Winnipeg mayoral candidates trade barbs on campaign trail

From Central Park to Strathcona Street, the West End Biz represents roughly 850 businesses. Executive Director Joe Cornelison says retail theft is always a concern. You know, members are rightly concerned for their employees' safety. They don't want their employees having to step in and put themselves into unsafe situations when somebody is stealing from the business, but they can sustain large losses. In response to ongoing concerns about theft, Winnipeg Police launched a retail theft initiative that ran through the month of September. It focused on areas identified as shoplifting hotspots based on crime data. The effort resulted in 123 offenders arrested, more than 243 criminal charges, and the recovery of more than 21,000 in stolen merchandise. Cornelson says his members appreciated the increased police presence. So the members that I spoke to this afternoon, they were telling me that they have seen a reduction. they are seeing less retail theft. Sergeant Randy Lofto with the Winnipeg Police Service's Property Crimes Unit says the initiative targeted shopping centres and commercial businesses across the city. All the way from Transcona to North Keyway and you know Osborne area, all the way out to Unicity at Keniston, we were pretty much citywide. Lofto says this initiative highlights the importance of reporting all crime to police. So that when we choose locations to give attention to, It is based on the number of theft reports that have been reported by this business, the frequency that it's happening. Winnipeg police say 15 repeat offenders were arrested during the crackdown and 33 people were detained in custody. Police say they're planning another retail theft initiative in December. Mike Arsenault, CBC News, Winnipeg.