America's LP Teams

From the D&D Daily 2016 GLPS's - Helping Build Team Pride

	Burlington Stores Memphis Loss Prevention Team
"Develops Trust and Respect, Builds Teams and Partnership. Thus Drives Great Shrink Results"

Featured in the picture: Otis Wallace - LP Associate, Bradon Myers - LP Associate, Kenya McClora - LP Associate, Brittany Butler - LP Supervisor, Erik Snurley - LP Associate

The Proof Is In & Documented
LP/AP Teams Making a Huge Impact Nationwide for 12 Years
"Improved Policing & Anticrime Tech Reason for Larceny Decline"
The Pew Charitable Trusts / Research & Analysis
With "improved policing and anticrime technology cited by one of the most revered research centers in America as the reasons for U.S. property crime and larceny rates declining by a third over the last twelve years it's obvious that the LP/AP teams across America are playing and have played a huge and vital role in this success story.

While the research does support the increasing of felony thresholds on the other side of that coin is the fact that what the industry has been doing is working and even in the face of such a trend everyone has to stay focused and do their part for the retailer, for their stores, and for the nation. As we face such looming debt as a nation we too are called upon to do our part even if it means facing the challenges that rising felony thresholds create in our stores.

Interestingly such research often times doesn't reflect the view from the boots on the ground or the work that goes into countering such changes. But at the end of the day take these numbers as a compliment to the efforts of the industry, including the vendors who provide the technology that allows you to fight it. Because with all due respect to law enforcement it's not them who are fighting it every day in America's stores as they have their hands filled with violent crime and tight budgets.

It's the LP/AP teams and vendors together that have and are driving property crime and larceny down by 33%. Job well done!  

Just some thoughts. Gus Downing

Operation Sticky Fingers - $12M Nationwide ORC Gang of 12
Retailers applaud NY Attorney General Schneiderman's 'organized retail crime' takedown
Retail Council of New York State President and CEO Ted Potrikus today issued the following statement:

Retailers throughout New York State today thank Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, his team, and all law enforcement partners for the hard work leading to the arrest of leaders of an organized retail crime ring operating in and around the state.

Obviously, organized retail crime hurts stores, but consumers are most significantly at risk whenever these organized rings take hold. They steal and repackage baby formula, health and beauty aids, food items, and other products that we use every day.

Congratulations to Attorney General Schneiderman for his commitment to keeping shoppers, retail store employees, and retailers safe. We're eager to work with him and all of law enforcement to keep the light on this issue.  retailcouncilnys.com

See the full case in the Daily's ORC column below.


Sacramento, CA: Target using EAS tags on Shopping Baskets; reaction to plastic bag ban
The retailer has recently put black alarms on its plastic carry-alls for small items and customers can no longer take them outside of the store. The move was made because the hand baskets have been disappearing since California's plastic bag ban went into effect. Many retailers (Raley's and Save Mart) have the same issue with losing hand baskets, but are working on the proper solution. fox40.com


Retailers seek larceny law change to include ORC
Raising Felony Threshold Gives Way to New ORC Bill in OK
Oklahoma's Legislature and Governor took a big step on their path to criminal justice reform in 2016 when they approved a law raising the threshold for some felony property crimes, including shoplifting, from $500 to $1,000.

But, according to the Oklahoma Retail Merchants Association and a state retail theft consultant, that change generated a negative effect, as it emboldened some shoplifters to boost their activities.

On March 14, however, the Legislature moved to address the issue by introducing proposed amendments to the statute that would add language to deter organized retail crime.

If adopted, the amendments would allow authorities to charge a shoplifting offender with a felony if the offender is caught shoplifting three or more times within a month's time and the value of what he or she is accused of having stolen exceeds $1,000.

Authorities also would be allowed to charge a shoplifting offender with a felony after he or she is caught once, if investigators believe two or more people were involved and the value of what they are believed to have stolen exceeds $1,000.

Norm Smaligo, a retail theft consultant and a loss prevention specialist for a retail firm that operates a chain of stores in Oklahoma, applauds the proposal.

Smaligo said many states that have undertaken criminal justice reforms have included similar language in their overhauls to limit the activities of professional thieves.

He also said they are seeing a sizable jump in the numbers of apprehensions they are making.

Smaligo said the people who are boosting their shoplifting efforts are those who steal to make a living.

"Professional shoplifters know what the felony limits are," Smaligo said, "so, they will go to say, a Wal-Mart, and they will steal something worth $900, and then, they will walk out the door, and go to Target and steal something worth $900, and then, they'll go to the next Wal-Mart and steal something else worth $900, and then go on to another store.

Georgia's example

Oklahoma's amendments, introduced by Sen. Greg Treat, R-Oklahoma City, mirror language Georgia included in its criminal justice statutes as part of its reforms that raised the felony threshold for shoplifting crimes to a higher amount.

The amendments would modify a measure already approved by the Oklahoma House this session, House Bill 2281, which changes numerous criminal statutes to conform with voters' approval of State Question 780 in November.

On March 15, former Speaker of the House Kris Steele, a vocal proponent of criminal justice reform, said he fully supports the added language. He also said in cases where people are actually making a living by stealing, organized retail crime measures such as those used in Georgia are appropriate in Oklahoma, he said.

Smaligo said he hopes other criminal justice reformers see the value in such language and can get lawmakers to agree.

Before the 2016 law took effect in November, he said the average dollar amount stolen in a case worked by his company in Oklahoma was $192. After, the average dollar amount increased to $235.

Meanwhile, he said the number of average apprehensions made by his loss prevention staff have jumped by a third. newsok.com
 
True Religion Manufacturer Sentenced for Hiding Tens of Millions in Fraud
Pays $4.6M in Restitution
Two sisters who are CEOs of sewing companies that are subcontracted by True Religion jeans have been sentenced for conspiring with their accountant to hide tens of millions in payroll to avoid paying for workers' compensation insurance.

Sung Hyun Kim and Caroline Choi, CEOs of Meriko, Inc. and SF Apparel, Inc., were sentenced Tuesday in a court in Los Angeles. Kim, who pleaded no contest in December to workers' compensation fraud, was sentenced to two years of either jail or electronic monitoring and two years of probation. Choi was sentenced to one year of jail or electronic monitoring and five years of probation for failing to pay payroll taxes. Restitution of $4.6 million has already been paid in the case. heraldonline.com
 
Heinz Security Guard Accused by SEC of Insider-Trading Plot
Todd David Alpert was a security guard for a board member of H.J. Heinz Co. in 2013 when federal regulators say he received an email from his employer spelling out terms of an impending takeover of the food company.

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday hit a security guard formerly employed by an H.J. Heinz Co. board member with a federal suit in Manhattan, alleging that he traded on inside information regarding the company's $28 billion acquisition by Berkshire Hathaway Inc. and 3G Capital Management LLC.

Todd David Alpert made approximately $44,000 off shares of Heinz stock and call options that he bought in advance of a February 2013 announcement that Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway and private equity firm 3G Capital Management would swallow up Heinz in a deal worth $28 billion. Alpert allegedly learned of the deal through routine on-the-job access to his employer's confidential emails, the SEC said.

Alpert worked at the home of a Heinz board member and started working for a security company that provided services to the Heinz board member, which included screening confidential information through email for printing and other purposes. Alpert signed a confidentiality agreement regarding such information upon his arrival at the company, the SEC said.

On the day of the deal announcement, Alpert was on duty at the board member's house, according to the suit. He placed five calls to his broker that day, selling his Heinz shares and options to make an illegal profit of $43,873.32, the SEC said. Alpert admitted to the board member.

According to the SEC, Alpert's employment with the security company ended in July 2015, around the time he admitted his trading to the director, and the defendant is now unemployed. reuters.com
 
Criminal Background Checks Impacts Black Applicants
Dollar General Says EEOC Doc Important To Race Bias Suit
Dollar General on Tuesday fought an attempt by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to strike from the record a sealed document said to detail a confidential conciliation process that occurred before the EEOC formally accused the retailer of racial discrimination in court.

The EEOC filed suit in June 2013 alleging that the company's practice of conducting criminal background checks on conditional hires had a disparate impact on black applicants, citing a "gross disparity" between the discharge rates of black and nonblack candidates. Dollar General said the conciliation record was important for the case.

Specifically, the retailer said, the EEOC never engaged in discussions around a "nationwide" claim, which the commission is now trying to pursue in court. law360.com

Macy's next CEO wants to make these 5 big changes at the store
Roughly one week before President Jeff Gennette takes the reins from longtime CEO Terry Lundgren, the incoming chief executive gave Wall Street a taste of what the company's future might look like.

Dedicated clearance racks - 'Last Act'  Macy's is rolling out a specific section in its stores meant for marked down goods. Called Last Act, these areas make deals simple to understand by using a clearly marked price tag and prohibiting the use of coupons. Macy's tested these areas in 10 of its stores last year and plans to roll them out to another 30 locations in 2017, Gennette said.

Fewer coupons Shifting its strategy to offer $10 off of $50 and similar offers, the chain can provide bargains without discounting specific brands.

Less reliance on sales associates Macy's is piloting a model through which customers serve themselves in the shoe department, grabbing pairs from a selection of boxes on the sales floor. Meanwhile, Macy's is experimenting with self-service in its beauty departments.

A bigger beauty focus Macy's will roll out dedicated sections for its private label Impulse in additional stores. It will also expand the footprint of its higher-end Bluemercury brand to drive traffic among millennial shoppers. These young customers are fueling big growth in the beauty category, particularly as it relates to cosmetics.

Macy's isn't alone in targeting the beauty industry for growth. J.C. Penney is opening Sephora shops in more of its stores, as specialty retailers like Ulta grow their square footage.

More branded shop-in-shops Macy's is rolling out branded LensCrafters shops to more of its stores this year, following up existing partnerships with the likes of Sunglass Hut and Finish Line.

Over time, Gennette says licensed departments could become a bigger part of Macy's businesses, with an emphasis on partners who provide both goods and services. cnbc.com

Not Reporting Monthly Comp's
As Retailers Go Silent, Big Data Fills the Void
The number of retailers providing monthly same-store sales data has dwindled, contributing to greater volatility for their stocks.

As recently as 2005, nearly 70 retailers reported same-store sales on a monthly basis, according to Thomson Reuters. That number has since dwindled to only six companies, four of which have market capitalizations below $1 billion. The trend prompted Thomson Reuters to announce last Thursday that it will end its once widely followed monthly same-store sales index.

The last retailers standing are Costco, Victoria's Secret owner L Brands, pharmacy chain Fred's and teen-apparel retailers The Buckle and Zumiez. Gap reported its final monthly sales data on Feb. 6.

Many companies that stopped reporting said the numbers made investors focus on short-term performance and added to volatility. Some also argued that the shift to online sales made the store data less relevant. In reality, many companies stopped when the numbers looked bad, including during the latest recession.

Cutting back on data didn't ease Wall Street's thirst for information. Investors now buy data on credit- and debit-card transactions. The data occasionally give false impressions of retailer performance, causing even more volatility when earnings are reported.

Retailers may have their reasons for holding back on data, but they should get used to bigger swings in their share prices. wsj.com

Cabela's cuts jobs, closes call center
Laying of several dozen people as part of an effort to reduce expenses. Cabela's spokesman told the Associated Press that the exact number of employees to be laid off will be finalized after the affected workers decide whether to apply for other jobs in the company.

The cuts come as Cabela's plans to close a call center in Sidney, Neb., and consolidate it with a call center in North Platte, Neb. Some other layoffs were at Cabela's Sidney headquarters.

The spokesman told the AP that the layoffs were not related to the pending $5.5 billion acquisition by Bass Pro.  bizjournals.com

Gordmans to fire 450 workers at headquarters, warehouse; court allows gift cards to be honored

February Pure Retail Growth Slowest Since 2013 at 0.8%

Dollar General to open 1,000 stores & remodel 900 in '17


Quarterly Same Store Sales Results
Dollar General Q4 comp's up 1%, net sales up 13.7%, full yr comp's up 0.9%, net sales up 7.9%
Williams-Sonoma Q4 comp. brand down 0.9%, net revenue down 0.3%
Williams-Sonoma Full yr comp. brand up 0.7%, net revenue up 2.2%
   Pottery Barn Q4 comp revenue growth (4.1%), full yr. comp down 3.5%
   Williams Sonoma Q4 comp revenue growth 1.4%, full yr comp up 1.3%
   West Elm Q4 comp revenue growth 6.5%, full yr comp up 12.8%
   Pottery Barn Kids comp Q4 revenue growth (4.9%), full yr comp down 1.4%
   PBteen Q4 comp revenue growth (8.1%), full yr comp down 6.2
   E-commerce Q4 net revenue up 2.2%, full yr up 4.4% = 51.8% of total company net revenue
Cato Q4 comp's down 12%, sales down 12%, full yr comp's down 6%, sales down 5%

Wide Swath of Corporate America Exposed in D&B Leak
About 33 million records belonging to Dun & Bradstreet have been leaked, placing a large portion of the US corporate population at risk. Contains just under 33.7 million unique email addresses and other contact information from employees of thousands of large enterprises and government entities.  infosecurity-magazine.com
 
Bad Bots Running Wild Online
Nearly every website containing a login page is under attack from bots looking to access the site, a new report has revealed.

Distil's 2017 Bad Bot Report, which looks back at 2016's bot activity, found that 96% of websites with a login elements were hit by bot activity, while 97% of sites with proprietary content and/or pricing were hit by unwanted scraping. Around one-third (30%) of websites containing forms were hit by spam bots. Nine out of 10 websites were hit by bots that got behind the login page, which means they could have accessed sensitive data. infosecurity-magazine.com

From Russia With Love - Yahooooo
U.S. charges Russian spies, hackers in massive Yahoo hack
The United States on Wednesday charged two Russian intelligence agents and two criminal hackers with masterminding the 2014 theft of 500 million Yahoo accounts, marking the first time the U.S. government has criminally charged Russian spies for cyber offenses.

The charges came amid a swirl of controversies relating to alleged Kremlin-backed hacking of the 2016 U.S. presidential election and possible links between Russian figures and associates of U.S. President Donald Trump, and uncertainty about whether Trump is willing to respond forcefully to aggression from Moscow in cyberspace and elsewhere.

The indictment named the FSB officers involved as Dmitry Dokuchaev and his superior, Igor Sushchin, who are both in Russia.

The alleged criminals involved in the scheme include Alexsey Belan, who is among the FBI's most-wanted cyber criminals and was arrested in Europe in June 2013 but escaped to Russia before he could be extradited to the United States, according to the Justice Department.

Karim Baratov, who was born in Kazakhstan but has Canadian citizenship, was also named in the indictment and was picked up in Toronto.

McCord said the hacking campaign was waged by the FSB to collect intelligence but that the two hackers used the collected information as an opportunity to "line their pockets." dailymail.co.uk
 
Drones and robots are headed to ISC West 2017
Drones and robots will have a notable presence at ISC West 2017 with the show's inaugural Unmanned Security Expo @ ISC West.

The Unmanned Security Expo will have its own section of the show floor, marked by banners and different colored carpeting. The area will feature a "flying cage" that allows ground-based robots and aerial drones to display their movement capabilities. The expo currently has about 30 exhibitors, according to Sessa, with more still joining as of mid-March.

"It's not just the drones in the air-although that is a significant portion of it. There's a nice selection of ground robots ... as well as all of the software and applications that support those products." securitysystemsnews.com

Anti-drone technology takes flight
At this year's ISC West in April, for example, the show's inaugural Unmanned Security Expo-which has its own section of the show floor with a "flying cage" featuring ground-based robots and aerial drones in action-will also include an education portion addressing topics such as anti-drone technologies and drone use in law enforcement.

Many security companies have already developed or are developing anti-drone technology, ranging from machine-gun looking devices that can block communications and knock a drone from the sky, to technology that intercepts the drone's signal, assuming control, so to speak.

This is certainly an interesting time as we enter into the robotics as a service (RaaS) era within security. In our recent news poll, many respondents commented that they see great potential for drone and other robotic technology within security; many agreed that it is just a matter of how quickly these technologies are adopted. securitysystemsnews.com

McDonald's says it's investigating 'compromised' tweet at Trump
McDonald's says it has been notified by Twitter that its account was "compromised" after it appeared to send a message calling Donald Trump "a disgusting excuse of a President." Twitter notified us that our account was compromised. We deleted the tweet, secured our account and are now investigating this. McDonald's (@McDonaldsCorp) March 16, 2017. The tweet to Trump from the official account for McDonald's Corp., a message that has since been deleted but was captured in a screenshot, said it would love to have President Obama back. "Also you have tiny hands," the tweet told Trump. fox10phoenix.com

Awareness Training Can Help Quell Ransomware Attacks
A recent survey by KnowBe4 on prevention of ransomware attacks has revealed that antivirus deployment is not enough to ward these off and using a "human firewall" is more necessary. The 2017 Endpoint Protection Ransomware Effectiveness Report says that regular training and phishing attack testing of employees is necessary to counter ransomware, which in the last one year brought the success ratio of such attacks down to 21 percent. darkreading.com

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5 ecommerce fraud predictions for 2017

1. Identity theft and friendly fraud

The main threat will remain identity theft. Fraudsters will seek your personal information. Their main goal is to use a different identity and, for example, place an online order. Identity theft also includes a concept known as man-in-the-middle attacks where credit-card data is intercepted and copied as it is transferred online.

In the practice of friendly fraud, a customer pays for ordered goods and/or services through a direct debit or a credit card. The second step involves a deliberate chargeback from the issuing bank, taking place only after receiving the purchased goods or service. The involved fraudster then goes on to claim the credit card or details of customer's account has been stolen. While the "customer" is reimbursed, they decide to keep hold of the goods.

2. Merchant and triangulation fraud

In merchant fraud, the goods are provided at extremely low prices yet no shipment takes place. There is also a wholesale version of this fraud. No specific method enjoys any exclusivity, yet it is common knowledge that no-chargeback payment methods come to life in this practice of fraud. This also involves a majority of the push payment types.

Considered as one of the more complex ecommerce attack methods, triangulation fraud involves quite a bit of collaboration, as three points are involved. Role #1 belongs to an ordinary customer placing an order through a type of credit, debit or PayPal tender. Role #2 involves a fraudulent seller receiving the placed order, then requesting the actual product from a legitimate ecommerce website while using a stolen credit card. Role #3 is the part played by a legitimate ecommerce website completing the order requested, completely unaware of the criminal nature.

3. Affiliate and clean fraud

Two types of affiliate fraud are popular these days, while both seek one objective. By manipulating sign-up data or traffic, fraudsters are pursuing the objective of collecting more money. Options include actual people using fake accounts who log into sites of merchants or simply employing an automated process.

Clean fraud also involves the use of a stolen credit to make an order. In such a method, criminals resort to complicated practices, such as using sound analyses equipped in fraud detection systems, and obtaining in-depth data on the owners of stolen credit cards. Read more at networkworld.com

Ad fraud could cost $16.4bn in 2017
The cost of global online ad fraud could reach $16.4bn this year, according to a new study that says advertisers may lose more than twice as much as previous estimates suggested.

Entitled What Happens Next: How to Reverse the Rising Tide of Ad Fraud, the report was commissioned by The&Partnership, the global agency holding company, and media agency m/SIX, and was conducted by Adloox, a fraud verification firm.

Adloox checked 200bn daily bid requests and 10bn ad impressions per month over a period of 12 months and estimated that almost 20% of the $66bn spent on digital advertising last year could have been wasted on ad fraud.

That means the cost of global ad fraud in 2016 may have been as high as $12.4bn, far higher than the $7.2bn that the Association of National Advertisers (ANA) has estimated gets lost each year.

What's more, the report warned that if adspend grows to $80bn as forecast by eMarketer, and advertising fraud continues to evolve at its current rate, then the cost of fraud may rise to $16.4bn in 2017.

"We have a duty to come together as an industry - from media agencies and industry bodies to big platform players like Google and Facebook, bringing in government help if we need it - in order to protect our own future and those of our clients." warc.com

Walmart's Jet.com division will acquire online fashion brand Modcloth

New York: 'Operation Sticky Fingers' busts criminal gang making millions from stolen ink cartridges
In a takedown codenamed 'Operation Sticky Fingers', law enforcement said the suspects - if convicted - will face up to 25 years in prison. The gang stands accused to reselling products on eBay and Amazon stolen from shops including BestBuy, Staples and Office Depot. An indictment unsealed Wednesday charged 12 people with stealing and reselling more than $12 million in high-end electronics and other merchandise, in what the authorities called one of the largest-ever busts of a retail-theft ring. The suspects were arrested in one of the largest-ever busts of a retail theft ring. Among those arrested, Gregory Anastasiou, a/k/a "Captain Frank", 38, a ring "Captain,", and Joseph Pooler, a/k/a "Baby Arm Johnson", 41, a "Sergeant,". A 41-count indictment, unsealed in New York Supreme Court today, charged the 12 alleged co-conspirators with enterprise corruption, money laundering, criminal possession of stolen property and conspiracy. The 12-person ring with stealing over $12 million in high-end electronics & ink cartridges from Staples, Office Depot, BestBuy in 28 states and reselling merchandise on Amazon and eBay. "As we allege, this brazen ring of criminals methodically stole millions from stores across 28 states - resulting in one of the largest-ever busts of a retail theft ring," said New York Attorney General Schneiderman. Arraignment proceedings began on Wednesday. If convicted, each of the defendants face between 8 to 25 years behind bars. mytwintiers.com wsj.com ibtimes.co.uk pocononews.net

Orange County, CA: Traffic Stop Leads To Arrest In Theft Of $30,000
Bottle Of Wine
A 46-year-old man with a lengthy criminal history for thefts faces charges of stealing expensive wine -- including a bottle worth $30,000 -- from a market in Santa Ana, police said Wednesday.

Robert Henry Blalock Jr., who was arrested Thursday during a traffic stop in Westminster, was charged with multiple felonies for break-ins in Santa Ana and Huntington Beach. In Huntington Beach, Blalock is accused of burglarizing Moore's Sewing on Nov. 24 and Dec. 26, stealing high-end sewing machines. In a May 28 burglary at the Wine Exchange, Blalock took a 2007 vintage of Domaine de la Romanee-Conti worth $30,000. patch.com

Aurora, IL: $30,000 in cameras stolen from Procam store near Fox Valley Mall Aurora Police are seeking information on a burglary early Monday to a camera store on the city's far East Side near Fox Valley Mall. At least $30,000 in cameras were stolen between 4 and 4:40 a.m. Monday from a store on the 4300 block of Westbrook Drive, police spokesman Dan Ferrelli said in an email. chicagotribune.com



Cortez, CO: Marijuana Dispensary employees busted for $12,000 theft of merchandise
Two women suspected of embezzlement at Medicine Man in Cortez could face up to three years in prison and a fine of up to $100,000. The women are suspected of stealing more than $12,000 from Medicine Man marijuana dispensary, where they both worked for about a year. the-journal.com


Cary, NC: Police charge shopper at Cary Towne Center Mall had 41 counterfeit credit cards
A man whom Cary police charged with using a phony credit card to get Air Jordan sneakers and a hat at a Foot Locker store had 41 fraudulent cards when police searched him, according to charges they filed Tuesday. Darius Malik Lee, 20, of Cary got the Jordans and the hat at the store in Cary Towne Center store that morning by using a Visa card that had his name, but someone else's cloned account information, police said in charging him with obtaining property by false pretense. Lee also was charge with stealing the identity of the woman whose account information was on the card and with having five or more counterfeit instruments. newsobserver.com

Canandaigua, NY: Tractor Supply Company employee busted,
stealing $3,700 in merchandise
A Manchester man is facing a felony charge after being accused of stealing more than $3,700 worth of merchandise while employed at the Tractor Supply Company in Canandaigua. Ontario County sheriff's deputies charged Zachary T. Jones, 32, of 36 State St., with third-degree grand larceny, a class D felony. Deputies said that the alleged theft took place throughout the month of February. mpnnow.com



Lincolnton, NC: Shoplifting Incident Leads to Felony Drug Charge for Gastonia Man
29-year-old Logan David Turner and 26-year-old Emilee Louise MacCarroll, of Gastonia, have been arrested by Lincolnton Police. Turner was charged with felony larceny by removal of an anti-theft device. whky.com

Shootings

San Bernardino County, CA: Deputy Survives C-Store shooting in Hesperia, Gunman on the Run
San Bernardino County authorities are searching for a gunman suspected of shooting a sheriff's deputy outside a convenience store in Hesperia. Officials say the male deputy was transported to a hospital for evaluation of non-life threatening injuries early Thursday. The deputy was struck at least once but the shot was stopped by his bulletproof vest. Authorities tell the news station the suspect opened fire as the deputy arrived at the store following reports of an altercation there. The suspect led the deputy on a short car chase and then took off running. usnews.com

Hawthorne, CA: Robbery Suspect Shoots Self as Victim Runs Him Down
A Suspected robber accidentally shot himself in the head with his own gun early today when his victim took exception to the crime and ran him over with a car. The robber was reported in critical condition. The man, along with a few other men, allegedly tried to rob another man in the Denny's restaurant. The victim jumped into his car and ran down the robber. During that act, the robber's gun went off. abc7.com

Robberies & Thefts

Black River Falls, WI: Pilot Flying J Store Manager arrested for $8,950 cash theft According to court records, Sells acquired legitimate transaction numbers for a lesser amount of cash and wrote checks for greater amounts that were cashed without being verified, reportedly stealing $8,950 between Dec. 7 and Jan. 6. Samantha L. Sells, 26, is scheduled April 10 for an initial court appearance. The felony has a maximum penalty of three years in prison. leadertelegram.com

Sandy Springs, GA: Father used his 3 small children to help him shoplift
An Atlanta man faces charges he used small children to help him shoplift from a Sandy Springs Target store. Police said that store security watched Cozy Blackmon direct the kids, ages 9, 7 and 4, to collect DVDs off the shelves in late February. "The girls were putting DVDs into the cart, manipulating, taking them out of theft prevention devices and concealing them in a plastic bag," said Sandy Springs Police Sgt. Sam Worsham. kiro7.com

D'Iberville, MS: Retail crime patrol benefits the City
On February 1st, the D'Iberville Police Department launched their retail crime unit, a unit funded by a $170,000 State Grant that allows two full time officers to handle retail crimes in the city so other officers can handle the streets. Investigator Terry Joiner said, "Since February 1st, we've been able to get 21 warrants for people that we've identified in shoplifting cases. stltoday.com


UK: New Zealand: Crime gangs are stealing Bees in New Zealand as price of honey soars; exports jump 35%
New Zealand's bees are being stolen and traded by organized crime syndicates seeking to profit from skyrocketing honey prices, police and beekeepers said on Tuesday. "It doesn't matter if it's beekeeping or meth, this is just the new gold rush," said Laurence Burkin, apiarist manager at The True Honey Co , and himself a victim of hive thefts. Hive heists were rising, with 400 bee or honey thefts reported in the six months to January. thenational.ae

St. Croix, US Virgin Islands: Woman convicted for holding door open for jewelry store robbers; sentenced to 70 months in prison

Skimming Thefts

Manhattan, KS: Skimming devices placed at two Shop Quick locations

Richland, WA: Credit card skimmer found at Shell station

Fairfield, CT: Skimming device found on Cumberland Farms ATM

Arson

Lexington, KY: Fire that damaged Peddler's Mall was intentionally set

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