Can Canada's Joe Fresh revive a sagging U.S. retail giant? J.C. Penney is counting on it, with 700 opening soon!  Because of the brand’s popularity with young and hip shoppers, the introduction of Joe Fresh boutique stores is seen as a strategy JC Penney CEO Ron Johnson hopes will not only overhaul the once stalwart 110-year-old department store, but also introduce a whole new segment of shoppers to the chain. (Source ctvnews.ca)

Canadian Security Magazine's "Focus on Security Series" March 27th focuses on Retail - Sheraton Parkway, Richmond Hill, On.  Canadian Security’s Focus On Series is a unique educational platform that brings together security end users working in a particular vertical market with industry experts, technology manufacturers and service providers who cater to that specific market. With the aim to generate discussion, share information, offer networking opportunities, and facilitate business, participants in the Focus On Series will spend the day discussing, debating and educating each other on security trends, issues, technologies and solutions that are currently (and in the future) impacting the specific vertical market they work in. (Source focusonsecurity.ca)

Canadians lack cyber security skills  
Despite topping the list as the heaviest Internet users worldwide, Canadians are surprisingly lacking in digital literacy — and that's putting their personal information at risk, says Canada's privacy watchdog. Privacy Commissioner Jennifer Stoddart told an audience of tech industry recently that Canadians spend an average of 45 hours a month online, making them leaders in worldwide Internet usage, but too many web surfers are unaware their voracious cyber appetites could expose themselves and others to unscrupulous fellow users. (Source canadiansecurity.com)

Canada's new Combating Counterfeit Products Act gains support 
CSA Group, a leading testing and certification organization dedicated to public safety announces its official support of the Federal Government of Canada''s introduction of the new Combating Counterfeit Products Act, which proposes changes to the Trade-marks Act and the Copyright Act to prohibit the import and export of counterfeit trademark goods. The proposed changes in the Bill would give customs border officers the legal authority and discretion to search for, examine, and temporarily detain commercial shipments of suspected counterfeit goods at the border. (Source yahoo.com)

Counterfeit stamps cost Canada Post millions a year, expert says 
An internationally recognized stamp expert in Montreal says counterfeit stamps are costing Canada Post as much as $10 million annually. Canada Post won't confirm Gratton's estimate but admits counterfeiting is a problem. In 2011, the RCMP arrested five people and seized 40,000 stamps from a network of convenience stores in Montreal and Toronto that were selling counterfeit stamps. A spokesperson for Canada Post said that particular fraud cost them about $2.6 million. Since then, Canada Post has hired a team of 80 inspectors to catch counterfeiters. (Source cbc.ca)

YouTube video “how to blowtorch an ATM open” key in arresting 4 in Toronto suspected in $1.1 Million in ATM thefts.  Four men are now behind bars suspected of committing 130 ATM robberies in Canada. The men were so bold that back in October, they released a YouTube video of how to use a blowtorch to open the machines. The video received over 100,000 hits. Police used the video to somehow track down the suspects. (Source upi.com)

Toronto Organized Crime Ring busted; 3 suspects facing 21 charges. Toronto’s Community Response and Major Crimes units began the investigation in February, in response to reports from several Toronto area retailers regarding shoplifting incidents. With the assistance of area Loss Prevention professionals, Police arrested two men on February 17 and executed a search warrant for their home recovering $4300 in merchandise. Third suspect turned himself into Police the following day. (Source mytowncrier.ca)

New citizen’s arrest powers come into effect thanks to grocer 
The Citizen’s Arrest and Self-defence Act no longer requires a person to catch a suspect red-handed, but allows for the apprehension within a reasonable amount of time after a crime. The law allows people to make a citizens’ arrest of someone who has committed a crime on their property or in relation to their personal possessions when it’s not feasible for a police officer to make an arrest. The law still requires people to call police as soon as possible and not use excessive force. (Source canadiangrocer.com)

New Westminster burglar caught in a pipe attempting mall break-in.  Police in New Westminster, B.C., dealt with a bizarre situation Wednesday morning after what appears to be a botched break-and-enter at a suburban mall. Security at Royal City Centre heard noises before 3 a.m. and called police. Officers arrived to find a man wedged inside a pipe. Police say it appears he was in a stairwell and had climbed into the air vent allegedly to break into the building when he got stuck. A high-angle rescue truck was called to the scene and firefighters had to break through drywall to extricate him from the tiny pipe. The suspect may have a broken arm and could be charged with break-and-enter. (Source newwestnewsleader.com)