Anti-theft initiative in Winnipeg expanded again, will run through holiday season

Winnipeg police will continue to get extrafunding from the provinceto crack down on retail theft throughout the holiday season.

The province's anti-retail-theft initiative was set to wrap up at the end of October, but has been extended to run through the holiday season, the provincial government said in a Thursday news release. It did not give a specific end date for the extension.

The program covers overtime for officers in areas city police have identified as theft hot spots, including Osborne Village, the Exchange District and the West End. It was initially set to run from June to July, but has had extensions since.

The province said it spent $1.9 million to support the increased police presence over the summer and fall.

The release said that in addition to the extension, 12 more officers funded by the province will start patrolling next month in the target areas "to provide a visible presence and engage with the community."

Earlier this month, Mayor Scott Gillingham saidhe would like the program to be made permanent.

A Canadian Federation of Independent Business report publishedthis week found that more than half of Manitoba businesses surveyed said they'd been affected by community safety issues over the past year.

Theft and shoplifting were commonly cited concerns among Manitoba businesses, theCFIB said.