Retail Crime on the Rise in Canada
Crime increase adds to woes of main street retailers

Survey of downtown blocks reveals rise in vandalism, break-ins during pandemic

A new study on main streets in B.C. and Ontario released December 7 by Vancity shows that rising crime has added to the troubles of B.C. downtown retailers struggling through the pandemic and is the No. 1 concern in Victoria and East Vancouver.

The survey, done during October and November by Vancity Community Investment Bank and the Canadian Urban Institute, focused on Government Street in Victoria, Strathcona and East Hastings Street in Vancouver, the Newton area of Surrey and Tranquille Avenue in Kamloops, plus downtown shopping streets in Toronto and Hamilton, Ontario. It followed up on a similar survey conducted in April as the pandemic expanded.

While street crime was a non-issue along Lawrence Avenue in Toronto and a relatively minor concern in downtown Hamilton, it was among the biggest issues in three of the four B.C. blocks surveyed.

According to the Bring Back Main Street study, Government Street in Victoria saw a massive drop in "feet on the street," with nearly one million fewer visits this year to the retail block between Humboldt and Johnson streets between April and September. Yet the main concerns for 77% of merchants on the strip were crime and safety issues.

In Vancouver's Strathcona survey, which studied a block of East Hastings Street, the study found that consumer traffic had dropped by 48% from April to September, and that street crime was the No.1 issue for nearly seven of 10 local businesses.

The study said small businesses in all the areas studied are dealing with the increased effects of the opioid crisis and vandalism, but that these concerns were much more widespread in B.C. than in the Ontario samples. biv.com

Canadian Pharmacies Targeted
Police warn Calgary pharmacists after rash of armed robberies

Since September, there have been 21 reported pharmacy robberies across Calgary.

Calgary police are warning pharmacists after a series of robberies by armed thugs. "Since September 2020, there have been 21 reported pharmacy robberies across Calgary. Four have occurred in the northeast, five in the northwest, seven in the southwest, and five in the southeast," said the Calgary Police Service in a statement. There were two more robberies Tuesday in which staff were threatened with a gun.

"Detectives are working to determine if several individuals or groups are responsible for the robberies, or if this is a general crime trend across the city," said CPS

"In most cases, the suspects approach the pharmacist, brandishing a firearm or indicating they have a weapon before walking behind the counter and obtaining drugs and cash. Often they are carrying a bag to contain the bottles they steal, and in many cases a second suspect stays at the door. Many different types of drugs are being taken, ranging from cough syrup to codeine. westernstandardonline.com

Overall crime numbers down in Regina, but arson and homicide up sharply

COVID Update
 

Tough Tactics Used to Enforce COVID Rules
Toronto, ON: Six 'mall cops' restrain one man after COVID violation
The group takedown arrest of Josh Walker, in front of his pregnant girlfriend at the Upper Canada Mall in Newmarket on Friday, illustrates the stress and madness stemming from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.

It wasn't a murder, jewelry store robbery or even shoplifting. It was merely a couple asked to leave by security enforcing provincial orders deeming the dining area off-limits for consumption.

"There were other people in the food court doing the same thing," said Walker's partner, Samantha-Lynn Johnson, in a statement sent to the Toronto Sun. A security officer, she said, instead zoned in on them.

Whatever the motivation, the request by security was appropriate since this area was closed to mall patrons. But what happened in the moments following is troubling. "They the threw him to the ground and smashed his face," Johnson wrote. "It was six white men against one black man. This was a racial attack." torontosun.com

Retailers vs. COVID Lockdowns
Hudson's Bay seeks judicial review of 'crippling' retail closures in Toronto area
Hudson's Bay Co. is asking an Ontario court to review the province's decision to temporarily close non-essential retailers in Toronto and Peel Region.

In a judicial review filed on Thursday, the Toronto-based retailer called the province's approach "unreasonable" and "unfair" and asked to recognize that there is a need for a solution that prioritizes health and safety without jeopardizing the livelihood of thousands of retail workers and the future of many businesses.

The company argued the province's health data shows shoppers are not contributing to the spread of the novel coronavirus in any significant way and pointed out that Premier Doug Ford has even said his regulations are "100 per cent ... not fair."

"The regulations are incoherent and devoid of logic and consistency," HBC wrote in its court filing. "Although purportedly designed to maintain the public's access to essential goods and keep non-essential retailers closed, the regulations do not do that. thestar.com

  Ontario Retail Shutdown into 2021 will Cause Severe Harm to Industry: Experts

Retailers Need Vaccine to Survive
Mass Vaccinations Critical to Save the Canadian Retail Industry: Experts
Having a vaccine in place in a timely fashion will be critically important for the future of many retailers across the country, say industry experts. That alone may be the key to whether thousands of small business owners survive the COVID-19 pandemic or shut their doors permanently.

As the country's economy continues to struggle during this crisis, business owners across the country are hoping that a vaccine will boost consumer confidence to go out and spend money in the thousands of establishments that have felt the economic pain this year.

Dan Kelly, President and CEO of the Canadian Federation of Independent Business, said it is absolutely critical to get the vaccine widely distributed not just to end the incredible health challenge associated with COVID-19 but also the economic challenge associated with it too.  retail-insider.com

COVID Vaccine Supply Shortages in Canada?
Canada begins vaccinations, but officials fear supply issues due to global scramble
Canadian officials are the first to admit that the vaccine rollout will not be as widespread as in the United States or the United Kingdom because of what they describe as a "fiercely competitive" global scramble for early doses.

"We are dealing with an incredibly competitive global environment," said Anita Anand, Canada's minister of procurement at a news conference Monday, adding, "We've been able to negotiate hard, with fortitude, to bring early doses into this country."

While Trudeau told Canadians last week that the country would receive 249,000 doses before year's end, Anand made it clear the number could actually be less than half that. cnn.com

Canada's Stores Face Uncertainty with Declining Foot Traffic During Pandemic
 

Halifax, NS: Store owner shocked after customer told him 'I just killed a man'
The owner of a Halifax convenience store says he was shocked after a man entered his business Tuesday afternoon and seemingly confessed to killing someone. "He came in around three o'clock ... he said exactly, 'Can you call the police? I just killed a man,'" Khallaf, who runs Nova Grocery on Clyde Street, told CBC News on Wednesday evening. Khallaf said the man was a regular customer. He seemed "very calm" during their interaction. Khallaf called 911 and asked the man to step outside. The operator told him to keep an eye on him, so he followed him out. A customer showed up and Khallaf went back in to assist them. When he returned, the man was gone. This incident happened at around the same time police responded to a weapons complaint in the area. Halifax Regional Police are currently investigating the suspicious death of a 61-year-old man. A 71-year-old man was also injured. cbc.ca

Toronto, ON: Three people injured after shooting, crash in Scarborough's Cedarbrae Mall parking lot
Three people were injured, one seriously, after the occupants of a car were shot and later struck a pole in the parking lot of Scarborough's Cedarbrae Mall on Saturday night. A sergeant with 43 Division said a Blue Kia Forte pulled up to a victim's vehicle and two suspects opened fire, and two occupants of the victim vehicle were hit. Up to eight shots were fired and the victim vehicle lost control and struck a pole near Markham Road and Greenbriar Circuit, east of the mall. Toronto paramedics said three people were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries and two with minor injuries. ctvnews.ca

Edmonton, AB: Man charged after 2 women in hijabs attacked in mall parking lot
Officers were told that a man approached two Somali women wearing hijabs sitting in their vehicle and began yelling racially motivated obscenities at them. Witnesses told police the man then punched the passenger-side window, shattering the glass. Fearing for her safety, the passenger ran from the vehicle and the man chased her, police said, then pushed her to the ground and began assaulting her. The second woman tried to help and was also shoved to the ground, before several bystanders intervened and stopped the attack. cbc.ca

(Update) Nova Scotia gunman had grenades, handguns equipped with laser sights

Cornwall, ON: Teen charged with fraud after trying to return store item

Burlington, ON: Shoplifter who allegedly stole more than $1,000 worth of goods from Fortinos arrested
 

Shootings & Deaths

Waukena, CA: Community grieves for market owner shot and killed during robbery
Waukena, on the western edge of Tulare County. More than just a store, Lilly Onofre says it's a community hub.At the center of that community was Manuel Martin, the happy and helpful co-owner of the market. On Monday night, Martin was working behind the counter when two men came inside and demanded money. Sheriff's detectives say as Martin was getting the cash, there was a dispute. "During the robbery, a confrontation did occur between the store clerk and the suspects, which ultimately led to the shooting," Tulare County Sheriff's Sgt. Steve Sanchez said. Sanchez says one of the men opened fire, striking Martin multiple times. He died at the scene. At the time of the shooting, there were no customers inside.  abc30.com

Portland, OR: Employee killed during in Dispensary robbery
A Portland man was shot and killed Monday during a robbery at the marijuana dispensary where he worked, police said. Michael Arthur, 44, was working at Cured Green, on North Lombard Street and Washburne Avenue, when police were called to a report of a shooting at the business around 10 p.m. When officers arrived, they found Arthur had been shot. Police did not specify whether Arthur died at the scene or at the hospital.  oregonlive.com

Los Angeles, CA: No Charges Filed Against LAPD Officers Who Shot, Killed Trader Joe's Assistant Manager
Two Los Angeles police officers acted lawfully when they engaged in a gunfight with a suspect outside of a Silver Lake Trader Joe's and killed an assistant store manager in 2018, according to a report released Tuesday by the District Attorney's office. In the 22-page assessment of the shooting, the office found that officers Sinlen Tse and Sarah Winans were "justified in using deadly force in an attempt to stop" the suspect, Gene Evin Atkins. Atkins was shot in the left elbow as he ran into the store after prosecutors said he crashed an allegedly stolen vehicle and opened fire on police. Assistant store manager Melyda Corado was "accidentally struck by gunfire when she ran towards the front doors," of the Trader Joe's upon hearing the crash. The District Attorney's Office stated in the report that there were no bystanders visible behind Atkins or in the line of fire when the officers shot at Atkins. losangeles.cbslocal.com

Louisville, KY: Man convicted of killing 2 at Kroger gets Life term
A white man convicted of fatally shooting two Black shoppers at a Kentucky grocery store was sentenced Tuesday to life in prison. Gregory Bush, 53, pleaded guilty but mentally ill in Jefferson Circuit Court to two counts of murder, criminal attempted murder and wanton endangerment in connection with the shooting at the Kroger in suburban Louisville in 2018. A judge sentenced him to two life terms to be served concurrently without the possibility of parole. Police said Bush first stopped at a historically Black church nearby before heading with his handgun to the busy grocery store. Bush then walked into the store, pulled a gun from his waist and shot a man in the back of the head, then kept shooting him multiple times, according to an arrest report. The report said Bush re-holstered his gun, walked outside and killed a woman in the parking lot. Each victim died of multiple gunshot wounds. Investigators said the two victims had never met Bush. startribune.com

CORRECTION FROM YESTERDAY'S DAILY
Shelby, NC: Mall theft chase ends in suspect being fatally shot by hourly associate
One person is dead and another in jail following a shooting near the Hampton Inn and Suites in Shelby. Jacob Wesley Isenhour, of Grover, has been charged with first-degree murder, carrying a concealed weapon and discharging a firearm inside city limits. According to the Shelby Police Department the victim, whose name has not yet been released, was leaving the Cleveland Mall via Dunham's Sports when the store security alarm sounded. Isenhour, an employee of the sports shop who was working at the time, allegedly chased the victim through the mall parking lot in an attempt to confront them. Isenhour located the victim near a wood line at the opposite end of the mall parking lot, where he allegedly shot at him. When Shelby Police arrived at the scene they located the victim near the hotel and placed Isenhour under arrest. Cleveland County Emergency Medical Services arrived on scene where the victim was pronounced dead. shelbystar.com

East Point, GA: No ill feelings: Walmart LP Associate shot by man hopes he 'makes the next right decision'
"I just want to get back to my job because catching shoplifters isn't about getting people to punish. It's about finding people that I can relate to and show them there's a way to the other side." Scurry works as a loss prevention employee at an East Point Walmart. He was shot by an alleged shoplifter, police said. "You expect to get punched in the face from time to time, but I never in my wildest dreams did I expect to get shot."

On Friday, Dec. 11, one of Scurry's coworkers noticed a man on their cameras taking items from the store. Scurry said he went to talk to the man and tried to get him to go to their loss prevention office. Initially, he said he was going to let the man go.  "He just needed a few small items. He spent most of the time in the store eating while he was shopping so it was mostly a hungry situation." But when another coworker starting walking towards the two, that's when Scurry said the man more than likely panicked. "After he felt cornered, he ended up firing the shot. He had a 50/50 shot and I'm glad it was taken at me." The bullet went through Scurry's arm, entered his upper right chest, damaging his lung, diaphragm and liver.  11alive.com
 

Robberies, Incidents & Thefts