Sensormatic Solutions by Johnson Controls expands computer vision offering to address retail's most pressing challenges

NEUHAUSEN, Switzerland-September 14, 2022- Sensormatic Solutions, the leading global retail solutions portfolio of Johnson Controls, has expanded its computer vision analytics offering, which focuses on driving sales, reducing risk, and enhancing the shopper experience. The company's computer vision solutions are created through collaboration with Intel and optimized for retail using proprietary Sensormatic IQ artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms. With Sensormatic Solutions computer vision capabilities, retailers can leverage existing video infrastructure and a smart hub appliance to tap into the data needed to open a world of problem-solving solutions across the retail expanse.

First introduced in 2021, Sensormatic Solutions computer vision offering can be easily deployed using a smart hub device in conjunction with existing camera infrastructure to facilitate streamlined, cost-effective adoption of next-generation AI in retail environments. Computer vision automates tasks and derives meaningful information from video footage in real-time helping to strengthen loss prevention efforts, provide insights on shopper behavior, and maintain safe environments for shoppers and associates.

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Businesses Speak Out Over Chicago's Crime Crisis
McDonald's CEO sounds the alarm over crime in Chicago
McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski has big concerns about surging crime in Chicago, where the fast food giant is based, saying it is impacting the company's restaurants and making it harder to recruit corporate talent.

Crime is "seeping into every corner of our city," Kempczinski said during an event at the Economic Club of Chicago Wednesday. "Everywhere I go, I'm confronted by the same question these days - what's going on in Chicago? While it may wound our civic pride to hear it, there is a general sense out there that our city is in crisis."

Kempczinski said that McDonald's (MCD) restaurants in the city are suffering, noting that there are about 400 of the chain's locations across Chicago.

"We have violent crime that's happening in our restaurants ... we're seeing homelessness issues in our restaurants. We're having drug overdoses that are happening in our restaurants," he said. "So we see in our restaurants, every single day, what's happening in society at large."

Starbucks (SBUX), too, has noted similar problems at some of its stores. Over the summer, the coffee chain announced it would close 16 locations in Seattle, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Washington, DC, and Portland, Oregon over safety concerns.

Kempczinski highlighted another challenge as well: "For McDonald's, though, the issue isn't just about conditions in stores - it's also about recruiting leaders to the company's headquarters and convincing corporate workers to return to the office," the CEO said.

"It's more difficult today for me to convince a promising McDonald's executive to relocate to Chicago from one of our other offices than it was just a few years ago," he said. "It's more difficult for me to recruit a new employee to McDonald's, to join us in Chicago than it was in the past."

And when it comes to returning to the office, he said, "one of the things that I hear from our employees [is] ... 'I'm not sure it's safe to come downtown.'" cnn.com

Shoplifting Doubles in Another City - Thieves More Violent
Police reports show retail crime nearly double in Vancouver, WA
Reports of retail crime in Vancouver have nearly doubled in the last year, according to police. Department data shows officers took nearly twice as many shoplifting reports so far this year, compared to 2021.

Vancouver police spokeswoman Kim Kapp recently told FOX 12 that thieves are also more brazen with their crimes: "We are definitely seeing an increase in the aggressive and violent behavior of these retail thieves," Kapp said.

If the data reveals the problem, it can also be part of the solution, police say, guiding the department to dedicate more resources to catching thieves.

"We are working with loss prevention folks at a variety of retailers in Vancouver, primarily on the east side, where we have a lot of big-box stores strip mall locations where we tend to see a lot more retail theft," Kapp said.

The department has also conducted special missions this summer to stage officers at various retail locations to apprehend suspects. Kapp said operations in June and July resulted in 11 arrests. The department hopes it will send a bigger message.

Earlier this summer, the state's Attorney General, Bob Ferguson, announced a new task force dedicated to fighting organized retail crime. It's something that retails and the associations who represent them, have pushed for.  kptv.com

NRF's National Retail Security Survey 2022 in the News
Shrink costs retailers over $94B in 2021: NRF report
Signaling a rise in retail theft costs, the 2022 National Retail Security Survey from the National Retail Federation found that retail shrinkage made up $94.5 billion in losses in 2021, an increase from $90.8 billion in 2020.

Among the top five U.S. cities affected by organized retail crime over the past year were Los Angeles, San Francisco/Oakland, New York City, Houston and Miami. The report also found that clothing, health and beauty, electronics/appliances, accessories, footwear, home furnishings, home goods and home improvement items were the top categories targeted by organized retail crime groups.

Almost half (44.5%) of retail respondents said they will invest in loss prevention. About 60% said they are increasing their technology budget, and more than half (52.4%) of respondents said they are allocating more funds to their capital and equipment budgets, according to the report.

Previous reports have shown that shrinkage has fluctuated over the past few years. A 2018 PlanetRetail RNG report found that shrinkage cost retailers $100 billion globally in 2017. The following year, the NRF released a report indicating that shrinkage losses solely in the U.S. came in at $50.6 billion in 2018 then rose again to $61.7 billion in 2019.

Though retailers said they plan to spend more on loss prevention, the NRF report suggests that inventory shrink may have decreased on average. The average inventory shrink in the fiscal year 2021 was 1.4%, down from 1.6% in 2020 and 2019.

As for where the shrink occurs the most, respondents said that more than a third (37%) of shrinkage was external theft, including organized retail crime. The report found that retailers attributed more than a quarter (28.5%) of shrinkage to employee internal theft or process and control failures (25.7%). retaildive.com

Click here to read the D&D Daily's Breaking News Alert on the new report

Repeat Offenders Driving America's Violent Crime Crisis
American crime problem has an answer, more criminal control

Violent criminals have extensive records, but soft-on-crime policies keep us from targeting worst offenders

Almost invariably, when you read or hear a story about a serious violent crime - especially a shooting or homicide - the suspect will be reported as having a lengthy criminal history or an active criminal justice status (like parole, probation, or pretrial release). This is hardly a new development; and it's certainly not unique to New York.

A 2006 Bureau of Justice Statistics report analyzing violent felons convicted in America's 75 largest counties between 1990 and 2002 found that even back then - smack dab in the middle of America's allegedly Draconian "tough-on-crime" streak - more than a third of those felons were out on pretrial release, probation, or parole when they committed the offenses they were convicted of.

The reality of crime has long been that it's a phenomenon driven mostly by a relative handful of individuals in a given jurisdiction. An analysis published by the Giffords Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence (a gun control advocacy group) found that "only around 400 individuals - or 0.1% of the Oakland's population - were responsible for the majority of the city's homicides."

We have it in our power to be more precise in how we do criminal justice, reserving the sharpest edges of the system for those who pose the greatest risks to their communities. This would allow us to reap the benefits associated with the incapacitation of the most chronic offenders without having to impose so many burdens on those who aren't threats.

In a recent op-ed in the New York Daily News, NYPD Commissioner Keechant Sewell wrote "Time and again, we see [crime drivers] get second, third and sometimes 10th chances while repeatedly demonstrating an unwillingness to correct their criminal behavior." She called on lawmakers to make the necessary changes to give police, judges, and prosecutors the tools they need to keep New Yorkers safe. Her plea has been echoed by police executives, public safety advocates (myself included), and concerned citizens across the country over the last several years. The question is: Will the decision makers listen? foxnews.com

Troubling Cargo Theft Trend Continues
Labor Day Sees Surge in Cargo Theft Activity
Labor Day weekend has become a more popular target for cargo thieves - especially during the pandemic era - with loaded trailers sitting idle for an extended stretch proving increasingly tempting.

This year, there were 17 thefts reported over the Labor Day weekend period.

CargoNet data shows activity over this stretch peaked last year at 19 reported cargo thefts, following 17 in 2020. However, there were 14 reported incidents in 2019, 13 in 2018 and eight in 2017.

Scott Cornell, transportation lead and crime and theft specialist at Travelers, noted that an uptick in freight movement elevates thieves' interest; when there is more freight on the road there tends to be more criminals targeting it.

"We just haven't seen a drop-off since the pandemic," Cornell said. "I think what you're going to have at the end of this year is numbers almost right on par with 2021 and 2020. They may actually be a little bit higher, or they may actually be a little bit lower. But I don't think you're going to see much in the way of a drop-off."

He added, "They're down from last year, but only by two. They're up from 2019 and they're up from 2018 and they're up from 2017. So what we've seen is a trend of those numbers going up over the past six years."

Cornell noted supply chain backlogs have also led to more cargo sitting idle. He has been tracking several organized crime groups nationwide that are targeting these loads. They're particularly interested in electronics, the most targeted shipment category by criminals since 2017, per CargoNet. ttnews.com

Biden's Anti-Crime Plan Focuses on Hiring More Cops
President Biden's anti-crime bill: Will it make America safer?

A third of Biden's $37 billion anti-crime plan would go to hiring more cops.

On whether the bill will reduce crime in America

Richard Rosenfeld (Emeritus Professor of Criminology at the University of Missouri-St. Louis): "That very much depends on how the plan is implemented. ... One of the things I like about this plan is that it sets out some pretty clear guidelines about how local agencies can obtain these funds. The funds aren't simply going to be delivered to them automatically. They're going to have to apply for them. And for example, with respect to hiring more police officers, the agencies will have to demonstrate that those officers will, in fact, be out of patrol, not simply sitting behind a desk. They'll be trained in so-called community policing and also de-escalation techniques. And so the plan contains requirements for how the money should be used. And we'll just have to see the degree to which those requirements make it into practice."

On what's happened to crime rates over the last few years

Rosenfeld: "Let's start, though, with an assessment of what's actually happened to crime rates over the last couple of years. Homicide rates rose by approximately 30% across the country in 2020, during the height of the pandemic. And in many of the cities that I've looked at as part of the Council on Criminal Justice, a series of reports on crime trends. It turns out that in many cities those increases began to occur almost immediately after the George Floyd murder in Minneapolis and widespread protests, demonstrations emerged across the country. So we're beginning to look now at some of the factors associated with the rise.

"... Larceny rates, which are ... by far the most voluminous of serious crimes, they dropped during the pandemic. A big chunk of larceny is shoplifting, and when the shops are closed, there's no shoplifting. So that's one point I'd like to make, that overall crime rates came down. Homicide being an obviously important exception. wbur.org

Crime in San Francisco has hit nonwhites hardest

Honolulu, HI: Uptick in crime has residents concerned

US: 97.4M Cases - 1M Dead - 93.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 616.2M Cases - 6.5M Dead - 595.4M Recovered

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 362  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 796

COVID Adds Mounting Pressure to CFO Job
CFO: The Toughest Job in the C-Suite?
The CFO's job, already one of the most complex in corporate America, has expanded to become what's arguably the toughest C-suite role. As the top financial manager, the CFO keeps track of cash flows, does strategic planning, oversees accounting and taxation, ensures financial reports are complete and accurate, and interacts with the capital markets.

The burden has increased in recent years in part because of the pandemic, says Steve Gallucci, who leads a Deloitte LLP program that advises financial executives. "That moves the degree of difficulty of the role to a place it's never been before," he says.

"The job just keeps getting harder," says James Stark, a consultant at executive search firm Egon Zehnder's CFO practice. "The role of the chief operating officer has been disappearing in recent years, so we're seeing a lot of the responsibilities getting tacked onto the CFO's job."

The intense pressure can take a toll, and not all CFO stories end well. It isn't clear what drove Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. CFO Gustavo Arnal's death by suicide this month, but he was putting in long hours dealing with a sinking stock price, a cash-flow crisis, layoffs, and store closures.

More than half of CFOs who took part in a Deloitte survey in February 2021 said their bosses demanded more once Covid-19 broke out, and a quarter said they now have more teams reporting to them. That hasn't changed in the roughly two years since the poll was conducted, Gallucci says. bloomberg.com

The COVID-Remote Work Effect?
Workers say this is the No. 1 reason they'll quit
It's rare for pandemic-era reports to show that workers and bosses are on the same page about anything, but at least one survey shows they can finally agree on one idea: People are craving meaningful connection at work. Without it, they're willing to quit.

Among those who work for remote and hybrid companies, workers say the top reason they'd leave is feeling disconnected from the culture and its people, according to a joint survey from Airspeed, an internal social platform, and Workplace Intelligence, the HR research firm.

Meanwhile, C-suite leaders agree employee connection is the biggest challenge they've dealt with during the pandemic, and 2 out of 3 believe their employees would quit for a job at another company where they'd feel more connected.

"Everyone is recognizing this feeling of disconnectedness is the No. 1 issue they're facing," says Doug Camplejohn, founder and CEO of Airspeed. But, he adds, "the answer is not going back to the office. The reality is, this problem has existed forever, and Covid had only made us all more aware and sensitive to it."  cnbc.com

There's Terrific News About the New Covid Boosters, but Few Are Hearing It
Not only will the new boosters decrease the likelihood of infection and severe illness, and help reduce transmission of the virus, it could also decrease the likelihood of developing long Covid.

Pentagon removes almost all of its COVID-related workplace restrictions

Calif. ends mandatory COVID testing for most unvaccinated state workers

OSHA Expands Enforcement & Targets 'Severe Violators'
Regulatory Update: OSHA Strengthens Severe Violator Enforcement Program

The effort is to "sharpen its focus on employers who - even after receiving citations for exposing workers to hazardous conditions and serious dangers - fail to mitigate these hazards," said the agency.

OSHA announced on Sept. 15 that it will both strengthen enforcement and improve compliance with workplace safety standards in an effort to reduce worker injuries and illnesses. It will do this by, expanding the criteria for placement in the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's Severe Violator Enforcement Program.

The new criteria include violations of all hazards and OSHA standards and will continue to focus on repeat offenders in all industries. Previously, an employer could be in the program for failing to meet a limited number of standards. The changes will broaden the program's scope with the possibility that additional industries will fall within its parameters.

"The Severe Violator Enforcement Program empowers OSHA to sharpen its focus on employers who - even after receiving citations for exposing workers to hazardous conditions and serious dangers - fail to mitigate these hazards," said Assistant Secretary for Occupational Safety and Health Doug Parker, in a statement.

Since 2010, the Severe Violator Enforcement Program has focused on enforcement and inspection resources on employers who either willfully or repeatedly violate federal health and safety laws or demonstrate a refusal to correct previous violations. In addition to being included on a public list of the nation's severe violators, employers are subject to follow-up inspections. ehstoday.com

Explosive FRT Growth
Facial Recognition Global Market To Grow At Rate Of 17% Through 2026

The Business Research Company's Facial Recognition Global Market Report 2022: Market Size, Trends, And Forecast To 2026

According to 'Facial Recognition Global Market Report 2022' published by The Business Research Company, the facial recognition market size is expected to grow from $4.71 billion in 2021 to $5.48 billion in 2022 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.41%. The global facial recognition market size is expected to grow to $10.11 billion in 2026 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16.53%. The growing importance of the surveillance industry is expected to drive the facial recognition market growth.

The facial recognition market consists of sales of facial recognition solutions and services by entities (organizations, sole traders, partnerships) that refer to a method of identifying or verifying a person's identification using their face. Facial recognition algorithms may be used to recognize individuals in real-time, on-screen, or moving pictures. einnews.com

Customers Like Facial Recognition Tech
Wicket CEO: Facial recognition uses expanding
When a customer opts in to using facial recognition to enter a facility or buy concessions, the opt-out rate is zero percent, said Wicket CEO Sanjay Manandhar. "The data shows that once you see the convenience and benefit ... you're not going to say, 'You know what? I actually feel like standing in line again," he said. "Now it's a one-way street. This is coming. This is happening." sportsbusinessjournal.com

78K Workers Involved in 180 Strikes in First Half of 2022
More Workers Head to Picket Lines Amid Higher Inflation, Tight Labor Market

There were 180 strikes in the first six months of 2022, according to Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations

More workers across a range of industries are going on strike, seeking pay raises to catch up to inflation while the tight labor market has taken away some of the risk of walking off the job.

In the past few weeks, thousands of teachers in Ohio and Washington, nursing-home workers in Pennsylvania and mental-health therapists in California have walked picket lines after contract negotiations broke down over wages and other issues. Other workers have held daylong walkouts as they try to unionize coffee shops, distribution centers and other workplaces.

There were 180 strikes involving roughly 78,000 workers in the first six months of this year, up from 102 involving 26,500 workers in the same period a year earlier, according to a strike tracker created by researchers at the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.

More unions and employers are also entering into tough contract deliberations, with the potential for strikes looming. Workers' demands include higher pay to account for inflation as well as better conditions, reflecting how the pandemic has reshaped jobs and many people's attitudes about their work. wsj.com

Friday Funny: C-Store Raided by a Hungry Bear
Bear Barges into California 7-Eleven for a Candy Bar Shopping Spree

The bear made several trips in and out of the 7-Eleven, often coming in to pick up one or two candy bars before exiting the convenience store again

A large bear shocked a 7-Eleven employee by repeatedly entering a California convenience store to snack on candy bars. On September 6, cashier Christopher Kinson, 54, was working the night shift at a 7-Eleven in Olympic Valley, California, when he saw the store's door open - but no one entered.

According to SWNS, he looked down to the bottom of the open door and found a brown bear chewing on a selection of late-night snacks. After spotting the wild animal, Kinson stayed out of the bear's way as it raided the convenience store.

The bear took several trips to complete its shopping spree, repeatedly entering and leaving the store to grab one or two candy bars at a time. people.com

NRF: August Retail Sales Supported by Job & Wage Gains Amid High Inflation
Consumers' willingness to spend overcame inflation again in August as more jobs and higher wages helped ease some of the pressure of continuing high prices, the National Retail Federation said today.

"August retail sales show consumers' resiliency to spend on household priorities despite persistent inflation and rising interest rates," NRF President and CEO Matthew Shay said. "As we gear up for the holiday season, consumers are seeking value to make their dollars stretch. Retailers have been hard at work managing their supply chains and holiday inventories to provide consumers with great products, competitive prices and convenience at every opportunity. We are relieved and cautiously optimistic that the potentially devastating rail strike has been averted, and we appreciate the Biden administration's intervention on behalf of businesses and consumers. We hope railway workers will accept the new terms of the proposed contract." nrf.com

Bed, Bath & Beyond store closures: Here's the full list

CVS Is Closing More Stores, Starting Oct. 5

McDonald's restaurants in the UK are shutting down for the Queen's funeral