In Crozet, Virginia, a good Samaritan stepped up big time when a suspect started shooting in a Harris Teeter parking lot. The suspect hit two people before the Samaritan, armed with their own weapon, intervened and fatally shot the suspect. Thankfully, the hero wasn't injured, and police have assured everyone that there's no further risk. Two weapons were recovered from the scene.
In a plot twist no one asked for, a 19-year-old was arrested for a deadly shooting outside a Walgreens in Las Vegas. The incident happened around 2:45 a.m., and despite paramedics' efforts, the victim didn't make it. Police assure us it's an isolated incident, so no need to cancel your late-night snack runs. Joshua Martinez, the suspect, will be making his court debut on Tuesday.
On February 10, 2025, New York Assembly Bill (A) No. 4936 was introduced, which proposes a significant amendment to Section 27-b of the Labor Law. Section 27-b of the Labor Law requires public employers with at least twenty permanent full-time employees to develop and implement workplace violence prevention policies and training programs.
Quick Hits:
Expanded Risk Evaluation: Public employers will have to include “abusive conduct and bullying” in their workplace risk evaluations.
Enhanced Reporting Systems: Existing reporting systems for incidents of aggressive behavior will have to be amended to include reporting “abusive conduct and bullying.”
Broader Training Requirements: Existing training requirements will be expanded to require training on how to identify, prevent and report workplace “abusive conduct and bullying.”
Lack of Definitions: The bill does specifically define “abusive conduct” or “bullying,” which may render compliance more challenging.
Washington legislators are cracking down on organized retail theft with a new bill that adds extra jail time for high-value thefts. If you swipe $20,000 worth of goods, expect an extra 12 months behind bars; steal $50,000, and it's 24 months. The bill's author, Rep. Mari Leavitt, says the state is losing billions to these theft rings, which are more organized than your sock drawer. Retailers and lawmakers agree: it's time to make shoplifting a less attractive with tougher consequences.
Walmart's CEO, Doug McMillon, is sounding the alarm on rising theft, warning that if it continues, prices might go up or stores could close. Target's CEO also chimed in, blaming organized retail crime for a whopping $400 million in losses. With some cities decriminalizing theft under $1,000, retailers are resorting to locking up items and even hiring armed guards.
A column dedicated to thought-provoking conversation for Asset Protection professionals.
In this weekly column, I, along with other AP/LP professionals, will write about provocative thoughts and ideas for all of you to ponder. Readers will also have an opportunity to submit comments to be posted throughout the week. We at TalkLP hope this content will help enrich your experience within our profession.
This Weeks’s Topic:
Retailers are actually CausingORC
David George
Executive Editor
TalkLPnews
david@talklpnews.com
Early in my LP career, my team and I were conducting surveillance on a team of professional shoplifters stealing typical high-value analgesics (Prilosec, Zyrtec, Claritin etc.). Our efforts led us to a warehouse in which our stolen products were being offloaded, repackaged, and ultimately sold back into the supply chain. This is nothing unique to those who have dedicated their career to stopping these illegal enterprises.
But what might be unique to this case was recording a tractor trailer branded with the name of a national pharmacy chain as it pulled up and accepted a load of stolen products from our stores. My team continued surveillance as the tractor trailer drove to the national Pharmacy’s Distribution Center and offloaded the shady shipment.
By purchasing stolen products to increase their profit margins, this national retailer created the demand for shoplifters to go out and steal more to replenish the illegitimate warehouse. This activity is what keeps the vicious ORC cycle operational in perpetuity.
Question: Are retailers responsible for creating the Demand portion of the Supply & Demand economic principle?
My Answer: In some respects, I believe they are. After this experience, we began auditing the lot numbers within analgesic shipments to the DCs. By doing so, we found evidence we were also guilty of purchasing stolen products. (Of course, we immediately corrected that.)
Until all AP/LP leaders implement programs to ensure they are not purchasing stolen products within their respective organizations, ORC will continue to wreak havoc on employee safety and retail profitability.
Feel free to send comments to either support my position or to Change My Mind.
Send all comments here. If your comment gets listed in the TalkLPnews Retail Rundown for the remainder of the week, it will be listed as “anonymous.”
Lorain police: Suspect in 'violent crime spree' dead after crashing stolen SUV while speeding from gas station
LORAIN, Ohio — Police in Lorain say the suspect in a "violent crime spree" is dead after he crashed a stolen car last week.
According to a release from the department, the wreck occurred late Wednesday night, when an SUV being driven by 41-year-old Henry Cobb collided with two other vehicles at the intersection of Meister Road and Oberlin Avenue. The incident left "several uninvolved civilians" injured, per authorities, with two taken to University Hospitals Elyria Medical Center.
Officials say the stolen SUV caught fire with Cobb inside, and he died from his injuries at the scene. He demise followed what law enforcement says was a series of robberies at gas stations across the city.
Eleven local restaurants throughout Saugus, Canyon Country, and Newhall were hit in a spree of smash-and-grabs early Monday morning, no arrests have been made, according to business owners and an official with the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Station.
The restaurants that were burglarized included I Love Sushi, Baskin-Robbins, DiMarco’s Pizza, Chronic Tacos, Pizza Guys, Domino’s Pizza and Twisted Kazuyo Restaurant in Saugus.
The other four were Venice Pizzeria, Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and Wicked Chicken in Canyon Country and Subway in Newhall.
“I did leave money in the register, I believe it was like $300. That’s the only thing they took, and then the other one [the second register]. It was three of them, they just came in. One jumped over, got the money from the register … two of them went in the back to see if we have anything,” said Estefany Razo, manager at DiMarco’s Pizza.
Leveraging Voice-Directed Picking to Optimize Multichannel Fulfillment
The pressures on retailers to seamlessly fulfill orders across physical stores, online platforms and mobile apps continue to intensify. Whether shipping directly to customers’ homes, enabling curbside pickup or restocking store shelves, consistently improving speed, accuracy and adaptability is crucial for meeting shopper expectations and maintaining market share.
As digital commerce expands and consumers increasingly demand same-day or next-day delivery options, implementing advanced solutions like voice picking technology can transform how retail distribution centers operate. In fact, according to recent data, a significant majority of consumers expect same-day or next-day delivery, with around 80% of shoppers desiring same-day shipping and 61% wanting their packages within 1-3 hours of placing an order.
Cyber spotlights on the retail, leisure and hospitality industry: Identify, assess, protect
This spotlight delivers an overview of the latest cyber risks impacting the industry, including recent incidents, and emerging threat vectors. We also highlight our specialised insurance solutions designed to address the unique cyber vulnerabilities faced by organisations in these sectors. Read more from our insights to help enhance your organisation’s cyber risk management approach.
What cyber incidents have we seen from the retail, leisure and hospitality industry?
Online shopping giants turn to AI to reduce clothing returns
In an effort to reduce the number of unprofitable clothing returns, online retailers have increasingly resorted to artificial intelligence, from robot stock-takers to selfie-based sizing recommendations.
According to a survey conducted in late 2024 by the consulting firm McKinsey and the Business of Fashion website, up to 30 per cent of fashion items purchased online are returned, in part because “clients are buying several sizes or styles and returning most of them”.
Bird flu outbreak raises questions about the safety of store-bought eggs
COLUMBIA, S.C. (WIS) - The eggs you buy at the store are probably more expensive, but are they safe to eat?
Cases of avian flu, commonly known as bird flu, have caused mass euthanizations of chickens in large egg farming operations.
Livestock and poultry researchers at Clemson University said a large chicken farm can have anywhere from 100,000 to as many as 4 million chickens. If any are infected, they said all of those birds have to be depopulated for the risk of exposure.
And, the millions of lost eggs are being felt by consumers at the cash register.
According to news reports, Cincinnati-based Total Quality Logistics (TQL) has highlighted a troubling trend in the supply chain. The logistics provider reports that cargo crimes are on the rise, with tractor-trailers as primary targets and stolen goods ranging from baby formula to bourbon.
Cargo thefts in the US and Canada surged 27% in 2024, according to the latest quarterly analysis by freight security firm Verisk CargoNet.
The report identified 3,625 theft incidents over the past year, with the average loss per theft rising to $202,364, up from $187,895 in 2023. Each quarter of 2024 surpassed the record-setting theft levels of 2023, though the rate of increase slowed as the year progressed. The most significant spike occurred in Q1 2024, with 317 more incidents than the same period in 2023, while Q4 saw a more moderate rise of 94 incidents (an 11.8% year-over-year increase).
Man severs employee's finger in car door while fleeing gas station theft
SAN ANTONIO - Authorities are searching for a man who allegedly stole beer and chips from a gas station and severed an employee's finger in a car door while attempting to flee.
The incident occurred on February 7 around 1:30 p.m. at the Shell gas station near Loop 410 and Vance Jackson.
According to the San Antonio Police Department, the man grabbed beer and chips from the store and attempted to leave without paying. A 63-year-old employee followed the man to his vehicle and opened the door. Then man then slammed the car door on the employee's thump, partially severing it.
Eleven charged in connection with cargo theft of $440K in Nike shoes from BNSF train
Eleven people have been indicted on charges related to a large scale cargo theft incident in Arizona.
On February 11, 2025, a grand jury indicted Noe Cecena-Castro and ten others for possession of stolen goods related to the theft of nearly 2,000 pairs of Nike shoes from a BNSF train in Northern Arizona.
The theft of the Nike shoes is part of a larger cargo theft operation targeting trains in California and Arizona, officials say.
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