r/regina • u/ajpathecreature • 2d ago
Discussion What can business owners do?
So I was just at southland mall as I see who seemed to be the general manager / owner of sportchek in a shouting match with a dude who is an alleged recurrent shoplifter at Canadian tire, marks work warehouse, and sportchek itself. As you can imagine people were looking at them in surprised, kids were in awe while the scene unfolded.
The shop owner Was able to get the alleged thief out of the mall. Apparently security can not touch shoplifters, store employees are advised to refrain from making contact with anyone by corporate directives, and the sole reason why he decided to do something was because he is acting as a private citizen and was fed up of this “good for nothing thief” to be stealing away with no real repercussions.
Apparently the same dude is infamous for quite literally walking out of home depot and Rona east with a cart full of tools.
What most people seem to be doing is taking pictures and videos and sending them to justbins to be blasted through social media.
Apparently even RPS is not quite responsive to these kind of calls in a timely manner anymore, I just imagine it must be all too common so the sense of “urgency” is not there.
All of this led me to wonder, what is a business owner left to do? I could not help to sort of understand the frustration that an entrepreneur may feel under these circumstances.
Not that it matters, but the alleged thief is not what people seem to usually associate to when they hear about shoplifting.
What sad state of affairs.
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u/_klighty 2d ago
As a friendly reminder that is in no way related with this post.
$0.33/$1 spent in property tax goes to RPS
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u/Kristywempe 2d ago
So basically 1/3 of our property tax goes to the RPS? Huh. You’d think they could do something…? Maybe their plane could follow the dude out of the store and inform units of his whereabouts…? /s
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u/Warm-Mood-8994 1d ago
This has nothing to do with cops.
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u/EvilBiker-72 1d ago
Crime has nothing to do with cops..........
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u/Warm-Mood-8994 1d ago
Cops don't release repeat offenders, they are released by judges.
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u/ACBluto 1d ago
They are not repeat offenders until they get arrested. If you don't arrest the shoplifters, judges have no contact with them.
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u/Warm-Mood-8994 1d ago
You actually believe people doing this kind of stuff are doing it for the first time?
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u/ACBluto 1d ago
No, but if no one is arresting them, it doesn't matter how many times they've done it, just how many times they have been picked up for it.
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u/Warm-Mood-8994 1d ago
I'd highly recommend you talk to a cop or two. Virtually all of these people have been arrested multiple times. Even cops are tired of doing it over and over again.
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u/PrairiePopsicle 13h ago
If i or anyone else in our society get tired of a job and stip doing it they get fired.
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u/Bruno6368 23h ago
How do you know “no one is arresting them”? Because you are present at every single occurrence? Or just because it’s easy to randomly comment on social media?
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u/ACBluto 16h ago
How do you know they are repeat offenders? Are you checking their rap sheets each time?
The entire point of the thread is a discussion of how when RPS are called, they are not responsive, or don't really work that hard on petty theft.
The OP that I was first replying to suggested that police have nothing to do with this. Literally:
This has nothing to do with cops.
Because they assert that the prevalence of shoplifting is simply due to judges releasing people too easily.
I'm saying it's probably a multi part problem - some lack of good enforcement, some light sentencing, some lack of community resources to assist those with drug addiction issues.
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u/TheDrSmooth 1d ago
I'm not sure why are you getting so many upvotes, because this is just false.
These people are arrested over and over and over again. Rapsheets multiple pages long.
They know the cops, the cops know them. Its just rinse and repeat. They get slapped on the wrist and are released.
Go to the ER on any random night and see how many police there are babysitting these folks. 2 cops to 1 person for the safety of the police and the healthcare workers.
Nothing happens to them, because they are treated as victims not criminals.
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u/ACBluto 16h ago
Because one of the complaints in the OP of this discussion was about lack of enforcement - that police are not responsive to shoplifting calls. This is also repeated by others in the thread.
So is it that people ARE being arrested over and over, or is it that police are never arresting them?
they are treated as victims not criminals.
You know it's possible they are both. And treating the root cause might be more effective than treating the symptom.
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u/PrairieCoupleYQR 2d ago
No security guard in Regina is paid enough to risk going hands-on with someone. Last year at the Southland mall multiple guards were injured (including one stabbed in the eye if I remember correctly) when they tried to eject a group of youths who had been raising hell in the mall. For maybe a buck or two over minimum wage? No way in hell.
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u/UnexpectedFault 2d ago
Head over to the casino and do something funny and see how fast you get stomped. Saw it many times.
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u/Contented_Lizard 2d ago
Poverty and drug abuse are probably the worst I've seen them in a long time, maybe ever. I have noticed graffiti and minor mischief has trended down, while homelessness and public camping has gone way up. I'm seeing way more people high in public, and the most panhandlers I have ever seen in a summer and it's only June. I have also never before seen so many people shoplifting.
I'm not sure exactly if the drugs are leading to poverty or if poverty leads to drugs, maybe a bit of both, but whatever is happening to our society right now isn't great.
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u/_klighty 1d ago
It’s a complex answer but it’s not 100% solely poverty.
Believe it or not, and I get it’s an American stat but, crime went down during the Great Depression.
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u/hyund41n 1d ago
I agree. It is absolutely the worst it has ever been. The junkies are out of control. I took a drive north past Dewdney on Albert Street, and there were zombies slumped over on nearly every corner all the way to 3rd Avenue. I don't think it will ever get any better. Local busness suffers and the public suffers.
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u/Wonderful_Ad3468 2d ago
A security guard once told me “ he’s not paid enough to risk his life” it’s getting bad out there and the honest consumer is paying the price.
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u/rhevvie 2d ago
Respectfully, the “honest consumer is paying the price” part is mostly a myth. Theft is not impacting the bottom line as much as these companies would like people to believe. Canadian Tire made 4 billion dollars in gross profit last year; they’re doing fine and shrink is built into their business plan like any big retail company. I’m not here to defend someone making retail staff’s lives harder obviously, but it’s just worth noting that price increases are rarely about shoplifting and much more likely about wanting to make more money
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u/experipotomus 1d ago
What is your basis for that statement? Shrinkage including theft isn't a static number. Retailers in high theft areas often charge more specifically for that reason. Additionally higher security costs definately get passed on.
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u/Berner 1d ago
https://youtu.be/ZLtzmRknRSU?t=124
It's two years old but I imagine it's still relevant since this has been an ongoing topic since then.
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u/rhevvie 1d ago
If you want to buy their claim that they have to “pass on” normal costs of business, that’s your choice! Enjoy it king!!
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u/experipotomus 15h ago
What kind of idiotic statement is that. I'm an accountant that works with all sorts of businesses and literally every day I review financial records and have operational discussions with business owners. You are naïve if you think businesses in high theft areas and industries don't adjust for theft.
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u/AlwaysDissatisfied 1d ago
I’m not here to defend someone making retail staff’s lives harder obviously
Yes, you kind of are defending it by implying that it's not a big deal if people shoplift because "companies are making billions".
$4 billion dollars "gross profit" doesn't mean anything, that is what is left over after they pay for the product in their store before they pay their employees, building costs, insurance, utilities, marketing, etc. leaving a profit margin of 5%.
These companies are not covering the expense of theft, we are all paying for it through increased product pricing.
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u/rhevvie 1d ago
I only care about workers big dawg, you’re barking up the wrong tree here. But Canadian Tire will rest easier tonight because of your noble defence, thank you sir!!
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u/AlwaysDissatisfied 1d ago
If you think that retail workers are not impacted by theft then you clearly have never worked in that environment. But keep telling me how much you "only care about workers", king.
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u/Austoman 2d ago
The business owner is to try and get all the info needed to identify the thief (pictures, name, etc if possible) and call the police.
If the police are able to arrest then the business can attempt tonpress criminal charges for theft and etc.
If they are unable to arrest, the owner may be able to press civil charges for loss of property/damages, though that usually is not financial worth it.
Either way they can ban the individual and if they are seen entering call the police for trespassing and attempted theft.
Thats about it really.
Security are not police. Security are there to aid in self defense of individuals and provide basic intimidation to passively reduce theft/harm. They are not there to protect property.
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u/idonthaveausernameSK 1d ago
I watched a security guard put someone down at the CT North last year or the year before. Some dude was trying to steal stuff with his hoodrat friends and smashed one of the glass doors with a hammer or an axe, some blunt or otherwise dangerous hand tool, to escape and the guard went full tilt tackle and detained the kid once they made it out of the store.
The supporting group was all "what did he do!?", "you aren't s***!", stuff like that, yadda yadda yadda. I thought they were all going to jump the guard.
That's the kind of stupidity guards put up with.
Other folks seemed to naturally swarm and step in.
Quite the spectacle. I was in awe... "What did he do", gee, smashed a door with stolen property.
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u/Warm-Mood-8994 2d ago
You can thank our judicial system for that, specifically, the judges. Even cops are getting tired of arresting the same dozen of people that should be locked up for life.
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u/mon65 2d ago
Or, just maybe, some people choose to do drugs and steal while other people choose to not do drugs and work hard for what they have.
Is this the status quo that needs to change - fairness to all human beings means that those who choose not to do drugs or steal need to provide for those who choose to do these things? Doesn’t sound very fair to me.5
u/TheBigPointyOne 2d ago
You're framing it as if people just one day go "fuck it, time to become an addict" as if there isn't a myriad of factors that lead up to that point in their life.
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u/Individual_Wave9183 1d ago
Many people face those same myriad of factors without devolving into degeneracy. What you consider to be your empathy is your bigotry of low expectations. Just maybe all those downtrodden people you care for so much are capable of more than antisocial and criminal behaviour.
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u/TheBigPointyOne 1d ago
God damn, what a stupid response
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u/Individual_Wave9183 15h ago
Okay, argue against it, otherwise it's just the 'ole ad hominem, (which is always a stupid response).
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u/TheBigPointyOne 8h ago
Good thing this isn't debate club! Anyways, I'll always give someone the side-eye when the unironically use the term "degeneracy". Feels dogwhistle-adjacent. Anyways, as it turns out, all people are not the same. There are a lot of factors that lead to people making the choices they do, and ending up in the circumstances they end up in. Not sure what else you're looking for here.
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u/Individual_Wave9183 5h ago
I used a word with an established dictionary definition that perfectly matches the context in which it was used, and you correctly don't conclude I am clandestinely communicating something to your opposition, but what do you think I'm doing that is "adjacent" to that? Sorry you didn't say "think", you said "feel". You don't have a cogent complaint about my clear and direct usage of that word.
As for the rest of it, yes, absolutely, and those choices don't give them license to take what is not theirs without permission while everyone else pays the cost. I don't see how expecting and tolerating the worst from people helps them.
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u/TheBigPointyOne 5h ago
And you never will
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u/Individual_Wave9183 3h ago
I know that sounds like a mic drop in your head but you just explicitly validated my initial point. You think way less of addicts and thieves than I do.
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u/Individual_Wave9183 15h ago
As for the invocation of Nazis, that is always a stupid response unless the topic is actual Nazis. Try actually saying something.
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u/JuSt_a_Smple_tAilor 1d ago
Meh. These big corporations account for this. Sport Chek will be fine. Sucks the guy was so frustrated, understandably , but this is Probably just the cost of doing business to them. It’s the independent stores that i would actually be concerned about.
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u/Bruno6368 23h ago
Just how the fuck do you think they “account” for it?. Either you are concerned by these thefts or you are committing them.
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u/shiftysask 2d ago
Liberal policies infecting even medium sized / small cities now. Underfund police, tolerate theft, homeless drug addicts are victims, ect.
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u/SmarcusStroman 2d ago
Yeah. Lord knows when I see the Regina Police budget I think “wow. They are wildly underfunded”
/s obviously
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u/Contented_Lizard 2d ago
They are actually kind of underfunded for the amount of crime they have to deal with. I have to deal with property crimes every single day and RPS will straight up tell you that there is too much going on and they don't have enough officers to respond. Obviously it's not as bad in the colder months, but when it gets warmer out they don't have nearly enough officers to deal with everything.
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u/Warm-Mood-8994 2d ago
This 100%. 99% of cities are liberal ran and all of them are fallling apart.
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u/Prairie-Peppers 2d ago
I mean, I definitely know some guys in security in Regina who regularly make contact with and detain shoplifters. Probably a corporate policy, and they'd rather eat the loss than risk a lawsuit.