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Securing Stores During Unrest
Preventing Looting: How Retailers Can Prepare for Civil Unrest

By the D&D Daily staff

Retailers are often at heightened risk during periods of civil unrest. While most protests remain peaceful, some situations can escalate into property damage and looting. Preparing in advance can help minimize risk and protect both people and merchandise.

Assessing Risk and Creating a Plan

Retailers should begin by assessing the risk level of each store location. Proximity to high-traffic or protest-prone areas may require enhanced precautions. Monitoring local events, staying in contact with law enforcement, and developing a clear emergency plan are essential steps.

Plans should outline staff roles, communication protocols, and evacuation procedures. Assigning an in-store security lead can streamline decision-making during high-stress events.

Securing the Store

Physical deterrents can play a major role. Reinforced windows, roll-down shutters, and barriers help slow entry. High-value items should be relocated to secure areas if tensions rise. Surveillance systems and alarms must be fully operational and monitored in real time.

Training Staff and Adjusting Operations

Employees should be trained on emergency procedures and reminded that their safety comes first. When appropriate, temporary store closures or adjusted hours can reduce exposure. Retailers may also coordinate with private security firms trained to manage large crowds and crises.

Engaging the Community

Maintaining strong ties with the local community can serve as a preventative measure. Positive engagement, transparent communication, and support for local causes can build goodwill. Public messaging about safety steps being taken may also reduce the likelihood of targeted looting.

While no strategy offers complete protection, proactive planning can make a meaningful difference in protecting people and property during periods of unrest.


The Nationwide ORC Crackdown - and CHP's Role
CHP leads crackdown on organized retail crime
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) recently joined more than 100 law enforcement agencies and major retailers for a multi-day, National Organized Retail Crime Blitz. As part of the coordinated effort, from May 26 to 30, the CHP conducted high-visibility enforcement operations throughout the state, focused on identifying and apprehending individuals and groups involved in large-scale retail theft and fencing operations.

The CHP played a key role in this effort by deploying its Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF), which collaborated with local and state agencies to investigate and intercept criminal activity in shopping centers, malls, and high-traffic retail areas throughout California.

“Retail theft doesn’t stop at state lines—and neither do we,” said CHP Commissioner Sean Duryee. “By working together with our law enforcement partners and retailers nationwide, we are sending a clear message: if you come to California to steal, we will be here to stop you.”

Throughout the statewide operation, the CHP made over 90 arrests, recovered nearly $153,000 worth of stolen merchandise, and identified multiple suspects linked to organized crime rings operating in and beyond California. These efforts reinforced the importance of intelligence sharing, real-time coordination, and proactive enforcement in deterring retail theft.

The operation also highlighted the role of technology, surveillance systems, and data-driven investigations in identifying repeat offenders and dismantling theft networks that contribute to broader public safety threats.

With organized retail crime being an escalating concern, California has implemented aggressive enforcement measures to disrupt these criminal enterprises. Since 2019, California has invested $1.1 billion in public safety, including record funding to combat organized retail crime. Governor Gavin Newsom has signed bipartisan laws to give law enforcement stronger tools to fight theft, hold offenders accountable, and adapt to evolving criminal tactics. escalontimes.com


The Data Behind California's Crackdown
$6.5 million in stolen goods seized in 2025, California leads in nationwide organized retail crime crackdown

Governor Newsom announced that this year, the state recovered 113,245 stolen items worth nearly $6.5 million. In May alone, arrests were up almost 130%, stolen assets recovered were up 65%, and the value of the items recovered was up nearly 49% from April.

Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that from January to May, the state’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force conducted 331 investigations, 629 arrests, and recovered 113,245 stolen items valued at nearly $6.5 million.

Spearheaded by the California Highway Patrol, the Organized Retail Crime Task Force, through coordination with local law enforcement agencies and other partners, has been involved in over 3,800 investigations, resulting in the arrest of more than 4,400 suspects and the recovery of nearly 1.4 million stolen goods, valued at over $58 million since 2019.

Using arresting tools made available in part because of the Governor’s organized retail crime package he passed last year and ongoing commitment to public safety, compared to April, organized retail crime enforcement has gone up in all areas in May:

• 120 Investigations: Up 131%

• 246 Arrests – Up 130%

• 72,454 stolen assets recovered – Up 66%

• $2,046,084 in assets recovered – Up 49% gov.ca.gov

 
California Government Report Assesses a Decade of Changes in Retail Crime

Safest cities in Mississippi: Home security site shows drop in violent, property, gun crime
 

Grocers Scramble to Prevent Empty Shelves Amid UNFI Cyberattack
How the cyberattack against UNFI affected 4 independent grocers

The distributor said it is still relying on manual processes to fulfill orders as it works to bring its systems back online after an intrusion earlier this month.

United Natural Foods, Inc. is continuing to rely on manual procedures to receive and fulfill orders from customers as it works to recover from a cyberattack that compelled the grocery wholesaler to entirely shut down its online platform on June 6, a UNFI spokesperson said Monday.

UNFI has not indicated when it expects to resume processing orders online, but said in a statement posted on its website on Sunday that it has “made significant progress toward safely restoring our electronic ordering systems, which will allow us to serve the customers that order through these systems in a more automated way and continue to increase our operational capacity.”

Gilpin Matthews, co-owner of Darlings Grocery, a natural foods retailer in La Pointe, Wisconsin, that relies on UNFI for about two-thirds of the products it sells, said he realized something was wrong when he put in his order on June 8 but did not receive confirmation from the distributor.

To help keep his store’s shelves stocked in the absence of the UNFI delivery he normally receives, Matthews turned to Minnesota-based grocery wholesaler Mason Brothers, which supplies Darlings with conventional products such as canned goods. But that meant Darlings was unable last week to provide shoppers with the full range of organic products it ordinarily sells, because Mason Brothers doesn’t offer as large a selection of those goods as UNFI, Matthews said.

Matthews also turned to foodservice company Sysco, which supplies products for a restaurant he owns, to obtain conventional produce.

“Empty shelves don’t look good, and if people go in and they can’t get the things that they need … they’re going to go somewhere else,” Matthews said. “We were just scrambling, because we had no notice.” cybersecuritydive.com


Events are a Magnet for Cyberattackers
Hackers love events. Why aren’t more CISOs paying attention?
When CISOs think about risk, they usually think about cloud platforms, laptops, and data centers. But live events like conferences, trade shows, product launches, and shareholder meetings bring a different kind of cybersecurity exposure. These events gather people, devices, and sensitive information in one place, often for just a day or two. That makes them an appealing target.

Events also combine digital and physical systems. A vulnerability in one area can lead to a breach in the other. Yet many organizations still treat events as a logistics issue rather than a security issue.

Events are a risk magnet

Attackers look for weak points. Events often have several:

• Temporary networks: Many events rely on public Wi-Fi or bring-your-own access points. These aren’t always secure.

• High travel volume: Employees attend events with laptops and phones that may be less protected than usual. Some are using personal hotspots or USB chargers in public places.

• Public schedules: Speaker lists, session topics, and event hashtags can give attackers all the intel they need to create convincing phishing campaigns.

• New or untested tech: Events may use mobile check-in apps, NFC badges, QR codes, and kiosks. All of these can be compromised.

Many event security problems start with physical access. A vendor, attendee, or even someone pretending to be part of the AV crew might find their way into restricted areas or plug devices into open ports.

There’s also a rise in tech that blends physical presence with digital access, such as smart badges that double as NFC login keys or interactive displays that connect to backend systems. These setups might be common at events, but they’re rarely audited the way internal systems are.

Even something as simple as a promotional USB drive can pose a risk. helpnetsecurity.com


Sensitive Data Leakage
Cloud storage buckets leaking secret data despite security improvements

New data from Tenable highlighted significant improvements in the number of businesses with publicly exposed and critically vulnerable buckets storing sensitive data.

Nearly one in 10 publicly accessible cloud-storage buckets contained sensitive data, with virtually all of that data considered confidential or restricted, according to a new report from Tenable based on scans conducted between October 2024 and March 2025.

On the other hand, more than eight in 10 organizations using Amazon Web Services have enabled an important identity-checking service, according to the report, published on Wednesday.

The number of organizations with triple-threat cloud instances — “publicly exposed, critically vulnerable and highly privileged” — declined from 38% between January and June 2024 to 29% between October 2024 and March 2025. cybersecuritydive.com


OpenAI awarded $200 million US defense contract

Researchers urge vigilance as Veeam releases patch to address critical flaw

Sacramento, CA: More than 90 people arrested, $153,000 in stolen merchandise recovered during CHP retail theft operation
The California Highway Patrol recently took part in a national crackdown on organized retail crime, joining over 100 law enforcement agencies and major retailers for a National Organized Retail Crime Blitz. According to the CHP, this operation, which was conducted from May 26 to May 30, involved high-visibility operations across the state to target large-scale retail theft. The CHP's Organized Retail Crime Task Force collaborated with local and state agencies to intercept criminal activities in key retail locations throughout California.  actionnewsnow.com


Portland, OR: Two Arrested in Major Organized Retail Theft Case, Stolen Merchandise Recovered
Two people were arrested, and stolen merchandise recovered, in connection with an organized retail theft case. On Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at approximately 3:00 p.m., officers from the Portland Police Bureau’s Central Neighborhood Response Team (NRT) and officers from East Precinct successfully apprehended two suspects believed to be part of an organized retail theft ring responsible for stealing over $100,000 in merchandise from businesses in Portland and jurisdictions along the I-5 corridor. The suspects were detained without incident during a coordinated traffic stop in the area of Northeast Halsey Street and Northeast 112th Avenue. Officers recovered 25 pieces of suspected stolen merchandise, many still bearing magnetic security tags. The items were traced back to multiple high-end retail stores, highlighting the scale and coordination of the operation. portland.gov


Orlando, FL: Orlando police arrest 6, recover more than $4,000 in stolen merchandise through retail theft operation
The successful organized retail theft operation was carried out by the Orlando Police Department’s (OPD) International Drive Bike Unit in collaboration with the Florida Department of Law Enforcement (FDLE). The law enforcement officials said the operation resulted in six arrests, including two individuals connected to organized retail theft from Jacksonville. Officers said they also recovered more than $4,000 worth of stolen merchandise.  msn.com


Hamden man paid East Haven Home Depot cashier $1,500 for thousands in stolen goods, warrant says
A Hamden man charged in connection with a retail theft scheme at an East Haven Home Depot allegedly paid a store employee about $1,500 for thousands of dollars worth of merchandise over the course of several months, according to the warrant for his arrest.  nhregister.com


Ascension Parish, LA: Four arrested in Multi-State Organized Theft Ring; under $5,000
On Friday, June 13, Ascension Parish Sheriff’s deputies responded to a reported theft at the Lowe’s in Gonzales, where two individuals stole approximately $2,000 worth of merchandise. Deputies identified the suspect vehicle, which was linked to a series of thefts at nine retail stores across Mississippi and Louisiana. Deputies later located the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop, arresting all four occupants. They were booked into the Ascension Parish Jail and charged with felony organized retail theft under $5,000 and criminal trespass. Detectives with the APSO Property Crimes Unit executed a search warrant on the vehicle and recovered approximately $25,000 in stolen merchandise. Additional charges are pending from other jurisdictions as the investigation continues.  pelicanpostonline.com


Brookfield, WI: Kohl's theft; $500+ worth of merchandise stolen