Case Study
ALTO's Impact on Retail Crime Accountability in San Francisco
 On July 9, 2024, a department store in San Francisco experienced a theft
carried out by a prolific repeat offender known for targeting local
retailers. Thanks to a prompt incident report, the individual was
apprehended the same day of the incident
This
case underscores the vital role
ALTO plays in the
legal process, ensuring accountability every step of the way. By
leveraging expertise and an extensive network of legal professionals,
ALTO facilitated a seamless progression through multiple court hearings,
ultimately leading to a resolution.
After Apprehension: Case Milestones
Once the offender was taken into custody, ALTO’s legal team submitted
evidence, coordinated with the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office,
and maintained clear communication between store personnel, law
enforcement, and prosecutors. Our local team supported both the DA’s and
the store team throughout the entire process, from the initial hearing
to the sentencing, addressing critical gaps that could have otherwise
led to case dismissal.
Click here to read more
The U.S. Crime Surge
The Retail Impact
California Leaders Applaud ORC
Investment
State investment helps prevent and prosecute organized retail crime
Last month, Governor Gavin Newsom announced the results from
$267 million in grants to 55 communities to
hire more police and secure more felony charges against
suspects. Proposed by the Governor and distributed by the Board of State
and Community Corrections (BSCC), program participants collected data on
arrests, referrals, charges, convictions, and sentencing related to
organized retail crime. From October 2023 to December 2024, 88% of
the 373 organized retail theft convictions were felonies.
The funding is split between two grant programs with unique applicants
for each. The prevention program grantees compile arrest and referral
data, while prosecution grant participants record charges, convictions,
and sentencing. Future reporting may include updates on charges,
convictions, and sentencing as individuals move through the criminal
justice system.
Here is a snapshot of what leaders are saying across the state:
Local elected officials
Mayor Mark Armstrong, City of San Ramon:
“As of March 30, 2025, San Ramon’s Organized Retail Theft (ORT)
Suppression Team has investigated 264 incidents of ORT crimes and made
119 arrests. They have referred 137 cases to Contra Costa County
District Attorney for review, and participated in 6 multi-agency special
operations. They have recovered more than $196,000 in stolen goods. The
team has made a significant impact for major retailers like Ulta Beauty,
Sephora, Target, Home Depot and Safeway. Ulta Beauty recently reported
that 30% of all of their organized retail theft cases in northern
California were solved or closed by the San Ramon ORT team.”
Mayor Daniel Lurie, City of San Francisco:
“People deserve to both feel safe and be safe in our city. Our
administration is working every day to support our local businesses and
energize our commercial corridors, and support from our state partners
is critical to doing that work downtown and in communities across the
city. Thank you to Governor Newsom for investing in the safety of San
Franciscans.”
Law enforcement leaders
William “Bill” Scott, San Francisco Police
Chief: “The City and County of San Francisco was facing an
epidemic of organized retail theft and motor vehicle accessory theft.
The grant has enabled us to utilize tools like automated license plate
reader cameras in strategic areas, a surge of retail theft blitz
operations with increased staffing, and better coordination with other
law enforcement agencies, as well as the San Francisco District
Attorney’s Office. The support has greatly enhanced our ability to
reduce theft related crimes and has been critical to our success.”
Denton Carlson, San Ramon Chief of Police:
“Organized retail theft goes beyond the financial loss for retailers. It
impacts the quality of life in our community and is linked to criminal
activities like drug trafficking and other illegal operations. This
grant has allowed the San Ramon Police Department to strengthen our
ability to combat Organized Retail Theft through state-of-the-art
technological tools and the initiation of a suppression team,
dramatically improving our collaborative efforts with local retailers
and other law enforcement organizations. This behavior will not be
tolerated in our community or by our organization, and this grant
provided and continues to provide the resources the San Ramon Police
Department needed to see that through.”
gov.ca.gov
SNAP Fraud Impacting Retailers
Thieves stole $21 million between
October 2022 and December 2024.
Illinois retailer accuses fraudsters of targeting store using stolen
numbers from across country
Since the beginning of 2025, several people have reported their SNAP
benefit cards were used to buy items at a small Lombard retailer in
online reviews on Yelp and Google. Now, the owner of Alsham Supermarket
and Bakery is speaking to the CBS News Chicago Investigators to clear
his name and rebuild his reputation.
 Earlier
this year, we reported on the extent of SNAP fraud on Illinois
recipients. Thieves stole $21 million between
October 2022 and December 2024. This was money that families
could use to feed themselves and their children. Most of that money was
also reimbursed, meaning taxpayers paid twice.
In Texas, between May 31, 2023, and Sept. 30, 2024 — the last
date for which federal data is available — more than $14 million in
stolen benefits had been replaced. Texas Health and Human Services
oversees the Lone Star Card, which is that state's EBT card used for
SNAP purchases. The agency said it reimbursed the last approved claim
from 2024 in March 2025.
Benefits stolen nationwide after Dec. 20, 2024, are no longer being
reimbursed, but the fraud continues. People from across the country
began complaining in online reviews this year about their SNAP benefits
being stolen "$367," "$290.76," "These people left me with $1.21 in
my account!!!"
The complaints came from across the country including Pennsylvania,
Colorado and Texas. But they had more in common than just
mysteriously missing money. They all reported their EBT card numbers
were fraudulently used at the same store: Alsham Supermarket and Bakery
in Lombard, Illinois.
cbsnews.com
'Retail Crime Workshop' in Nevada
Northern Nevada Organized Retail Crime Association hosts first 'Retail
Crime Workshop' in Reno
The Northern Nevada chapter of the Nevada
Organized Retail Crime Association (ORCA) is set to hold its
inaugural training workshop on Friday, May 9, beginning at 9:00 a.m.
The event will take place at the Regional Public Safety Training Center,
located at 5190 Spectrum Blvd. in Reno. This workshop will introduce
the Northern Nevada ORCA chapter to professionals in loss prevention and
asset protection.
The session will focus on how to effectively develop and investigate
cases that result in prosecution. Attendees will hear presentations
from local law enforcement, district attorneys, and retail industry
representatives.
Opening remarks will be given by Washoe County District Attorney
Christopher Hicks, along with other public safety leaders, including
Reno Police Chief Katherine Nance, Sparks Police Deputy Chief Clint
Bellamy, and Washoe County Sheriff Darin Balaam.
2news.com
Crime-Fighting Pods
CCTV pods to be rolled out after successful trial
A Dalek-style anti-crime kit that has reduced shoplifting in a
town centre will now be rolled out for the summer.
Temporary CCTV pods, which had been trialled in a Northampton shop, will
be funded by the office of the police, crime and fire commissioner (OPFCC)
as part of a retail crime strategy.
According to the commissioner, Labour's Danielle Stone, the pods help
monitor activity and act as a visual deterrent to crime. She said
addressing the impact of retail crime on communities was one of her "top
priorities".
When the CCTV pods were installed in the Vintage Guru shop in
Northampton, the owner Julie Teckman said they reminded her of the
infamous Doctor Who cyborgs. She said the units had been successful
in deterring opportunist crime within a few weeks.
bbc.com
Memphis crime data: 56% of people arrested in 2024 had cases dismissed
Baltimore crime data: Car thefts up recently but crime remains down over
2024
&uuid=(email))
Retail Ops to Blame?
Rite Aid blames latest bankruptcy on retail operations
The drugstore retailer cites
reluctant customers and recalcitrant vendors, but its crippling debt
overshadows all.
For its 2023 bankruptcy, which ended last fall, Rite Aid blamed
macroeconomic factors and business challenges arising from the pandemic.
For its 2025 bankruptcy, which commenced Monday, the drugstore chain
says its front-of-store retail operations are largely at fault.
In a letter sent to vendors this week, the company said it has “generally
stopped purchasing goods and services,” except those that will get
it through its latest bankruptcy.
“Rite Aid finds itself in need of chapter 11 protection because, as
the Company attempted to stabilize its business post-emergence from the
2023 Cases, it experienced unforeseen challenges that significantly
impaired its front-end business relative to its business plan,” the
retailer told the U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the District of New Jersey
this week. “Although its pharmacy-care business remained resilient, its
high-margin front-end business has remained significantly impaired.”
The company, in its latest filing, describes in stark terms a confluence
of factors that led it back to bankruptcy court. Many customers who
would previously buy household goods at Rite Aid found those items
cheaper elsewhere. Several vendors that had withheld shipments and
stiffened their terms ahead of and during the earlier bankruptcy never
softened those policies as promised. And the company didn’t obtain the
level of financing that had been pledged, despite “assurances from
certain capital providers.”
retaildive.com
New Push to Spare Small Businesses
from Tariffs
Senate Democrats push for small business tariff exemption
Under a bill introduced this week,
duties imposed when President Donald Trump declared a national emergency
would not apply to goods imported or used by small companies.
Sen. Edward Markey, a Democrat from Massachusetts who is the ranking
member of the Senate Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee, on
Monday introduced a bill to exempt small businesses from the Trump
administration’s tariffs. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer of
New York and Sen. Mazie Hirono of Hawaii are co-sponsors.
The bill runs just two pages long and its purpose is “To exempt small
business concerns from duties imposed pursuant to the national
emergency declared on April 2, 2025, by the President.”
A survey of 4,000 small- to medium-sized business in the U.S., conducted
in March, found that 55% import foreign goods directly or indirectly
and 14% sell goods to foreign buyers, according to a preliminary
report from Harvard Business School and small business platform
Alignable. In other research, Alignable found that 44% of these
companies say they expect reduced sales due to tariffs — up 3 percentage
points from March and 14 points from February — and more than 25% say
they’ve already experienced such declines.
retaildive.com
Mattel warns of price increases amid tariff pressure
The toy manufacturer is accelerating a
pullback from China, which already accounts for less than 20% of its
U.S. imports, a distinct advantage over rivals.
Rite Aid to close dozens of stores, including 19 in California
Is ESG Creating New Opportunities for EHS Professionals?
|
|
New Amazon Warehouse Robot - But Will It Mean
Job Losses?
Amazon unveils warehouse robot with sense of touch, raising job loss concerns
Amazon claims the new robot will help
workers, not take their jobs
Amazon has unveiled a revolutionary new robot that has a sense of touch, which
will allow it to handle around three quarters of all items in the company's
warehouses at a speed comparable to humans. It's a worrying claim for the
hundreds of thousands of people in Amazon's facilities, but the company is once
again claiming the new robot will work alongside humans, not replace them.
The Vulcan robot represents a "fundamental leap forward in robotics,"
according to Amazon. It uses a sensor, powered by AI, to essentially feel items
it picks up, determining the exact amount of pressure and torque required to
safely handle each object.
Vulcan's robotic sense of touch means it is able to pick and stow
approximately 75% of the 1 million items at the Amazon fulfillment center in
Spokane, Washington, where it has been deployed. The robot arms Amazon
currently use in its facilities rely on cameras and suction to manipulate
objects, meaning they struggle with many items, especially delicate ones.
Amazon has long said that its robots are there to perform mundane,
time-consuming, and dangerous tasks. In Vulcan's case, it will be picking
and stowing inventory on the top rows of inventory pods. These rows are about 8
feet high, meaning employees need a ladder to reach them.
Vulcan can also handle items stored just above the floor, which Amazon says
allows employees to "work where they're most comfortable." It could also
reduce the risk of injuries, something Amazon's facilities are notorious for.
Vulcan is able to manipulate items weighing up to 8 pounds. It operates
behind a fence to reduce the risk of accidents involving human workers.
Amazon has increased the number of robots in its warehouses from 350,000 in
2021 to more than 750,000 today. Reports claim they could save the tech
giant up to $10 billion a year by 2030, so it's easy to understand why employees
are worried, especially as Vulcan is able to work 20 hours per day and at the
same speed as a human.
techspot.com
2nd grader accidentally orders over 70,000 lollipops from Amazon
Opinion: Amazon blows off its poorest shoppers |
|
Shootings & Deaths
Detroit, MI: Update: Foot Locker shooting: Man charged in connection with deadly
shooting outside Eastpointe store
One of the people involved in a shooting outside an Eastpointe Foot Locker that
left two dead over the weekend is now facing charges. Dejuan Jermaine Taylor,
21, of Detroit, was charged Tuesday with tampering with evidence, firearms
larceny, carrying a concealed weapon, and larceny less then $200. According to
Macomb County Prosecutor Pete Lucido, Taylor was with his sister in the parking
lot of a Foot Locker on Eight Mile around 2:50 p.m. Saturday when they got into
an argument with another group of people that they knew. This argument turned
physical, and Taylor was taken to the ground by the other group. Lucido said
someone in the group that was fighting Taylor was armed, so Taylor's sister ran
to get her gun. She allegedly shot at the group, killing two people and wounding
another person from that group. Taylor was also wounded.
fox2detroit.com
Charlotte, NC: Police make arrest in triple shooting that left one dead at south
Charlotte mini mart
Charlotte police charged a 37-year-old man in a triple shooting at a south
Charlotte mini mart on May 5 that left one person dead and critically injured
two others. Terrence Christopher Richardson Jr. was charged with the
first-degree murder of Mykel Raymone Washington, 26, and the attempted
first-degree murder of the other two victims, a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police
Department press release said Tuesday. Police have not identified the other two
victims. Detectives arrested Richardson after identifying him with surveillance
footage from the mini mart, located at 340 Archdale Drive, and a nearby hotel he
had been living at since October 2024, a police affidavit said. The mini mart
footage showed Richardson walking up on the three victims and firing shots at
them. He chased one of them into the store and continued to fire at them before
fleeing.
charlotteobserver.com
Atlanta, GA: Man convicted of killing 2 men at Atlanta grocery store loses
appeal, will serve life sentence
The Georgia Supreme Court on Monday affirmed the conviction of a man who shot
and killed two others during an attempted robbery, leaving him serving a life
sentence. On September 10, 2017, Joshua O’Shea Routh killed two men while
attempting to rob a southwest Atlanta grocery store.
wsbtv.com
Port Orange, FL: Port Orange Police Officers respond to shooting at Walgreens
Two Walgreens employees are recovering after a gunman opened fire inside a Port
Orange store before police say he turned the gun on himself. The shooting took
place near Taylor Road and Williamson Boulevard in Port Orange. According to law
enforcement, the shooting happened around 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday. Police held a
press conference at 8 p.m. and said two employees sustained injuries but didn’t
say how they’re doing. Officers said one customer was inside and unharmed. “The
officers from Port Orange and surrounding agencies responded very quickly. The
shooter was found deceased in the parking lot from a gunshot wound,” said Mike
Wallace with the Port Orange Police Department. Inside Walgreens, police say
they found two employees shot.
Walgreens released the following statement: Our hearts are with our two
Walgreens team members who were victims of a senseless act of violence. We fully
cooperate with local authorities in their investigation and remain committed to
supporting our team through counseling and other available services. The safety
of our patients, customers, and team members is our highest priority.
wftv.com
Miami, FL: Deputies ID woman accused of shooting man outside northwest C-store
Robberies, Incidents & Thefts
Men dressed as construction workers attempt smash-and-grab robbery at NYC
jewelry store
 Two
men disguised as construction workers walked into a midtown Manhattan jewelry
store armed with hammers and tried to pull off a daring smash-and-grab heist,
according to law enforcement sources. The incident was captured on surveillance
video from the store on the corner of East 53rd Street and Madison Avenue around
2 p.m. Wednesday, law enforcement sources said. One man entered the shop and
held the door open for the other man, sporting a yellow construction vest and a
blue surgical mask. The second man walked up to a display case, took out a
hammer and began smashing the glass as he tried to get the high-end watches
inside, according to law enforcement sources. A security guard appeared moments
later, video showed, forcing the would-be robber to take off with nothing. Both
men ran up Madison Avenue; police were searching for them Wednesday evening. No
one was hurt in the attempted heist. The store was temporarily closed in the
aftermath of the incident, but was set to reopen Thursday.
nbcnewyork.com
Lower Southampton Township, PA: Michigan man sentenced to up to 25 years in
prison after violent robbery of Southhampton comic store
Akron, OH: 2 suspects arrested after postal carrier robbed at gunpoint in Akron
|
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
&uuid=(email))
