Blog & News

EEOC Issues New Criminal Conviction Screening Guidance

Joseph LaRocca — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 05:28:14 +0000

The EEOC has approved new rules that could make it easier to find work for convicted criminals by "banning the box" on employment applications. Unfortunately this action will make the responsibility of keeping the workplace safe a little bit harder for businesses. Nearly all retailers (97%) utilize background screening in some form during the application, hiring and employment process, according to a survey conducted by the NRF last year.

The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) today issued an updated Enforcement Guidance on employer use of arrest and conviction records in employment decisions under Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as amended (Title VII). The Commission today voted 4-1 to approve the guidance document. The Commission also issued a Question-and-Answer (Q&A) document about the guidance. The Enforcement Guidance and Q&A document will be available on the EEOC’s website at www.eeoc.gov.

The Great Utah Shakeout 2012 Exercise

Joseph LaRocca — Mon, 23 Apr 2012 21:09:00 +0000

FEMA and Utah State Officials reported that the Great Utah ShakeOut on April 17-19, 2012, was the largest scale earthquake drill in state history. The Shakeout enlisted 945,068 participants to react as they would in an actual earthquake emergency situation.

More than 150 government officials from FEMA, Department of Defense, Utah, Wyoming, and Colorado relied on HSIN as the primary operational information sharing and reporting platform utilized during this multi-state exercise. Mission Advocate, Rick Eaton, was on duty to provide hands-on training and guidance on how to use HSIN for reporting and tracking throughout the three-day exercise.

Visit http://www.shakeout.org/utah/ to learn more about the results from the Great Utah ShakeOut exercise.

Federal authorities arrest 19 in Operation 'Open Market'

Joseph LaRocca — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 23:12:00 +0000

Late last week, federal authorities arrested 19 individuals in nine states for their involvement in Operation "Open Market," an investigation into a transnational criminal organization operating principally out of Las Vegas. The operation's members bought and sold stolen personal and financial information online and engaged in crimes such as identity theft and counterfeit credit card trafficking.

Flood Safety Awareness Week March 12-16

Joseph LaRocca — Thu, 08 Mar 2012 21:47:47 +0000

The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) are once again partnering for National Flood Safety Awareness Week, March 12 -16. This is a time for individuals, families, businesses and communities to understand their risk for flooding and take precautions to protect their families and homes in the event of flooding.

Washington State ORC Conference Dates Announced

Joseph LaRocca — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 20:41:00 +0000

Mark your calendar for the Washington State Organized Retail Crime Alliance (WSORCA) Annual Training Conference on Thursday, October 18th, 2012.

Open to all law enforcement and retail loss prevention professionals, the training will focus on all aspects of Organized Retail Crime (ORC) investigations, case preparation, courtroom testimony, the relationships between law enforcement and loss prevention, and much more.

To register visit: www.wsorca.org

HSI special agents seize $825,570 worth of counterfeit goods

Joseph LaRocca — Mon, 27 Feb 2012 17:30:00 +0000

You never know what you'll find at a flea market – antiques, toys or even a deal of a lifetime. But special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) warn that those deals of a lifetime may be too good to be true.

Colorado To Launch A New “ORCA” Program and Proposes ORC Legislation

Joseph LaRocca — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 04:37:00 +0000

The Colorado Organized Retail Crime Association (COORCA) will be launched on March 7th with the support of retailers, law enforcement and prosecutors. In addition, a new ORC bill will be heard on Thursday, February 23 in the Business Affairs Committee.

Los Angeles ORC Conference Boasts Record Attendance

Joseph LaRocca — Mon, 20 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

Last week the Los Angeles Area Organized Retail Crimes Association (LAAORCA) celebrated a record crowd of nearly 1000 attendees, service providers and diverse line-up of speakers from across the country. LAAORCA is a cooperative effort between retailers, the Los Angeles Police Department, Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department, U.S. Secret Service and many other Southern California law enforcement agencies. The organization mission is to share case intelligence and work collaboratively on retail crime prevention and investigations.

The Los Angeles ORC Meeting Countdown...

Joseph LaRocca — Thu, 09 Feb 2012 16:00:00 +0000

The Los Angeles Area Organized Retail Crimes Association (LAAORCA) meeting is just one week away (Thursday, February 16th), at the Los Angeles Convention Center. As of this afternoon we have close to 900 attendees. If you’re a retailer or member of the law enforcement community and haven’t registered yet, please do so now at www.LAAORCA.org to reserve your seat.

Consumers To Spend $11 Billion This Weekend… Some Product Not So Legit

Joseph LaRocca — Fri, 03 Feb 2012 16:43:16 +0000

Love them or loathe them, two football titans will fight it out on Sunday, and more Americans than ever will join them to celebrate the big game. According to a National Retail Federation release, 173 million people will watch the game, up from an estimated 171 million last year. Consumer spending for the Super Bowl will reach an all-time high, too, with the average game-watcher expected to shell out $63.87 on related merchandise, apparel and snacks.

Legitimate retailers aren’t the only ones cashing in this weekend. Across the country law enforcement agencies are uncovering scores of counterfeit Super Bowl merchandise.

Last year, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and other federal agencies seized a record $3.56 million worth of fake Super Bowl-related memorabilia during "Operation Interception".

Sports fans should be on the lookout for telltale signs like poor stitching, inferior packaging and, of course, a too-good-to-be-true price.

Go Patriots!