San Francisco—The California Senate passed a controversial bill on May 31 that would prohibit employers from requiring staff to intervene in active shoplifting. The bill is pending further review by state Assembly committees. SB 553, authored by state Senator Dave Cortese (D-San Jose), requires employers, who could potentially be victims of shoplifting and robberies, do…

A California bill to prohibit employees from confronting shoplifters or active shooters has passed the state Senate, in spite of opposition from retailers who say it would add to the state’s escalating retail theft problem. “With growing awareness of workplace violence, California needs smarter guidelines to keep workers safe in the office or on the…

A Walgreens in Chicago redesigned a store that would allow customers to browse only two aisles of products because of crime. Customers can only access those shelfs after they pass through anti-theft detectors. “Non-essential” items can only be ordered digitally from kiosks and later picked up at a counter as part of a pilot program, according…

Dollar Tree is taking losses in some areas due to a spike in theft and a decline in profits. Like many retailers, the discount store chain is considering “defensive merchandising” or restricting access to certain products. Many major store chains have blamed a massive surge in theft as a growing challenge, as left-wing prosecutors restrict…

Commentary Brazen shoplifting is hurting all of us. I’m brushing with bubble gum-flavored children’s toothpaste because it takes too long to get a clerk at the pharmacy to unlock the adult toothpaste. Before the shoplifting scourge, shoppers could actually browse and read product labels. Target, Home Depot, and other retailers announced last week that they…

Target predicted a gloomy second-quarter forecast as consumers pull back from non-essential purchases such as electronics and home goods, due to inflation. However, the retailer maintained its full-year profit expectations as total sales rose 0.5 percent, in its May 17 quarterly earnings report. The company’s poor forecast follows poor numbers from Home Depot, which is predicting…

T-Mobile became San Francisco’s latest retailer to flee the city’s downtown area in recent months, citing a drop in foot traffic and a rise in crime. The phone company’s two-story flagship store in San Francisco’s neighborhood of Union Square was permanently closed last month as havoc continues in the once-prominent business district. A note was left…

The New York Police Police Department is advising businesses to ask patrons to take off their masks before entry in light of the high number of thefts and robberies across the city. Removing face masks should be made a “condition of entry,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said at a press conference last week,…

The New York Police Police Department is advising businesses to ask patrons to take off their masks before entry in light of the high number of thefts and robberies across the city. Removing face masks should be made a “condition of entry,” NYPD Chief of Department Jeffrey Maddrey said at a press conference last week,…

Amid a surge in shoplifting crimes in New York City, one of the Big Apple’s largest shopping districts has hired K-9 units in an effort to protect businesses and sniff out thieves. The 34th Street Partnership, a not-for-profit, private management company that overseas business improvements in the city, including in Macy’s Herald Square, Penn Station, and Madison Square…