By Cheryl Jahn

Safety Committee gets an education on retail crime

Apr 15, 2025 | 4:03 PM

PRINCE GEORGE – Two to five thousand dollars a week of unrecorded theft from retail businesses. That’s up nine per cent over last year. And that is becoming the new norm in retail. It also was the message from the Pine Centre Save on Foods Manager to Council’s Public Safety Committee.

“People assume it’s a victimless crime and it’s not. Because businesses are suffering,” says Regan Bader. “You know, we have small downtown businesses I know that have closed. But we all know what’s happened over time here.”

In fact, Bader told the Committee about one individual caught on camera shoplifting 19 times out 22 visits to his store.

“If the courts can come to the table and, you know, there’s actually some kind of deterrent through the court system that can prevent future regular retail shoplifting. They don’t call it off shoplifting anymore. They call it theft under. That would be important. That’d be hugely important to all businesses, whether small or large.”

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So why present to a Council Committee?

“We can advocate, we can lobby and we can ask the provincial government and the federal government to pay some specific attention to this issue of public safety affects everybody,” says Mayor Simon Yu, who is Chair the Committee.

There was the suggestion that there is a lack of consequences for those who commit what is called theft under five thousand dollars.

“You know, there was a comment made there about being entitled, I’m just going to do this and whether people think that they can just steal because things are expensive. Or is it that even if I get caught, what are they going to do? And certainly, there a portion of that exists today. Even if I get caught.” And it was noted more than once during the meeting that the courts need to get on board, especially with repeat offenders.

“We need better and more Crown prosecutors. We need to have a more robust bail system. We need to find a way to put consequences. If people do this, then you’re not going to get away with repeating the same crime,” says Mayor Yu.

He assured help is on the way, based on comments he recently from the Premier as well as the Minister of State for Community Safety during a recent visit to the city.

Pattison Media and Save On Foods are co-owned by Jim Pattison Industries.