Winnipeg police cracking down on retail thefts

Winnipeg police are ramping up their presence at retail stores in the city ahead of spring break.

“If the intention is to go out there and shoplift during the spring break, chances are we will be out there looking for you,” said Insp. Jennifer McKinnon with the Winnipeg Police Service.

According to police, retail theft in the city has gotten so bad that several people were able to steal up to $10,000 worth of meat from a grocery store in the city’s south end.

“When they convert the property into cash, they are then often buying elicit drugs, potentially weapons and in extreme cases are buying firearms,” explained Insp. Max Waddell.

Winnipeg police have partnered with the Retail Council of Canada on WPS’ “retail theft initiative,” which started in 2023 during the winter holiday season.

“Across Canada, Winnipeg is unfortunately a hotspot,” said John Graham, the director of government relations with the Retail Council of Canada for the Prairies.

Graham says while retail theft is impacting businesses financially, it’s the cost of safety that is taking a toll on workers.

“Our focus continues to be around safety of our retail employees and our customers. We find that those who are the most prolific, those that are well organized, tend to be more violent. Those are the individuals we think police and prosecution should be most focused on.”