Video of Deadly Hostage Standoff in Walmart Released  Police have released surveillance video from an Oklahoma Walmart of a man who allegedly took a 2-year-old girl from a mother’s shopping cart and held a knife to the child’s throat. Surveillance cameras at the Midwest City, Okla., Walmart were rolling June 17 when police shot and killed the suspect, Sammie Wallace, in the head at point-blank range and safely returned the toddler to her mother. In the dramatic video, Wallace, 37, takes the toddler hostage while her mother, Alicia Keating, had her back to the shopping cart. Keating began to scream and pleaded with the suspect to return her daughter. Law enforcement quickly moved in and evacuated the store. Police began more than 30 minutes of negotiations with Wallace and, at one point, even offered him a chair. Police say Wallace was uncooperative and the situation quickly deteriorated, with the suspect making odd demands. The tipping point came when Wallace started an ominous 60-second countdown with the knife still close to the toddler’s neck. With the situation growing intense, an officer distracted Wallace as Capt. David Huff moved in and fired a single deadly shot at his head. (Source abcnews.go.com)

Who are the Millennial shoppers? And what do they really want?
Millennials—born between 1980 and 2000—are both the 20th century’s last generation and its first truly digital one. To give some idea of the stakes involved: There are roughly 80 million Millennials in the United States alone, and each year they spend approximately $600 billion. Although Millennials have earned a reputation for viewing the world through a uniquely digital lens, our results found some remarkable similarities between them and their predecessors: the Baby Boomers (born from 1946 to 1964) and Generation X (1965 to 1979). (Source accenture.com)

AMF Fines LVMH $10 Million In Hermès Case.
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton SA (MC) was fined 8 million euros ($10 million) by France’s financial markets regulator over how it built its stake in rival luxury-goods maker Hermes International SCA. The fine, announced today by the regulator’s sanctions committee, was less than the 10 million-euro penalty that was proposed by the AMF’s college at the end of May. LVMH said it will appeal against the fine. (Source businessweek.com)

Ring member of thieving temptresses busted in NYC - just like in the movies
Subhanna Beyah, 25, was part of a ring of thieving temptresses that’s been picking up men at various South Florida hotspots, drugging them unconscious and robbing them blind, authorities said. The bar-hopping beauty who did an end run around Giants defensive tackle Shaun Rogers and allegedly stole nearly $500,000 in bling from his Miami Beach hotel room was busted in Queens, cops said. (Source nypost.com)

The Children's Place to open Retail Stores in Israel.
The Children’s Place is partnering with Israeli fashion chain Fox-Wizel Ltd. to open stores in Israel, starting in the first quarter of fiscal 2014. The two companies inked a 10-year franchise agreement. "International growth is one of our key initiatives and following our very successful launch in the Middle East in 2012, we are excited to be expanding into Israel next year,” said Jane Elfers, president and CEO of The Children's Place. “Israel is a well-developed retail market with a strong children's apparel business. We look forward to working with Fox-Wizel, which has a proven track record of operating successful apparel brands in Israel." (Source marketwatch.com)

Texas man sues Kohl’s store for calling his cellular telephone.
A Richardson man has filed a lawsuit against a department store for violating federal law by calling his cellular telephone. David Humphreys filed suit against Kohl’s Department Stores Inc. on June 27 in the Eastern District of Texas, Sherman District. The defendant allegedly contacted Humphreys by contacting his cellular telephone on Jan. 1, 2013. Kohl’s allegedly used an automated telephone dialing system and/or artificial or pre-recorded messages. Humphreys states he had no previous business relationship with the defendant and did not give consent to be contacted. He spoke with a live representative around February 2013 and requested for the telephone calls to stop. Despite the requests, the telephone calls continued. The defendant is accused of violating the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. The plaintiff is seeking an award of statutory damages and treble damages. (Source settexasarecord.com)

U.S. to Suspend Trade Benefits to Bangladesh.
The Obama administration announced Thursday it is suspending trade privileges for Bangladesh because of that country's poor record of safety and protection of workers' rights in the garment industry. After a recent building collapse killed more than 1,100 workers and a fire in a separate factory led to another 112 deaths, the administration was under pressure to take action. The suspension means Bangladesh no longer will be able to avoid paying duties on more than 5,000 products the country exports to the United States. The U.S. move does not directly affect Bangladesh's multi-billion-dollar clothing exports, since garments are not eligible for U.S. duty cuts. But it could prompt the European Union into similar action, which would have a bigger impact as Bangladesh's clothing and textiles exports to the EU are duty-free. (Source nbcnews.com)

99 Cents Only cleaning up inventory accounting
For the second time in the past six years, 99 Cent’s Only said it was unable to file its annual report within the timeframe specified by the Securities and Exchange Commission. Because of a range of inventory valuation issues identified by auditors and a new CFO, the company said it was unable to file the report without unreasonable effort or expense. To avoid future problems, 99 Cents Only is in the process of upgrading its systems for accounting for merchandise inventories, including implementation of an SAP system that will for the first time track inventory at each retail store on a perpetual basis by stock keeping unit. It was preparation for implementation of the SAP system that cause the company to uncover it had been overstating the value of inventories by as much as $20 million. (Source retailingtoday.com)

‘The Silk Road’, anonymous internet market of black market goods.  U.S. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-New York, vowed to shut down Silkroad but so far these attempts have been unsuccessful primarily because everyone operates anonymously. Silk Road is an online black market on the Deep Web. It is operated as a Tor hidden service, such that online users can browse it anonymously and securely despite any traffic monitoring. The website launched in February 2011; development began six months prior. Silk Road is an underground website sometimes called the Amazon.com of illegal drugs or the eBay for drugs. Buyers can register on Silk Road for free, but sellers must purchase new accounts through auctions, a policy that was purportedly implemented to mitigate the possibility of malicious individuals distributing tainted goods. (Source wpxi.com)

Details on Apple's iWatch and New iPhone Emerge. It doesn't appear to be a slow summer for Apple, which is working on various new products, according to reports, including having filed for a trademark in Japan on the name "iWatch." That might be a good name for the Cupertino, Calif.-based company's rumored smartwatch device, which is said to pair with the iPhone and display notifications and other information. The trademark was filed on June 3 with the Japan Patent Office and made public last week. (Source abcnews.com)


Steinway Sold to Private Equity Firm for $438 Million.
Steinway Musical Instruments announced on Monday that it had agreed to be acquired by the private equity firm Kohlberg & Company in a deal worth roughly $438 million. The offer of $35 a share represents a 33 percent premium over Steinway’s average closing price in the 90 trading days that ended June 28. Compared with the average closing price during the 52 weeks that ended June 28, the offer represents a premium of 45 percent, the company said. (Source usatoday.com)

Sports Authority CEO retires, Michael Foss former CFO at Petco to replace him.
The retailer's board of directors appointed Michael Foss to the CEO post on Thursday following the retirement of Darrell Webb. Foss, who has served on the Sports Authority board since 2009, has more than 30 years of executive experience. Most recently, he was EVP and CFO at Petco Animal Supplies, owned by Leonard Green & Partners, which also owns Sports Authority. (Source denverpost.com)


Last week's most popular news article --

Store manager being interviewed by local TV station about shoplifting "Takes Down" real-life shoplifter  Lenin Ubiera-Cruz was being interviewed by WFTV about the consistent shoplifting at the Family Foods Supermarket store he manages in Orlando, Florida, when he had an unexpected opportunity. Ubiera-Cruz was telling the reporter about all of the “stolen meat, beer, sausage and” how the man had “even stuffed a whole carton of eggs in his pants” when lo and behold, who comes skipping out of the store...the SHOPLIFTER! Ubiera-Cruz sprang into action, with camera crews hot on his heels, and ran to the exit of the store to stop the man. But, when he showed no sign of surrender, Ubiera-Cruz goes WWE on the man and body slams him to the concrete and holds him in a citizen’s arrest. Later, Ubiera-Cruz and other family members injure the man when they handcuff him, who repeatedly says he didn’t steal anything. The full citizen’s arrest took a little over 12 minutes and then police arrived. (Source eurthisnthat.com)
 

Police search for a suspect in Toys "R" Us homicide in Hamburg, New York; surveillance pictures released.  Hamburg Police were called to the Toys R Us on McKinley Street just before 6 a.m. Saturday morning. Officials say that a male employee of the store was assaulted inside and taken to Mercy Hospital. The victim, Laurence Wells, 35, of Blasdell was in grave condition at the hospital where he was later pronounced dead. He was the Assistant Store Manager at Toys R Us. Hamburg Detective Thomas Best says that the doors to the store were locked while three employees were inside prior to the store opening at 9 a.m. stocking shelves. Police say it’s hard to determine if the attack happened while employees were still inside or if the incident happened before they arrived. The victim was inside his office at the time of the incident where the intruder found him. The body of Wells was found by an employee who was looking for him. (Source wkbw.com)

Ashley Furniture burglar shot by Police in Houston; officer injured in fight with suspect. At 6:00am Police were called to the Ashley Furniture store in Humble, upon arrival, officers spotted two men running from the scene. Officials said at one point, an officer caught up to one of the men and there was a struggle. The officer was using his pepper spray, but during the fight his canister of pepper spray was thrown to the ground. Authorities said the officer pulled his service weapon and shot the suspect. The suspect was taken to the hospital. His injuries are not considered life threatening. The officer was not seriously hurt. Police said the second suspect was able to get away; but, he was taken into custody around 8:30 a.m. (Source click2houston.com)

Hands bound, employee crawls on stomach to thwart jewelry store robbery in Jersey City  A 61-year-old employee of a Journal Square jewelry store, whose hands were bound by a armed robber, crawled on her stomach Friday to buzz in police who apprehended the gunman, according to police reports. Called to Christina Jewelry at 2820 Kennedy Blvd. At 4:13 p.m. Friday on reports of an armed robbery in progress, police could see an armed gunman through the window of the locked store, reports said. Seeing the woman was in mortal danger, police ordered the suspect who was standing behind the counter to drop his weapon and come to the door with his hands up. But the man — later identified as Mouhamadou Lamin Ahar, 19, of Dales Avenue in Jersey City — refused to drop the gun. Officers rushed into store after the employee crawled to the buzzer and let them in and made the arrest, reports said. (Source nj.com)

Police make third arrest in Georgia jewelry store shooting, robbery.
Police say a third man has been arrested in a fatal shooting and armed robbery at a jewelry store in Carroll County. Authorities say 20-year-old Gregory Clifton was arrested Saturday on charges of murder and armed robbery. Police have also arrested 23-year-old Raphael Rucker, of Atlanta and a 16-year-old boy in connection with the incident. Police say the suspects used hammers to destroy display cases during the robbery at the Villa Rica jewelry store. Store owner, Mitch Mobley, was killed during the incident. The robbery was similar to at least two others in the Atlanta area involving men using hammers to quickly break display cases. It's unclear if Clifton and Rucker have attorneys. Authorities say they're still searching for two more suspects. (Source wtoc.com)


Houston has 4th smash and grab in one week
The store's ATM, most likely the target of this crime, was smashed into a couple of pieces. The vehicle crashed into the side of the convenience store, the suspects left the vehicle at the scene. This is at least the fourth smash-and-grab attempt in a week. Investigators will be reviewing the store's surveillance video. (Source abclocal.go.com)



TWO women are in hospital after a shoplifting incident turned violent and a supermarket worker was hit by a car  A woman was questioned by security guards at Coles in Butler when an argument broke out. The woman walked to her car, while two supermarket employees followed her. Police suspect a further altercation ensued before the woman got into a car parked in the lot. The female employee was hit by the car and the extent of her injuries is yet unknown. The driver was also taken to the hospital with injuries. The other employee, a male, was not injured. (Source heraldsun.com)

UPS employee charged with theft of prescription pain killers in Atlanta.
A United Parcel Service employee has been arrested for stealing prescription drugs from packages scheduled to be delivered. Spalding County Sheriff's Office deputies arrested Matthew Christian Lively, 23, of Griffin, on Thursday. Authorities said an investigation began in April after several people complained that they were receiving empty packages when they should have been receiving medication. The investigation revealed the medication was being removed from the packages at the UPS station in Griffin, and the empty packages were shipped on to the designated recipient. Examples of the missing medication are morphine, oxycodone, percocet, and hydrocodone. Lively was charged with 12 counts of misdemeanor theft by taking, 11 counts of felony possession of a schedule II controlled substance, and one count of felony possession of a schedule III controlled substance. (Source ajc.com)

Bail set at $500,000 for suspect arrested in Chicago’s Oakbrook Jewelry store robbery.  A man has been charged in a brazen robbery attempt at a mall jewelry store in suburban Chicago in which the suspect was shot. Twenty-four-year-old Levert Jones of Detroit faces one count of attempted armed robbery. DuPage County prosecutors said Jones pulled a sledgehammer from his waistband and smashed a display case containing watches and jewelry at the store in the Oakbrook Center on June 23. The state’s attorney’s office said an armed security guard working at the store shot Jones in the abdomen during a scuffle. The wounded suspect was taken to a hospital. Two accomplices escaped and remain at large. A judge set Jones’ bond at $500,000 Saturday. (Source chicagotribune.com)

Two Brothers charged in check scam at Kmart in New Jersey.
John and Frank Vaness were operating a check scam which passed eight checks totaling $766.30 at the Kmart in Phoenxville, Pennsylvania. The checks were used to buy items that he returned on the same day by for cash refunds. When the checks hit the bank, they were returned because the account they were written on does not exist. (Source phoenixville.patch.com)

Fayetteville shoplifter arrested after trying to run down a Sheriff’s deputy during escape.  Michaele Bennett faces shoplifting and additional charges are pending after police an off-duty Sheriff’s Deputy saw the theft at Dillards in the Northwest Arkansas Mall and attempted to stop the couple but was shoved out of the way and reported that the suspects’ speeding car passed just feet away from her as they fled. A Warrant for Bennett’s arrest had already been issued for a similar shoplifting incident a month earlier at the same store in which more than $1,000 in designer purses was stolen. (Source privateofficernews.com)

West Lafayette Walmart employee stole card from customer to use at other Walmart store.  Tippecanoe County court documents say West Lafayette Police Department (WLPD) officers spoke with a woman on July 18, 2012, who said after going to the West Lafayette Walmart to make a purchase with her Discover card, she got a call from Discover. The company told the woman there were several purchases on her card, which she said she had not made, so the card was immediately canceled. The next day, officers obtained video footage from the Walmart in Lafayette on Veterans Memorial Parkway. The footage showed a West-Lafayette Walmart employee using the woman’s Discover card for three separate purchases at the Lafayette Walmart. Records show the card was used fraudulently to buy two iPads for $640.93 each, and a Nikon camera for $129.47. (Source denversun.com)

Radio Shack robbers caught by tracking the GPS device on stolen items.
Three Chicago men have learned about the risks of robbing an electronics store: Sometimes the things in those stores are equipped with tracking devices that help police track down those who steal them. Police say the men are suspected in the armed robbery last Thursday of a Radio Shack in Des Plaines. In a report, police allege the men made off with cell phones and other electronics valued at more than $32,000 as well as cash. They were arrested later that day with the help of the tracking devices. (Source dailyherald.com)

Sally Beauty store in Seattle robbed at gunpoint on Saturday morning.
At 9:27am an armed gunman entered the Sally Beauty Store in Northgate and approached the employee at the counter demanding cash. The employee handed over the money and the suspect then ordered her to empty the store's safe which contained a bank deposit bag and receipts. The suspect then ordered the woman to put her hands behind her head, threatening to bind her hands. As the suspect was forcing the employee into the back office, two customers came into the store and the suspect fled from the scene. The employee was not injured. (Source kirotv.com)

20-year-old Kohl's employee charged with $2,044 theft in Carlisle, PA.
20-year-old Carlisle man has been charged with ringing $2,044 worth of merchandise for his friends, who did not pay, while working at Kohl’s department store in South Middleton Twp., state police at Carlisle. Joshua Richard West was charged with retail theft in the incident, which occurred between May 25 and June 13, police said. (Source pennlive.com)

Sacramento teen arrested for deploying pepper spray inside the Arden Fair mall. Juan Miguel Pantoja, 19, was arrested Wednesday after Sacramento police detectives served at search warrant at his home in Vacaville. He was taken into custody without incident and booked into Sacramento County Jail. Pantoja is accused deploying the canister of pepper spray on June 1 during an incident at Arden Fair Mall where several people were in an argument. Those involved fled the scene but other innocent people in the area felt the effects of the spray. (Source sacbee.com)

Chicago woman charged in St. Louis AT&T store robbery.
One woman, believed to be involved in the robbery, was taken into custody in Troy, Illinois. That woman, 26-year-old Kierra Baker of Chicago was charged Friday with robbery. Police say Baker initially used a fake name in hopes of avoiding prosecution. Two men who ran from the vehicle during the traffic stop have still not been apprehended. Police say they should be considered armed and dangerous. Police said numerous cell phones and other items connected to the robbery were recovered inside the vehicle. (Source ksdk.com)
 

FMI Foundation Adds Food Safety Auditing Scholarships 
The Food Marketing Institute (FMI) Foundation has introduced a scholarship program for students with food and agricultural science majors who are interested in the field of accredited food safety auditing. “FMI’s Foundation supports the future and the credibility of the food supply,” noted Cathy Polley, executive director of the Arlington, Va.-based FMI Foundation, adding that the program would “help curate the talent for future leadership within the critical field of food safety.” Applications are currently being accepted for the 2013-14 academic year. (Source supermarketnews.com)

The Guilt Trip: Increasing Self-Responsibility for Safety 
The phrase "guilt trip" means more than behavior, it shows that we are aware of having done something wrong, and feel moral anguish over our behavior. Psychologists refer to this as cognitive dissonance caused by experiencing inconsistency between our actions and a related belief or value. We want our actions to be reflective of our values and what we believe. Likewise, we want safety to be viewed as a core value at work. If you see someone doing something risky, remind him or her that safety is a value, and having realized the inconsistency, the employee will feel guilty and attempt to reconcile his or her risky behaviors for safer ones. People will end the guilt trip by choosing safer routes in the future, and may even bring attention to others performing at-risk behaviors that do not fit with this safety value.  (Source ehstoday.com)

ASSE Launches Risk Assessment Institute 
The goal of the Risk Assessment Institute is to facilitate EHS risk assessment’s inclusion into the organizational risk process, allowing businesses to be proactive in prioritizing and mitigating risk in advance of injuries or catastrophes. The institute will:

Raid at Caesar Creek Flea Market in Clinton County, Ohio tied to ORC ring
On Saturday morning, there was big raid related to stolen and counterfeit goods at the Caesar Creek Flea Market, located at I-71 and Ohio 73 in Clinton County. Multiple law enforcement agents were on the scene and there were at least three trailers filled with confiscated items. Officials told Local 12 news that at least 2 arrests were made at the market Saturday and that there were three arrests Friday. Fayette County Sheriff, Vernon Stanforth, told the Wilmington Journal News that the raid follows a number of arrests made Friday in Jeffersonville, Ohio. He said the raid is tied to an investigation into a systematic theft of items from retail stores such as Kroger and CVS Pharmacy throughout central Ohio. He also said it has a direct connection to the financing of drug trafficking operations. (Source local12.com)

Nationwide manhunt for "Handsome Bandit" ORC suspect hitting Walgreens nationwide ends - arrested in Idaho  The well-dressed Colorado suspect hitting Walgreens stores nationwide, reported in the Daily on April 26, was finally arrested in Idaho after Walgreen's nationwide alert led to a Minnesota Walgreen clerk recognizing him and noting the license plate of the rental car he was driving. Stealing teeth-whitening strips, weight-loss pills, condoms, Rogaine, and other products the 27-year-old male, Curtis M. Williams had also hit stores in Utah, Minnesota, Florida, Idaho, Kansas, Nebraska, and Puerto Rico. Authorities say a neatly groomed man wearing a sweater, tie and slacks would hide stolen goods in his coat, then buy a DVD before leaving the store as a cover for activating the door alarm. He remains jailed Friday and it isn't known if he has a lawyer. Jefferson County investigators said Williams stole thousands of dollars worth of teeth whitening strips, weight loss pills, Rogaine, and condoms from 18 stores in 12 jurisdictions up and down the Front Range. The man appeared sharply dressed in several surveillance photos. (Source weau.com) (Source thedenverchannel.com)

Pennsylvania Walmart employee ordered to pay $254,000 in restitution for coupon to cash scheme.  A former employee of Wal-Mart in Burrell Township will be sentenced on June 28 for devising a coupon-for-cash scheme to steal $255,439 over two years. Eileen H. Zimmerman, 39, of Homer City pleaded guilty before President Judge William J. Martin to felony theft. Zimmerman, who was arrested in May, was responsible for balancing the day's sales involving coupons at the store just outside Blairsville. State police said an investigation began after a clearance house that pays Wal-Mart for coupons reported a discrepancy of about $75,000 over a few months. Store auditors and police examined videos and store records to calculate the amount stolen since 2010. (Source wpxi.com)

Walmart shoplifting shot and killed by police following a police chase down I-80 in California.  A Vacaville officer shot at least one of two suspects accused of stealing TVs from a Walmart store Friday afternoon, police said. The incident happened shortly after 3 p.m., Vacaville Police Department spokesman Mark Mazzaferro said. The officer tried to stop the suspects who took off in a vehicle, but the car sped away, onto eastbound Interstate 80. At some point, an officer fired a shot at the vehicle, striking a male suspect in the chest, the suspect later died. The suspects' car hit two other vehicles on eastbound I-80 between Meridian and Midway roads. The female suspect in the car suffered a hand injury either when the Vacaville officer shot at the car or in one of the two collisions on the highway. The two suspects and the five people in the two other cars were all taken to Kaiser Permanente Vacaville Medical Center. (Source fox40.com)
 

Three Keys to Leveraging Video Analytics in Retail

Retailers have long understood the potential of using video analytics for loss prevention and to improve store performance. And now you can put this potential to work by learning the three key considerations for implementing such a program successfully. The future is now, learn how. Click here: http://hub.am/17aDxFA
 

Job Opening
 

Company

Location

Origination
 

National Account Mgr

Confidential

Northeast

Downing & Downing

Dir of Loss Prevention

Confidential

Philadelphia, PA

Downing & Downing

Dir of Loss Prevention

Confidential

Central Midwest

Downing & Downing

National Acct Sales Mgr

Confidential

Chicago, IL

Downing & Downing

Job Opening

Company

Location

Origination

Last week's most popular articles --

3 Reasons Your Team is Underperforming  It may not be your team's fault for their lack of top level performance. Many leaders instill a sense of "learned helplessness" by creating an environment where it is difficult for the perfectly competent employees to perform at a high level. To change the environment, and your team's performance levels, try these three tips. (Plan for brilliance)

Six Reasons Your Best Employees Quit You  It happens, at some point or another, employees leave and find work elsewhere. Today, employees are leaving more often than before. Recent statistics show that the average tenure of an employee in the U.S. is only one and a half years! Why are the employees leaving in the first place? Here are six reasons why they quit and how to get them to stay. (What's the big picture?)