Anti-theft initiative 'should be a permanent fixture,' Exchange District business owner says

A downtown Winnipeg business says it wants a new anti-theft and violence initiative to become permanent, as front-line staff elsewhere in the city say they're tired of being victimized by crime.

On Wednesday, city policesaid thetemporary initiative,which sees the province coverovertime for police to target three hot spotsOsborne Village, the Exchange District and the West End will be extended through the summer after a funding boost.

But Josh Giesbrecht, co-owner ofAshdown Market onBannatyne Avenue,said he wants the program to become permanent.

"We started to see, you know, small thefts almost every week, once or twice. I would say egregious theft where you fill up a basket and you walk out with it, that's happened to us two times" at his Exchange District business, he said.

"I don't think that at this time, it makes sense to end [the anti-theft initiative]. We're obviously very grateful for the extension, but we believe it should be a permanent fixture. It makes the community way safer."

Giesbrechtsaid he and his co-ownerrecently decided to switch shifts because she was no longer comfortable working late nights.

The initiative, which emphasizes community engagement, has already had an impact,with policedriving around the street more regularly and checking in frequently, he said.

The increased police presence is part of a series of measures authorities have launchedto addresstheft in the city in the past year.

Police said Wednesday they've madejust over 200 arrests and recovered more than $8,800 in stolen merchandise since the initiative began on a trial basis in late May.

The Retail Council of Canada said it's a welcome step, but also says the initiativeshould be measured in "years, not months."

John Graham, director of government relations for the Prairie region with the Retail Council, said the organization would like to see a sustainable strategyleading to long-term change.

"No doubt that there's been a high degree of frustration in recent years with what has been perceived as a lack of response or concern for retail crime," he said.

"What we're seeing is that the Winnipeg Police Service look[s] at this more strategically, not only helping businesses proactively protect themselves and their staff, but also the physical presence sendsa great message to the community that 'we're responding.'"

Police taking problem seriously: Retail Council

The Retail Council is one of the partners in an earlier initiative that began targeting what Graham described as "violent, prolific" shoplifters in areas like around the Polo Park mall in the West End.

Ziran Ma, who works at a kiosk that sells knick-knacks in the mall, said she sees a lot of theft at her business. Most involvesinexpensive itemslike keychains, but thieves also nab things like bags, which can run upwards of $90.

"If the [price is low]I will pay for it," she said. "Things just disappear because nobody can make the responsible [people] repay."

The Retail Council's Graham said it's too early to say what the real number of thefts is after the most recent efforts to curb the problem,butsaid the initiativesshow the problem is being taken seriously.

"Itwas considered just a petty crime. And what we're understanding now, what the police understand, is retail crime is interconnected to gangs and guns, and often much more complex crime than simply Billy taking a chocolate bar," said Graham.

Carjelu Delera, whoruns the vintage storeClothing Bakery on Arthur Street in the Exchange District, said he now feels more confident about having invested money in a business in the core area.

"We see a lot of police coming by the area and making sure everything is good, and no problems," he said."So that's very positiveas a business owner."