Do Mayors Need to Rethink Crime Policies?
Massachusetts rep ticked off at locked-up products at CVS amid rampant shoplifting

‘Every time a customer has to ask the CVS clerk to unlock the shampoo, Democrats get less popular’

One Bay State congressman is tired of having to ask CVS clerks to unlock products, pointing to how he believes Democrats need to improve their policing of quality-of-life violations to save the party.

Newton Democrat Jake Auchincloss has laid out five ways “Democratic mayors can improve education, affordability, and law & order,” including a suggestion that the party take a different approach in addressing “degradations to public order.”

“Drug use, loitering, panhandling, encampments, vandalism, shoplifting – these compound into lawlessness,” the congressman stated in a blog post on his campaign website Tuesday night. “There’s nothing compassionate or progressive about permitting them.”

“Indeed, I think every time a customer has to ask the CVS clerk to unlock the shampoo, Democrats get less popular,” he added. “Policing high public standards … can create positive feedback loops for law & order.”

“Running big cities well is a vital way for Democrats to earn back voters’ trust after the catastrophic school closures and increase in crime,” Auchincloss stated in his post.

Shoplifting remains prevalent in Massachusetts. Suffolk DA Kevin Hayden announced this week that Boston police officers arrested a Dorchester man on charges that he had stolen $2,331 worth of products from Lululemon at the Prudential Center.

Hayden’s office launched a “Safe Shopping Initiative” last year, in partnership with Boston Police and retailer groups, to “increase consumer safety and help store managers strategize responses to shoplifting and retail larcenies.”  bostonherald.com


CA's Report on Retail Theft is 'Inconclusive'
California Legislative Analyst’s Office study on theft offers few answers
Few political issues energize the public more than ones involving public safety for obvious reasons.

We all want to feel safe. Unfortunately, the correlation between specific policies and crime remains as inexplicable as ever. Lawmakers respond to perceptions more than data, so we end up seesawing between tough-on-crime policies and criminal-justice reforms based heavily on anecdotes.

The Legislative Analyst’s Office this month released a study that looks at a decade of state policy involving retail theft—and analyzes whether various laws contributed to the peaks and valleys of theft data. As it explained, reported retail theft increased by 11% between 2015 and 2023, although it blipped up and down. Rates are higher than a decade ago, although far below the peak in the 1980s.

It’s important to use 2015 as a baseline because in 2014 voters approved Proposition 47, which reduced punishments for low-level thefts from felonies to misdemeanors. As shoplifting and other retail crimes increased post-COVID, politicians and voters often blamed that initiative. In November, voters overwhelmingly approved Proposition 36, which rolled back Proposition 47 changes.

This Editorial Board shared concerns about crime and frustrations at aggressive panhandling and locked retail shelves. But we were fearful Prop. 36 would bring back the days of over-incarceration. The jury is still out.

The report is useful, but inconclusive. It noted that pandemic-related policies likely affected theft rates. Stay-at-home orders may have temporarily reduced retail crime, while COVID-driven early release programs might have increased it. Major police jurisdictions didn’t report crime data for seven months during those unusual times, thus making accurate crime tracking more challenging.

That doesn’t totally let Proposition 47 off the hook, but it reinforces the flaw in seeking easy answers and solutions to complicated problems. No doubt, Prop. 47 was a convenient scapegoat for critics of criminal justice reform. dailybreeze.com


Theft Surges 17% in Austin
Austin retailers increase security and call for accountability as petty thefts spike
In Austin, a growing number of retailers say they’re seeing more theft, and as a result, they’re dishing out more money paying for private security, saying they don’t feel there are meaningful consequences for low-level crimes.

Data from the Travis County Criminal Data Dashboard shows misdemeanor theft filings increased by 17% in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year. That includes theft cases where the value of stolen goods is under $2,500, incidents that typically involve shoplifting or small-scale property crime.

Spencer Murphy, who owns Strategic Security, says that the rise in filings tracks with what he’s seeing on the ground. “We’ve had retailers, shopping centers, and other businesses calling us more because they’re seeing an uptick in crime,” Murphy said. “Our retail security work has nearly doubled in the last two months.”

Murphy says it’s not just how often these thefts happen, it’s how bold they’ve become. Murphy believes thefts like these can escalate.

Under Texas law, theft cases involving stolen property valued under $2,500 are handled by the Travis County Attorney’s Office, which prosecutes misdemeanor crimes. The Travis County District Attorney’s Office handles felony theft cases, which typically involve stolen property worth more than $2,500.

Critics of the current system have said that not enough misdemeanor theft cases result in serious penalties. But without clear data, it’s difficult to assess how these cases are being resolved or how often they end in jail time. cbsaustin.com


Removing the Friction of Anti-Theft Lockups
Target testing digital shelf-unlocking tech for shoppers
Target is testing new technology to allow shoppers to lock and unlock store shelves using their smartphones, an anti-theft solution that has been explored by competitors like Walmart. The tech move was announced during an internal staff call Thursday by Chief Stores Officer Adrienne Costanzo, according to Bloomberg News.

The technology would enable shoppers to the ability to quickly access items without the assistance of a store employee with physical keys, marking a shift in tactics as the company works to curb retail theft. Costanzo reportedly told staff that the company is “actively testing” this technology and may even extend this capability to its Shipt delivery team members and paid membership program users.

To combat a rise in retail theft in recent years, many stores have begun locking away items in clear display cases that require employee assistance to access. However, long wait times have deterred some shoppers from coming into stores.

If successful, retailers are hopeful that unlocking technology could bring customers back to in-store shopping. wwlp.com


PDs Using LPRs to Track Down Thieves
Oceanside's license plate readers aid in the arrest of Carlsbad retail theft spree
A suspect involved in a string of organized retail thefts across multiple counties in California has been arrested, according to Carlsbad Police. Katie Calderon was apprehended following the theft of nearly $9,000 worth of goods from an Ulta store in Carlsbad last week.

Oceanside Police made the initial arrest using a specialized camera system before transferring the suspect to Carlsbad authorities. The arrest was facilitated by Oceanside's use of the Flock camera system, which reads license plates and identifies vehicle characteristics.

"So that really helps us, and I think this case really highlights the importance of those Flock cameras because we're able to, as I mentioned, get a hit. That's what we call it, and we're able to locate whatever vehicle we want using those Flock cameras," Avalos said. msn.com


Wilmington, NC: Local business takes new approach to prevent store loss

Group says supply chain digitalization is fueling the rise in cargo theft
 

7-Eleven Safety Leader Recognized
2025 Star Women in Convenience winner: Amy Hucik

Amy Hucik - Zone Safety Specialist - Canada - 7-Eleven Canada, Inc.

How did you get into this business?

I started my career in health and safety in 2010 in the oil & gas industry in Alberta. With an intention to branch out and expand my knowledge of other industries and how they manage safety, I joined 7-Eleven in 2022.

What work-related accomplishment are you most proud of during the last 12-18 months?

Over the past two years, we have been able to decrease our injury and lost time rates significantly, speaking to improvements in proactive safety. This is in large part due to some initiatives we pushed to enhance our Violence Prevention Program in 2024.

What do you like most about your job?

The people! Everyone at 7-Eleven from store team members to leadership—the people are the very best part. It’s so rewarding being part of such a diverse organization and having the opportunity to meet so many people from all walks of life. My favourite part of my job is going to stores and learning the different challenges our team members face and working with them to find solutions.

What was the biggest challenge of your career?

Safety in the convenience and late-night retail industry is much different from what I had previous experience with, because the majority of the hazards we face have to do with the behaviours of other people, which is largely out of our control.

What's your career highlight/biggest achievement?: ccentral.ca


Nike Hits Bottom, Braces for Massive Tariff Hit
As revenue falls 10%, Nike preps for $1B tariff hit

At the same time, the brand is restructuring teams around key sports and touted “significant progress” on rightsizing its classic footwear franchises.

As full-year revenues fall 10%, dipping to $46.3 billion, Nike is realigning its teams around key sports, CEO Elliott Hill said on a call with analysts Thursday. Fourth-quarter revenues were likewise down by double digits, falling 12% to $11.1 billion. The company is expecting a $1 billion impact from tariffs.

Hill on Thursday suggested Nike has reached the bottom of its turnaround slump, while acknowledging that its most recent results “are not up to the Nike standard.” The executive noted that he’s made changes to 11 of his 15 direct reports, is confident in the brand’s product pipeline and is seeing renewed “fight” in Nike’s employee base.

But tariffs may throw another wrench in the retailer’s turnaround progress: Nike expects a $1 billion hit from tariffs, given current rates. Friend said the retailer intends to mitigate all of that through a variety of actions, which include shifting some manufacturing out of China, optimizing its sourcing mix, negotiating with partners and executing “surgical” price increases in the U.S. starting this fall. retaildive.com


Tariffs Taking Toll on Retailers
Minnesota retailer Legacy Toys files for bankruptcy, but will try to keep remaining stores open

The toy seller has suffered several financial blows, including tariff costs this year after an eviction from the Mall of America in 2024.

Minnesota toy retailer Legacy Toys, which started in Ely and expanded to the Twin Cities, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection after a series of financial blows.

Legacy, based in Edina, has closed three stores over the past 18 months, but it still has outlets in Ridgedale, Southdale, Rosedale and the Miller Hill and West Acres malls in Duluth and Fargo, respectively.

“It’s a lot of little things that added up to a big thing,” Legacy Toys’ owner and president Brad Ruoho said of the bankruptcy. Tariffs, while they didn’t cause the bankruptcy, “were the final straw” leading up to it. startribune.com


Can Hybrid Environments Work Better Than In-Office?
While the debate over return-to-office (RTO) mandates rages, hybrid work environments are still seen as a potential solution.

“If leaders get hybrid work right, RTO doesn’t have to mean draconian policies, rigid workweeks, or uninspiring spaces,” wrote Cisco in a press release for its 2025 Global Hybrid Work Study. “Getting hybrid work right isn’t easy though.”

A wide range of retailers — including Amazon, Walmart, Apple, Target, Starbucks, Kroger, Nike, and Gap, as well as a wide range of technology firms supporting the retail industry — have faced significant pushback from employees with mandates to return to corporate offices. retailwire.com


Gloomy Americans cut back on spending as inflation ticks higher
A key inflation gauge moved higher in May in the latest sign that prices remain stubbornly elevated while Americans also cut back on their spending last month.

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