Another police crackdown on shoplifting in sa国际传媒 netted 47 arrests and thousands of dollars in recovered merchandise.听
The timing of the enforcement last weekend was not coincidental.听
鈥淲e strategically wanted to align this project with the busy shopping season to remind these individuals they are not immune from detection even during peak times, and they will be caught,鈥 sa国际传媒 RCMP Sgt. Scott Powrie said in a release.听
鈥淥ur ultimate goal is not only to catch shoplifters; we want employees to feel safe at work and supported by the police,鈥 he said.听
Police worked closely with store security guards to identify, observe, and arrests thieves as they attempted to do a little shopping without money.听
Shopping is 鈥渙ne of the Okanagansa国际传媒 most prevalent crimes鈥, according to the police release, and it is a main reason why sa国际传媒 consistently places high on Statistics Canadasa国际传媒 Crime Severity Index.听
Most of those arrested have now been given a court date and released and cautioned against returning to the business where they were apprehended, or risk further charges. Some of those arrested had outstanding warrants and remain in custody.听
鈥淎 total of seven suspects with little to no criminal history who were involved in lower dollar amount thefts were referred to restorative justice in which their participation is necessary to steer clear of criminal charges,鈥 the release states.听
In a typical example of Operation Barcode, as the enforcement operation is dubbed, undercover officers or security guards tail suspected shoplifters around stores, confirm a theft is believed to have occurred, and arrange for police outside the store to make an arrest when the suspect leaves the premises without paying.
Between 2021 and 2022, reports of shoplifting rose 63 per cent in sa国际传媒, according to RCMP statistics.听
