Retail Vandalism and Smash-and-Grab:
What We Know about Retail Perimeter Security

Interface’s Virtual Perimeter Guard delivers proactive outdoor defence by combining AI detection, automated deterrence, and live human intervention. Virtual Perimeter Guard extends Interface’s indoor Virtual Security Guard platform, giving retailers continuous coverage from curb to cash wrap.

Click here to read the full blog
 

Homicides Down 20% in 52 Major Cities
The drop-off spans both red and blue states and has unfolded even as police departments have struggled to fill vacancies

These five cities help explain why homicide rates are down across the U.S.

The rate of homicides has plummeted nationwide and, in 2025, is trending toward its lowest level in decades.

Homicides are down nearly 20 percent this year in the 52 major U.S. cities that report such data monthly, according to a Washington Post analysis.

The United States remains a violent nation, more so than many other high-income countries, but the rate of homicides has fallen dramatically for nearly four straight years. There were 5,965 fewer killings in 2024 than in 2021, figures from the FBI show.

The drop-off spans both red and blue states and has unfolded even as police departments have struggled to fill vacancies and Americans have purchased guns at a staggering pace — a practice often linked to higher rates of violence.

It began during the administration of President Joe Biden and has persisted under President Donald Trump, who has continued to portray cities as lawless while deploying the National Guard and federal law enforcement agents to help local police combat crime.

Most criminologists say a combination of factors is driving the trend — pandemic-era investments in local violence intervention programs, the increased enforcement of tougher laws, reopened schools, demographic change and a rebound in employment.

In each city we visited — Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Indianapolis and Los Angeles — those involved in the daily grind of preventing homicides say the decreased violence has reshaped life in ways big and small, personal and profound. washingtonpost.com

 
Security Officer Shootings Surge
27% Rise in Security Officers Being Shot

Study on shootings involving private security & special police officers in 2025.

The trend is not good, and typically, during the holiday season, officers face a greater chance of being shot and killed during thefts, robberies, holiday events, and at nightclubs.

Between January 2025 and today, there has been an unprecedented 27% increase of security officers being shot, and at least nine of them were ambushed.

More than 317 confirmed private officers have been shot, and of those, we have only been able to verify that nineteen officers were armed. However, police reports, news articles and other public documents frequently do not list specific details of the incident.

We have also documented other increased attacks on both private security and private law enforcement officers, including physical assaults, stabbings and use of various other weapons.

These statistics are more than likely much higher than the actual number of shootings and assaults that we've been able to confirm, because some employers do not report incidents to law enforcement, the media often does not report incidents involving private security, and there is no singular entity that collects data related to the private security industry.

As more security officers are being used for physical foot and mobile patrols, including contracts with cities and parks, and there is more frequent interaction with the public, an even higher rate of injuries and deaths will follow.

Around 35 states have "private/special police officers" who are fully sworn law enforcement on private property. And other states are considering adding it to state statutes.  bluerammedia.com


Major Retailers Tell Congress to Act on ORC
Kroger, Target, Walgreens push for law on retail crime, theft

Best Buy, Home Depot, and 7-Eleven have also asked Congress for help fighting theft.

Numerous retailers and retail trade associations have signed a letter urging Congress to pass a bill proposed by Ohio Republican Congressman David Joyce: the Combating Organized Retail Crime Act of 2025 (CORCA).

In a letter to Majority Leader John Thune, Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, a large consortium of retailer leaders called on Congress to pass the bill.

“The impact of ORC is felt at every level of the supply chain that spans across the country throughout numerous jurisdictions. Warehouse workers, truck drivers, rail workers, retail employees, and loss prevention professionals are increasingly exposed to dangerous and sometimes violent encounters,” the letter explained.

The retailers and trade associations, which includes the National Retail Federation and National Small Business Association (NSBA), made it clear what they want from Congress.

“These crimes also strain local law enforcement resources and erode the sense of safety in neighborhoods where these criminal networks operate and profit. Given the scope and sophistication of these criminal operations, a federal response is needed,” they wrote.

The signees did not include Walmart — which did not respond to a request from RetailDive as to why it had not signed the letter — and called for the bill’s passage before the holiday season. thestreet.com


NY's 'Massive Decline' in Theft Makes More Headlines
New York State Trying To Stop Massive Theft Problem
Hochul launched the New York State Police Organized Retail Theft Task Force in April 2024. She says New York’s investment in law enforcement and tougher laws is paying off. According to Gov. Hochul, the New York State Police Organized Retail Theft Task Force has now recovered more than $2.6 million in stolen goods since ramping up anti-theft efforts last April.

“Following the pandemic, New York’s retailers faced a sharp surge in organized retail theft, which is why we invested in law enforcement and strengthened our laws to hold perpetrators accountable, protect workers, and support the small business owners who are the backbone of our economy,” Governor Hochul said.

Across 1,006 operations, police have made 1,224 arrests and filed 2,146 charges, a sweep that’s already helping drive theft numbers down statewide. Retail theft dropped 13.6 percent in New York City, and larceny fell 13 percent outside the city from January through June compared to last year.

To keep the momentum going, the state rolled out a series of new measures aimed at stopping theft crews and protecting stores. That includes making the assault of a retail worker a felony, letting prosecutors combine stolen goods from multiple stores to hit higher charges, and making it illegal to facilitate the sale of stolen merchandise

New York also set aside $5 million in tax credits to help small businesses pay for upgraded security. Officials say the work is far from over, but the early numbers show New York’s crackdown is starting to deliver results. hudsonvalleypost.com


Retailers Outraged Over Slow Prosecution of Shoplifters
UK: Time taken to bring shoplifters to justice is 'unacceptable', retailers tell BBC
The time it takes to bring shoplifters to justice is "unacceptable" with retailers waiting longer for criminals to face punishment compared with a decade ago, the BBC has learned.

In one case, stores targeted by a thief waited up to 10 months for a shoplifter to be sentenced, despite retail workers piecing together her identity without help from the police.

Figures obtained by the BBC show the average time it takes for a shoplifting case to be dealt with from offence to completion in a magistrates' court in England and Wales has risen by more than 80% in the last 10 years – from 32 days in 2014 to 59 days in 2024.

Trade bodies representing retailers have said many stores have been left frustrated with the way shoplifters are dealt with. They say the time taken reduces shopkeepers' faith in the justice system - making them feel there's no point in reporting crimes.

"The delays in bringing perpetrators to court really does add insult to injury," said Andrew Goodacre, chief executive of the British Independent Retailers Association.

"It is no surprise many small shop owners simply do not bother reporting the crime in the first place. In their minds it makes no difference."  bbc.com


Daphne PD warns of holiday season thefts as they see uptick in shoplifting

The federal takeover of New York City has begun