimidation, records
show.
nwitimes.com
Columbia, SC: Victims of Columbia Food Lion shooting are teenagers
 The
victims of a shooting at a Columbia Food Lion are teenagers, according to
Richland County deputies. The two teen boys — who are 15 and 16 years old — were
shot in the parking of the store on Hardscrabble Road on Monday night, deputies
said. The sheriff’s office said the pair were taken to the hospital, where they
are still recovering. No arrests have been made yet in the case.
wistv.com
Baltimore man, 70, sentenced to 30 years after fatal shooting behind Glen Burnie
liquor store
Robberies,
Incidents & Thefts
Report of woman brandishing gun in Kohl's brings Ventura police
The Ventura Police Department sent a large response to Kohl's department store
Tuesday night after reports of a woman inside with a gun. In the end, the
firearm — which appeared to be a rifle and was allegedly pointed at a
loss-prevention officer — turned out to be a replica, said Cmdr. Ryan Weeks. The
70-year-old suspect was arrested on suspicion of a misdemeanor. The incident was
phoned in around 8:27 p.m. to the 4950 Telephone Road location, Weeks said.
Officers arrived three minutes later. The woman was near the back of the store
at the time, he said, after having walked around inside with what appeared to be
a weapon. People in the store were trying to get employees to a safe room, Weeks
said. Officers may have also tried to get customers out. At some point, the
woman dropped the weapon, which turned out to be a replica, and was taken into
custody. There had been an incident earlier in the day when the woman reportedly
caused a disturbance at the store, although police hadn't responded, Weeks said.
The disturbance apparently involved merchandise.
When the woman returned Tuesday night, she reportedly pointed the replica gun at
the loss prevention officer and said she "wanted her stuff back," Weeks
said. No details were available Wednesday about what the items were. The woman
was arrested on suspicion of brandishing a replica gun. She remained in Ventura
County jail as of midday Wednesday with bail set at $2,500, jail records show.
vcstar.com
Memphis, TN: Another smash-and-grab burglary: Criminals target jewelry store
overnight
At least one person broke into a jewelry store overnight on Getwell Road by
entering the the glass front doors forcefully. Mufasa Memphis Jeweler, on
Getwell Road near the University of Memphis South Campus, was the target
overnight Thursday. Memphis Police officers responded to the location around
2:30 a.m. Entry was achieved by driving what appears to be a Chevy Malibu, in
reverse, into the front windows. The car remained at the store. The
smash-and-grab style crime has become a notable happening in the area over the
past several months in which criminals use cars, trucks and sledgehammers to
burst through glass windows, then steal in a dash.
At least three different liquor stores have been targeted for smash-and-grab
activity including one - Busters - on multiple occasions.
fox13memphis.com
Guelph, Ontario, Canada: Loss Prevention thwarts robbery, has knife pulled on
him
The Guelph Police Service was called to a store on Silvercreek Parkway North
Tuesday afternoon about a robbery in progress. Investigators say just before 4
p.m., a man was seen by a loss prevention officer leaving the store with
clothing that he had tried on earlier and had not paid for. The staff member
followed the man outside and tried to stop him. That was when investigators say
the man pulled out a 6 inch knife. They say there was a struggle between the two
before the employee gained control of the weapon.
globalnews.ca
Liberty, OH: Former Walmart cashier accused of stealing $10K cash
Buena Park, CA: Target children’s clothing section turns into flaming inferno in
terrifying scene
 Back-to-school
shoppers were met with a towering inferno in the children’s clothing section of
a California Target on Tuesday — but luckily no one was hurt. Shoppers were
forced to evacuate the Buena Park outlet when the blaze erupted at around 7
p.m., but not before one customer caught the massive fire on camera. Gigantic
flames could be seen reaching up to the ceiling in the middle of the children’s
section as the sprinkler systems went off. It appeared the fire engulfed a
standalone rack of what appeared to be clothes for toddlers.
nypost.com
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•
C-Store – Panama City,
FL – Burglary
•
C-Store – Panama City,
FL – Burglary
•
C-Store – Ottawa
County, MI – Burglary
•
Clothing –
Bakersfield, CA – Burglary
•
Kohl’s - Ventura, CA –
Armed Robbery
•
Jewelry – Kensington,
MD – Robbery
•
Jewelry – Memphis, TN
– Burglary
•
Macy’s – San Mateo, CA
– Robbery
•
Marijuana – Oklahoma
City, OK – Burglary
•
Marijuana – Kitsap
County, WA – Burglary
•
Restaurant – Bryan, TX
– Burglary
•
Restaurant – Long
Bottom, OH – Burglary
•
Restaurant – Louisa
County, VA - Armed Robbery
•
Tobacco – Dewitt, NY –
Burglary / 2 Susp killed
•
Tobacco – Myrtle
Beach, SC – Armed Robbery
•
Tobacco – San Jose, CA
– Burglary
•
Walgreens – Memphis,
TN – Armed Robbery
•
Walgreens – Rockford,
IL – Robbery
•
Walmart – Leesburg, VA
– Robbery
•
Walmart – Michigan
City, IN – Robbery
|
Daily Totals:
• 9 robberies
• 11 burglaries
• 1 shooting
• 2 killed |
Click to enlarge map
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Featured Job Spotlights
An Industry Obligation - Staffing
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Security Director
Chicago, IL - posted
September 7
Reporting to the VP of Corporate Security, the Director of Corporate Security is
a professional security practitioner that acts as an advisor/consultant to the
assigned Property Management Group. Responsibilities include monitoring security
vendors’ performance, evaluating for contract compliance, and serving as a
program quality control manager...
District Asset Protection Manager
Washington, DC - posted
August 31
The MidAtlantic Division has an opening for a District Asset Protection Manager
in Northern Virginia. This person will support Fairfax, Arlington, and Loudoun
counties. This is a salary role with up to 70% travel within the assigned
district. District Asset Protection Manager will provide positive/proactive
leadership, and instruction in the area of Security/Asset Protection...
Regional Manager, Asset Protection - Southeast
Georgia or Louisiana
- posted
August 7
In this role, you will embody Do The Right Thing by protecting People, Assets,
and Brands. You will work in an energized, fast paced environment focused on
creating a safe environment for our employees, teams, and customers; this is
critical to driving our Brand Power, Enduring Customer Relationships, and
exuding our commitment to Team and Values...
Corporate & Supply Chain Asset Protection Leader
Quincy, MA - posted
August 3
The primary purpose of this position is to manage the Corporate Asset Protection
function for all US Support Offices and Supply Chain. Direct team in the design,
implementation and management of physical security processes and equipment to
ensure facilities are considered a safe and secure environment for all
associates and external parties...
Occupational Health & Safety Manager
Mount Horeb, WI - posted
July 27
This role is responsible for examining the workplace for environmental or
physical factors that could affect employee or guest health, safety, comfort,
and performance. This role is also responsible for reducing the frequency and
severity of accidents. To be successful in the role, you will need to work
closely with management, employees, and relevant regulatory bodies...
Loss Prevention Auditor and Fraud Detection Analyst
Boston, MA - posted
July 7
As a LP Auditor and Fraud Detection Analyst for Staples, you will conduct LP
operational field audits remote, virtual and in person, within a base of 60
retail stores to ensure compliance to operational standards to drive operational
excellence and preserve profitability. You will also train store managers on
Key-Holder responsibilities, Inventory Control standards, Cash Office
procedures, Protection Standards, Safety and Fraud trends...
Manager, Physical Security
Jacksonville, FL - posted
July 7
Responsible for overseeing all aspects of the company’s physical security
strategy for retail stores, warehouses, and store support center and field
offices. This includes responsibility for the capital expense and repair
budgets, developing written specifications, layout and design for all systems
and to ensure all installations and repairs are made to SEG standards...
Regional AP Mgr – South FL Market – Bilingual required
Miami, FL - posted
August 8
Responsible for managing asset protection programs designed to minimize shrink,
associate and customer liability accidents, bad check and cash loss, and safety
incidents for stores within assigned region. This position will develop the
framework for the groups’ response to critical incidents, investigative needs,
safety concerns and regulatory agency visits...
Regional Director, LP & Safety (Midwest)
MN, MO, IL, KS, WI, MI, IN, or
WA - posted
June 27
We are looking for a Regional Director of Loss Prevention to join us in MN, MO,
IL, KS, WI, MI, IN, or WA. You will develop, execute, and maintain shrink and
shrink compliance initiatives. You will also conduct internal and external field
investigations, loss control auditing, store safety programs, and compliance
programs and audits...
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Social networking sites have in essence dissolved any distance between the
professional and the personal life of an executive. They enable employers to see
every aspect of one's life at any given moment and can show historical patterns
that resumes may not overcome in the future. What a person does on the net stays
on the net, what is written will be read and, as time goes on, background checks
will include social networks that go well beyond LinkedIn. On the flip side, one
could do well to maintain a sense of professionalism in every thing they do on
the net and their profiles.
Just a Thought,
Gus
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