Shoplifting surge: Numbers increase in Maritimes as economy sours
They're likely on the low side, but new shoplifting numbers from Statistics Canada show significant increases in the Maritimes.
Experts say it probably has a lot to do with inflation and the struggling economy, but retailers are the ones paying the price.
"It's a growing problem -- billions of dollars a year," said Jim Cormier, Atlantic director of the Retail Council of Canada, noting that was the case even before the pandemic.
Shoplifting numbers dropped during the lockdowns, he says, but have been steadily creeping up since -- especially with inflation on the rise.
It's costly and sometimes dangerous.
"This is not a victimless crime," said Cormier.
"These are situations where you're putting retail staff in harm's way, where they can't just simply stand by and watch somebody walk out the door with sometimes thousands of dollars worth of product."
On Monday, CTV News reported how a half-dozen stores on or near Spring Garden Road have started limiting customer access.
The move was not surprising to the executive director of the Spring Garden Area Business Association.
"I think it's just that we're in lean times here in the Maritimes, and people are desperate, and the amount of theft is on the increase," said Sue Uteck.
It's all reflected in the latest available crime numbers from Stats Canada.
Expressed as a rate per 100-thousand residents, the national shoplifting average was 248 -- up about 3 per cent over 2020.
The percentage was ten times that in the city of Saint John, N.B., although the overall rate was lower at 189.
At 453 per 100-thousand, shoplifting was more of an issue in Moncton, N.B., and up 36 per cent year over year.
The Halifax rate was almost 400 in 2021, but the percentage change was logged at an astonishing 1,484 per cent, but it turns out that has more to do with the meaning of words, than the actual crime.
"They've changed the definition of what shoplifting is," said Michael Boudreau, a criminology and criminal justice professor at St. Thomas University in Fredericton.
"So, before, a retail theft was part of this [category] of theft under $5,000, but now they're calling everything under $5,000 Shoplifting," said Boudreau.
There's no word why the change was made.
In a statement to CTV News Monday, Halifax Regional Police (HRP) conceded the numbers were rising.
"Like many regions across the country, we have seen an increase in retail theft and break and enters particularly since 2020, including in Halifax," said HRP public information officer Const. John MacLeod.
"We do not know all the reasons driving this increase -- but we are aware and working closely with community partners to work on solutions.“
All of it leads to a pointed question, according to Boudreau.
"Does that mean we have a serious crime problem on our hands? I would argue not necessarily, but from a retail merchant's perspective, if they are losing money because of thefts, then they're going to see that -- rightly so -- as a very serious issue."
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.