Red Knot Capital Acquires Wicklander-Zulawski: Global Leader in Investigative Interviewing; Dave Thompson, CFI Named CEO

Red Knot Capital announced its acquisition of Wicklander-Zulawski the global authority in ethical investigative interviewing, and corporate advisory services.

Red Knot Capital has acquired Wicklander-Zulawski & Associates (WZ), the global authority in ethical, non-confrontational investigative interviewing, enterprise risk education, and corporate advisory services. The acquisition positions WZ to accelerate digital learning, modernize psychological protocols, and strengthen the Certified Forensic Interviewer (CFI) certification for professionals across retail, law enforcement, and key private-sector industries such as hospitality, gaming, and food service.

Red Knot is an advanced operating platform that builds and scales businesses by embedding directly with leadership, strengthening operations, and creating long-term enterprise value. With deep operating experience and a track record leading multi-billion-dollar retail organizations, Red Knot will support WZ's next phase of expansion and global relevance.

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Store Employees & Shoppers Feeling Safer as Theft Declines
San Francisco reports drop in retail theft as shoppers notice improved safety

City officials say arrests and targeted enforcement have led to a significant decline in retail theft and other crimes.

San Francisco officials are reporting major arrests and a dramatic drop in retail theft and overall crime. It's a change shoppers and retailers say is increasingly noticeable in the city's busiest shopping districts.

Mayor Daniel Lurie and the San Francisco Police Department say a targeted crackdown on retail theft since September has led to greater accountability for repeat offenders.

"We are making strides on this front," Lurie said in an Instagram post. "We've done a blitz since September. SFPD has arrested 104 individuals for this crime."

Police say 23 of those arrested were booked into jail on charges that included robbery, vandalism and outstanding warrants for other felony offenses. Officers, including plainclothes members of the Organized Retail Crime Taskforce, worked closely with store employees and loss-prevention teams to identify suspects, largely in the SoMa area.

At Shoe Palace in Union Square, which opened earlier this year, a security guard said the store has not experienced the mob-style thefts that once plagued downtown retailers. "No people coming in like five or ten people at one time," said Darryl, a security guard at the store.

Police credit a combination of high-visibility patrols, targeted enforcement, and tougher accountability for deterring theft. Citywide, Lurie says crime is down 30 percent, car break-ins have dropped 44 percent, and San Francisco is on track to end the year with its lowest homicide rate since the 1950s.

Shoppers say the improvements are noticeable. yahoo.com


Big Cities Report Progress on Fighting Violent Crime
NYPD ends 2025 with historic decreases in murders and shootings, uptick in rapes

The NYPD ended 2025 with double-digit decreases in both murders and shootings.

The NYPD ended 2025 with double-digit decreases in both murders and shootings compared to last year while suffering a troubling increase in rape investigations, the Daily News has learned. As of Tuesday night, the NYPD had seen a 20% drop in homicides, from 381 last year to 303 this year, NYPD sources said.

The number of shooting victims, which includes homicide victims and survivors, across the five boroughs also decreased - by 22% - from 1,101 last year to 853 through Tuesday, the numbers show. The NYPD has not yet released crime statistics for Wednesday, the last day of 2025, or their year-end numbers.

Gun violence was down across the U.S. in 2025, with a 14% drop in shootings by the end of September compared to the same period last year, according to The Trace, which monitors shooting trends nationwide. Compared to 2021, shootings were down 30% nationwide this year.

New York's homicide and shooting decreases this year are larger than in many other big cities in the U.S., including Los Angeles, which saw a 12% drop in homicides as of Nov. 30, according to the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department. Approximately 3.8 million people live in Los Angeles compared to New York's 8.5 million population.

The Chicago Police Department, which protects 2.7 million citizens, saw a 35% decrease in shootings as of Christmas, but 1,464 shootings had been recorded in the Windy City, more than double the 685 shootings that occurred in New York.

The Chicago police also celebrated a 30% drop in murders compared to 2024, but detectives there investigated 412 homicides - 109 more than the NYPD did despite New York being more three times as populous. nydailynews.com


Behind-the-Scenes Look at ORC Ring
'Steal to order': Court records reveal how a southwest Houston retail theft ring operated
New court records reveal how an organized retail theft ring operated in southwest Houston, costing grocery and retail stores tens of thousands of dollars. So far, two people have been arrested and charged, with a third suspect still wanted.

Court documents say Gomez Lopez ran the operation from a small apartment on Fondren Road. Investigators believe she placed orders for specific items like vitamins, cosmetics, and even trendy Stanley cups and then sent others out to steal them.

In a search warrant filed last week, Shaun Bonner and Brandon Shaw are listed as accomplices. Investigators said they would "steal to order at stores like Target, H-E-B, Randall's, Kroger, and Academy. In one case, investigators say the men walked out of a store with more than $2,000 worth of vitamins, bypassing the registers entirely.

Investigators also say they found dozens of discarded anti-theft devices in the trash, evidence that was photographed and included in the search warrant. Court records also show Shaw turned over text messages allegedly sent by Gomez Lopez, including one message, just days before his arrest, requesting stolen hair products and baby wipes.

Organized retail theft costs businesses and consumers billions of dollars every year, according to the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. abc13.com


ORC Rising in New England States
From Power Tools to Lobster Tails, Organized Retail Theft Hits New England
In Portsmouth, it was power tools and air conditioners at Home Depot stores. In Taunton, Mass., it was a truckload of lobster meat. And across the U.S., it's a rising tide of organized retail crime - a mixture of stolen products and counterfeit goods - that is costing American businesses billions of dollars.

According to the National Retail Federation, American stores lost $121.6 billion to retail theft in 2023, up from less than $50 billion in 2017. If that sounds like a lot of money, consider that the 13 defendants charged in the organized crime ring targeting Home Depot stores in Portsmouth and Seabrook, as well as eight other states, allegedly stole at least $2.2 million.

Alyssa Erichs, a spokesperson for United to Safeguard America from Illegal Trade (USA-IT), said, "Criminal organizations are increasingly targeting retailers, resulting in billions of dollars in losses. This pattern demonstrates that organized retail crime has become a widespread issue rather than isolated incidents."

Erichs encouraged the retail industry and law enforcement to work together to crack down on theft rings. She said the thefts are acts of organized crime that create "significant challenges to retailers and communities." These include the potential for higher prices as companies invest in additional security measures or layoffs resulting from declining profits.

"Effective state laws must be in place to hold those responsible accountable, ensuring that organized retail theft is treated with the seriousness it deserves," she said. nhjournal.com


AGs Unite to Keep Gift Cards Safe
Michigan AG Dana Nessel Joins National PSA Campaign to Encourage Reporting of Gift Card Fraud
The Honorable Dana Nessel, Attorney General of Michigan, together with Attorneys General from 13 other states, launched a public service announcement (PSA) campaign paid for by the Gift Card Fraud Prevention Alliance aimed at protecting consumers from the growing threat of gift card scams. This collaborative effort comes as millions of Americans redeemed gift cards received during the holiday season-a prime opportunity for scammers to target unsuspecting individuals.

The PSAs runs from December 26, 2025, through January 31, 2026, and feature a unified message from state AGs that gift cards are safe while urging consumers to remain vigilant against gift card scams. The campaign highlights common fraud tactics, offers tips for safe gift card usage, and encourages the public to immediately report any incidents of gift card fraud to their respective state attorney general offices.

"By joining forces with AGs, the top legal and consumer protection officer in each state, we're sending a powerful message to the criminals committing gift card fraud and giving consumers tools to protect themselves and loved ones," said Lisa LaBruno, Executive Director of the RILA Communities Foundation which leads the Gift Card Fraud Prevention Alliance. "It takes a village to combat gift card fraud, and it's critical to get the word out so consumers know about these scams and how to avoid them." cadillacnews.com


More ORC Funding Coming?
Georgia expands crackdown on organized retail crime, seeks more funding
Georgia state leaders are stepping up efforts to combat organized retail crime, about 18 months after launching a statewide task force aimed at targeting criminal groups that steal and resell merchandise.

Officials say organized retail theft costs Georgia more than $3 billion a year, including approximately $1.6 billion in stolen goods and $300 million in lost tax revenue. Criminal rings often target both large retailers and small businesses, stealing products from stores and reselling them online.

Small business owners say the theft has led to higher security costs and, in many cases, increased prices for customers.

The Georgia Attorney General's Office is working alongside local law enforcement agencies and retailers to dismantle organized theft operations. Attorney General Chris Carr says his office receives daily requests for help from businesses and police departments across the state.

Governor Brian Kemp says the task force is already making an impact, but needs additional resources to expand its reach. State leaders plan to ask lawmakers for more funding during the upcoming legislative session. wsav.com


Retail Theft Hits 5-Year High in Pennsylvania
Retail theft cases up 16% statewide
Retail theft offenses in Pennsylvania increased by 16% from 2023 to 2024, hitting a five-year high. The information was released recently by the state court system. In 2020, there were 27,840 retail theft cases statewide. That number dropped to 24,897 in 2021 before increasing to 32,442 in 2022, 38,530 in 2023 and 44,694 in 2024.

Statewide, retail theft cases increase in November, December and January as well as a spike in May. Of the 85,514 people charged with retail theft over the past five years across Pennsylvania, 29% are between 26-35 years of age and 51% are men. Of the 168,403 total retail theft offenses, 41% resulted in convictions and 2% were disposed of through Accelerated Rehabilitative Disposition.

The counties with the highest number of retail theft offenses were Allegheny, Montgomery, Philadelphia, Bucks, Delaware, Chester, Lancaster, Cumberland and York. timesobserver.com


Organized crime is a problem, and it's getting worse. | Opinion

Lawmaker Asks California DA Who The 'Big Names' Are In Organized Retail Theft

Lawmaker Asks California DA How Prop 36 Has Helped Combat ORC

Lawmaker Reads Out 'Staggering' Stats On Organized Retail Theft

APD Retail Crime Initiatives Show Measurable Results
 

Cities Fight Abandoned Shopping Carts
One Bay Area city tried an innovative program to deal with its abandoned shopping cart problem. Here's what happened.

Local leaders weigh benefits versus budget woes in deciding whether to expand it

Earlier this year, San Jose politicians announced they were targeting the thousands of abandoned shopping carts clogging creeks and blighting streets. Now the first data on a pilot program aimed at curbing the problem is in, and the city must decide whether the results justify the financial cost of expanding it.

San Jose had long struggled to rein in the abandoned shopping cart problem, due in part to antiquated state rules and ineffective city code. Its multi-pronged strategy this year included stricter local regulations for large retailers, requiring them either to install theft-prevention mechanisms or security deposit devices, or to enter into a cart-retrieval contract that obligates the company to make weekly, proactive efforts to pick up their carts.

The city also successfully pushed a statewide bill to allow governments to return carts directly to retailers and recover the costs of retrieval. Its most innovative effort was testing a cart retrieval program in two parts of the city, which collected 734 carts over three months.

While the program reported collecting carts from 50 retailers, 622 of the 734 carts came from 10 businesses, including many big-box stores. During the first 10 weeks, Costco accounted for 204 carts, followed by 137 from Whole Foods and another 108 from Walmart.

The pilot program could be rolled out to other parts of San Jose next year if city officials add it to next year's budget. It would require approximately $686,000 in startup costs, and - if the city charged a $100 fee for each of the 12,821 carts it estimates it could retrieve - would generate $1.28 million in revenue.

But with the city facing a budget shortfall next year, there are some concerns about adding the new program. mercurynews.com


Half of Workplace Accidents Preventable?
Small Business Safety Concerns

Small businesses report that 50% of the accidents were preventable, according to Pie Insurance. survey.

Small businesses have their own particular safety issues, as demonstrated by a report, 2025 State of Small Business Workplace Safety, issued by Pie Insurance earlier this year.

Seventy-five percent of respondents reported workplace injuries in the past year. They fell into the following categories:

• Mental health-related injuries (22%)

• Slips, trips, and falls (20%)

• Cuts, lacerations, and punctures (18%)

• Overexertion and repetitive strain injuries (13%)

The Preventable Nature of Many Injuries

What is especially alarming is that companies said that 50% of the injuries were preventable. And the categories of those that were preventable were:

• Slips, trips, and falls (22%)

• Cuts, lacerations (47%)

• Overexertion and repetitive strain injuries (42%)

• Mental health-related injuries (31%)