Hot News Making All The Outlets Nationwide
San Francisco Bans Facial Recognition Technology for PD
San Francisco, long at the heart of the technology revolution, took a stand against potential abuse on Tuesday by banning the use of facial recognition software by the police and other agencies.

The action, which came in an 8-to-1 vote by the Board of Supervisors, makes San Francisco the first major American city to block a tool that many police forces are turning to in the search for both small-time criminal suspects and perpetrators of mass carnage.

The ban is just one part of San Francisco's surveillance oversight ordinance, which will also require city agencies to get city approval before purchasing other kinds of surveillance technologies, such as automatic license plate readers and camera-enabled drones. It won't stop private citizens or businesses, however, from using these facial recognition systems.

Several San Francisco residents at a recent public hearing were concerned that the measure would make it harder for local businesses to catch and deter shoplifters. The new ordinance allows for private businesses and citizens to share security camera footage, including from tools that use facial recognition tech, with police to help investigations. However, it outlines procedures for how citizens can share that footage.

But critics said that rather than focusing on bans, the city should find ways to craft regulations that acknowledge the usefulness of face recognition. "It is ridiculous to deny the value of this technology in securing airports and border installations," said Jonathan Turley, a constitutional law expert at George Washington University. "It is hard to deny that there is a public safety value to this technology."

In Massachusetts, a bill in the State Legislature would put a moratorium on facial recognition and other remote biometric surveillance systems. On Capitol Hill, a bill introduced last month would ban users of commercial face recognition technology from collecting and sharing data for identifying or tracking consumers without their consent, although it does not address the government's uses of the technology.

The facial recognition fight in San Francisco is largely theoretical - the police department does not currently deploy such technology, and it is only in use at the international airport and ports that are under federal jurisdiction and are not impacted by the legislation.

Still, it has been a particularly charged topic in a city with a rich history of incubating dissent and individual liberties, but one that has also suffered lately from high rates of property crime.

Just under a dozen US cities - including Seattle, Nashville, and Cambridge, Massachusetts - have passed laws using that framework to give their local officials more power to regulate the use of surveillance tools. And about 20 more cities are actively working on similar legislation. nytimes.com redcode.com

Good news on the horizon
Is the proposed "Commercial Facial Recognition Privacy Act"
Blunt, Schatz Introduce Bipartisan Commercial Facial Recognition Privacy Act
Under the bill, companies would be required to notify consumers when FR is being used. It also requires third-party testing and human review of technologies prior to their implementation, to address accuracy and bias issues in the technology and avoid use cases that may result in harm to consumers. The bill restricts redistributing or disseminating data to third-party entities without express consent from the end user.

"Facial recognition technology creates many new benefits for society and should continue to be developed," said Brad Smith, President of Microsoft. "Its use, however, needs to be regulated to protect against acts of bias and discrimination, preserve consumer privacy, and uphold our basic democratic freedoms. Senators Blunt and Schatz's bill has started an important conversation in Congress about the responsible use of this technology. We're encouraged by their efforts, applaud their leadership and look forward to working with them to develop balanced policy." senate.gov

Editor's Note: Which has bipartisan support in congress. As written, retailers and other private entities would be allowed to continue to use face recognition for security purposes. There's optimism about the potential passage of the legislation, not only because of its bipartisan support, but because it could deter additional cities from passing their own legislation.

 

Montana: Bill aimed at tackling shoplifting,
misdemeanor crimes becomes law
A combo bill to give police more leeway in making low-level arrests and to provide retailers with a new tool against shoplifters has become law. The bill was backed by the Montana Retail Association, law enforcement groups and the Attorney General's office. The bill, brought in response to criminal justice reforms passed in 2017, was a dual effort by police and retailers to regain ground on disorderly calls and misdemeanor thefts.

The bill restores the possibility of arrest on certain misdemeanor offenses, after it had been taken away amid a major reform of the state's criminal justice system. Police can make arrests only for crimes that are punishable by incarceration, unless the person presents an immediate danger to themselves or others. Jail time was taken away from the sentencing range for various misdemeanors in 2017. Big box stores said they've seen increased shoplifting in the past two years and largely blamed the reforms. helenair.com

4 Reasons Artificial Intelligence is the Future of Retail
Retail is a fast-moving sector, and success in the industry means keeping up with technologies. Artificial intelligence (AI) is one of them, and evidence shows it's the future of retail. Here are four reasons why:

4. AI Minimizes Theft

Most retail stores have cameras, door alarms and on-site loss prevention specialists to deter shoplifters. Those preventive measures still have value, but AI is a useful supplement.

AI could make that number less substantial. There's AI technology called StopLift, which helps detect the things people do to fool self-checkout kiosks and walk off with unpaid-for merchandise. Also, a Japanese-made AI security camera even detects suspicious poses that could signal someone's trying to steal items.

Retail theft is a problem that's not going away. Even the people overseeing the first stores in existence likely had trouble keeping theft at bay. Thankfully, today's stores are much less primitive, and AI can give retailers worthwhile strategies to pursue. mytotalretail.com

How big data is improving inventory management across industries
From loss prevention to predicting seasonal needs, big data is helping businesses in various industries improve their inventory management practices

Big data allows for rapid analysis of vast amounts of information at substantially faster speeds than humans could achieve prior to technological developments. Here are six ways it has helped companies excel in the all-important task of inventory management.

Enhancing loss prevention strategies

Fortunately, big data can facilitate improvements in loss prevention. An analytics program might show that a high percentage of shrinkage occurs on Saturday afternoons in the cosmetics department of a chain store, then install more security cameras in that area and increase the security staff members working on Saturdays.

By evaluating transactional data, a store could uncover instances of dishonest employees working together to steal things. A more innocent example of store loss is if someone working in a stockroom misplaces a newly arrived shipment. Big data platforms help brands see which products result in the most substantial losses, promoting changes in processes or resources to cut shrinkage rates.

Ensuring more inventory successes

Big data can help companies make inventory management gains while reducing staff costs and maintaining reputations as reliable, high quality retailers. theinnovationenterprise.com

Cargo thefts in U.S. decrease 19% from Q4 - 2018 figures
A total of 144 cargo thefts reported to SensiGuard Supply Chain Intelligence Center (SCIC). California top state for theft with 25% of all thefts. With Florida and Texas tied for second.

Average loss value of $116,717
Miscellaneous most stolen product type
Personal Care highest-valued stolen products
Theft of Full Truckload most prevalent M.O. = 60% of all thefts  sensitech.com

U.S. Retail Sales Unexpectedly Fall Amid Weak Auto Purchases
The value of overall sales declined 0.2% after a 1.7% increase the prior month that was the strongest gain since 2017, according to Commerce Department figures released Wednesday.

The report showed seven of 13 major retail categories decreased, with other down sectors including clothing, health and personal care, and electronics and appliances. Categories with increases included general merchandise, food and beverage stores, and restaurants and bars.

Excluding automobiles and gasoline, retail sales fell 0.2% following a 1.1% increase. bloomberg.com

S&P: 17% of retailers are distressed
By March, 12 retailers had between a 4% and 50% chance of filing for bankruptcy in the next 12 months, according to data from CreditRiskMonitor. They included Neiman Marcus, J. Crew, Francesca's, J.C. Penney, Pier 1, Ascena Retail Group, Destination Maternity, Stein Mart and Camping World Holdings, among others.

In a recent report, Moody's analysts suggested the current "shake out" of weaker retailers could result in a healthier industry overall. The analysts also predicted that larger, diverse retailers with cash to burn and healthy balance sheets will keep making life harder for the struggling.

Of the 10 major retail bankruptcies in 2019, 80% were currently or previously owned by private equity firms. retaildive.com

ASIS awards first 150+ 'Associate Protection Professional' certifications
ASIS International announced the inaugural group of 150+ individuals to hold its new Associate Protection Professional (APP) certification after successfully passing the beta exam.

The APP joins the association's three other certifications: the Certified Protection Professional (CPP), Professional Certified Investigator (PCI) and Physical Security Professional (PSP).

Developed to meet the needs of new and transitioning security professionals entering the field, the APP serves as the first rung on a security manager's career ladder. It is intended for those with one to four years of security management experience. Earning the APP demonstrates an individual possesses a solid understanding of knowledge and skills required in security management (four domains), including: security management fundamentals, business operations, risk management and response management.

For more information about the APP and other ASIS certifications, visit asisonline.org/certification. securityinfowatch.com