NEWS ALERT:
FDNY Memo Directs EMS Personnel to Prepare in Advance of 'Joker' Screenings
The memo also orders a review on mass situations with multiple casualties

The FDNY has issued a memo to its medics to warn them to be prepared in case of violence at screenings of "Joker." The warning follows a directive by NYPD Chief of Patrol Rodney Harrison sending cops to stand posts at theaters showing the movie.

In the FDNY memo, EMS company officers were told to check their equipment, particularly ballistic plates, bungee cords and helmet visors, and also to train using emergency radios if necessary, and review medical protocols.

"The online chatter is referencing 'a group,' the memo says. "Keep vigilant as there may be more than one assailant in the area (situational awareness). When moving through the warm zone, assailants may try to blend in as one of the victims in the attack."

The U.S. Army also warned soldiers at Fort Sill in Oklahoma about chatter on the dark web.

The FBI also received tips of threatening posts on social media, according to ABC News, which cited a joint intelligence bulletin.

Threats have been circulating online for months but not directed at specific movie theaters or cities, authorities said.

The movie, set to open nationally Friday and in select theaters Thursday night, tells the origin story of the Joker, a villainous character from the "Batman" series. edmdigest.com

Editor's Note: Stores nearby should be alert and practice situational awareness.
 

Fast-Growing ADT Commercial Adapts Solutions For Each Customer

ADT Commercial has grown organically in double digits since 2016, in addition to growing through 15 acquisitions completed since the merger of ADT and Protection One. Acquisition of integrator companies such as Red Hawk Fire and Security and Aronson Security Group have expanded ADT Commercial's presence geographically to more areas of the country.

Most of the employees of the acquired companies have stayed with ADT and "helped to create a corporate culture and a good place for employees to work," says Dan Bresingham, Executive Vice President of ADT Commercial. Happy employees ensure good customer service.

Read more in today's Vendor Spotlight column below.
 

WZ's Dave Thompson - Making a Difference

"When you have the opportunity to make a difference - you take it."

These are the words I used when speaking on behalf of Wicklander-Zulawski (WZ) and our community of practitioners at a press conference in support of Brendan Dassey.

On Wednesday, October 2nd, Brendan's attorneys Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin filed a petition for executive clemency to the Governor of Wisconsin. WZ stood tall at the press conference announcing this petition for Brendan alongside several experts, including US Solicitor General Seth Waxman, a speech pathologist, a clemency expert, a victim rights advocate, and Brendan's social worker among others. This press conference was live streamed to thousands of viewers and continues to be shared today by politicians, attorneys and other influential people in our industry.

At WZ we are guided by our company Fundamentals as well as the standards and guidelines set forth by the Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI) designation. As thought leaders in this industry, and a training organization that you have relied upon, we are sending this message to communicate to you. We want you - our supporters and practitioners in the field - to know with confidence that in matters of integrity, we stand strong.

  Dave Thompson, CFI
  Partner & VP of Operations
  Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates


Wicklander-Zulawski has been following the case of Brendan Dassey and serving as consultants for his legal team for many years. This latest turn in the Dassey case was a national news event, as shown by the coverage collected here:

eMarketer.com - 'Biometric Marketing 2019' - Linking Security & Marketing
How Retailers Are Using Biometrics to Identify Consumers and Shoplifters
An October 2018 New York Magazine article titled, "Smile! The Secretive Business of Facial-Recognition Software in Retail Stores," detailed the extent of the technology's behind-the-scenes use at retailers, stadiums and other event venues. Peter Trepp, CEO of facial recognition software company FaceFirst, told McClatchy in May 2018 that his company can "match a face against the database of 25 million people in just under a second," and the firm's website counts hundreds of big-box stores, superstores, department stores, grocery stores, pharmacies and Fortune 500s among its clients.

In our latest report, "Biometric Marketing 2019," we found that despite these concerns, retailers are exploring biometric technology, including behavioral tracking and facial and voice recognition, for advertising and promotional targeting. These systems can identify and track shoppers in brick-and-mortar stores and learn their preferences, like how online retailers use cookies. The information can then be used to interact with them via their phones, in-store signage or in other ways.

"Once companies are using this type of technology for crime prevention purposes, there's no reason why they should not be using it for upselling their customers," Arturo Falck, CEO of startup Whoo.ai, told Biometric Update in November 2018.

Weidmann told New York Magazine that he's already seen some companies more formally link their security and marketing operations. According to the article, he recently worked with The Home Depot to help marketing staffers use security footage to track shoppers and observe which products they browsed.

Perry Kramer, senior vice president of BRP Consulting, predicted that facial recognition will more likely catch on in some segments over others, especially where people have confidence that a retailer will protect their privacy or believe that sharing their information will make their life simpler. emarketer.com

Fort Bragg, CA: Shoplifted alcohol a concern throughout the region
Safeway says it's trying - Officials not so sure
While local officials wait to reschedule a meeting with Safeway representatives about continuing problems with shoplifted alcohol, particularly by minors, law enforcement in Fort Bragg and throughout the region described similar issues with a retailer reluctant to pursue prosecution or take measures to make it harder to steal booze. A Safeway representative, meanwhile, maintained that the company is doing all it can.

"Safeway takes shoplifting in its stores very seriously," wrote spokeswoman Wendy Gutshall in an email Wednesday. " Gutshall denied that the company has a 'no prosecution' policy: "The perception of some that Safeway "refuses to prosecute," shoplifters is simply not true and may stem from a lack of understanding of the requirements retailers traditionally use for shoplifting stops." She blamed Prop. 47, the statewide initiative passed in 2014 that reduced the penalties for some crimes, mostly to relieve jail overcrowding.

According to Fort Bragg police Chief Fabian Lizarraga, local officers responded to 979 calls for service to the Fort Bragg Safeway in 2018 and are on a similar pace this year, with 501 calls through Sept. 16. Of the 2018 calls, he said, 47 were for shoplifting.

Tony Carrancho, Special Agent in Charge of seven counties from the Golden Gate Bridge to the Oregon border for the state Bureau of Alcoholic Beverage Control, said that Fort Bragg's issues with Safeway are common throughout the region. He said the ABC, and other local law enforcement agencies, are considering making the argument that unwillingness to prosecute is in effect furnishing alcohol illegally, which can impact a business' liquor license. advocate-news.com

Philadelphia DA Shows How He is Cutting Incarceration
"Dramatically Reduced Pursuit of Retail Theft Cases"
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office says it has charged 26 % fewer cases so far this year than through the same date in 2014. Prosecutors under DA Larry Krasner, who was sworn in last year on a pledge to curb mass incarceration, say they have dramatically reduced the pursuit of retail theft cases: This year it has charged 268 people for that offense, down from 1,900 five years ago.

Of the 143 homicide cases resolved this year, 76 percent have resulted in a conviction. down from 88 percent in 2014. These stats and others were published on a new website Krasner's office launched this week, which the reform-oriented prosecutor hopes will offer insight into the criminal justice system and his efforts to change it, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. thecrimereport.org

Europol: 600+ European Police Chiefs focus on serious and organised crime
2019 European Police Chiefs Convention at Europol's HQ
Serious and organised crime has been evolving over the last 20 years in terms of the number of criminal organisations, modus operandi, use of technology, and organised crime's ability to infiltrate infrastructures, public sector and exploit legislative loopholes.

One of the concerns and discussions: 'The development of online criminality has had profound effects on the criminal landscape.'

They concluded that a number of areas require particular attention. Among them are:

• greater attention to financial and economic crime and criminal asset seizures, making sure crime doesn't pay; welcoming new developments like the European Financial and Economic Crime Centre (EFECC) at Europol,
• greater engagement between law enforcement and the private sector, at national and EU (Europol) level.  europa.eu

Video: European Police Chiefs Convention (EPCC) 2019

Video: COALITION OF 6 COUNTRIES ANNOUNCE INTERNATIONAL CYBERCRIME LAW ENFORCEMENT ACTION
 

Kroll
Global Fraud and Risk Report 2019/20
'Mapping the New Risk Landscape'
Retail Rankings Lowest of All Sectors

Download Kroll's annual Global Fraud and Risk Report to learn about the biggest risks facing global organizations, by region and by sector, and the steps being taken to prevent, detect and respond to daily threats.

In 2019, Kroll commissioned Forrester Consulting to conduct an online survey of 588 senior executives across the globe who have significant involvement in determining their organization's risk management strategies.

The broadening of the risk landscape is visible in the types of significant incidents our survey respondents report experiencing in the last 12 months and in the priority levels they assign to various risk mitigations. The most frequently cited incident is leaks of internal information, reported by 39 percent. But this perennial challenge now coexists with risks from relatively recent threats, such as data theft, and even newer threats, such as adversarial social media activity.



Editor's Note: 'Retail, Wholesale and Distribution' - Respondents in the retail industry, incorporating both wholesale and distribution, expressed the lowest rankings in virtually every category compared to all other industries.

However, this is according to Kroll's model which is more enterprise risk management with an emphasis on cyber and not as much the physical inventory customer-facing business model. Nonetheless, it's a great barometer of the current global risk management position and what businesses across the globe are dealing with. A lot of which does impact retail. So it's a great source of information and warrants learning.

Former KPMG Executive Pleads Guilty To Fraudulent Scheme To Steal Confidential PCAOB Information And Use That Information To Fraudulently Improve KPMG Inspection Results
"David Britt, a former KPMG partner, admitted today to obtaining confidential lists that contained the information on which KPMG audits would be reviewed by the PCAOB.  Using the playbook he illicitly acquired, Britt used that information to improve the results his of firm's audits.  Independent reviews of accounting firm audits exist to ensure their integrity and accuracy. David Britt corrupted that process and now faces time in federal prison."

DAVID BRITT, was the co-head of the Banking and Capital Markets Group within the audit group of KPMG's Department of Professional Practice ("DPP"), pled guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is May 8, 2020.

In recent years, KPMG fared poorly in PCAOB inspections. By at least in or about 2015, KPMG was engaged in efforts to improve its performance in PCAOB inspections, including but not limited to recruiting and hiring former PCAOB personnel, including Brian Sweet.

Between 2015 and 2017, BRITT, David Middendorf, Thomas Whittle, Cynthia Holder, Brian Sweet, and Jeffrey Wada worked to illicitly acquire valuable confidential PCAOB information concerning which KPMG audits would be inspected, in an effort to game the system and improve inspection results. For example, during Sweet's first week of employment at KPMG in 2015, BRITT, Middendorf, and Whittle began asking Sweet for confidential PCAOB information about which KPMG audits would be inspected by the PCAOB that year. justice.gov

Department of Labor - Bureau of Labor Statistics - September
Retail trade employment changed little in September (-11,000). Within the industry, clothing and clothing accessories stores lost 14,000 jobs, while food and beverage stores added 9,000 jobs. Since reaching a peak in January 2017, retail trade has lost 197,000 jobs. 

Calif. Employers: Prepare for New Anti-Harassment Training Mandate
Most employers granted a one-year reprieve on mandatory training deadline.

Under a law that took effect in 2018, California employers with five or more employees are required to provide sexual-harassment-prevention training every two years to all employees, including one hour of training to nonsupervisors and two hours of training to supervisors.

The initial training deadline was Jan. 1, 2020, but employers now have until Jan. 1, 2021, under SB 778, which Gov. Gavin Newsom recently signed into law. shrm.org

LinkedIn Announces Move Toward 'Holistic' Talent Platform
Integration is the future

That was the takeaway from the 10th annual LinkedIn Talent Connect event for talent acquisition and HR professionals, held last week. LinkedIn executives announced that previously separate products such as Recruiter, Talent Insights and Jobs will be available on a single platform and integrated with the company's new applicant tracking system (ATS), to improve user experience and hiring outcomes.

"We've started to take a more-interdisciplinary approach to help companies build winning teams, and part of achieving that goal is bringing our products to work in a more-unified way," said Dan Shapero, vice president of global solutions at LinkedIn. "Hiring and development, learning and engagement are coming together, on top of a platform of insights and analytics that helps companies make better talent decisions." shrm.org

Associate Director Asset Protection posted for AT&T in Dallas, TX
Overall Purpose: Plans, develops, and manages the corporate protective force programs security function under senior management direction. This position would have armed and unarmed guard force accountabilities. att.jobs.com

Disney Opens 25 Stores Inside & Online Target Today

Sears Vendors Urge Liquidation

Mall 9.4% vacancy rate at 8-year high

Macy's to Hire 80,000 for Holiday


Quarterly Results

Costco Q4 comp's up 5%, U.S. comp's up 5.2%, revenue up 7%

Ascena Q4 comp's down 2%, net sales down 4.3%
   Ann Taylor flat
   Loft up 2%
   Catherine's down 8%
   Lane Bryant down 3%
   Justice down 5%
   Dress Barn - now defunct - up 12%