ADT Contributes $1 Million to Assist Over 100 Nonprofits Across America Hit Hard by Coronavirus

ADT (NYSE: ADT), a leading security and automation provider serving residential and business customers, announced today it is providing $1 million, through its ADT Always Cares program, to support over 100 nonprofit organizations in 44 states and Puerto Rico affected by COVID-19.

The funds are being allocated in $5,000 and $10,000 increments to nonprofits in communities where ADT employees live and work. Local ADT teams are determining which charities to support with choices ranging from soup kitchens and homeless shelters to first responder organizations or any other nonprofit which serves those in need. news.adt.com


Appriss Study: COVID-19, Unemployment, & Retail Risk

- Retail risk expected to increase as stores reopen

- Close correlation between unemployment and average LP case value

COVID-19 case counts are climbing in the US. Millions of people in the United States are, or were recently, under some form of stay home order. This has led to a dramatic rise in unemployment. Historically, the data science team at Appriss Retail observed a relationship between unemployment and retail risk/shrink indicator metrics monitored by a variety of our products.

Therefore, retail risk is expected to increase as stores re-open. In fact, we anticipate that returns will be one of the many exposures where there is some level of pent up demand and increased risk.

Retail is now entering a recovery stage, with a focus on making consumers feel welcomed and rapidly increasing sales revenue. As a result, retail Asset Protection/Loss Prevention teams may need to consider a variety of risk mitigation strategies to ensure they will enhance customer satisfaction and meet revenue objectives as trading restarts.

Unemployment and Retail Risk Metrics

To assess the relationship between unemployment and retail risk loss prevention incidents, Appriss Retail polled US retailers in our global aggregate transactional database and extracted total case dollars and count of cases for incidents labeled as both external and internal by month for the years 2018 and 2019. External incidents included aggregated values and counts labeled in our metadata as shoplifting, robbery, burglary, or other external. We calculated the average US case dollars for each month and smoothed it using a 6-month moving average. Both the average case dollar moving average and the monthly unemployment rate were placed on the log scale.

Comparing the two metrics we observed an R-squared of .70 indicating a close positive relationship between changes in unemployment and changes in average case value for Asset Protection teams as seen in the graph here.

Notably, when we isolated external incidents from internal incidents this relationship was driven primarily by the external group. This aligns with findings related to internal employee shrink trends reported by the 2019 National Retail Security Survey (NRSS) that indicate that average employee case values have mostly held steady in the last few years despite lowering levels of both unemployment and number of employee apprehensions. apprissretail.com
 

---

RILA Announces Free AP Webinar Series

RILA and the Retail Asset Protection Conference Steering Committee are proud to present a new asset protection webinar series that will cover critical topics in Retail AP. Although RILA was not able to bring the AP, loss prevention and safety communities together this month for our annual Retail Asset Protection Conference, we CAN deliver some of the great content you would have gotten there to you, via these live webinars.

The series is free to retailers and service providers - attend one, attend all, or any number in between. And share with your teams so they can take advantage of this great content!

RILA is known for the value it brings to the retail industry through its communities, education, and in-person events and conferences. Secure your spot today for any or all of RILA's Asset Protection Webinars:

Predictive Prevention: Theft Modeling at Target
May 28 | 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET

RTECH Startup Innovation Award Finalist Presentations
June 11 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET

#DefeatThis: Beating the Bloggers at Their Own Game
June 24 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET

The Facial Recognition Technology Conundrum: The Consumer Advocate Perspective
July 16 | 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET

Working Through the Smoke: The Ever-Changing Landscape of Cannabis and How It Affects the Workplace
July 29 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET

Strange Bedfellows: The Interplay Between CAL and Federal OSHA and OSHA's Short-Term Agenda
August 13 | 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET

Legal Liability for Acts of Violence in Retail - Understanding the Risks
August 26 | 1:00 - 2:00 p.m. ET

Are ORCAs Enough?
September 10 | 2:00 - 3:00 p.m. ET

The D&D Daily will be keeping readers notified of each webinar throughout the series
 

---

Coronavirus Tracker: May 14

US: Over 1.4M Cases - 85K Dead - 310K Recovered
Worldwide: Over 4.5M Cases - 300K Dead - 1.7M Recovered

U.S. Law Enforcement Deaths | NYPD Deaths: 41
Private Industry Security Guard Deaths: 102+
 

---

Officer Down Memorial Page: End of Watch In April 2020 COVID-19 Caused 23 Police Officers 'Line of Duty Deaths' YTD Overall the 69 total 'Line of Duty' deaths at end of April are up 38% this year. odmp.org

2020's Back End Trade Shows? We'll See You In 2021?

With ASIS Possibly Going Virtual for GSX in September
What Happens to all those Q3 ORC Association Conferences & A Few Others Who Round Out the Trade Show Season?
Every year a host of ORC Associations have their third quarter conferences getting ready for the upcoming holiday season. Along with a number of other groups who squeeze their shows in right before the fourth quarter. So what happens with all of these?

First and obviously we have the COVID-19 status and how it evolves over the next few months. Second, we'll still have the lingering fear factor of group events as this will be with us for quite some time.

Then we'll have the corporate expectations, limitations, and continued budget cuts.

Major companies have clamped down on their workers' travel for fear of exposure to the virus. And when key players don't go to a conference, it's often not worthwhile for anyone else either.

North America alone accounts for $381 billion in trade shows annually. Just some thoughts. -Gus Downing

Enforcing Social Distancing Gets Violent in NYC
NYPD Boss - Cops Getting Death Threats Over '10-Second Videos'
of Social Distancing Stops
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea got heated as he defended cops from accusations of racism on Wednesday in the wake of controversial social-distancing stops.

"Now in the last week, we have had death threats on police officers in New York City and their families over 10-second videos where the police officers are dealing with individuals that quite frankly, fight, not with the police department, they fight with everyone, they fight with their significant others, they fight when they go to court, they have opened gun cases, they are gang members, and we expect our police officers to do the best they can," the commissioner said. "That is exactly what they are doing."

The NYPD has come under fire over the two weeks following a flood of videos on social media showing violent arrests during social distancing calls and data that show the vast majority of people ticketed or arrested are black and brown New Yorkers. nypost.com

Burglary Accounts For Larger Percentage of Top Offenses Post Covid-19
The staggering impact of COVID-19 on the American justice system

In addition to releasing inmates, we are also seeing a change in the types of top offenses pre- and post-COVID

Today, more than 1 million Americans have tested positive for COVID-19, including thousands of incarcerated individuals, as well as jail and prison staff. Jails and prisons play a critical role in preventing the spread of the coronavirus. However, the coronavirus has become entrenched in incarceration facilities. 80% of inmates in an Ohio prison have tested positive. With a long list of facilities nationwide.

Jail churn in the United States is already high, and on a normal day, tens of thousands of people are released from incarceration. But jails are now releasing large groups of individuals simultaneously. Based on facilities that have reported coronavirus-related releases, jails have released, on average, 25% of their inmates to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

Changes in top offenses as a result of Covid-19

We're also seeing a change in the percent of top offenses pre- and post-COVID-19. In order to assess the differences in offenses, we calculated the percent of top offenses between March 15 and April 30 for 2019 versus the same period in 2020.

Compared to 2019, the distribution of top offenses has changed:

•  Interestingly, burglary accounts for a larger percentage of the top offenses post COVID-19 compared to pre-COVID-19.

•  The only category's to increase: assault & battery, domestic abuse, Firearm, burglary

These findings reflect how law enforcement has changed policing tactics in light of COVID-19. Departments are focusing less on enforcing low-level offenses, but remain engaged in keeping the public safe from individuals who pose significant threats to the well being of our communities. policeone.com
 

---

Security Industry Rankings - Security Co's & the CARES Act
TMA's Annual Conference
 

Security Company Rankings & Their Future View
2020 SDM 100 Report: After Peak Performance, What's Next?
The excellent growth SDM 100 companies had in 2019, followed by the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, is like being on the summit without a clear view of the landscape. Dealers are looking to their RMR to carry them through.

While security is considered an essential service by the Department of Homeland Security, it doesn't mean security companies haven't had to shift 180 degrees in a short period of time, to modify their operations for this new normal.

Before the bottom fell out, however, the 100 largest security dealers in the U.S. as ranked on the SDM 100 had performed exceptionally well, growing total annual revenue by 9.5 percent and recurring monthly revenue (RMR) by 1 percent. Although the 1 percent RMR growth rate is insignificant, individual results tell a different story, as 84 of the 100 companies had positive RMR growth in 2019.

The primary objective of the SDM 100 Report is to measure consumer dollars gained by security companies, in order to present an account of the size of the market captured by the 100 largest providers.

"The market was very strong for commercial security systems sales," reported Guardian Protection, ranked No. 6. "Integrated systems showed the most growth as commercial clients look for a unified platform to manage their business and facilities."

(See the Top 10 Security Company Rankings in the chart below and continue for the full list)

View the complete 2020 SDM 100 Rankings

The story of 2019 is told in the tables and graphs on these pages. The story of 2020, however, is still unclear. In large part it may hinge on the stream of RMR built up by the industry's 100 largest companies - a result of years and years of selling the value of monitored security systems. sdmmag.com

The Importance of Maintaining Good Banking Relationships - Pays Off
SSN News Poll: Security companies struggling to get funding through the CARES Act
Security companies in particular have been struggling to get approved to receive financial relief, evidenced by results from Security Systems News latest News Poll looking at the how the industry is making out when applying for assistance through the CARES Act.

Looking big picture, an overwhelming 84 percent of respondents said that they have applied for relief or assistance through the CARES Act programs. Only 9 percent said they would not be applying, while 6 percent said they were thinking about it.

Of those that have applied, a whopping 77 percent had some trouble applying, with only 23 percent saying they had no trouble.

When it comes to actually getting an approval and funding, 50 percent said they had received funding, with 47 percent saying they were still waiting for an answer on their application. Only 3 percent said they were denied.

While some respondents struggled, others had better luck, with one respondent noting that a good relationship with their bank helped to get them through a few initial issues in the beginning. securitysystemsnews.com

The Monitoring Association Keeps Date for 70th Annual Meeting (Editors Note: So Far - Do they go virtual?) TMA Announces 2020 Annual Meeting Oct. 24-28, 2020, in Marco Island, Fla.

---

More 'Almost Inevitable Waves of Infection' Coming
Ending Coronavirus Lockdowns Without a How-To Guide
Scientists studying the novel coronavirus say that without a vaccine or widespread immunity it is almost inevitable that easing lockdown measures in Europe and the U.S. will trigger second or even multiple waves of infection. China, Singapore, South Korea, Iran and Germany are among a handful of countries that have seen signs of the virus re-emerging to varying degrees as stringent containment measures have been relaxed. wsj.com

World's Largest Fast-Food Co. Setting the Standards
McDonald's Sets Conditions for Restaurant Reopenings

59-Page Reopening Guide for 14,000 U.S. Locations

Suggests closing public soda fountains and issues cleaning instructions in 59-page guide

Asking restaurant owners in the U.S. to make dozens of changes to ease coronavirus concerns before reopening their dining rooms, including commitments to clean bathrooms every half-hour and digital kiosks after each order.

The world's largest fast-food company by sales is also asking its hundreds of U.S. franchisees to enforce social distancing in its restaurants, and either close their public soda fountains or deploy a staff member to monitor them, according to a 59-page dine-in reopening guide viewed by The Wall Street Journal.

The illustrated guide, written by the company last week, outlines the challenges that McDonald's expects employees to face as states begin to allow for sit-down restaurant service while upholding social-distancing rules. A three-page question-and-answer section in the guide covers security risks to workers managing resistant customers or loiterers.

Employees should undergo wellness and temperature checks, wash their hands every hour and abide by social-distancing requirements in kitchens, McDonald's said in the reopening guide.

New purchasing recommendations, including foot-pulls for doors to allow customers to open bathroom doors without using their hands, could lead to new expenses and logistical considerations for McDonald's hundreds of U.S. restaurant owners, franchisees said. The guide includes a list of products such as a $310 automatic towel dispenser and a $718 touchless sink.

All service workers also need to be outfitted with masks and gloves, and restaurants need to make face shields available for customers in jurisdictions requiring them, the guide said.

Dining rooms should be sanitized according to guidelines set by outside companies such as Ecolab Inc., McDonald's said, and decals should be placed on floors to show customers where to wait for their food and how to move through restaurants. Some tables should be removed or closed off to allow 6 feet between customers, the company's guide said.

Workers are to bring food to customers in a bag folded-close twice, on a tray removed as soon as a diner verifies it is correct. Workers should make customers feel welcome with a thumbs-up, hand signals or a verbal greeting, the guide said.

The company also is allowing owners who have lost a significant portion of their income to apply for help from a "distressed restaurant team" being set up, according to a protocol document for owners.

McDonald's said it would reopen restaurants slowly in consultation with local authorities. It said that only a handful in the U.S. have resumed dine-in service so far. wsj.com

Your COVID-19 Store Program Being Called Out
ShopSafely.us - Grading Your Retailer For the Public to See
B8ta, which operates 22 stores around North America, launched a new site called ShopSafely that grades national retailers about their sanitation policies. It takes into account 14 "possible sanitation factors" - from offering contactless pick-up to keeping store traffic at a minimum - and provides the stores a letter grade. B8ta founder and CEO Vibhu Norby described the project on Twitter as a way to "expose and score top retailers on their COVID-19 policies."  shopsafely.co

Click image to see full list

Consumers Avoiding Stores - Just Like in U.S.
UK Consumers Avoiding Stores As Much As Possible

More than 20% of consumers are avoiding grocery stores and 60% are reducing visits as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, new research reveals.

The survey by retail software firm Qudini shows consumers are more likely to use click and collect services during Covid-19, with 42% of consumers are more likely to use click and collect services from grocery stores during Covid-19.

The poll also found that there is strong demand for virtual service by phone or video from retailers, with 48% of consumers wanting 'essential' retailers to provide virtual service by phone, and 15% want virtual service by video.

"Personalised brand interactions now need to take place online through virtual one-to-one services by phone and video, alongside online events. Based on younger demographic interest in such services, it's likely that this interest extends beyond the coronavirus outbreak." talkingretail.com

Screen Scraping Violates State Laws & Websites Policies
Facial Recognition: A Clear View to Dystopia
In the wake of an alarming exposé published by The New York Times in January, Clearview AI, Inc., a New York startup, faces a slew of lawsuits. Since the article's publication, the Vermont Attorney General filed a complaint against Clearview, and class actions have been filed against the company in Illinois and California. All three lawsuits raise the specter of a "dystopian future" enabled by Clearview's technology and its seeming disregard for privacy rights.

Clearview's facial recognition database has been developed in violation of many websites' terms of service and privacy policies. Facebook, for example, does not permit unauthorized data-scraping, and its users expect that pictures of themselves, their friends, and their children are not subject to mass collection for automated analysis and inclusion in a facial recognition database.

Clearview's technology and practices violate numerous state laws. Under the California Consumer Privacy Act ("CCPA"), a business that collects a consumer's personal information, including biometric information, "shall, at or before the point of collection, inform consumers as to the categories of personal information to be collected and the purposes for which the categories of personal information shall be used" (emphasis added). Clearview failed to so inform consumers at any point, much less before it began collecting data.

Similarly, under the Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act, a company may not collect, capture, purchase, receive through trade, or otherwise obtain a person's biometric identifier without prior notice to and consent of that individual. jdsupra.com

Pre-Bankruptcy Bonus Payments?
J.C. Penney's Pays Out $10M in Retention Bonuses
The amounts include $4.5 million for CEO Jill Soltau and $1 million each for CFO Bill Wafford, Chief Merchant Michelle Wlazlo and Chief Human Resources Officer Brynn Evanson. Most of the awards have to be repaid if the executive is terminated with cause or resigns before January 31, 2021, and 20% must be paid back if the company misses performance goals. The company also accelerated payment of $2.4 million in cash awards based on the company's 2019 performance. retaildive.com

Create & Take a Poll on LinkedIn
LinkedIn Launches its Own Polls Option to Facilitate More Engagement
After it was spotted in testing last month, LinkedIn has now officially launched its new native polls option, providing another way to gather feedback, and boost engagement on the platform.

LinkedIn polls function pretty much the same as they do on other platforms - you select the 'Create a Poll' option within the post composer, type in your question, and enter up to four answer options. You then choose the poll's duration (between 24 hours and up to two weeks), add a note to your post, then publish.

LinkedIn polls can be shared with your connections (subject to LinkedIn's algorithm), specific groups, or to any specific people that you're connected to.  socialmediatoday.com

United Airlines to Notify Fliers of Full Flights

DC extends stay-at-home order to June 8


Quarterly Results
Jack in the Box Q2 comp's down 4.2%
 

 

---

Stay tuned as we continue to count down LPNN's All-Time Top 10 LP Leader
and Top 10 Solution Provider videos. See who's made the list so far here.