Employers are concerned over workplace violence, especially in healthcare. While the Trump administration isn't expected to tighten federal regulations, states are stepping up with new laws. Alaska, Massachusetts, New York, Ohio, Oregon, Virginia, Washington, and Wyoming are all cooking up bills to make workplaces safer. These laws range from requiring violence prevention plans to mandating panic buttons and paid leave for victims.
KnowBe4's latest report shows that cybercriminals are now more interested in stealing your login details than your credit card info, with credential theft making up 38% of all compromised data in 2023. Retail cyberattacks have surged by 56%, making it one of the top five targeted industries. The U.S. retail sector is particularly hard-hit, accounting for 45% of global ransomware attacks. But there's hope! Security awareness training can drastically reduce phishing success rates, proving that a little education goes a long way in keeping your data safe.
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent assured everyone that the Trump administration is playing the long game with the economy, not sweating the short-term market jitters. Despite the market's rollercoaster ride due to Trump's tariff tango with Canada, Mexico, and China, Bessent believes in long-term prosperity. He emphasized that proper policies will lead to real income, job gains, and asset growth. Meanwhile, inflation seems to be chilling out, giving the market a bit of a breather.
California has recovered over $13.5 million worth of stolen goods in 2024 thanks to the state's Organized Retail Crime Task Force. With 1,707 arrests and a whopping 879 investigations, the task force isn't messing around. Governor Newsom and the CHP are all about cracking down on retail theft, but there's some drama over funding for Prop. 36, which aims to increase penalties for theft and drug crimes. Meanwhile, crime rates have been climbing since 2019, making this crackdown more crucial than ever.
If you’ve ever been out to dinner with me and the waiter suggests the octopus appetizer, you’ve unfortunately had to sit through my lecture about how incredibly smart octopuses are – and in fact, it should be illegal to eat them. Most of the time this is followed by many blank stares…which then spurs me to recount watching the documentary, My Octopus Teacher, a Netflix movie I highly recommend by the way, and it will undoubtably illustrate my point.
After starting out in the industry over 15 years ago, I’ve seen LP professionals evolve into having a firm seat at that coveted c-suite table. No longer is succeeding in this industry about simply stopping thieves —it’s about constant adaptation, intelligence, and resilience. Oddly enough, one of the best models for an exceptional loss prevention professional isn’t human at all. It’s the octopus.
The octopus is nature’s master of stealth, strategy, and survival. It embodies many of the skills that define top-tier loss prevention experts and top executives in general. Let’s explore how this fascinating creature’s unique abilities align with the skills necessary for excellence in our profession.
Shape-Shifting: The Art of Adaptability
Octopuses can change their body shape to squeeze through impossibly small openings, allowing them to escape predators or infiltrate tight spaces. Today especially, loss prevention executives must be adaptable to ever-changing circumstances. Policies change, technology evolves, and external/internal thieves become more sophisticated. A skilled loss prevention professional must be able to shift tactics, adapt to new challenges, and navigate different environments—whether it's a luxury retailer, grocer, restaurant or varying footprints such as a warehouse, or a distribution center. I mean, have you seen an octopus shift into a flounder? It’s insane.
An octopus shape-shifting into a flounder.
Camouflage: Blending into the Environment
The octopus is a master of camouflage, able to change color and texture to blend seamlessly into its surroundings. Similarly, an effective loss prevention professional knows when to blend in and when to stand out. Being overly visible at the wrong time might put budget requests or strategic initiatives in jeopardy, but a more subtle approach when partnering with various departments might be perfect – blending into that department’s specific culture or desires.
Intelligence: Outsmarting the Opposition
Octopuses are widely regarded as one of the most intelligent creatures in the ocean (this is why they shouldn’t be eaten, IMHO). They solve puzzles, use tools, and display remarkable problem-solving abilities. Likewise, loss prevention is a thinking person’s game. It requires the ability to anticipate varying departments’ goals, your own boss’ measurement goals, and what your teams are thinking/feeling…just to name a few. Just as an octopus can figure out how to open a jar to get food, the LP professional must know his ‘opposition’ isn’t always an external/internal thief but it’s knowing how to think like your CEO about what’s ultimately important to the organization’s bottom line right now?
Tool Use: Leveraging Technology and Resources
Some octopuses use coconut shells or rocks as tools, demonstrating their ability to manipulate their environment to their advantage. In loss prevention, the use of tools—both technological and psychological—is critical. From surveillance systems and RFID tagging to behavioral analysis and forensic accounting, LP professionals must harness every available resource to protect assets.
Regenerating Limbs: Bouncing Back from Setbacks
One of the most fascinating traits of an octopus is its ability to regenerate lost limbs. In the world of business, setbacks are inevitable. Missing your shrink numbers, an unsuccessful investigation, or being passed over for a promotion can be discouraging. But resilience—the ability to learn from failures and keep moving forward—is what separates true executives from a sea of competition. Just like an octopus can regrow a lost tentacle, a skilled LP professional adapts, learns, and improves after every challenge.
Escape Tactics: Knowing When to Pivot
When an octopus is in danger, it can squirt ink and make a quick escape. Knowing when to disengage or shift focus is just as valuable. Sometimes, pursuing a specific project for too long might not be the best action even if it’s your passion. Other times, digging in and knowing when to pick your battles is important to your internal credibility as well as your organizational results. Knowing when to hold firm and when to shift direction is a skill honed over years of experience.
Be an Octopus
The octopus teaches us that success in LP/AP isn’t just about simply catching thieves or reducing shrink—it’s about intelligence, adaptation, resilience, and strategic thinking. Whether you’re a seasoned executive or just starting out, embracing the mindset of an octopus can make you more effective in protecting assets and staying ahead of ever-evolving threats.
So, the next time your party is offered the octopus appetizer, please, politely decline because you may just owe some success to its nine brains (yep).
OCSO arrests alleged mastermind of retail theft scheme
MARY ESTHER, Fla. (WALA) - The Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 43-year-old man Tuesday morning in connection with a case involving organized retail theft in Florida.
After a monthslong investigation by the OCSO Criminal Investigation Division and retail loss prevention investigators, deputies executed a search warrant at a home in the 800 block for Hilltop Road in Mary Esther and arrested Claudio Solano-Olascoaga.
The OCSO said Solano-Olascoaga is believed to be the mastermind behind an organized theft scheme that has hit multiple stores in Okaloosa County as well as surrounding counties.
CHP Task Force Recovers $780,000 in Stolen Goods, Oakland Woman Charged in Organized Retail Theft Crackdown
The California Highway Patrol (CHP) has made a notable advance in the fight against organized retail theft with the arrest of Claudia Ivet Cruzbarragan, as their special task force recouped merchandise valued at nearly $780,000. The CHP Golden Gate Division's actions stem from an in-depth investigation into a series of thefts plaguing Bay Area businesses, as detailed on the division's official Facebook post.
Since July 2024, the Golden Gate Division Organized Retail Crime Task Force has been on the trail of this criminal network.
Rising Threat of Online Fraud in Quick Service Restaurants
The quick service restaurant (QSR) industry has become a prime target for online fraud, and the problem is escalating. According to Kasada’s 2025 Account Takeover Trends Report, the food and restaurant sector was among the most impacted industries last year. Over 130 QSR companies suffered successful account takeover (ATO) attacks, marking a staggering 72% increase from the previous year.
More than half (54 percent) of quick-service customers say they prefer restaurants where they are loyalty members. The explosion of online ordering, mobile apps, and digital rewards programs to satisfy consumer preferences has dramatically expanded the attack surface for cybercriminals.
The Vice President of Loss Prevention Operations is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive strategy to reduce and prevent loss across all aspects of the company’s operations. This role includes leadership of the corporate loss prevention team, collaboration with senior management, and the implementation of risk management programs. The VP ensures compliance with industry regulations, maintains operational efficiency and safeguards company assets.
Alleged serial shoplifter charged in 21 retail thefts at San Francisco drugstores
SAN FRANCISCO - A suspected serial shoplifter has been charged in connection with 21 retail theft incidents at multiple Walgreens and CVS stores in San Francisco, prosecutors said.
‘Habitual thief’ What we know: San Francisco District Attorney Brooke Jenkins said the thefts occurred between May 2024 and March 2025.
"Prolific thieves wreak havoc on our retail businesses and our communities," Jenkins said in a press release.
Four Guatemalan Nationals Sentenced in Multi-State Retail Theft Scheme
Four Guatemalan nationals were sentenced for their roles in a multi-state retail theft scheme that targeted home improvement stores and other retailers, resulting in losses of at least $280,000, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island announced Thursday.
The defendants were part of a group responsible for about 35 thefts at national retailers in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Pennsylvania, the U.S. attorney’s office reported.
A data strategy is one of the must-have items in global retail today. Retailers that can systematically maximize the usefulness of their data will unlock core business growth and productivity gains—through superior merchandising decisions, fulfillment optimization, targeted cost reduction, and other improvements.
Retail’s data strategy leaders will be more likely to find strong growth beyond their current core businesses, in areas such as data monetization, retail media, and online marketplaces.
Two charged in Summit Twp. convenience store shooting
LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — A February argument at a convenience store in Summit Township led to two arrests and a man being extradited back to Michigan from Las Vegas, according to the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office.
Police say on Feb. 10, Jackson County deputies were dispatched to the area of Francis St. and Hollis St. for a shots fired call. In the area, they found multiuple shell casings and an unoccupied vehicle that had been shot several time. No victims were located.
Deputies investigated, reviewing business and residential surveillance cameras, finding what appearted to be an argument between four men in a convenience store. Two of the men left the store in a black SUV, after which the other two atetmped to get inside a small sedan parked in a nearby alley.
Former gas station employee arrested after allegedly stealing nearly $30K
IDAHO FALLS — A 20-year-old former gas station employee was arrested after his boss told police he had been stealing blank checks and wrote them out to himself.
Moroni Ramirez-Perez is charged with grand theft, forgery, possession of a forged check and grand larceny, all felonies.
According to court documents, the owner of Shaka’s Convenience store told Idaho Falls Police on June 30 that Ramirez-Perez, a former employee, had been forging blank checks from the business.
The owner told police that Ramirez-Perez wrote out 34 checks to himself, totaling $29,347 between March 7 and May 10, 2024.
According to the owner, the checks had been pre-stamped with her signature so that any employee could use them to pay vendors who delivered to the store if the manager was unavailable.
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