Repeat break-ins at coffee shop ‘frustrating’

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This article was published 24/11/2023 (656 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Two weeks after a Pembina Highway coffee shop received thousands of dollars in damage from a break-in, the same thief came back and caused thousands more.

Amid the local wreckage, organizations representing restaurants and small businesses are calling on the Manitoba government to create a fund where they could be reimbursed for repairs from vandalism and to install security measures.

“It is so frustrating,” said Sandeep Mehendiratta, co-owner of Coffee Culture Café and Eatery (2864 Pembina Hwy.) in Fort Richmond.

“The police were here within 10 minutes — that does give us a lot of confidence — but it was the same guy as the last time, and he got out within three minutes of breaking in. I feel violated.”

Mehendiratta said sales machines and cash tills were taken during the previous break-in, as well as a high-end camera. In the second incident, a metal strong box containing cash was stolen.

She said the first break-in caused about $8,000 in damage; the latest was about $3,000.

“Last time, he had tried to drag the same box but it was pretty heavy,” Mehendiratta said. “This time, he was prepared.”

The thief was masked but video showed the man was wearing the same jacket and shoes both times.

“It is unbelievable somebody would come to do it again,” she said. “My husband says maybe we should leave the door open so they don’t break the glass.”

Winnipeg police confirmed the break-in occurred Thursday at about 4:25 a.m.

“The front-door glass was smashed and property was removed,” police spokesman Const. Jason Michalyshen said. “The investigation is ongoing, and efforts to identify the suspect continues.

“It’s essential that reports are made to police due to the possibility of multiple cases being potentially linked. When an arrest is made, these potentially linked cases can be resolved and the suspect charged accordingly.”

Shaun Jeffrey (executive director and chief executive officer of the Manitoba Restaurant & Foodservices Association), Brianna Solberg (director of provincial affairs with the Canadian Federation of Independent Business) and Restaurants Canada sent a letter last week to recently appointed Justice Minister Matt Wiebe about their crime concerns.

They said the NDP’s campaign promise to create a $2.5-million rebate program to help small businesses install security alarms and cameras was a good first step, but the $300 maximum per business isn’t enough.

Instead, they want up to $2,000 per business for vandalism repairs and $1,000 for crime prevention measures.

“We continue to see massive increases in incidents of crime and property crime,” Jeffrey said. “We are begging for programs to help prevention.

“Our industries are seriously struggling to pay for the damages done because of the lack of attention we’ve given to crime in this country.”

Jeffrey said it costs hundreds of dollars to replace windows and doors and security upgrades can cost thousands.

“One restaurant I know, but won’t say which one it is, recently installed bullet-proof glass so it wouldn’t break,” he said. “How bad is that for us to be having to put that type of security in?”

Solberg said the cost of vandalism is hard on businesses already financially reeling from losses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Nearly half of small businesses in Manitoba haven’t returned to pre-pandemic income yet,” she said. “So every added cost is dropping them deeper into a hole. It’s a tough time to be in business now.”

In an interview, Wiebe said: “We are moving forward on looking at a rebate that we can implement here in Manitoba. There are other jurisdictions doing this. What we want to do is get it right, so that’s why we’re reaching out to folks like the CFIB.”

This week, small businesses in British Columbia began applying to a new “securing small-business rebate” program to help pay for the cost of repairs due to vandalism and for crime prevention measures.

The program allows businesses to ask for up to $2,000 for vandalism repairs and $1,000 for the cost of security cameras and other crime prevention measures. It is retroactive to Jan. 1.

“At this point, we are a listening government,” Wiebe said. “It’s early days, so we are reaching out to folks. We’re getting these meetings, we’re getting these consultations in, so we can hear from them directly about some of their concerns and… some of the good ideas that they have.”

kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca