The tenor of retail crime has changed since the COVID-19 pandemic, the manager of the Pine Centre Mall location of Save-On-Foods told Prince George’s Standing Committee on Public Safety at its Tuesday, April 15 meeting.
Regan Bader said that over his 41-year career with the company, 27 of those in Prince George, theft has evolved from staff having to take a bottle of mouthwash from someone as they leave the store to more violent altercations.
“There’s been a spike, and I think the RCMP can attest to that, with COVID,” Bader said.
“When COVID came along, we as a company and with our security officers, went what’s called ‘hands-off,’ meaning that we weren’t going to arrest or necessarily get into any kind of physical altercation in order to do an arrest at our stores.”
That and mask-wearing during COVID, Bader said, helped create an even bigger issue.
Not only has the number of thefts increased, but those incidents have a greater chance of become violent when suspects either run when confronted by security or start to kick and scream.
While there’s been a lot of discussion, including during the ongoing federal election, over what’s seen a catch-and-release for violent offenders, Bader said something similar is happening for thefts under $5,000.
“The leniency of the courts in situations seems to be very predominant of late,” Bader said. “I was subpoenaed for a court case last Monday and the guy, although a prolific offender and well-known to the RCMP, got 150 days house arrest.”
Another example he gave was a man who they believe has visited the grocery store 22 times and stolen items on 19 occasions. Bader said up until last week, they didn’t know his name or address because he’s from a different community.
He said stores in his company spend a lot of time and effort putting together packages of evidence for the RCMP that include security footage and witness statements. But after all that work, Bader said, the slap on the wrist given to perpetrators isn’t enough to deter further crime.
It’s estimated, Bader said, that losses for retailers in Prince George due to theft are $2,000 to $5,000 a week. For five Prince George outlets belonging to the Pattison Food Group, that means between $500,000 and $1 million in losses a year. Currently, the company is low on security staffing and is actively hiring, he said.
These incidents impact not just customers but the workers at his store, Regan said, who can be as young as 16 years old.
Recently, the committee discussed the potential of establishing private, overnight security in the downtown at an annual cost of around $400,000 a year.
That’s heading in the wrong direction, Bader said, because security guards can only be in one place at a time.
“I know there was some suggestion about downtown security cameras and I can tell you right now, the RCMP wants surveillance footage for when we actually have somebody who’s stealing. That is very valuable.” Bader said. “I don’t know that just having a couple of guys that are observing and reporting is going to be something that is going to work in the long run.”
In December 2024, city council voted to contribute $40,000 towards a downtown security camera pilot project in partnership with the Prince George Chamber of Commerce and Downtown Prince George.
Downtown Prince George president Eoin Foley, one of the primary advocates for the overnight patrols, chimed in to clarify that the overnight security is targeted towards preventing overnight property damage and not retail crime.
After Bader’s presentation, Coun. Brian Skakun referred to a Citizen article published earlier in the day about a public indecency trial where the presiding judge said that he couldn’t drive around the courthouse on any given day without seeing the same offences the defendant had been charged with being committed nearby.
“I think God that Judge Brecknell had said that today because I think he stated what the obvious is: that some people get charged and held accountable and others don’t for whatever reasons and it’s a problem,” Skakun said.
“Maybe it’s systemic. I’m not sure, but it’s got to be so frustrating for business owners, folks like yourself.”
Coun. Ron Polillo said what Bader said hit home for him because his daughter worked at the Spruceland Save-On-Foods for about a year and would come home with stories about her experiences. He said the challenges articulated by Bader weren’t just localized to his business, but were felt across the city.
Mayor Simon Yu said that Bader and his team had presented some of their information to him before and that he had also visited Walmart to learn about what that store has faced.
Yu referenced a recent visit to Prince George by Minister of State for Community Safety Terry Yung, saying it’s important to liaise with the province to make sure this city gets the resources it needs.
“Right this moment, a large chunk of money has been provided and the minister — Terry — is analyzing all the stats from cities to get some programs going ASAP,” Yu said. “So, help is on the way. Is it sufficient or not? We don’t know yet.”
Coun. Susan Scott said these incidents cause shock for the average citizens who witness these events and that she thinks some of the incidents are caused by entitlement, even if it’s unconscious on the part of the perpetrator.
She said she got a phone call that morning from a downtown resident who no longer feels safe to go outside.
New committee member Karm Manhas said from his personal history working in private security, there are people who show by their body language and behaviour that they know they’re not going to get in trouble for what they do.
Supt. Darin Rappel, the officer-in-charge of the Prince George RCMP, said there’s been successes with the repeat violent offender program operating in northern hubs like this city.
He said it’s his understanding that higher levels of government are looking at a similar program for non-repeat violent offenders.
However, while some prolific shoplifters are violent to a point, Rappel said they don’t reach the criteria for what’s considered a repeat violent offender. He said the man Bader mentioned who had stolen from the store 19 times might meet the criteria as that level of theft might indicate he’s doing it for profit rather than for need.
“Those people certainly need more attention from the courts as well, from prosecutions, from us as well to get more traction with partner agencies,” Rappel said. “I believe that’s before the government now, I understand there’s something along those lines that’s being looked at, so we’re very interested.”
After the discussion was over, Bader told reporters that his company has been trying to get a seat at a table whether their concerns over retail theft will be heard. While some people might assume that these crimes are victimless, he said businesses are suffering and have closed as a result.
“It’s important to begin to address this a little bit more,” Bader said. “If the courts can come to the table and there’s actually some kind of deterrent … that can prevent future regular retail shoplifting … that would be hugely important to all businesses whether large or small.
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