'It’s the Wild West' in Vancouver
Grocery store owner says violent incidents out of control
Surveillance video from a downtown Vancouver grocery store has captured what the owner says is another example of the increase in violence his staff is facing every day.

On Monday night around 8 p.m. a fight broke out between a man and staff at the IGA store on Robson Street after the man had allegedly tried to steal some coffee.

“It’s an ongoing topic of conversation, we’ve been trying to teach de-escalation. It used to be, ‘Just recover the product and let the people go,’ but now it’s become much more dangerous.” “We are mindful that it’s not just us and our staff have to look after themselves.”

“We have seen this in the past year, especially in the downtown core, the type of violence that comes with this theft,” she said. “This is one of the reasons that we did launch Project Arrow. We were noticing an uptick in shoplifting and shoplifting with violence.”

Just last week, the Vancouver police announced they arrested 130 suspects and seized 35 weapons in a crackdown on violent shoplifting incidents in downtown Vancouver. globalnews.ca

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“Security is a huge concern right across the country,” he said, noting that break-ins, squatters, vandalism and graffiti have all increased during the pandemic.

Vancouver Police Department data shows 966 break-ins were reported in the city’s central business district in 2020, up 21 per cent from 2019. Across the city, business burglaries hit a 10-year high of 2,789 last year.

Mark Forward, vice-president, property management division, for Paladin Security, Vancouver’s largest security agency, said there was a sharp spike in downtown break-ins at the start of the pandemic, including thefts from shuttered retail outlets.

Forward said many businesses have since been “hardening the premises” with locks, hoarding, improved lighting, alarms, surveillance cameras and stepped-up security patrols. This, along with colder weather, has reduced break-ins, though vandalism and squatters remains a concern. westerninvestor.com

Crime-Fighting Partnership
Edmonton Police Foundation partnering with MacEwan to
prevent liquor store thefts
Thefts from liquor stores are on the rise, not just in Edmonton, but across the province. The Edmonton Police Foundation is now working with MacEwan University to draw attention to the problem, while renewing calls to outfit liquor stores with ID scanners at store entrances.

“The problem is out of control, especially in the province of Alberta,” said Taylor Mann of Alcanna Inc. In 2019, nearly 9,600 stores were targeted. That’s three times as many as 2018. Alcanna Inc. owns some of those stores.

“We’ve had loss prevention officers stabbed in the face; we’ve had bear spray deployed multiple times. A lot of time it’s completely unprovoked as well and that’s where it becomes quite concerning,” Mann said.

“It’s not just one person going in and stealing one bottle, it’s organized crime groups going in and stealing large amounts of alcohol,” said Heather Braid of MacEwan University.

The university has now teamed up with the Edmonton Police Foundation to create an awareness campaign, asking bars that buy from legitimate sources to display a badge. Awareness is just one way to stop the problem. Many bottles and cans are equipped with tracking devices, according to police.

Those successes are a 94 per cent drop in thefts at the three Edmonton stores that are using entrance identification systems. Six more stores in Edmonton and four in Calgary will start using the ID entrance systems in the coming weeks. edmonton.ctvnews.ca

Edmonton campaign plants actors in liquor store to help educate against theft
In an effort to make real change several community groups gathered at an Edmonton liquor store for an educational surprise.

“We want to give people a real glimpse into what’s going on behind the scenes of liquor store thefts, it’s really not an issue of one person coming in stealing one bottle, it’s organized crime groups coming in and stealing a lot of alcohol,” Heather Baird, MacEwan University’s Social Innovation Institute academic lead, said.

To visually show that, actors hid behind a cooler and when a customer opened the door, the actor would perform several skits about the significance of liquor theft.

The show is part of the legally-sourced pledge program, a new initiative by the Edmonton Police Foundation in partnership with liquor store giant Alcanna and MacEwan’s Social Innovation Institute to lower liquor store thefts.  globalnews.ca

Thieves Targeting Bitcoin machines?
With the high price of Bitcoin, are Sask. criminals cashing in?
One of the most recent was a smash-and-grab job reported to the Prince Albert Police Service. It was reported that two male suspects were responsible for the break-in and theft in the 1400 block of Central Avenue. Upon further investigation, officers noted a Bitcoin machine had been pried open and the contents were stolen.

Spurgeon told Global News no customers were impacted by the theft and no data was compromised as it is not stored in HoneyBadger’s kiosks. He added it was an older ATM that has now been upgraded with a new model that has increased security features. globalnews.ca

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Alberta: Truck loads of stolen property recovered by RCMP
On Thursday Feb. 25, the Southern Alberta Crime Reduction Unit (SACRU) along with Innisfail and Olds RCMP, executed three search warrants after a three-day investigation into multiple reported break and enters. The incidents had occurred in the Olds, Bowden and Innisfail areas in January and February.

Truck loads of stolen items were recovered including tools, credit cards, personal documents, Indigenous items, and framed prints. Other recovered items include Bibles, as well as other items which were stolen from St. Mark’s Anglican Church in Innisfail. World War II items that were stolen from the Bowden Legion. Hundreds of items with price tags still attached had been stolen from a thrift store in Bowden and vintage store in Olds. Historical items from the Bowden Pioneer Museum, and one assault style rifle with the serial number partially filed off, along with ammunition. lacombeonline.com

Cochrane, AB: $5,000 to $10,000 worth of collectibles stolen from Rebel Comics
Between $5,000 and $10,000 worth of collectibles were stolen from Rebel Comics, 521 1 St. W, in the early hours of Feb. 28. Devin Petitclerc, of Rebel Comics, believes two people were involved in the break-in. They smashed through the main window at approximately 1:45 a.m. this morning and he believes they must have been in the store before because they appeared to know exactly where to look. Among items taken were key comic issues displayed behind the till, the store's cash register, Pokemon collectibles, Magic: The Gathering cards, and several comic books near the front of the store. They were among the most valuable items in the store. Petitclerc has been spreading word of the break-in and expressing their disappointment via social media. cochranenow.com

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