ALTO Takes Retail Crime Cases to the 'End Zone'
How ALTO Achieves Higher Retail Theft Conviction Rates in Philadelphia
Retail theft remains a growing issue impacting the safety of businesses and communities alike. A recent WTAJ report highlighted that retail thefts in Philadelphia, PA have surged by 53% between 2021 and 2023, with over 37,000 reported offenses statewide in 2023 alone. Unfortunately, despite the sharp rise, the state's theft conviction remains less than half, with only 42% of cases resulting in convictions over a five-year period.

These statistics stress the challenges of holding offenders accountable, particularly in difficult markets like Philadelphia. However, ALTO's strategic approach to retail crime accountability has produced significantly stronger results. With a conviction rate of 57.7% in the greater Philadelphia area-15% higher than the average reported by WTAJ-ALTO is setting a new benchmark in retail safety and accountability.

Moreover, when factoring in dismissed cases that achieved favorable outcomes (such as diversion programs or negotiated conditions), ALTO's success rate rises to 66.3%. Here, we'll explore how ALTO's collaborative and strategic approach achieves these industry-leading outcomes in this challenging market.

ALTO's Focus on Accountability

At its core, ALTO bridges the gap between incident reporting and court adjudication, driving crime cases from investigation to resolution. When retailers find themselves stuck in the 'red zone' of crime accountability, investigations and arrests may occur, but without consistent follow-up and strategic partnership, offenders easily evade consequences. ALTO steps in to provide the strategic follow-through needed to drive cases to completion, or to the 'end zone'.

• Evidence Collection and Case Building: ALTO's on-site teams work with retailers to record incidents, compile surveillance evidence, and gather witness testimony, ensuring that prosecutors have the strongest possible case to work with.

• Collaboration with Law Enforcement and Prosecutors: ALTO builds partnerships with key stakeholders, including local police and district attorneys, to align on goals and strategies for advancing cases through the legal system. This ensures accountability is prioritized even in jurisdictions where retail theft cases might otherwise be dismissed or deprioritized.

• Legal Advocacy and Monitoring: Backed by dedicated legal experts, ALTO advocates for victims and retailers' interests in court while keeping track of case updates. The team works with prosecutors to push for appropriate resolutions, ensuring the best possible outcomes for businesses and communities. alto.us

 
Nearly Half of Portland Retail Theft Defendants Skip Court Dates
FOX 12 Investigates: Thousands skip court dates after retail theft arrests
Shoplifting is by far the most common crime in Portland, with 10,000 cases reported to police last year. When FOX 12 Investigates attended a ride along with the Portland Police Bureau to see the problem for himself, something became clear: Catching a thief in the act may not be enough to get them in front of a judge.

Thousands of people in Multnomah County have been dodging court over the last six months, gumming up the criminal justice system and causing delays for victims seeking justice. Over the course of a 12-hour retail theft mission on a rainy day in Portland, officers arrested 19 people for theft in the Jantzen Beach area.

But since the county jail was already at capacity, almost all of those arrested were cited and released with a future court date. "Our job is basically to gather evidence that supports the arrest," says Officer Michael Holmgren with PPB. "And refer that to the judicial system through the district attorney's office."

Once in the system, however, justice can be elusive. FOX 12 analyzed data from retail theft missions over the past two years and found that half of those arrested never showed up for their first court date.

Adam Schenker is an attorney at Alto that works with companies like Walgreens, Fred Meyer, and Target to help prosecute alleged thieves. He says that Multnomah County stands out dramatically compared to neighboring counties in terms of failure to appear occurrences.

"That's a serious issue in Multnomah County, where defendants won't show up for court," says Schenker. "Warrants will be issued, they'll get picked up on a warrant, but instead of being arrested and held in jail, they'll be issued another citation to please appear 30 days from now, which the defendant won't do."

Over the past six months, there have been over 3,000 failures to appear in Multnomah County, and nearly 1,000 of those were for felony charges. That means in about 40% of cases, defendants simply didn't show up. kptv.com


Combination of New Tech Can Help Curb Retail Theft
Retailers Turn to New Technologies to Combat Rising Retail Crime

By the D&D Daily staff

With retail crime on the rise across the country, store owners and major chains are investing in advanced technologies to protect merchandise, employees, and customers. From artificial intelligence to smart sensors, the retail industry is embracing innovation in an effort to deter theft and reduce losses.

One of the most widely adopted tools is RFID (Radio Frequency Identification). These small electronic tags are attached to products and can be read remotely without line-of-sight scanning. Unlike traditional barcodes, RFID allows retailers to track inventory in real time and identify when items leave the store without being purchased. Major retailers like Macy's and Lululemon use RFID not just for inventory accuracy, but also to flag potential theft at the exits.

Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also transforming how stores approach security. Smart surveillance systems can now analyze video footage in real time to detect suspicious behavior, such as loitering, frequent returns to high-value items, or sudden movements toward store exits. Some systems can even alert staff or security teams before a theft occurs, allowing for a faster response.

Computer vision technology, often integrated with AI, is being used in self-checkout areas to reduce incidents of "skip scanning"-where a shopper intentionally fails to scan certain items. These systems can detect when an item is placed in a bag or shopping cart without being scanned, prompting a correction or notifying an employee.

Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS) systems have also gotten smarter. Traditional tags that trigger alarms when removed from a store are now being enhanced with better sensors and integration with store data systems. Some are now capable of sending specific item information to loss prevention teams in real time, helping track trends and identify high-risk products.

Additionally, cloud-based platforms are allowing retailers to share theft data across store locations and even with law enforcement. This helps identify patterns associated with organized retail crime groups, which are often responsible for large-scale thefts across regions.

While no single technology can eliminate retail crime entirely, the combination of smart systems is proving effective in deterring theft, improving response times, and reducing overall losses. As criminals become more sophisticated, so too must the tools retailers use to protect their businesses-and technology is quickly becoming the frontline defense.


NYC Might Have Federal Funding Cut Over 'Soft-on-Crime Policies'
Trump admin demands NYC 'restore order' amid rampant crime or face billions in funding cuts

Transportation Sec. Sean Duffy blames 'years of soft-on-crime policies'

President Donald Trump's administration is demanding that New York City's transit authority reduce crime across the city or face big cuts to federal funding.

Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy issued the ultimatum to the Metro Transportation Authority (MTA) in a letter on Tuesday, saying the new administration is here to "restore order." The federal government currently supplies the MTA with billions of dollars in funding.

"The trend of violent crime, homelessness, and other threats to public safety on one of our nation's most prominent metro systems is unacceptable. After years of soft-on-crime policies, our Department is stepping in to restore order," Duffy wrote. foxnews.com


Arkansas Trucking Association praises bills targeting retail crime, cargo theft

Police to increase presence in Downtown Pittsburgh following 'disturbances'

NYC subways see dip in crime since NYPD began patrolling trains overnight
 

'Retail Crime Uncovered': Special Episode #3

In this jam-packed round up of the latest developments in retail crime, Emmeline outlines the key recommendations from the UK House of Lords Inquiry into shoplifting with special guest, Chris Noice from the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS). In Newscast, we learn about the growing trend for targeting luxury food items such as artisan cheese and champagne and exporting it into international markets, as well as the million dollar gift card scams hitting the USA and attracting the attention of Homeland Security. The Country Focus takes in South Africa and RCU guest Andre Jordaan describes the 'war on the highway'.
 

Stream It Here

Top Email Services Face Possible Cyberattacks
FBI warns of possible Outlook, Gmail cyberattacks
The FBI is warning users of popular email services such as Outlook and Gmail that they could be subject to cyberattacks by ransomware called Medusa, which has impacted more than 300 victims from a number of sectors, including technology, legal, medical and manufacturing.

Medusa, a ransomware-as-a-service that was first identified in June, was spotted as recently last month, according to an advisory released last week by the FBI, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC).

"Both Medusa developers and affiliates-referred to as 'Medusa actors' in this advisory-employ a double extortion model, where they encrypt victim data and threaten to publicly release exfiltrated data if a ransom is not paid," the agencies said in the March 12 advisory.

Medusa developers normally recruit initial access brokers in marketplaces and cybercriminal forums, paying them between $100,000 and $1 million with an opportunity to solely work for a hacking organization. Those brokers are known to use common techniques like phishing campaigns and exploiting unpatched software vulnerabilities, according to the advisory.

"The ransom note demands victims make contact within 48 hours via either a Tor browser-based live chat, or via Tox, an end-to-end encrypted instant-messaging platform," the agencies wrote. "If the victim does not respond to the ransom note, Medusa actors will reach out to them directly by phone or email."  thehill.com


BEC Attack Hits Microsoft 365
Microsoft 365 environments exploited in business email attacks
Attackers are conducting business email compromise (BEC) campaigns by exploiting the trusted infrastructure of Microsoft 365 to execute credential harvesting and account takeover (ATO).

Guardz explained on March 13 that unlike traditional phishing, which relies on lookalike domains or email spoofing, attackers operate entirely within Microsoft's ecosystem, bypassing security measures by using phishing lures that appear authentic.

According to Guardz, because the phishing emails originate from a legitimate Microsoft domain, this lets attackers evade traditional detection methods, including domain reputation analysis, DMARC enforcement, and anti-spoofing mechanisms.

The researchers wrote that for brand impersonation, for example, once they compromise a tenant, the attackers leverage Microsoft's built-in display name fields, logos, and organizational metadata to enhance credibility and deceive recipients. scworld.com


Cybersecurity experts warn of ransomware attack picking up steam
A vicious ransomware called Medusa is picking up speed and a local cybersecurity expert has ways you can keep your data safe. KDKA's Jessica Guay spoke with him about what you can do.

GitHub Action compromise linked to previously undisclosed attack

Cisco Smart Licensing Utility flaws under attack

La Cañada Flintridge, CA: Four Suspects Arrested for $32K Organized Retail Theft
Four suspects have been arrested for organized retail theft in La Cañada Flintridge, with more than $32,000 in alleged stolen merchandise recovered by authorities. On March 12, the Crescenta Valley Station received a call about a theft in progress at a business on the 600 block of Foothill Boulevard in the city of La Cañada Flintridge. The caller reported one man and three women stealing merchandise before fleeing in a black Ford Expedition. Deputies located the vehicle on the westbound 210 Freeway transitioning to the southbound 2 Freeway, where the suspects were safely detained. A search of the vehicle uncovered a plethora of alleged stolen merchandise. The suspects were arrested for commercial burglary, conspiracy to commit theft, organized retail theft and possession of drug paraphernalia.  outlooknewspapers.com


Montclair, NJ: Montclair Businesses Targeted in Early Morning Burglaries, Over $20,000 in Goods Stolen
Authorities in Montclair are actively investigating two burglaries that occurred in the early hours of March 14, leaving businesses with over $20,000 in damages and stolen goods. According to Montclair Police, the first incident took place around 4:54 a.m. at The Connect Clothing Store, where officers responded to an activated burglar alarm. Upon arrival, they found the store's front windowpane shattered. Surveillance footage captured the suspect repeatedly striking the glass with a yellow crowbar. However, the alarm triggered before the suspect could gain entry, prompting them to flee northbound across Bloomfield Avenue. Police said a second burglary occurred at Genevieve's Exclusive Vintage Collection in Lackawanna Plaza earlier that morning.  rlsmedia.com


San Jose men arrested after stealing from Ross stores in Fresno, Tulare counties
Two men from San Jose have been arrested after stealing thousands of dollars worth of items from Ross stores in Tulare and Fresno counties, the Visalia Police Department said. Officers say they responded to a Ross Store on North Dinuba Boulevard at 2:15 p.m. on Wednesday after receiving reports of two people stealing from the store. Upon arrival, responding officers say they found the suspects in the parking lot, inside their vehicle. The suspects fled when police approached, but were quickly apprehended. The police department identified the suspects as Fernandeo Mendoza-Esquivel, 31, and Jesus Gonzalez, 19, both from San Jose. Detectives say further investigation revealed the pair had stolen from other Ross stores in Fresno County earlier in the day. Officers say they found about 310 items in their vehicle, which were valued at around $6,300. According to officers, the suspects were booked at the Tulare County Adult Pre-Trial Facility under suspicion of organized retail theft, grand theft, possession of stolen property and conspiracy to commit a crime.  yourcentralvalley.com


Summerville, SC: Police arrest three alleged Venezuelan gang members for gun store shoplifting
The Summerville Police Department announced Thursday they arrested three men who are accused of being Venezuelan gang members for shoplifting at a gun store. Immigration and Customs Enforcement said the trio are members of the Tren de Aragua gang. Yosveni Miched Parra Quinonez, age 29, was charged with shoplifting less than $2,000 and possessing burglary tools, while Alejandro J. Miranda Rodriguez, 24, and Edison Alejandro Ramiro Munoz, 29, were both charged with shoplifting less than $2,000. police said. The incident happened on Feb. 27 when officers were called to Palmetto State Armory on East 5th North street in reference to shoplifters. Police said, on arrival, they met with staff and the three suspects who were in their prevention specialists' custody. Officers said they determined the trio had stolen approximately $299.42 in gun parts and ammo. Police said, based on their own admission, the three men were determined to be from Venezuela and in the country illegally.  abcnews4.com


Brookfield, WI: Retail theft; police say man had kids take over $1,300 in baby formula

Silver Springs, MD: Police Use Taser to Arrest Shoplifting Suspect at CVS