RILA Demands Congressional Action
Retail CEOs Call on Congress to Modernize Consumer Protection Laws to Address Surge of Retail Crime

Retail Leaders Urge Passage of INFORM Consumers Act

In a letter to Congressional leadership today, 20 CEOs of leading retailers expressed urgent concern over the growing impact of organized retail crime on retail employees and communities across the U.S. The signatories representing apparel, electronics, health and beauty, home improvement, and general merchandise sectors implore lawmakers to pass the INFORM Consumers Act, legislation that will modernize our consumer protection laws to safeguard families and communities from the sale of illicit products.

"Retailers have made significant investments to combat organized retail crime, but as they note in today's letter, criminals will continue these brazen thefts as long as they are able to anonymously sell their stolen goods via online marketplaces. Fortunately, there is a growing consensus among business leaders, law enforcement, and a bipartisan group of policymakers that INFORM Consumers Act is an important and appropriate step to stemming the tide. Deterring these crimes starts with making it harder for thieves to sell stolen goods online. We urge Congress to seize this opportunity to help protect communities, families, and consumers."

Retail leaders who signed today's letter include:

● Ken Hicks, Academy Sports + Outdoors
● Corie Barry, Best Buy Co., Inc.
● Lauren Hobart, DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc.
● Richard Johnson, Foot Locker, Inc.
● W. Rodney McMullen, The Kroger Co.
● Richard Keyes, Meijer, Inc.
● Erik B. Nordstrom, Nordstrom, Inc.
● Heyward Donigan, Rite Aid Corporation
● Brian C. Cornell, Target Corporation
● Steve Rendle, VF Corporation
● William Rhodes, AutoZone, Inc.
● Neela Montgomery, CVS Health
● Todd J. Vasos, Dollar General Corporation
● Craig Menear, The Home Depot, Inc.
● Chip Bergh, Levi Strauss & Co.
● Geoffroy van Raemdonck, Neiman Marcus, Inc.
● Ron Coughlin, Petco Animal Supplies, Inc.
● Anthony T. Hucker, Southeast Grocers
● David Kimbell, Ulta Beauty, Inc.
● John Standley, Walgreens Boots Alliance, Inc.
● Brian Dodge, Retail Industry Leaders Association

Read the full letter here.

Shoplifter Brags About How Easy It Is To Steal in San Francisco
Emboldened SF shoplifter say stealing is easy, cites lax security as store takes drastic action
One shoplifter in San Francisco admitted to his crimes during a news interview regarding a grocery store in the city ramping up security measures due to theft.

"I think that they're not very good because I've personally been able to shoplift from here with relative ease," the shoplifter, who declined to provide his name, told KPIX 5 of a Safeway in San Francisco's Castro District.

The previously 24-hour Safeway cut store hours in October over "off the charts" shoplifting at the time. Now, the store is ramping up its security measures even more with automatic gates that close behind each shopper at the entrance and placing security guards both inside and outside the store.

The store also added barriers to its self-checkout areas and closed off a side exit with a wall of water bottles.

Safeway said in a statement to the media that the news measures are intended to halt "escalating theft."

"Like other local businesses, we are working on ways to curtail escalating theft to ensure the wellbeing of our employees and to foster a welcoming environment for our customers. Their safety remains our top priority. These long-planned security improvements were implemented with those goals in mind," Safeway said in a statement to KPIX 5.

San Francisco has been plagued by retail theft for months, which has escalated in recent weeks to smash-and-grab mobs targeting high-end retail establishments.

The smash-and-grab robberies have been concentrated in the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas, and have led to increased security at malls and California Highway Patrol increasing its presence along highways near shopping destinations. yahoo.com

San Francisco's Revolving Door of Retail Criminals
SF woman charged 120 times for alleged shoplifting arrested again, jailed
A woman in San Francisco, who was arrested for 120 alleged shoplifting incidents and released on zero bail, is back behind bars after allegedly stealing again.

She allegedly used self-checkouts to scan the items and submit a payment of $1 or even one cent, and then left before the transaction completed.

Despite prosecutors recommending she be held on bail, a San Francisco Superior Court judge released her and ordered her to sign up for a monitoring device and stay away from the Target. She violated the conditions of her release by not wearing her monitor and allegedly stealing again. The District Attorney is again seeking she be held without bail.

"Ms. Graves violated the court ordered terms of her release by committing a new theft, and by failing to sign up for electronic monitoring," District Attorney Chesa Boudin's office said in an email to KPIX 5. "Therefore, we are seeking her detention without bail. Judges alone make decisions about custody and release, so we cannot say whether the court will grant our detention request."

"We previously opposed her release to OR and had requested that she instead be released directly to the Sheriff's Department to be fitted with electronic monitoring device prior to her release," the statement continued. "The judge instead decided to release her to another county."

San Francisco has been plagued by retail theft for months, which has escalated in recent weeks to smash-and-grab mobs targeting high-end retail establishments. news.yahoo.com

Read more about this case in today's ORC column below

Blaming Retailers for the ORC Surge
Chicago mayor blames retailers for not doing enough to fight organized theft

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot blamed retailers for not making safety a priority amid a string of smash-and-grab thefts at retail stores in recent months.

"We still have retailers that won't institute plans like having security officers in their stores, making sure that they've got cameras that are actually operational, locking up their merchandise at night, chaining high-end bags. These purses can be something that is attracting a lot of organized retail theft units," Lightfoot said Monday.

Rob Karr, the president and CEO of the Illinois Retail Merchants Association, said Chicago businesses need the "fingerprinting among leadership to stop."

"The comments that retailers need to do more are sadly misinformed. I think it ignores the fact that retailers spent hundreds of millions of dollars every year on security... We're not going to put the entire store behind glass cases or under lock and key. Retail doesn't work that way," Karr told FOX Business.

"We have a fine line to walk. I don't think the mayor wants a line of armed personnel in every store."

Groups of looters in masks have stormed stores in orchestrated plots to steal thousands of dollars worth of merchandise in downtown Chicago and the city's suburbs. Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul began the Organized Retail Crime Task Force to try to combat the smash-and-grab heists.

Karr said the retail thefts not only damage the viability of businesses but also reduce tax revenue for the government and make shoppers fearful during the holiday season.

"Criminals take advantage of the weakest links, and right now Chicago looks like the weakest link, because the very leadership that ought to be addressing this together with us, is fighting with each other over who's to blame," he said. foxbusiness.com

Mall Crime Surging Despite Massive Security Presence
Thousands of calls for service at Lenox Mall despite 'millions' spent on security
Security measures at Lenox Square mall are called into question as Atlanta Police report more than 3,000 calls for service in the last six months.

Atlanta Police also recorded at least 235 crimes at or near the mall so far this year, including 15 robberies, 12 car thefts, and five aggravated assaults. Management had been touting steps they've taken to curb the crime.

"Lenox Square has invested millions of dollars into one of the largest private security programs in the state of Georgia," said Robin Suggs, Lenox Square General Manager.

Some changes include increased security patrol, a curfew for anyone under the age of 18 on property, and also added metal detectors. But CBS46 Investigates found with well over a dozen entrances to the mall, there are only two clear locations with metal detectors.

Suggs says the metal detectors are at strategic locations, and only part of the security program.

"15 off-duty law enforcement officers, the K-9, the off-duty officers coupled with private security, as well as the 200 camera systems and license plate readers. So it's the totality of the program, not simply the location of the weapons detection," Suggs said.

Some holiday shoppers were still hesitant, wondering if this is only a false sense of security.

"That's kind of terrifying," said Ashly Boze, who was shopping in the area. "I grew up in Marietta and this was supposed to be the nice area and the nice mall."

"I'm sure there should be more security here," said Sherryl Perkins. cbs46.com

WSJ Op-Ed on the Alarming U.S. Crime Surge
Yes, the Crime Wave Is as Bad as You Think

Progressives gaslight the public by claiming things used to be worse.

The U.S. experienced its largest-ever single year homicide spike in 2020, and crime now polls as one of the top voter concerns. This has many criminal-justice-reform advocates and their media allies scrambling to convince Americans that things aren't really so bad, no matter what the data say.

True enough: The national murder rate was significantly higher in the 1980s and early '90s. But the national murder rate reflects an aggregation of all the country's homicides measured against the national population. When it comes to the recent upticks in killings, this talking point ignores two important realities.

First, we don't live in the aggregate. The majority of Americans spend their lives in the communities where they live and, if they commute, where they work. Given how hyperconcentrated serious violent crime is-and, therefore, how widely the homicide rate can vary from one neighborhood to the next-the national homicide rate doesn't provide most Americans with a sense of the dangers they face. A handful of extremely safe Illinois suburbs may counterbalance Chicago's contribution to the national murder rate, but that's little consolation to those who live in the South Side war zones.

Second, the claim that crime isn't as bad as it was in the 1990s is no longer true for a long list of American cities, many of which have either surpassed or are currently flirting with that decade's homicide tallies. Philadelphia just shattered its all-time annual homicide record with a full month remaining in 2021, as have Louisville, Ky.; Indianapolis; Columbus, Ohio; Austin, Texas; Tucson, Ariz.; St. Paul, Minn.; Portland, Ore.; Albuquerque, N.M.; and Fayetteville, N.C. Other cities, like Cincinnati; Trenton, N.J.; Memphis, Tenn.; Milwaukee; Kansas City, Mo.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Denver; Cleveland; Jackson, Miss.; Wichita, Kan.; Greensboro, N.C.; Lansing, Mich.; and Colorado Springs, Colo., saw their highest homicide tallies since 1990 last year.

Other cities flirting with their previous records include Shreveport, La.; Baltimore; Minneapolis; Rochester, N.Y.; and Tulsa, Okla. St. Louis didn't surpass its highest tally in 2020, but owing to population decline it did set a new record homicide rate. Chicago, Seattle and Fort Worth, Texas, would all have to go back 25 years to see homicide tallies comparable to what they're seeing now.

Shushing skeptics by pointing out that things aren't as bad in the aggregate as they were 30 years ago invites an obvious question: So what? wsj.com

27% Spike in Law Enforcement Deaths - 441 Year-to-Date
19 Deaths in November: 9 COVID - 6 Gunfire - 2 Auto-Related - 2 Heart Attack
In November, 19 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty. The cause breakdown (for November 2021 only) is: 9 COVID-related, 6 gunfire, 2 auto-related, and 2 heart attacks. This means that the year-to-date total for line of duty deaths is at 441, a 27% increase from the same time last year.

The Officer Down Memorial Page extends our deepest condolences to the families, friends, and agencies who lost a loved one to a line of duty death this past month. We encourage our supporters to read the memorials of each of the officers who died in the line of duty.  odmp.org

PDs Enlist Private Security Officers to Curb Crime Surge
Beverly Hills PD hires more security officers to patrol city: 'Crimes of any kind will not be tolerated here'
Five newly-hired officers are out on patrol in Beverly Hills on Monday as the city increased its staff in response to the recent spike in crime.

"This is one of the most protected and patrolled cities in the world," said Beverly Hills Police Chief Mark Stainbrook. "Crimes of any kind will not be tolerated here."

The rise in smash-and-grab robberies in the Los Angeles area is also a concern. Robbers recently made an unsuccessful attempt to break into the Louis Vuitton store on Rodeo Drive.

The rise in smash-and-grab robberies in the Los Angeles area is also a concern. Robbers recently made an unsuccessful attempt to break into the Louis Vuitton store on Rodeo Drive. Residents in Beverly Hills hope the increased patrols will make a difference.

"I think it's great because it helps keep us safe," one resident told Eyewitness News. "So if there are people coming and planning to do things, maybe they'll get scared and run away." abc7.com
 
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US: 50.4M Cases - 813.9K Dead - 39.8M Recovered
Worldwide: 268.2M Cases - 5.2M Dead - 241.4M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 328  
Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 546
*Red indicates change in total deaths

COVID Cases Up 27% Over Past 2 Weeks

Omicron Variant 'Considerably More Infectious'
WHO says omicron variant could change the course of the Covid pandemic
"Certain features of omicron, including its global spread and large number of mutations, suggest it could have a major impact on the course of the pandemic," Tedros said. Genetic changes to the virus affect its virulence and indicate it could be considerably more infectious than previous strains, according to the WHO.

The WHO's remarks comes as the omicron variant, first identified in southern Africa, has been found in 57 countries across the world.

New cases "plateaued" worldwide over the last week, the WHO added. There were more than 4 million new confirmed cases reported across the world, similar to the figures from the previous week.

Deaths worldwide, however, increased by 10% over the last week, the WHO report noted. Over 52,500 new deaths were reported. cnbc.com

National Guard Deployed as COVID Surges
Three Northeast states deploy National Guard amid medical capacity crisis due to pandemic
The governors of Maine and New York deployed the National Guard in response to dangerously low capacity at statewide medical facilities due to the pandemic.

The New York National Guard announced Wednesday that it had deployed 120 medics and medical technicians to a dozen long-term care facilities statewide. The deployment came at the behest of Gov. Kathy Hochul, who issued the order last week in response to staffing shortages.

In Maine, Gov. Janet Mills activated the National Guard following a spike in Covid-19 cases. "I do not take this action lightly, but we must take steps to alleviate the strain on our health care system and ensure care for all those who need it," Mills said in a statement.

In preparation for the winter surge, Gov. Christopher Sununu is calling on the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the National Guard to help the state prepare for the Covid-19 winter surge. He announced that in the coming weeks, the state will be deploying an initial group of 70 men and women from the National Guard to help hospitals where the need is most severe, assisting with tasks that will allow for a smoother operation. cnn.com

Effort to Overturn Biden's Vax Mandate Moves Forward
Senate votes to overturn Biden vaccine mandate for businesses
The Senate voted Wednesday night to overturn President Joe Biden's Covid-19 vaccine or testing mandate for private businesses with 100 or more employees.

While it likely won't become law since its chances of getting a vote in the House are uncertain and Biden is certain to veto it, the effort demonstrates the bipartisan opposition in Congress to the federal government's vaccine mandate for large employers.

The effort was led by Indiana Republican Sen. Mike Braun, and it needed just a simple majority of 51 votes to be approved by the chamber. The final vote was 52-48. Two Democrats, Sens. Jon Tester of Montana and Joe Manchin of West Virginia, joined their 50 GOP colleagues in voting to repeal the requirement.

A federal appeals court last month temporarily blocked the Biden administration's vaccine rules, which had been planned to take effect on January 4. The multiple lawsuits against the mandate have since been consolidated and reassigned to a federal appeals court in Ohio, with many expecting the case to end up before the US Supreme Court. cnn.com

Another Day, Another Vaccine Mandate Lawsuit
NYC correction officers sue over de Blasio's vaccine mandate, work conditions

The deadline for jail workers to be vaccinated was delayed a month because of existing staffing shortages

The union representing New York City correction officers, the department known as the city's "boldest," took a stand Wednesday against Mayor Bill de Blasio's "draconian" vaccine mandate and subsequent dangerous work conditions by filing a lawsuit against the city demanding that the jab policy be halted.

Benny Boscio Jr., the head of the Correction Officers Benevolent Association, told the New York Post that hundreds of correction officers were sent home last week and placed on unpaid leave for not rolling up their sleeves for the jab. The problem is compounded because 1,4000 other officers have resigned or retired since 2019, the report said.

Boscio said the city has tried to compensate for the shortfall. Officers have been forced to work 60-hour weeks, which he said is a safety concern because inmates "feed on their vulnerabilities." foxnews.com

How Under Armour Got in Front of the COVID Supply Chain Crisis
'This is the time where supply chain comes to the fore': Under Armour's COO on 20 months of tumult
In February 2020, Under Armour set up a special team built around a core of about a dozen people called "Project Buffalo."

It got its name from the tendency among American Bison to face storms rather than run away from them. Its aim was to respond in real time to a supply chain crisis unfolding as a new coronavirus was spreading through China and other countries, threatening lives and the production of many of the world's goods.

"I've spent many years in supply chain in various parts of the world, so back in February of last year I had a sneaking suspicion having lived in China for a few years that we were at the beginning of what was going to be a longer-term crisis," said Colin Browne, who became Under Armour's chief operating officer at about that same time last year. "The idea of really trying to get ahead of it was, I think, one of the reasons we performed reasonably well as we've gone through it."

That team is still operating today and, one can imagine, is still quite busy.

The pandemic, the world and Under Armour's industry have gone through several evolutions since February 2020. This year's supply chain snarls are different from what companies faced last spring - and are changing every day - but they are still inextricably tied to the pandemic.

In Browne's telling, the pandemic accelerated changes in Under Armour's approach to supply chain that were already underway. The company has been working for years to reduce inventory levels, which in turn can reduce carrying costs throughout the company's supply chain. But, as with apparel and footwear retailers everywhere, managing inventory is also about managing prices and consumer expectations. retaildive.com

Another Victim of COVID
The incredible shrinking holiday party
Early last week, as the Greek letter "omicron" spread across New Yorkers' lips, the city's hospitality firms braced for cancellations. "I had three parties call in two days," said Istvan Nagy, the owner of Side Door and One Lenox, in Midtown East.

Those parties, on the larger side, all canceled. But, Nagy said, the calls then stopped. He said it's a sign that companies, families and friends are persevering with December get-togethers in some form despite the headlines about the omicron variant of the coronavirus. crainsnewyork.com

Massachusetts State Police COVID vaccine mandate challenge dismissed by Labor Relations Board

Pfizer CEO says fourth Covid vaccine doses may be needed sooner than expected due to omicron

Dollar General Sued Over Alleged Theft Altercation
Man sues Dollar General after being detained by employee, put on life support
Attorneys for Albany resident Michael King have filed suit against the Dollar General Corporation for an incident they say left King in the hospital on life support.

In late October, King was accused of trying to steal roughly $46 of household items from the Albany discount store. The lawsuit alleges that an employee sat on top of King to detain him, smothering him as the man repeatedly said, "I can't breathe."

King was injured and sent to the hospital after being trapped under the man for at least 9 minutes as the manager watched and closed the doors to the store. "He had to be sedated," said attorney Daedra Fenwick. "He was on a ventilator for nine days. He had collapsed lungs, a punctured lung, and a liver injury."

King's attorney L. Chris Stewart says his firm is suing Dollar General and two employees for gross negligence and punitive damages.

"This was insanity," Stewart said. "The screams of I can't breathe are a reminder of what we heard with George Floyd and it had dire consequences."

The Albany Dollar General's manager is named in the suit for allegedly closing the doors of the store while the incident happened. The legal team says Harvey still cannot walk after the incident that happened in late October.

"This is obviously improper store policy instead of telling them to leave the items, put them down and talk to them," Stewart exclaimed. kesq.com  wtvm.com

Amazon's Impact on the Retail Wage War
Amazon Emerges as the Wage-and-Benefits Setter for Low-Skilled Workers Across Industries

In local markets throughout America, the e-commerce giant's facilities have an impact on inflation, job markets and labor standards

As companies across the U.S. fight to find workers, Amazon is emerging as a de facto wage-and-benefit setter for a large pool of low-skilled workers. Business experts have long researched what is known as the Amazon effect in disrupting traditional retailers. Now Amazon's every move is causing ripple effects well beyond the retail space in local markets throughout America, including on inflation, regional job markets and labor standards, according to an examination of federal labor data and interviews with economists, researchers, local employment officials and current and former Amazon employees.

The nation's second-largest private employer is planning mock fulfillment centers in high schools to plant the seeds of future careers, sending recruiters to local fairgrounds and bombarding job boards with promises of large sign-on bonuses and pay-in some cases nearly triple the federal minimum wage.

The effect is magnified because Amazon churns through hundreds of thousands of employees each year, creating an even more voracious appetite for labor that often compels the company to push up compensation or improve recruitment in other ways-especially during peak times such as the holiday shopping period now under way. wsj.com

The Trucker Shortage that Never Was?
Experts say reports of an American truck driver shortage are overblown

The number of truckers in the industry are near pre-pandemic levels and more truckers are becoming business owners than ever before.

As US shoppers face empty shelves and skyrocketing prices while goods pile up at key US ports, many are quick to blame a national truck driver shortage, but experts say the shortage has been overblown.

The notion of a trucker shortage is a narrative decades in the making that has long been a point of hot debate in the industry, but more recently the idea has become a scapegoat for shipping delays, experts say.

Earlier this year, the American Trucking Association (ATA) reported a shortage of 80,000 truckers. Insider spoke with seven experts, both academic and within the industry, that said the trucker shortage has been misconstrued, and is modest at best. An ATA spokesperson did not provide comment before publication.

In November, monthly employment levels in the industry were within 1% of pre-pandemic levels, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).

What's more, the shortage, which has been cited as a reason for the port backlogs, only impacts one portion of the industry - long-haul trucking. Local drivers who move goods out of the ports, as well as short-haul drivers in general, are in surplus. There are over 16,000 more short-haul truckers than before the pandemic, per BLS. businessinsider.com

New Rules for Food Delivery Drivers
Europe Pushes New Rules Turning Gig Workers Into Employees

A proposal with widespread political support would entitle drivers and couriers for companies like Uber to a minimum wage and legal protections.

In one of the biggest challenges yet to the labor practices at popular ride-hailing and food-delivery services, the European Commission took a major step on Thursday toward requiring companies like Uber to consider their drivers and couriers as employees entitled to a minimum wage and legal protections.

The commission proposed rules that, if enacted, would affect up to an estimated 4.1 million people and give the European Union some of the world's strictest rules for the so-called gig economy. The policy would remake the relationship that ride services, food delivery companies and other platforms have with workers in the 27-nation bloc.

Labor unions and other supporters hailed the proposal, which has strong political support, as a breakthrough in the global effort to change the business practices of companies that they say depend on exploiting workers with low pay and weak labor protections.

Uber and other companies are expected to lobby against the rules, which must go through several legislative steps before becoming law. The companies have long classified workers as independent contractors to hold down costs and limit legal liabilities. The model provided new conveniences for traveling across town and ordering takeout, and gave millions of people a flexible new way to work when they want. nytimes.com

No More Nike at DSW
Nike will stop selling sneakers at one of America's largest shoe chains
Nike announced it will stop selling to DSW as it cuts ties with many stores and shifts to selling more of its products through its own shops, websites, mobile apps and select retailers.

Kroger to open another high-tech fulfillment center

Uber to deliver holiday goods from Rite Aid, GoPuff other retailers via Uber Eats