Protests & Violence

'An Ill-Prepared Department' - Organized Robbery Crews Operated Freely
L.A.P.D. Severely Mishandled George Floyd Protests, Report Finds

An independent report commissioned by the Los Angeles City Council faulted the department for its lack of planning and chaotic response.

The Los Angeles Police Department severely mishandled protests last summer in the wake of George Floyd's death, illegally detaining protesters, issuing conflicting orders to its rank-and-file officers and striking people who had committed no crimes with rubber bullets, bean bags and batons, according to a scathing report released on Thursday.

Hundreds of people were injured or alleged their rights were violated during the summer protests. Officers were sent into the streets with hard-foam projectile weapons that they weren't adequately trained to use, and police commanders without up-to-date training in crowd control tactics were put in charge of volatile scenes, according to the report.

An ill-prepared department quickly allowed the situation to spiral out of control when some protesters got violent, failing to rein in much of the most destructive behavior while arresting thousands of protesters for minor offenses, according to the 101-page report commissioned by the City Council.

The report was also highly critical of the department's leadership, saying that high-ranking officers sometimes made chaotic scenes even worse by shifting strategies without communicating clearly. In many cases, officers used "antiquated tactics" that failed to calm the more violent demonstrators, some of whom the report said deliberately threw things at officers from behind a line of peaceful protesters.

Officers formed skirmish lines and squared off with unthreatening protesters who had their hands up, even as others who were throwing objects at police from deeper in the crowds and organized groups who were running teams of burglars into surrounding businesses were left to operate freely, the report found.

Meanwhile, protesters accused of minor offenses that only warranted citations in the field were subjected to hours-long detentions, all part of a "last-minute, uncoordinated effort" by officers to arrest thousands without any clear plan for transporting or jailing those they were rounding up, the report found.

The review is the latest to find serious fault with a police department's response to the wave of protests that swept the country in the wake of Mr. Floyd's death in Minneapolis on May 25.

In many ways, the report commissioned by the City Council outlines failings that have already been highlighted by activists and protesters, those claiming to be injured or otherwise wronged, The Times and other news media and by the LAPD itself. nytimes.com latimes.com


Cities & States Across America Are Debating Police Strategy's & Tactics

Policing debate in MD exposes raw racial divides: 'We don't have all the same experiences'
During a late-night floor session on Wednesday, White Republicans in the Maryland House of Delegates offered multiple amendments to a sweeping police-reform bill, saying officers must be able to respond to potentially dangerous situations without worrying about being second-guessed.

The debate over the omnibus policing bill, which was approved Thursday evening, laid bare the different realities of policymakers weighing how to hold police officers accountable. It's a conversation that has gained momentum in new ways since the viral video of the police custody death of George Floyd 10 months ago.

The House bill now heads to the Senate, which has already sent its own nine-bill policing package to the House. There will likely be intense debate over reconciling the differences. washingtonpost.com

DC is Looking to Reimagine Policing by emphasizing a public health approach over arrests, even as gun violence escalates
"The tactics of the past 10-20 years are no longer what we should be doing as a department or a city," D.C. Police Cmdr. John Haines wrote. "No longer are we focused on getting guns. The focus will be on those that pull the trigger and directly or indirectly harm others."

Haines stressed that "no idea is too small or too radical. If it means a reimagining of the unit, a total reorganization, or simply sitting down and having real discussions on how to balance societies' needs to our mission, I want to hear it. Think outside the box."

The Police Reform Commission, a group established by the D.C. Council to reimagine policing following the protests that started after the killing of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis in May, is set to release its final report in April. It is expected to recommend pausing the gun task force and crime suppression teams until their tactics and effectiveness can be examined. washingtonpost.com
 

COVID Update

98.2M Vaccinations Given

US: Over 29.9M Cases - 544K Dead - 20.7M Recovered
Worldwide: 119.2M Cases - 2.6M Dead - 94.8M Recovered

Former Senior Loss Prevention Executive
Know of any fallen LP exec? Let's remember & recognize.

Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 279   Law Enforcement Officer Deaths: 267
*Red indicates change in total deaths

Toronto's Lockdown is Just That - A Total "Blanket Lockdown"
For 150 - 190 - 260 & 270 Days Depending on Retail Sector
As Toronto Goes - So Goes Canada

Toronto has had some of the longest COVID-19 business closures in North America
As the COVID-19 pandemic stretches on for a year, Toronto has become a flashpoint for the inherent inequities and political consequences that come with difficult public-health decisions.

The city has had some of the strictest, and longest-running, closings in North America - and the harshest on small business. On Monday, when the stay-at-home order in Toronto and neighboring Peel Region is lifted and they enter the grey "lockdown" zone, retail stores will be able to open at 25-per-cent capacity for the first time in more than 100 days. (Big box and grocery stores have been allowed to operate throughout the pandemic, with certain limits.) But indoor dining, hair salons and barbers, gyms and recreational venues such as pools and cinemas will remain closed.

According to industry groups, the situation has become desperate. Small businesses in Ontario have accumulated $207,000 in COVID-related debt on average.

"I'm not suggesting Ontario become Texas, and end mask bylaws and end every restriction. What we're asking for is some alternatives to a blanket lockdown," said Dan Kelly, CFIB president and chief executive officer.

Over the past year, non-essential retailers in Toronto have been restricted to curbside pickup or online sales for more than 150 days; hair and nail salons have been shuttered for more than 190 days; gyms for more than 260 days and indoor dining at restaurants for more than 270 days. Peel has faced similarly long closings.

By contrast, in British Columbia, retail shops, restaurants and pubs have remained open during the second wave with safety protocols in place. Only Montreal's restaurants have been shuttered longer than Toronto's - since Oct. 1, compared with Oct. 10 - but retail stores and hair salons have been allowed to reopen in Quebec. Los Angeles has opened stores with limits, salons and outdoor dining; New York's indoor dining ban lasted from mid-December to Feb. 12 (Around 60 days by contrast - in Canada 270 days). theglobeandmail.com

States Rolling Back Restrictions As Vaccinations Increase
Gov. Walz lays out major rollback of Minnesota COVID-19 restrictions
Capacity limits relaxed for bars and restaurants, and eliminated for worship, though mask-wearing will remain.

Larger group events ranging from high school proms to live Minnesota Twins baseball can resume this spring under a rollback of COVID-19 restrictions announced Friday morning by Gov. Tim Walz. Many of the rollback measures take effect Monday, including an expansion that permits social gatherings of 15 people indoors or 50 people outdoors with no limit on the number of households.

The state's work from home requirement for applicable businesses will be lifted April 15, but employers will be encouraged to allow workers to continue the practice if desired. startribune.com

Oklahoma Lifts Remaining Covid-19 Restrictions
Gov. Stitt said he would sign an executive order Friday removing restrictions affecting capacity limits on events and public gatherings and the use of masks in state buildings. Most other restrictions expired last June.

Texas and Mississippi last week lifted all mandates on businesses and the use of facial coverings, and some smaller states, such as Iowa, Montana and North Dakota, have removed their mask requirements.

The pace of reopening across the U.S. is picking up as an increasing number of Americans are being vaccinated. A Wall Street Journal analysis of U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention data shows that 9.9% of the U.S. population is fully vaccinated, while nearly 19% have received one dose.

Other states have rolled back restrictions on economic activities and travel. Maine, Connecticut, New Jersey and New York have in recent days opened up more of their economies. On Thursday, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said starting April 1 the state won't require domestic travelers to quarantine after entering New York from another state or territory. wsj.com

Retail & Malls Go to 50% Capacity With Masks Required
L.A. County to reopen indoor restaurants, gyms, movie theaters as early as Monday
The county will be eligible for the reopenings as soon as California reaches its goal of administering 2 million COVID-19 vaccine doses to residents in its most disadvantaged areas - which appears likely to happen today. After clearing that hurdle, the state will relax the threshold for counties to move from the most restrictive purple category of its four-tier reopening blueprint, clearing a number of them - including Los Angeles - to advance into the less-restrictive red tier.

In addition, all employees working indoors should be "informed about and offered opportunities to be vaccinated," according to a statement released Thursday. L.A. County food service workers, including those who work in restaurant dining, table service, carry-out and food preparation, have been eligible for the vaccine since March 1.

Retail and personal care services can increase capacity to 50% with masking required at all times and for all services.

Indoor shopping malls can increase capacity to 50% with common areas remaining closed; food courts can open at 25% capacity adhering to the restaurant guidance for indoor dining. latimes.com

California releases details on how millions can get COVID-19 vaccinations
beginning Monday
Four days before an estimated 4.4 million Californians with disabilities or underlying health conditions become eligible for the vaccine, the California Public Health Department released guidance on the verification process. Notably, the state is not requiring that eligible disabled or sick individuals present documentation of their condition. Instead, all will be required to self-attest that they meet the criteria. latimes.com

Legal Perspective of Data Collection
COVID-19 Vaccine Tracking To Keep Focus On Data Privacy
As companies have gotten more accustomed to collecting health and contact tracing data during the past year, many have found that information like temperature checks don't need to be tied to specific individuals or held onto for more than a couple weeks, according to attorneys.

But keeping track of whether employees and visitors are vaccinated, or even requiring the vaccine for entry, will require a more personalized inquiry that will likely carry additional legal risks, attorneys say.

Law360 - published full article publicly. No registration required. law360.com

Going Bonkers at Home Alone?
85% of workers are looking forward to returning to the office
At the 1 year mark of quarantine, 85% of office workers are looking forward to returning to the office in some capacity, according to Eden Workplace. As the availability of COVID-19 vaccines has elevated discussions about employees returning to the office, the survey reveals 52% of office workers report socializing with colleagues as their top reason for wanting to return to the office. Other missed benefits by employees included having access to proper work equipment (44%) and getting out of the home (44%). helpnetsecurity.com

Alarming Data - Scared of the Boss
1 in 5 employees worked while ill during pandemic

● One in five workers reported having gone to work sick since the start of the pandemic, according to the March 10 results of a survey of 1,000 U.S. employees and 300 U.S. employers by Just Capital and the Harris Poll. Of those workers, a third said they did so because they were afraid they'd lose their jobs; another third said they didn't have access to paid leave; and 28% said they didn't want to anger their boss or employer.

● Thirteen percent of participants said they had been discouraged from reporting illness during the pandemic. That figure rose to 28% among Hispanic respondents, and the survey noted that both Hispanic and Black respondents were "disproportionately more likely to say they fear negative, personal impact if they were to report on safety issues in the workplace." hrdive.com

Some People Love Wearing Masks
There are folks who hate them, who can't breathe through them, or who think they're a sign of political oppression. But for others, the widespread use of masks has made the past year one of liberation.

With a mask, you can sing in the grocery store, talk to yourself on a walk, grimace in the gym, leave the spinach in your teeth, have coffee breath, forget lipstick - and no one is the wiser. Oh, the savings on Altoids and L'Oréal this past year!

Folks on social media write little odes to the masked life: "I love wearing a mask. I want to do this forever. It has helped my social anxiety so much." And: "Wearing a mask is really letting me be ugly in peace. I love it here." Another: "I like not catching colds, not wearing makeup and not being noticed." washingtonpost.com

 

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LP Vendor Insider Threat - Gets 21 Months
Verisk Analytics Exec Gets 21 Months Fed. Prison For Trying to Sell Verisk Client Database Online to FBI Agent

Timothy Young, residing in Moorefield (population of 31), NE, and listed on LinkedIn as a Field Analyst for Verisk Analytics/ISO.

Timothy Young, 50, of Moorefield, Nebraska, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden in Newark federal court to an information charging him with wire fraud. Judge Hayden imposed the sentence by videoconference today.

Young was employed at a data analytics and risk assessment firm based in New Jersey. The company serves customers worldwide, including entities providing insurance and financial services as well as government entities. The company maintains a network that houses, among other things, significant amounts of personally identifiable information.

Without the firm's approval, Young obtained confidential, non-public information that belonged to the firm. The information included names, logon names, passwords, email addresses, and telephone numbers for some of the company's clients. Young then attempted to sell the information.

In addition to the 21 month prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Young to three years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $296,370. justice.gov

LP Vendor Insider Threat Continued Coverage on the D&D Daily

5/22/2019: The Daily Identifies "Insider Threat" at Verisk Analyst Sold Access to Internal Databases to FBI CI Wanted $2.5M in Cryptocurrencies
"Verisk provides data analytic insights to customers in insurance, energy and specialized markets, and financial services to help them make better, faster, and more focused decisions that minimize risk and maximize value."

Federal Complaint: On or about March 3, 2019, an individual ("the Individual"), using alias, posted a message on an online forum. The message was titled "[Victim Company] Access for SALE."

The message further stated that the Individual was asking for $2,500,000 in cryptocurrency for this information, and that the money could be put in escrow during the period of the sale. On or about March 7, 2019, a confidential informant ("CI"), who has been reliable in the past, contacted the Individual at law enforcement's request.

5/22/2019: "Nebraska Man Charged with Selling Employer's Confidential Information"
Young was employed at a data analytics and risk assessment firm based on New Jersey. The company serves customers worldwide, including entities providing insurance and financial services as well as government entities. The company maintains a network that houses, among other things, significant amounts of personally identifiable information.

5/24/2019: Update: Verisk Analyst, Timothy Young, Released on $100K Unsecured bail DOJ Charges Verisk Analyst Selling Access to Verisk Internal Databases for $2.5M Cryptocurrencies
 

California Wants Injunction Stopping Clearview's Internet Scraping
Legal fight against Clearview AI's facial recognition service grows
Demographic groups are joining states and nations in demanding that Clearview AI end its massive face-scraping biometric service.

Two California grassroots organizations, both primarily or partly focused on fighting oppression of people of color and immigrants, claim in a new lawsuit that Clearview's subscription service is illegal and unconstitutional in the state.

The case, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, names six plaintiffs, NorCal Resist, Mijente and four individuals. Their target is Clearview AI, which has created a growing, 3 billion-photo biometric dataset largely gathered by scraping pictures of individuals from public social media accounts.

Besides a simple violation of people's privacy, a facial recognition service like Clearview AI's - which is marketed to law enforcement agencies - will scare people from participating lawful protests guaranteed in the state and federal constitutions, they allege.

The plaintiffs want an immediate injunction that would end Clearview AI's collection of Californians' biometric data and that would force it to delete its stores of facial scans and other personal data of state residents.  biometricupdate.com

More Clearview News: Seventh Circuit denies stay
A motion filed by Clearview to have a lawsuit against it under Illinois' Biometric Information Privacy Act postponed, pending a Supreme Court challenge of a previous ruling on plaintiffs' standing, has been rejected, Reuters reports.

The Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals delivered a one-word denial of the motion, which Clearview filed to stop the remand of the case to state court. biometricupdate.com

Customer Safety Takes Priority - Big Move Towards Sharing Negative Data
Uber, Lyft to share info on drivers banned for 'most serious' safety incidents
Uber and Lyft are partnering on a safety program to share information about drivers who have been banned from their platforms for "the most serious" safety incidents, the companies announced Thursday.

Under the Sharing Safety Program the two ride-hailing companies will share information about drivers and delivery people who have been deactivated for incidents including sexual assault and physical assaults resulting in a fatality.

The information sharing will be administered through a third-party background screening company, HireRight, which will collect and manage data from the companies and share the information between them.

Going forward, the shared safety information will be open to other transportation and delivery networks within the U.S. that agree to a set of requirements about data accuracy and communication, according to the announcement.

The push comes as the apps have faced criticism and legal challenges over how they handle allegations of assault. Uber released a safety report in 2019 that disclosed about 6,000 reports of sexual assault between 2017 and 2018. thehill.com

Former President of Philadelphia Wholesale Produce Market Charged with Stealing $7.8 Million from His Employer
Caesar DiCrecchio, 60, of Voorhees, NJ, the former President and CEO of the Produce Market, exercised control over every aspect of the Market, including expenditure of funds, and was required to report on the Market's finances to its Board of Directors. The defendant defrauded the Market by using company funds to pay $1.9 million in rent on his Stone Harbor, New Jersey shore house; converting into cash $1.1 million in checks drawn on the Market's bank account and using the cash for his own benefit; causing $1.7 million in checks to be issued from the Market operating account payable to his friends or relatives; causing the Market to pay for the defendant's personal credit card expenditures; converting $320,000 in checks that were payable to the Market and cashing them for his own benefit; skimming $2.6 million in cash from the pay gate at the Market's parking lot, which he used to pay Market employees 'under the table' while keeping a substantial portion for his own use; and using Market funds to provide a $180,000 loan to a Market vendor, which the vendor repaid directly to DiCrecchio.

DiCrecchio faces a maximum sentence of 102 years in prison, a three-year period of supervised release, and a fine of $2,500,000. Del Borrello faces a maximum sentence of 90 years in prison, a three-year period of supervised release, and a fine of $4,500,000. justice.gov

Illinois considers amending America's toughest biometric privacy law
The Illinois legislature is considering changes to the State's biometric privacy law that could protect small businesses from litigation, but could potentially hamstring the regulation in the process, critics tell The Lincoln Courier.

House Bill 559 would add provisions to the Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA), and has been advanced by the House judiciary committee to be debated.

HB 559 would require each "aggrieved party" must provide written notification of any alleged violation to the prospective defendant, which would then have 30 days to remedy the violation to avoid litigation. It also changes "written release" to "consent," which can be given digitally. The $1,000 liquidated damages penalty is removed in favor of reimbursement for "actual damages," and replaces the $5,000 maximum for "intentional or reckless" violations with actual plus liquidated damages for "willful" violations.

The ACLU of Illinois argues that BIPA is currently working as intended, and would be gutted by the proposed changes. Some legislators appear to share that view, at least enough to oppose HB 559. biometricupdate.com

"If You See Something, Say Something" Good Rule of Thumb
Watch Out for the Zoom Bombers

Take Precautions Against Online Harassment in Virtual Workplaces
Sexual harassment has entered the remote workplace, as the casual nature of virtual and online communication blurs professional boundaries. Employers need to modify their HR policies to account for these new concerns.

"We are seeing co-workers in their bedrooms instead of their cubicles. And instead of communicating in person, you're chatting with your co-workers over Slack or Google," he stated in a news release. "These workplace communications can easily begin to feel like an extension of social media-like your personal Facebook or Twitter page-leading employees to make more risqué jokes or even discuss politics or other touchy subjects that would normally be off the menu in a real office environment."

And blocking the harasser is not an option if the harasser is a supervisor or a colleague with whom the targeted employee has to collaborate.

"Companies need to spend more time considering how sexual harassment and discrimination is going to look different in our Zoom work culture," Wilson said. "Many people are going to continue working from home, even after the pandemic is over, so our policies and practices need to reflect this."

"Just because your employees are working from home does not mean that your company's equal employment opportunity policies do not apply," shrm.org

Albertsons Cos. Launches Pilot Of Remote-Controlled Delivery Cart
Boise, Idaho-based Albertsons Cos. has partnered with Tortoise, an automated logistics company focused on last-mile solutions, to pilot its remote-controlled zero-emission delivery cart in Northern California.

The Safeway cart, powered by Tortoise, is equipped with a camera and a speaker and is guided through the neighborhood by a remote operator. The cart can hold up to 120 pounds of groceries in four lockable containers for a contactless delivery experience.

When the cart arrives at a home, the customer receives a text to come outside and pick up their groceries. The carts are specifically designed to deliver groceries and parcels in a safe manner - at an average speed of 3 mph and powered 100 percent by an electric battery. theshelbyreport.com

How leaders can use emotional intelligence to connect with all employee types
Managers who take the time to get to know their employees are well-positioned to get their best effort-but only if they then leverage that information. Here's how to do it effectively:

Follow Up: It is an opportunity for you to get to know your people on a deeper personal level.

Model Behavior: To get your staff to be more open and build the trust that is needed for your staff to share, you need to model the behavior they are seeking.

Keep a Record: It may make sense to keep a record of relevant information that you can use to make to help organize people into teams and assign work.

Consider How You Recognize Work: Giving recognition is another area that it becomes important to know someone's preference. fastcompany.com

Amazon quietly opens its eleventh Fresh store, reportedly plans 28 more

Nike Ties Exec Pay to Diversity & Environment


Quarterly Results
Poshmark Q1 revenue up 27%

Canada's Empire (Sobey's) Q3 comp's up 10.7%, E-commerce up 315%, sales up 9.7%

United Natural Foods Q2 net sales up 7.1%

Tilly's Q4 comps up 2.5%, net sales up 3.2%, FY 2020 net sales for stores down 31.3%, e-commerce sales up 76.2%, net sales down 14.2%

Ulta Beauty Q4 comp's down 4.8%, net sales down 4.6%, FY 2020 comp's down 17.9%, net sales down 16.8%

Party City Q4 comp's down 5.9%, digital sales up 27.1%, total sales down 11.4%
Party City FY 2020 comp's down 16.5%, total sales down 21.2%