Winnipeg police boost presence ahead of likely spike in shoplifting during spring break

Spring break is coming and that typically brings a fresh sprouting of shoplifters, say Winnipeg police, who issued a warning on Monday to would-be thieves.

"You won't know when, and you won't know where we are, but we will be out there. If the intention is to go out and shoplift during the spring break, chances are we're going to be out there looking for you,"saidInsp. Jennifer McKinnon, who heads the police service'smajor crimesdivision.

Police beefed up their presence at "retail hot spots" around the city as part of an anti-theft initiative during the Christmas holidays, she saidat a news conferenceMonday. It resultedin 138 arrests for shoplifting.

The same type of initiative is now being launched for school spring break, which starts next week in the city.

"Retail theft is much more than a monetary loss. I am of the belief that retail theft is driving much of the violent crime you're seeing in the city today," saidInsp.Max Waddell.

"When criminals steal goods from stores, they're turning the goods into cash. That's done in the underground market, that's done in the black market. And when they convert the property to cash, they are then, often, buying illicit drugs and potentially weapons and, in extreme cases [they] are buying firearms.

"Retail theft is serious and we need to be treating it very, very seriously. We're having attacks with knives and hammers and serious weapons, and we can potentially lose lives over these types of incidents."

Police will never be able toshut down retail theft but they can make an impact byidentifying chronic offenders,McKinnon said.

In May 2023, police launched Project Falcon around the Polo Park area, which deployed extra officers to target an array of crimes. It ended with 348 arrests, according to Waddell.

Thesecond layer of the retail theft initiative is going after the people reselling the items online, and shutting down those operations,McKinnon said.

"We have identifiable people selling online that we know are part of the retail theft issue" and the police service's property crimes unit is focusing on them through a larger investigation, she said.

The third component of the retail theft initiative is recognizing that the issues driving the problemare complex and often fuelled by addiction, she added.

"We will keep working with community partners and social safety net providers to ensure supports are available to individuals who may be struggling."