Organized Retail Crime Group Hits Walgreens, $200k Recovered, 4 Arrested
Four men were arrested after being observed shoplifting from a Walgreens in Loxahatchee as part of a suspected organized retail crime group. Law enforcement had been investigating the men as persons of interest in multiple pharmacy thefts across Palm Beach County before they were caught ramming a patrol vehicle during the Loxahatchee incident. After the suspects fled, authorities tracked them to an address where a search uncovered more than $200,000 in stolen over-the-counter medications and other products. The case highlights the violent and high-value nature of some organized retail theft operations and the continued multi-agency efforts to disrupt them.
Rocklin Police Nab Sacramento Man in $45,000 Multicounty Shoplifting Spree
Rocklin police arrested a 45-year-old Sacramento man who had been on a months-long shoplifting spree across five counties, amassing more than $45,000 in stolen merchandise. The suspect was taken into custody after attempting to leave a Bass Pro Shop with stolen goods, ending his theft streak. Officers pursued and detained him on the spot, and he now faces felony charges for his alleged crimes. The arrest reflects ongoing efforts by local law enforcement to crack down on prolific shoplifters whose actions negatively impact retail businesses.
Jackson police recover $50K in stolen merchandise before the holidays
Jackson Police responded to a retail fraud complaint after a store reported approximately $8,000 in stolen merchandise, which led investigators to uncover a far larger theft. Detectives executed a search warrant on Dec. 9 at a suspect’s residence in Eaton County and recovered more than $50,000 worth of stolen items, including shoes, tools, and personal electronics. The investigation revealed the suspect had allegedly committed similar thefts at several other stores across the state. Authorities have not yet released the suspect’s identity or specific locations involved but confirmed the recovered property will help support pending charges.
Protecting Consumers and Businesses: Confronting Organized Retail Crime
The House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime and Federal Government Surveillance scheduled a hearing titled “Protecting Consumers and Businesses: Confronting Organized Retail Crime” to address the nationwide surge in sophisticated theft rings and their impact on communities. The hearing aims to bring lawmakers, industry leaders, and law enforcement experts together to explore strategies for combating increasingly violent and organized retail crime. Witnesses include retail security executives and leaders from trucking and supply chain industries who will share insights into how ORC affects businesses and public safety. This session underscores growing legislative focus on organized retail crime as a serious national issue requiring coordinated responses.
What really drives mass shooters: Mental illness isn’t the sole cause
Research indicates that serious mental illness is not the primary driver behind most mass shootings, and that only a small percentage of such events are directly linked to diagnosable psychiatric disorders. While public perception often focuses on mental health as a cause, experts emphasize that factors such as acute stressors, personal grievances, and social and cultural influences play more significant roles in motivating mass shooters. Studies show that mass shooters may display transient behavioral symptoms, but these are not always tied to formal mental illness diagnoses and are poor predictors of violent acts on their own. This broader view encourages policymakers and the public to look beyond simple explanations and consider multifaceted motivations when addressing mass violence.
Maybe Retail Shrink Isn’t the Problem
David George
Executive Editor | TalkLPnews
Retail loves a villain. And for decades, shrink has been our go-to bad guy — responsible for $121.6 billion in industry losses (depending upon whom you ask). It’s a clean narrative. It rallies urgency. It opens budget. But here’s the thought-crime of the day:
What if shrink isn’t the real problem? What if it’s a symptom — and we’re medicating the fever while the infection spreads?
Shrink Isn’t One Problem — So Why Do We Attack It Like It Is?
We keep treating shrink like it’s uniformly driven by theft. But some industry data shows:
37% of shrink stems from process failures and paperwork errors
28% comes from employee theft
25% comes from external theft
The rest is vendor fraud and “unknowns”
Translation: up to 2/3 of shrink is controllable through better execution — not handcuffs, not more cameras. We chase boosters like an action movie, but the real leaks are boring: inventory accuracy, training, data quality, replenishment errors.
We’ve been solving the most dramatic part of shrink, not the biggest part. Is that strategic?
Fortress Retail Is Costing Us More Than Theft Locking up product has become the default corporate reflex. But multiple studies (Target, Forrester, RILA) point to the same reality:
Locking a product can slash legitimate sales by 15–25%
Customers leave aisles within 15 seconds if service isn’t immediate
60% of shoppers would rather abandon the purchase than wait for help
Shrink goes down? Maybe. But lost sales go way up.
That’s not mitigation — that’s misdirection. We moved the loss column and celebrated. Meanwhile, e-commerce says thank you for the traffic. We’ve created stores customers no longer want to shop in… to prevent theft by customers who no longer shop there.
Is ORC Really the Biggest Threat?
Woman fights off man attempting to assault her in Beaufort County store restroom
A man is facing charges in Beaufort County over his alleged attempt to sexually assault a woman who deputies say thwarted his attack.
Joshua Allan Mayfield, 35, of Varnville, is charged with assault with intent to commit criminal sexual conduct, kidnapping, violent burglary in the second degree, possession of a weapon during a violent crime and two counts of pointing and presenting.
Deputies say Mayfield attacked a 25-year-old woman Saturday in the bathroom of a Hilton Head Walmart.
Retail theft mission funded by $1.5 million grant results in 10 arrests
With the help of a recent $1.5 million grant from the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission, the Washington County Sheriff’s Office partnered with local businesses to conduct a retail theft mission in Cornelius on Friday.
A total of 10 people were arrested for theft and trespassing, and one of the suspects was also caught with meth, according to officials.
Hundreds of dollars of merchandise were recovered from Fred Meyer, Walmart and Coastal Farm & Ranch stores within the city of Cornelius.
How stores fighting thieves risk putting off shoppers with disabilities and kids
“Welcome”, the sign at the supermarket entrance says, above a drawing of a shopper walking in and pushing a trolley.
But for many shoppers – especially those with wheelchairs, walkers or pushing kids in prams – it looks anything but welcoming.
Ten white batons stretch into the middle of the entryway, which you have to push through to enter. A Reddit user snapped the photo at a Woolworths store in suburban Melbourne this month and it soon went viral.
Introducing Location Arming in OpenEye Web Services
OpenEye, a global leader in video surveillance and cloud-managed security solutions, is happy to announce Location Arming, an intelligent video monitoring tool available in OpenEye Web Services (OWS).
Location Arming is designed to help businesses and organizations everywhere reduce false alarms, saving time and money by leveraging the armed state from connected sensors, third-party panels, or Virtual Arm/Disarm in OWS. The OWS alerting engine uses the armed state of locations to filter alerts and ensure you only get notified when it matters most to your business. Keep reading…
5 charged for alleged retail theft scheme at Harford County Kohl's Department Store
Five people have been charged after nearly $5,000 worth of merchandise was stolen in an alleged organized retail theft scheme at Kohl's Department Store in Harford County.
The Harford County Sheriff's Office charged Heyward Henderson Jr., 42, Susan Frazier, 45, Phillip Frazier Sr., 45, Eric Briggs Sr., 49, and Christopher Ewing, 34.
"Retail theft doesn't only victimize the store, it victimizes our community," Harford County Sheriff Jeffrey Gahler stated. "Retail theft is not tolerated in Harford County, as I've said many times.
To Retain Security Talent, Start with Reframing Its Value
Corporate security is at a crossroads. While chief information security officers (CISOs) are increasingly empowered with board-level visibility and robust budgets to strengthen cyber defenses, their counterparts in physical security, the chief security officers (CSOs), often operate under far more constrained circumstances. This disparity is especially stark given the wide scope of risks and responsibilities CSOs are tasked with managing: civil unrest, natural disasters, insider threats, fraud, executive protection, workplace violence, and supply chain disruptions, just to name just a few.
Harassment call turns violent as man shatters glass at phone store, fights Corning police
A harassment call at a Corning Cricket Wireless store erupted into a violent confrontation Friday when a man broke through the business’s plate-glass window and fought responding officers before being subdued with the help of a nearby shop owner.
The incident happened around 11 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 12, after officers received a report of a man harassing a female employee inside Cricket Wireless on Solano Street, according to the Corning Police Department (CPD). When an officer arrived at the store, officials said the female store employee was outside.
Preparing Retailers for AI-Driven Cyber Threats Through the Holiday Season and Beyond
Cybercriminals follow consumer behavior, and the holiday season provides a prime opportunity. As shoppers continue to make purchases online and in-store, attackers are increasingly leveraging artificial intelligence tools to accelerate attacks, putting both consumers and retailers at risk.
To preserve consumer trust and protect brand reputations, retailers must safeguard against attacks that can compromise valuable data points, including personal and financial information. Many cyberattacks target critical endpoints such as point-of-sale (POS) systems, handheld scanners, mobile apps, or website transaction pages.
How Retail Leaders Are Building Smarter LP Ecosystems
FaceFirst® is built to enhance retail loss prevention ecosystems, not replace them. Instead of forcing retailers into closed platforms, it integrates with existing technologies to connect data, reduce silos, and improve insight across the organization. As shrink, safety, and operational pressures grow, retailers are moving away from single-point solutions toward layered systems that work together.
FaceFirst® complements tools like video analytics, pushout prevention, license plate recognition, and case management to help identify repeat offenders and strengthen investigations. The result is faster decisions, more actionable intelligence, and a more efficient, connected approach to loss prevention.
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