In Houston, Armored Cars Are Doing the Opposite of Dissuading Robbers - with 33% of nations total armored car robberies this year  Harris County, which includes Houston, has had 11 armored-car robberies since January, roughly a third of the nationwide total this year. All 11 robberies in the Houston region occurred outside banks, check-cashing stores and other businesses as the guards were handling thousands of dollars in cash while walking to or from their trucks or servicing A.T.M.’s. In years past, robbers would typically point guns at armored-car crews and order them to drop the money bags. This year, the culprits have been more aggressive, seemingly unafraid to pull the trigger. "Some of these guys would pull up in a car or they’d approach on foot, and they just would immediately start shooting, with no verbal commands to ‘Drop the bag’ or ‘Give me the money’ or anything,” said Special Agent Mark Michalek, the supervisor of the F.B.I.’s bank robbery task force in Houston. “You’ve got cars going back and forth, people, women and children. There’s just this indiscriminate immediate firing.” Company guards have been shooting back. One shot and killed a gunman who tried to enter an armored truck outside a movie multiplex in January. Another who was shot near a drive-through A.T.M. in October fired several rounds, striking the getaway vehicle, while his partner shot a suspect in the shoulder. Yet another guard protected a money bag by dropping to the ground and opening fire at a group of armed robbers. GardaWorld has been targeted four times this year — two guards were shot by robbers in January and October, and none were harmed in two other attacks. In addition to issuing the public threat to would-be robbers, GardaWorld has increased its security, surveillance and tactical-weapons training; added a third person to the usual two-person crews in some trucks; and put shotgun-wielding guards in so-called chase vehicles to follow the trucks on their routes or monitor their stops. The company has also started a public awareness campaign intended to tear down the stereotype of lackluster rent-a-cops and to reassure its clients and the public. (Source nytimes.com)

Wal-Mart's Costs Connected to Mexican Bribery Case Reach $400M  
Wal-Mart hires chief compliance officers and anti-corruption directors and staff to go with them in each market and region  Wal-Mart “is taking a systematic approach to improve Foreign Corrupt Practices Act compliance in every market in which it operates, drawing on corporate best practices that will help enhance, over time, an FCPA compliance program that will make Walmart an even better company,” the company said on its website. (Source arkansasbusiness.com)

FMI and ReposiTrak Partner to Provide Food Safety Traceability Platform for Food Retailers  Under the agreement, ReposiTrak will be the exclusive solution provider endorsed by FMI in connection with the food and drug safety traceability of goods and related services, including document management. FMI will introduce ReposiTrak to its members, which operate nearly 40,000 stores and 25,000 pharmacies. Dr. Hilary Thesmar, FMI vice president for food safety programs remarked, “ReposiTrak is appealing because it is interoperable and can work with any system retailers have in place now for tracing products and can “talk” with other software systems. ReposiTrak augments our existing food and drug safety efforts, such as Rapid Recall Exchange and SQFI (Safe Quality Foods Institute), with a proven, comprehensive and easy to implement solution that doesn’t require systems changes and is extremely cost effective.” (Source businesswire.com)

NRF calculated retail industry job gains at 13,500 from October, and 268,500 year-over-year

13 Anonymous hackers plead guilty to PayPal DDoS attack

PayAnywhere signs deal with Discover for PayPal payment card acceptance
U.S. mPOS payments technology vendor PayAnywhere has partnered with Discover Financial Services to provide PayAnywhere-affiliated merchants with the ability to accept PayPal at the point of sale. PayPal has more than 55 million active customers in the U.S., an increasing number of whom are using the PayPal payment card. PayAnywhere merchants can begin accepting PayPal at the point of sale for card-present transactions around Dec. 20. (Source mobilepaymentstoday.com)

The Rise of Bitcoin
Created in 2009, Bitcoin has grown into the world’s largest virtual currency, traded on exchanges around the world. It’s the product of open-source software and a decentralized network of electronic “miners,” making it a multibillion-dollar experiment in monetary privatization and perhaps the first step toward an age when the digital economy outgrows the restraints of nation states and wallets full of paper. (Source bloomberg.com)

Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit says partial takedown of ZeroAccess, one of the world's largest botnets, is an example of the role that collaboration between business and law enforcement can play in battling cybercrime  Microsoft's Digital Crimes Unit, collaborating with the FBI, Europol's European Cybercrime Centre and other technology companies, shuttered 18 European information providers and blocked traffic from American Internet service providers to those illicit European sites. Microsoft also filed a lawsuit in a Texas federal court on Dec. 5 against "John Does" seeking a permanent injunction and unspecified damages. (Source govinfosecurity.com)

Shoplifting on the rise this holiday season
The most recent annual report from the Vermont Department of Public safety says total property loss due to theft was $21 million in the state. Thefts are on the rise this holiday season in Vermont. (Source wcax.com)

23% increase in security officer assaults in November over 2012 - 8 security officers died in line of duty in U.S.

PC Magazine reports a majority of Mobile Apps have serious security flaws
Apps frequently have access to data they don't need, or permissions to use hardware and services that have nothing to do with what they do. A recent study shows the problems are much more widespread than we thought. HP researchers examined more than 2,000 iOS apps between October and November and found that nine out of ten apps had serious vulnerabilities, according to the study released last month. (Source securitywatch.pcmag.com)

Quarterly Same Store Sales Results

Ingles Markets Q4 up 1.3% with total sales, less gasoline, up 1.8%
American Eagle Q3 down 5% with net revenue down 6%


Last week's most popular news article --

New Card Skimmer Attaches To A Real POS Card Reader Like A Nasty Succubus  Brian Krebs has found a fascinating example of a card skimmer – essentially a machine that steals your credit card number – that masquerades as a real POS terminal. The skimmer fits over the ubiquitous Verifone POS reader and even reads key-presses. It is virtually indistinguishable from the actual POS card reader and can be slipped on and off without the retailer's knowledge – or, more chillingly, with the retailer's consent. (Source techcrunch.com)
 

ASC 2013: Strategies for Spreading Safety Down the Supply Chain
With the collapse of the Rana Plaza building and the natural disasters across the ocean in Japan and Thailand, it is a reminder to suppliers that their plight is linked to the fortune of the companies that do business with them. According to risk-management expert Clayton Shoup, it's not enough anymore for companies to simply manage EHS within their own walls. "With consumers and investors increasingly focused on corporate social responsibility, firms must take steps to ensure that their suppliers are operating safely and treating their workers humanely - or risk a broadside blow to their reputations." With the changing dynamics of supply chain management comes opportunities for companies to show their influence on EHS practices, Shoup said in a presentation at the ASC conference. One of the most common strategies is to develop a supplier code of conduct that will outline a firm's expectations regarding worker safety and health, or another common route is to have the supplier sign a declaration of compliance. Another way to manage safety of suppliers is to set up a process for self-assessments to make sure they are complying with the agreed-upon safety standards and practices. (Source ehstoday.com)
 

Armed Robberies and Active Shooters, a Training Challenge

By Adam Smith CFE, CFI
Senior Regional Asset Protection Manager
Winn Dixie

A man walks into a building with a gun, what should you do? Well, it may depend on the circumstances.

“If this, then that” scenarios are not ideal during violent incidents, especially when you’re dealing with retail organizations consisting of thousands of employees. Keeping the message simple is the best way to communicate any program. However, as it relates to an armed gunman, it’s not that easy.

Active shooters are a real threat to retailers, and many are educating their employees on how to react to them. Even if there is not training in the workplace, the department of Homeland Security has launched an aggressive public service messaging campaign. These ads can be seen on billboards, in print, and video. As it relates to active shooters, the department of Homeland Security has done a good job keeping the message simple with three words: run, hide, and fight. During an active shooter event, the assumption is made that, given an opportunity; an active shooter will harm anyone they come in contact with. This explains why “run” and “hide” are the first priority. Moreover, by “fight” being the last resort, it is again assumed that the active shooter will harm any person they come in contact with. This message is very easy to remember and apply.

The department of Homeland Security has given us a good framework for an active shooter response. However, as retailers, we sometimes have a different type of gunman enter our stores – the armed robber. During an armed robbery, employees are generally instructed to do as they are told. Most often, the armed robber leaves with cash or merchandise, but nobody is injured. If there are injuries, they typically result in someone resisting. If we used a one-word description of the response to an armed robbery, it may be “comply.” Furthermore, panic buttons are sometimes discouraged for the same reason – comply and call the police afterward. While many would discourage panic buttons during an armed robbery, most would consider them a resource during an active shooter incident. This further demonstrates the difference between the two types of incidents.

Each response standing on its own is very clear, but when you combine the two, it gets slightly more complicated. Both incidents begin with a gunman. It’s only once the gunman makes a demand do we know if we’re dealing with an active shooter or an armed robber. As it relates to active shooters, this could be too late. In both cases, a weapon is normally pointed at someone. This moment, possibly only a matter of seconds, will determine if a shot will be fired or a demand for money will be made.

This is where the issue gets muddy for retailers. Unfortunately, retailers may not have the option of a simple message to their employees. However, while the messaging is complicated by the two types of gunman, the issue may not be as confusing as first thought. First or all, active shooters are rare - horrific, but rare. Secondly, employees are smart and self-aware. While it may be initially unclear what the gunman’s intentions are, employees will quickly determine what they are and adjust accordingly. Additionally, active shooters are sometimes known to victims, giving employees insight into the intentions of the gunman. It would be improbable that someone known to store employees would openly conduct an armed robbery, as armed robbers do not intend to be caught.

It’s still very possible to give employees some direction on how to handle active shooters and armed robberies, but it may not be as simple as each would be on its own. Active shooters have become a reality in today’s society. In order to proactively address the issue, it may require additional resources. However, it may also provide an opportunity for Loss Prevention departments to add additional value to the business. Furthermore, by genuinely caring for employees, they may identify more closely with the goals of the organization.
 

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National Account Mgr

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Downing & Downing

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