Thieves make off with thousands in musical instruments

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This article was published 27/05/2024 (507 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

More than $38,000 worth of musical instruments was stolen when a vehicle was used to smash through the front of Long & McQuade’s south Winnipeg store last week.

Steve Long, president of the nationwide chain of music stores, said high-end guitars were stolen from the Pembina Highway location.

“The guys knew what they were looking for. They took the cream of the crop,” Long said Tuesday. He suspects the people responsible visited the store beforehand.

Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Claude Chancy confirmed officers received a report of a break-in shortly after 5 a.m. on May 21.

Long said the company, based in Pickering, Ont., had not been informed of any arrests as of Monday. He said police responded to a security alarm and abandoned a pursuit for safety reasons as the vehicle drove off at high speed.

In a separate incident May 16, a man driving a stolen vehicle crashed into a parked vehicle outside the store and then drove at an employee, who hid behind a pillar, police said.

The man had been escorted out of the store by the worker, who wasn’t hurt, police said.

Long said the suspect had been handling some equipment while hanging around in the store for a long time.

Police said the man was involved in a series of incidents, including thefts and a trespassing incident at a sports facility, in which he drove a stolen vehicle at an employee after being escorted outside.

The man was allegedly carrying a knife when he was arrested May 16.

Long expressed frustration with criminals, echoing others in the retail sector. He said there has been an uptick in certain crimes against Long & McQuade stores.

“It’s hard enough to run a business in Canada as it is,” he said.

Some stores have had problems with shoplifting or credit card fraud. Long said his staff members are good at deterring shoplifters and catching a majority of fraud attempts.

Others have been hit by professional or organized thieves, such as those involved in last week’s incident in Winnipeg.

“These are the ones, as a society, we need to take a lot more seriously,” Long said. “I think putting people in jail is the only thing you can do.”

Two men and a woman pushing a baby stroller recently carried out an organized theft from one of the company’s Toronto stores.

Long said many of those responsible believe they will not face significant consequences if caught.

“The criminals seem to be able to do whatever they want, which encourages more crime,” he said.

Rehabilitation or other suitable supports must be available for convicted thieves who were stealing in order to sell the merchandise and feed an addiction, he added.

chris.kitching@freepress.mb.ca