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Windsor businesses lobby for more security cameras throughout town as thefts increase

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The business community in Windsor, N.S., is lobbying the West Hants Regional Municipality to add more cameras on the streets to help catch those responsible for recent thefts.

Jeff Redden, who owns a hardware store in the town, says he’s not taking any chances. There are more than three dozen cameras already installed around his store.

“We have 36 cameras showing here on the screen and it’s not even all of them,” he says.

However, Redden says that’s still not enough to discourage thieves at his business.

“We have to secure merchandise. For example... all these tools are tied down and armed with alarm devices,” says Redden.

According to Redden, the thefts have increased over the last five years. He figures he’s spent about $40,000 on loss prevention to date.

According to Mayor Abraham Zebian, council has been discussing installing more cameras, which will add to the already number of cameras installed throughout Windsor.

“Council has always been to discussing the need for more cameras just for public safety as well. So it’s been an ongoing topic for the last couple years anyways,” says Zebian.

The RCMP says thefts are often carried out in teams that include a driver and one or more people who enter the store to carry out the theft. The force also says thieves are often targeting big-ticket items.

“Certain stores will have a few thousand dollars worth of tools stolen in the run of the day and those tools often end up on online market places where people try to resell them,” says Nova Scotia RCMP Cpl. Chris Marshall.

Marshall says it’s common for those stealing expensive items to be from out of town or even another province.

Some business owners in Windsor think a security camera at highway access points just might help catch those responsible.

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