Businesses brainstorm over retail theft

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This article was published 23/10/2019 (2186 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With petty theft on the rise in Winnipeg, local businesses met with security experts to strategize at a conference Wednesday — but they were tight-lipped about tactics.

Last year, thefts under $5,000 more than doubled over the five-year average in the city, according to police.

Ahead of the holiday retail season, representatives from about 30 businesses attended the Security Intelligence Network event to discuss ways to prevent retail shoplifting, as well as fraud with credit cards, gift cards and currencies.

Loss-prevention officers and law enforcement officials were in attendance at the Best Buy Canada-run conference, at times showing confidential presentations reporters were not privy to.

“Our best asset is our employees, who communicate and advise us of what’s taking place in the store,” said Marco Addesa, a regional loss-prevention manager at Best Buy Canada. “If they’ve seen something, something that doesn’t seem right or out of character for a shopping habit, they’ll report it.”

Addesa said Wednesday, over time, the company has learned providing “excellent customer service” deters shoplifters from pinching devices from store shelves. Best Buy Canada also installs security cameras in its stores and hires uniformed officers to survey stores on certain occasions such as Boxing Day and “Black Friday” sales.

The electronics retailer does not make public its estimated losses from theft.

“Shoplifting is not a Winnipeg issue alone, it’s a Canadian issue. We see it in different markets, different provinces. I think we’re all after the same goal and that’s to reduce losses and provide our customers and employees with a safe work environment,” Addesa added.

Approximately 60 people attended the conference, including representatives from Home Depot, Canadian Tire, Staples, Hudson’s Bay and Sobeys. Staff from the Bank of Canada, GardaWorld, Manitoba Justice and local police officers were present on the security expert side.

Addesa said Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries — which ramped up security measures to combat thefts earlier this year at Liquor Mart locations — did not register for the event. The Crown corporation could not confirm Wednesday whether or not it had any representatives attend.

Brazen daytime thefts have become more commonplace at Liquor Marts. Last year, MLL reported a loss of about $800,000 in “shrinkage.” 

In March, MLL increased security with more uniformed officers, bottle locks, dummy bottles, a no-bag policy, and controlled entrances and exits, among other measures. It reported improvements in the spring — but last month, MLL told media theft is “as high as it’s ever been.”

In the last month alone, two videos of separate incidents where groups of hooded thieves have ransacked liquor stores and fled with bags filled with rattling bottles in Winnipeg have surfaced online.

The Winnipeg Police Service’s latest annual report indicates minor thefts accounted for 28 per cent of all crime in the city in 2018.

Public information officer Const. Rob Carver said police receive “a huge stream” of petty theft reports everyday. In sorting through recent files, Carver pulled up an arrest of a 33-year-old man alleged to have been involved in 42 separate incidents at various liquor stores.

“The video surveillance in a number of retail operations, including Liquor Marts, has been quite good,” he said, adding police make “a significant number of arrests” in such cases.

maggie.macintosh@freepress.mb.ca

Twitter: @macintoshmaggie