Thieves 'more brazen,' Brandon store manager says, but police think new initiative is showing results

A long-time retailer in Manitoba's second-largest city says retail theft is a problem that has exponentially worsened over the last few years.

But police in Brandon say a new initiative targeting retail theft has already proven successful in its first few months, even if it's only made a dent so far on a wider problem.

Walter Kosior, the general manager of the Aurora TV and Radio repair shop — which has been in business in the southwestern Manitoba city for more than 60 years — said the store hardly had any issues with retail theft for most of that time, but that's changed.

"People have become more brazen," he said. "They just come in and walk in and take stuff … and not even know what they're carrying out."

On Tuesday, the Brandon Police Service said a provincially funded blitz in the city that began late last year has led to the recovery of over $10,000 in stolen goods and 70 arrests.

Justice Minister Matt Wiebe said the project builds on a similar anti-theft initiative launched in Winnipeg last May, which has since been made permanent.

"We recognize that this isn't a Winnipeg-only issue," Wiebe said at a Tuesday news conference in Brandon.

"It affects cities like Brandon, it affects small communities throughout our province, and that's why we wanted to step up to find solutions that made sense in each one of these places."

The city received $85,000 from the province for the initiative.

Chief Tyler Bates said the Brandon Police Service will continue working on proactive efforts to crackdown on crime, including community-based solutions and training.

"Each theft represents a loss that ripples through the economy and Brandon," he said.

"While this success is encouraging, we know that the fight is far from over. The data tells us that while we've made a dent, retail theft remains an ongoing issue that continues to evolve within the Westman region."

The police chief also said the service has been working hard to address a staffing pinch amid higher-than-normal attrition levels.

He expects a large cohort of new recruits in May will help fill some of the vacancies currently affecting the police department.

"It's speculative right now, but certainly the numbers that we're pushing through to the next stage of recruitment are far beyond where they were last year," he said.

About 33 per cent of all calls Brandon police receive are in the downtown area, but Bates said the theft hot spots in the city often shift, and that the service must work with the business community to continue efforts to crack down on crime. 

Kosior, the Aurora TV and Radio manager, said he would like to see more funding for social supports that keep people from using drugs and off the streets.

He also said he wants a justice system that teaches them not to steal.