Retail is the Backdrop of ICE Raids & Protests -- But They're Staying Quiet
Corporate America remains silent amid ICE raids and protests
Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids in Los Angeles County have led to public unrest, with Home Depot and Waymos as the backdrop. Corporate America's muted reaction is in stark contrast with the way it responded to protests during the first Trump administration.

Protests broke out on Friday near a Home Depot in the LA County city of Paramount, after ICE agents carried out a deportation operation targeting day laborers. The Trump administration ordered National Guard troops and hundreds of Marines to quell protests over the objections of local and state officials.

Mayor Karen Bass imposed a curfew on downtown LA to curb vandalism and looting, which in the previous days led to Waymos being set on fire. Anti-deportation protests took place nationwide in cities including San Diego, San Francisco, Dallas, Chicago and New York.

Home Depot directed inquiries to ICE and wouldn't expand when asked how the retail giant was supporting stores, employees and customers. Waymo suspended service in Los Angeles. 

Small businesses raided by ICE have issued statements in support of detained employees and members of their communities.

ICE agents raided a local San Diego restaurant Buona Forchetta on May 30, and three employees were taken away when they couldn't show identification, Axios San Diego's Andrew Keatts reports. In response, the local restaurant issued a public statement on its Instagram account.

Nearby businesses have shown their support through statements and donations, and the community has led ICE protests in response.

Trump's 2017 immigration policies and travel bans prompted many CEOs taking a political stance. Now, however, corporate America has recalibrated to strategic silence.  axios.com


In Case You Missed It
Apple and Adidas stores among businesses looted and damaged in downtown LA

Days of immigration enforcement protests turned violent with looting and vandalism reported in downtown Los Angeles.

An Apple Store and other downtown Los Angeles businesses were looted and damaged after largely peaceful protests during daylight hours turned violent Monday evening and led to more than 100 arrests during a fourth day of demonstrations over immigration enforcement raids.

As of Tuesday morning, the department reported 96 arrests for failure to disperse Monday in the downtown area, where largely peaceful protests during the day turned violent in the evening. There was one arrest for assault with a deadly weapon, one for resisting arrest and another for vandalism, police said.

The LAPD reported 14 arrests for looting. The damage included a smashed window at an Apple Store, where some merchandise was stolen and graffiti was painted on windows. Looters also targeted an Adidas store, pharmacy, marijuana dispensary and other locations. nbclosangeles.com
 

Looters Will Face Tougher Penalties Under CA's New Tough-on-Crime Measures
California looters now face ‘hard-charging’ consequences after blue state abandoned soft-on-crime approach
Amid the continuing unrest and flash mob-style looting incidents in Los Angeles, California is making a significant pivot toward tougher criminal enforcement.

Criminal defense attorney David Wohl told Fox News Digital that the legal consequences are no longer a slap on the wrist for looters following the reversal of Proposition 47, which notably did not criminalize theft under $950.

“Now we have a very conservative, hard-charging DA in Los Angeles,” Wohl said. “He’s adding up what is stolen by each individual co-defendant, and if that’s over $950, everybody’s getting charged with felonies.”

In a city once known for turning a blind eye to petty theft and soft prosecution, looters who are taking advantage of protests over federal immigration operations now face stricter penalties. nypost.com


ICE Targeting Certain Businesses for Raids
What businesses are the feds targeting during L.A. immigration sweeps?
As the immigration sweeps in Southern California intensify, some patterns appear to be emerging about federal targets. While some sweeps appear to be centered at certain workplaces, others seem to be chosen at random.

Agents were spotted Monday at a courthouse and library in Whittier, Home Depots in Huntington Park and Santa Ana and businesses in Fountain Valley, according to officials and media reports.

In April, unmarked vehicles were the first to arrive outside the Home Depot on South Towne Avenue in Pomona around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday, where dozens of workers had gathered outside, according to witnesses and advocates. latimes.com


200+ arrested in L.A.; National Guard deployed in Texas as rallies continue

Judge rules Trump illegally used California’s National Guard in Los Angeles protests

Hundreds of 'No Kings' protests planned nationwide this Saturday
 

Addressing Evolving Mall Threats
Malls as Targets: Addressing the Growing Threat of Violence

By the D&D Daily staff

Shopping malls, long seen as safe community gathering spaces, have increasingly become targets for violent incidents, including shootings, assaults and other public safety threats. Their open layouts, high foot traffic and symbolic value as public hubs make them particularly vulnerable to both planned and opportunistic acts of violence.

Over the past decade, there have been multiple high-profile shootings at malls across the United States. These incidents not only result in tragic loss of life but also erode public confidence in the safety of retail centers. The nature of malls — large, accessible, and densely populated — presents unique challenges for law enforcement and mall operators alike. With multiple entrances, expansive square footage and a mix of indoor and outdoor areas, quick containment and emergency response can be difficult during a crisis.

To mitigate these risks, malls are increasingly investing in proactive security measures. Many have expanded the use of surveillance technology, including real-time monitoring through AI-enabled cameras and license plate readers. Others have adopted behavioral detection training for security personnel to identify suspicious conduct before an incident escalates.

Partnerships with local law enforcement are also playing a key role. Some malls now host permanent or rotating police presence on-site, while others conduct joint training exercises to ensure a coordinated response in the event of an emergency. Regular drills, clear emergency protocols and communication plans for tenants and visitors can further improve preparedness.

Access control is another area of focus. Though malls traditionally favor an open-door policy, some are rethinking layout designs to better control flow in and out of the property. Bag checks, metal detectors and security checkpoints are also being piloted in higher-risk locations, especially during high-traffic periods such as holidays.

While there is no single solution to preventing violence in public spaces, a layered approach that combines technology, training and coordination can significantly reduce risk. Malls that invest in comprehensive safety plans not only protect their customers and employees but also preserve the long-term health of the retail environment.

As threats continue to evolve, so too must the strategies to address them. Ensuring the safety of shoppers in these public spaces requires vigilance, adaptability and a strong partnership between the private and public sectors.


Retail Theft in California
Looking Back at a Decade of Change
Retail Theft in California Has Increased in Recent Years. Over the past decade, the rate of reported retail theft ticked up slightly in 2015 before declining through 2021. About half of this decline occurred between 2019 and 2020, suggesting that factors such as temporary stay‑at‑home orders and closure of nonessential retail businesses in the early part of the COVID‑19 pandemic likely contributed. Subsequently, retail theft rebounded between 2021 and 2023. Over the entire ten‑year period—2014 to 2023—reported retail theft increased by about 11 percent, though some counties experienced differing trends. Despite the statewide increase, reported retail theft remains well below historical highs that occurred in the 1980s.

Various Changes in the Criminal Justice System Could Have Impacted Retail Theft Trends. Proposition 47 (2014) limited punishment for most types of retail theft involving $950 or less to a misdemeanor, when previously, some of these crimes could be punished as felonies. In doing so, Proposition 47 changed how these crimes are handled at certain key stages of the justice system. This is because law enforcement generally has more limited authority to arrest people for misdemeanors than felonies. In addition, many changes in the criminal justice system occurred during the COVID‑19 pandemic. Some were directly tied to public health responses (such as early releases from prison), while others just happened to coincide with the timing of the pandemic (such as a reduction in probation term lengths). Taken together, these changes may have impacted retail theft rates.

Legislature and Voters Recently Enacted Various Law Changes to Address Retail Theft. In response to growing concerns, the Legislature and voters have enacted several law changes aimed at reducing retail theft, including Proposition 36 (2024) and various bills, such as Chapter 168 of 2024 (AB 2943, Zbur). These changes seek to reduce retail crime by (1) increasing the authority for law enforcement to arrest and detain shoplifters, (2) elevating retail theft from a misdemeanor to a felony in some cases, (3) increasing term lengths for retail crime, and/or (4) increasing capacity to detect and respond to retail crime. For example, changing crimes from misdemeanors to felonies will cause people to spend a longer time incarcerated—reducing their subsequent opportunity to commit crime. This change could also make it more likely for people to be arrested given that law enforcement generally has greater authority to arrest people for felonies. This, in turn, could help deter people from engaging in retail theft if it causes them to perceive a higher likelihood of apprehension. lao.ca.gov


Theft Arrest Leads to ICE Detention - And Sparks Wider Debate
How a shoplifting arrest in upstate NY summoned ICE and separated a family
The call was dispatched as a routine case of shoplifting in Rotterdam, a blue-collar suburb of Schenectady. Security cameras at a Hannaford grocery store caught a Hispanic couple stashing merchandise in the bottom of a stroller carrying a 3-year-old girl.

But then the male suspect, Michel Garcia Rojas, presented police officers with the only ID he had, showing he’d served as a police officer in Nicaragua. The woman, Maria Duque-Muriel, hailed from Colombia and is also a noncitizen.

Local officers in this town of 30,000 people had no firm policy to follow in this situation: undocumented suspects of a petit crime, with a young child. Body camera footage obtained by Gothamist captured a responding officer telling his partner, “I’m kind of torn.”

The officer called his supervisor for instructions. That led a Rotterdam detective to contact U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, triggering one the first known applications of the Laken Riley law in New York. The federal statute mandates detention for undocumented immigrants accused of a series of crimes, including murder, assault and theft.

The case is one of several recent incidents fueling an ongoing debate about immigration among lawmakers. Should New York become a sanctuary state, following some of its biggest cities in passing a law to limit all local cooperation with immigration agents? Or should local law enforcement be compelled to contact ICE every time they cross paths with an undocumented immigrant – even people suspected of the smallest of crimes? gothamist.com


Is Retail Theft a 'Gateway Crime'?
Freight train burglaries, sales of stolen cargo are a lucrative business
Last fall, CBS Skywatch was overhead as thieves pulled off a freight train heist on Chicago's West Side. Since then, there have been several more similar incidents, including one just last week in west suburban Bellwood. Hundreds of cardboard boxes ended up littered across the tracks after thieves broke in and stole valuable items.

Cargo thieves usually target items that are in high demand or have big price tags. The stolen goods are then sold at 100% profit, with ads popping up on social media with what may seem like offers too good to be true.

"It's a lucrative business," said Cmdr. Michael Ware, head of the Cook County Sherriff's Office Organized Retail Crime Unit. "You know, there's a lot of money to be made."

Inside an unassuming storefront on Chicago's South Side, the Cook County Sheriff's office said it just recovered $400,000 worth of stolen exercise equipment. All of it was snatched from train cars in Joliet earlier this year, according to Ware, who investigates such train burglaries in his role.

"It's like a mini-store. Mini-Home Depot, essentially," said Ware. "A lot of times, the retail theft can lead to, you know, gun recoveries and other criminal activity. It's just like the gateway crime."

The rate of cargo thefts is also increasing. According to Verisk, a firm that tracks cargo thefts, this year there is an average of 338 theft reports per month — up from 136 in recent years. This year, Chicago has experienced the third highest volume of cargo thefts, behind Southern California and Dallas. cbsnews.com


Another PD Rolls Out Retail Theft Unit
Colonie police, retailers team up to tackle organized retail crime in new initiative
Colonie Police are hosting officials from big box retailers for a collaborative session to help educate them on the rollout of the Retail Theft Unit and a new retail theft self-reporting system.

Albany County District Attorney Lee C. Kindlon and members of the Financial Crimes Unit will also speak with retailers about the Office’s renewed push to target organized retail crime in the area. cbs6albany.com

 
D.C. region launches dashboard to deliver more detailed, timely crime data

Webinar: Can Technology Solutions Meet the Challenge of Employee Theft in Production, Logistics and Distribution?