Nearly $80,000.
That is the value of product that grew legs and walked out of Brett Payne’s store in 2017.
The local business owner says shoplifting is a growing issue in the Battlefords, added security measures are not working, and the combination is plaguing his bottom line.
Payne believes a variety of issues are driving the habitual thieves.
He’s seen generations of shoplifters working together to take from his store. Others, he said, are stealing for the sole sake of not having the money to pay for necessities and don’t know where to turn when times are tough. Some, he believes, steal to pay for their addictions, while others do it out of pleasure or as a part of organized crime.
Burglars, he said, are lifting an array of items, everything from bolts and washers to meat grinders.
Payne’s invested a considerable amount into video surveillance equipment but to no avail.
“Some of the police have told me I have the best system in town. We get really good pictures and videos of people when they steal,” he said.
But even with high quality images of the perpetrators, it can be difficult to decipher who they are.
Payne has trained staff to be more aware and even redesigned the checkout in such a way that would make those searching for a five-finger discount more detectable. He has hired security officers – uniformed and undercover – but still watches items walk out of the store.
“I’ve had stuff stolen out of every aisle in my store. I’ve even seen them on cell phones, walking around, getting orders while in the store,” he said.
And Payne is not alone.
He’s spoken to many business owners who experience the exact same issues. It has become so rampant, they established a WhatsApp group to share descriptions of suspects, what items were stolen and general happenings around town.
Most people caught are charged with theft under theft under $5,000. In Payne’s opinion, the laws aren’t strict enough.
“They get caught stealing in the morning in my store, and they’re probably back at it that afternoon,” he said. “There should be an automatic lifetime ban from that store for anyone that’s stealing.”
Many, he said, view petty theft as a laughing matter, but the small items add up.
“Every theft may only be a dollar, but when I lose $80,000 of merchandise in a year, to me, that’s grand theft. That’s nothing to laugh about,” he said.
Payne commended the Battlefords RCMP, saying they have been helpful, and every case he’s reported they’ve responded to.
But for the police, dealing with petty theft can pull them away from more pressing matters and tie up valuable time as they perform follow-ups and work with business owners to the best of their ability.
Sgt. Jason Teniuk, Operations NCO for the Battlefords RCMP, said their statistics back up the fact shoplifting is a growing trend and the detachment plans to roll out a new program targeted at shoplifting in the near future.
The issue, he said, weighs heavily on the Crime Severity Index, driving the city up in national rankings. Teniuk expects the new program to help those numbers.
“Our property crime is right up there and it needs to be addressed,” he said.
Teniuk said the issue has reached a point where it is out of the RCMP’s control and up to family, the courts and the community.
“Putting that onus on the police to deal with these generational issues, it’s not going to work. We’re all going to have to play a part in this moving forward in how we’re going to address these issues. The police are going to be a part of that, but the police aren’t the solution,” he said.
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brady.lang@jpbg.ca
On Twitter: @BradyLangBFN
