Strengthen Retail Security & Enhance Workplace Safety with
Off-Duty Law Enforcement

Discover how off-duty law enforcement enhances safety and deters crime while protecting employees and assets.

Retailers are under more pressure than ever to prevent theft, ensure employee safety and maintain business continuity across stores. Criminal activities are on the rise, and they can severely disrupt operations, leading to financial losses and a tarnished reputation. Workplace security not only safeguards assets and sensitive information but also protects employees and visitors, fostering a safe and productive environment.

Hiring off-duty law enforcement is a proven way to level up your retail security strategy. Off-duty personnel are uniquely positioned to deter criminal activities, respond swiftly in emergencies and provide an added layer of protection. By integrating off-duty law enforcement into your security strategy, you can create a safer, more secure workplace environment.

Protos Security's workplace security blog explores ways that off-duty law enforcement can benefit retailers and increase workplace safety.

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New Retail Theft Law 'Bad News for Customers'?
Target and Walmart push back on new shoplifting, retail theft law

Both companies say the new rules will be bad news for customers.

While stores have tried locked shelves and various technology solutions to prevent theft, Long Beach, California, has decided to step in and force stores to increase staffing.

The new law, "Safe Stores Are Staffed Stores," requires that stores in the city do a number of things:

• Stores must have one staff member for every three self-checkout lanes.

• Any items in a locked case can no longer be purchased via self-checkout.

• There is a limit of 15 items for self-checkout.

Store employees have celebrated the rules. Matt Bell, the secretary-treasurer of UFCW 324, the union that represents grocery workers, showed his support.

"The checkers and the cashiers are on the front lines of this," he told The Detroit News. "It really is necessary to provide them safety and security and better staffing."

Trade associations representing major grocery chains as well as Target and Walmart said the new law "will increase labor costs for employers, leading to higher price tags on the shelf. It will also reduce sales in stores where self-checkout has closed," the paper reported.

"These efforts will ultimately damage self-checkout," said Nate Rose, a vice president at the California Grocers Association. "We're seeing that worst-case scenario play out where a number of grocers have decided it's not worth it to keep the self-checkout lanes open." thestreet.com

   RELATED: The controversial solution Long Beach has picked to battle shoplifters


ORC Crackdown Continues in Calif. - $7.4M in Stolen Goods - 792 Arrests
California Task Force Recovers $7.4 Million in Stolen Goods, Arrests Nearly 800 in State Crackdown
The California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force (ORCTF) is continuing its statewide campaign to protect communities and businesses from large-scale theft rings. So far in 2025, the task force’s efforts have led to 792 arrests and the recovery of more than 154,000 stolen assets valued at $7.4 million.

The CHP reported that the task force has completed 503 investigations this year, underscoring its ongoing commitment to cracking down on organized theft operations across California. The specialized unit partners with local law enforcement agencies and retailers to identify suspects, dismantle criminal networks, and return stolen merchandise to stores.

“The California Highway Patrol’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force continues to protect California communities and businesses from organized theft and hold offenders accountable,” the agency said in a statement. “Our dedicated officers and partner agencies remain committed to recovering stolen merchandise and bringing those responsible to justice.”

The ORCTF was created to address the surge in organized retail theft, which has impacted retailers across the state—from major urban centers like Los Angeles and San Francisco to smaller communities throughout the Central Valley. The task force investigates cases where thieves coordinate large-scale retail thefts and resell stolen goods for profit. newsbreak.com


What's Fueling Canada's Retail Crime 'Crisis'?
Retail crime in Canada is soaring, and petty shoplifters aren’t the problem

A new report sounds the alarm on how violent, organized crime at Canadian stores has 'escalated into a national crisis, impacting profitability, employee safety, and consumer trust'

The Retail Council of Canada is calling on the federal government to take action in the face of skyrocketing incidents of theft, violence and organized criminal activity targeting its members.

A new report released by the council says retail crime in Canada “has escalated into a national crisis, impacting profitability, employee safety, and consumer trust.”

In an open letter sent this month to Justice Minister Sean Fraser, the group urges Ottawa to convene a national forum on retail crime — similar to last year’s successful summit on auto theft — and to champion Criminal Code reforms aimed at deterring repeat and organized offenders.

“Fundamentally, we must move past the outdated notion that retail crime is merely ‘shoplifting,’” the letter reads. “It is not a teenager stealing on a dare — it is organized, dangerous, brazen and increasingly violent. Changing this narrative is critical.”

Rui Rodrigues, a loss prevention advisor at the Retail Council of Canada, was a recent guest on our Closer Look podcast. He said retailers have reported a “massive increase” in violent incidents, with the use of weapons among thieves becoming a “daily occurrence.”

“We need changes today,” Rodrigues said. “It's a revolving door. A criminal in retail gets arrested, they are released the same day or next day — mostly same day — and they're back reoffending.” cambridgetoday.ca


Industry Pressure to Pass Combating Organized Retail Crime Act
American trucking industry urges lawmakers to act as online cargo theft surges
As the holiday season kicks off, freight trucking experts say cargo theft will once again surge as more products hit the road. The July Q2 report from CargoNet, a national information-sharing system that tracks cargo theft, shows a 13% increase in cargo theft compared to the same time in 2024.

"Before 2020 it was more just straight thefts," said Adam Blanchard, co-founder of Double Diamond Transport and Tanager Logistics. "They would come in, cut the seals and take cargo out of it."

Online cargo theft has skyrocketed since the pandemic, rising 1,500% over the past four years, according to Trucking.org. Keith Lewis, CargoNet's Vice President of Operations, said he noticed the jump in online theft just after 2020, "and the bad guys realized they could work from anywhere in the world and control freight."

American Trucking Associations (ATA) CEO Chris Spear told FOX, "This is much more tech-driven by transnational organizations operating out of Eastern Europe, Russia. They’re actually going into the bill of laden, they’re looking for the expensive type of freight."

So far this year, California, Texas, and Illinois rank in the top three for cargo theft, representing 53% of all cargo theft nationwide. The top items targeted are food and beverages, and household goods.

The freight trucking industry is urging lawmakers to pass the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act (CORCA). The ATA said the bill "would provide law enforcement and industry with a unified framework to fight back. Not only would it create a long-overdue task force to pursue these criminal rings, but it would also establish a badly needed national cargo theft database."   aol.com


ORC Convictions Up 35% After New Theft Law Enacted
Virginia's organized retail theft law begins to bring convictions
The legislation making organized retail theft a crime was meant to address what retailers say is a growing headache — shoplifting gangs. The measure was one of the hardest fought in the 2023 General Assembly session.

It says anyone who works with another person to steal more than $5,000 worth of goods over a 90-day period, or who conspires for such theft, is guilty of a felony punishable by at least five years in prison.

“Organized retail theft isn’t ‘petty shoplifting’ — it’s a coordinated crime that endangers employees, hurts small businesses and drives up costs for every family,” said former Del. Kathy Byron, R-Lynchburg, who sponsored the bill.

She said she carried the bill to give law enforcement real tools and raise penalties that deter criminals. “I thought it was important to directly target the bad actors, the ones perpetrating the retail crime,” she said.

Virginia Attorney General Jason Miyares said the pace of arrests for organized retail theft is growing, from seven convictions in fiscal year 2024 to 20 convictions in the fiscal year that ended June 30, and 27 more since July 1. That is a 35% increase from the last fiscal year’s total.

“This increase in convictions is a testament to the effectiveness of our efforts,” he said in a report to the General Assembly. newsadvance.com


Citywide crime data shows slow decline as Memphis Safe Task Force enters week 3

Caldwell PD implement new data-driven techto enhance crime prevention efforts
 

State Law Trumps Store Safety Concerns?
Customers May Openly Carry Firearms in Florida’s Publix Stores, Company Says

The supermarket chain said it was complying with state law, including a ruling last month that overturned a ban on openly carrying firearms.

Floridians buying groceries and other household items will be able to openly carry firearms while walking the aisles at Publix, the largest supermarket chain in the state, the company said on Thursday.

The news came about two weeks after a state appeals court ruled that a Florida ban on people openly carrying firearms was unconstitutional. The Sept. 10 decision from the First District Court of Appeal in Tallahassee overturned restrictions in effect since 1987.

In response to an inquiry about the ruling, Publix said in a statement on Thursday that the company complies with state law, including the open-carry decision that took effect last month.

“As of Sept. 25, 2025, Florida law allows the open carry of firearms,” according to the statement. “Publix follows all federal, state and local laws.”

“Treating customers with dignity and respect is a founding belief at Publix,” it continued. “In any instance where a customer creates a threatening, erratic or dangerous shopping experience, whether they are openly carrying a firearm or not, we will engage local law enforcement to protect our customers and associates.”

In a social media post after the ruling last month, James Uthmeier, the state’s new attorney general, cited the court ruling in saying that open carry was now “the law of the state.”   nytimes.com


Charging Retailers for Lost or Stolen Carts?
Newsom signs new shopping cart law championed by San Jose politicians

Sen. Dave Cortese’s bill enables governments to return carts directly to retailers and recover the costs of retrieval

Frustrated by the epidemic of abandoned shopping carts and the antiquated rules governing them, San Jose politicians are touting a new state law they say will help them keep the city clean and safe. Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed Sen. Dave Cortese’s bill, SB 753, which will enable governments to return carts directly to retailers and recover the costs of retrieval.

The city of San Jose and Mayor Matt Mahan had sponsored the bill, lamenting how the longstanding rules handcuffed their ability to address the thousands of shopping carts left on city streets and in its waterways.

Before the passing of Cortese’s bill, California required a three-day window for retailers to pick up their carts without charge, which San Jose officials said inhibited its ability to recover costs.

The state also required local governments to impound carts for up to 30 days before they could sell or dispose of them. It capped fines for retailers at $50 per cart each time they retrieved more than three carts over a six-month period.

Under the new law, the state has increased the penalty limits to $100 for each occurrence.

California Grocers Association and some local retailers had panned the new rules, saying they could lead to higher grocery prices, but city officials view them as a step to improving the environment and government services. mercurynews.com


Using Biometrics to Secure Borders
European Union begins collecting face, fingerprint biometric data at borders

For the first time, the European Union will require visitors to submit personal data — their faces and fingerprints — when they enter or exit borders.

The Entry/Exit System, or E.E.S., began on Sunday and is scheduled to be rolled out to all border security checkpoints at ports, airports and land crossings over the next six months. It will eventually lead to the elimination of passport stamping, and it is part of a broad effort by the European Union to better secure its borders.

At the initial collection, passport officers will take a photo of a traveler’s face and scan their fingerprints. After this, passport control officers will verify a traveler’s identity using this record.

E.E.S. is mandatory, and those who refuse biometric collection will be denied entry. The length of time for which a traveler’s data is stored can vary; generally, it will be three years.

E.U. officials emphasized that the new system was not an outlier and that biometric collection had become more common across the world.

Britain regularly uses facial recognition at its automated security eGates. The United States collects fingerprints from visitors entering the country and has increasingly been deploying facial recognition when passengers exit. South Korea has been fingerprinting visitors and taking their photos for over a decade.  nytimes.com


The American Consumer's Dimming View of the Economy
Weak consumer sentiment persists amid job anxiety

“We need to be prepared for the possibility that the softening in the labor market will become something worse,” Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said.

Consumer sentiment this month persisted at the lowest level since May on worries about high prices and the dimming outlook for the labor market, the University of Michigan said Friday.

An index of consumer sentiment dipped to 55 in October from 55.1 last month as respondents expressed a gloomier view on future personal finances and buying conditions for durable goods, the university found in a survey concluded on Oct. 6.

“Pocketbook issues like high prices and weakening job prospects remain at the forefront of consumers’ minds,” Joanne Hsu, director of the university’s surveys of consumers, said in a statement. “Consumers do not expect meaningful improvement in these factors.”  retaildive.com


More Tariffs Mean a Heavier Burden for Consumers
In an increasingly integrated global economy, tariffs (taxes applied to imported goods) play a decisive role in everyday economic life. While to many they may sound like a technical concept used by economists or trade specialists, in reality, they determine what we pay when filling the grocery cart, buying clothes online, or even replacing a household appliance.

Levi’s says it could double its US store count

UK: 150,000 retail jobs at risk without business rate reform, Co-op warns

Consumers to slash holiday budgets by over 10%