Recently, the owner of Winnipeg Liquor Marts repeatedly complained that the number of thefts increased significantly.
In this regard, it was decided to hire several police officers who could positively influence the situation. Last weekend, police officers were in one of the stores of Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries. At the moment it is not known whether the program is going to be on a permanent basis, or it was only once.
"We continue to work closely with the WPS to explore every avenue possible to deter thefts at Liquor Marts," said an MLL spokesperson in a written statement. "This past weekend we engaged some of these special duty officers at some Liquor Mart locations."
According to official data, in 2017 there were 658 thefts. In 2018, the number of thefts increased very significantly - 2602. In addition to reducing the number of thefts, the leadership of Winnipeg Liquor Marts wants to increase the safety of the staff.
Michelle Gawronsky, MGEU president, said:
"It is the beginning and we look forward to working with management, with the MLLC to ensure they're coming up with safety protocols that can be put in place permanently."
Winnipeg Police Association president Maurice Sabourin said that they are going to make every effort to change the situation for the better.
"People are going into liquor stores and just grabbing bottles and running out and I think they are well aware that security guards don't typically intervene," said Sabourin. "So having a police officer that is specially trained and has all the tools at their disposal is likely a very good deterrent for this type of situation."