Some Calgary liquor stores installing ID scanners at entrance

CALGARY (660 NEWS) — Be prepared to take out our drivers license before entering some Calgary liquor stores, as technology is being piloted to help cut down on thefts and robberies.

A pilot project that began in Edmonton is expanding to Calgary, with ID scanners installed at two stores that will require people scan their license, passport or other form of valid government identification in order to enter.

Just like in Edmonton, stores owned by Alcanna Inc. will take part in the pilot, beginning with a pair of ACE Liquor Stores in the northeast and then expanding to two Liquor Depot locations in the northwest in mid-May.

“At Alcanna, the safety and security of our store teams is paramount and the number one priority for us,” said Alcanna President Tank Vander.

Over the last 14 months, police said there have been over 2,400 thefts and robberies at liquor stores around Calgary, pointing to a need for this sort of security technology. There were 245 incidents of theft at the four locations taking part in the Calgary pilot over that time.

Police said there’s particular concern for staff and customers who are caught in the middle of a robbery, as they could be attacked with weapons or things like bear spray, even though they are not trying to stop the theft from happening.

The pilot in Edmonton is looked at as a success, with Alcanna reporting a 94 per cent reduction in thefts and zero robberies between Jan. 2020 and Jan. 2021 at the stores that participated.

Vander added that this step fits in line with a call from the Alberta Association of Chiefs of Police, who want controlled entrances for all liquor stores in the province.

But there have also been privacy concerns, with Alberta’s privacy commissioner continuing an investigation to ensure that no data is being improperly collected. That investigation has been going on since last year and Patronscan, the company that operates the scanning machines, said there’s nothing to be concerned about.

“They have looked at our technology multiple times. We’ve been in this province for over 10 years, and every single time they have found us to comply. They investigate it, they look at our stuff, we answer and we provide that information, and we’ve always been found to comply,” said CEO Alberio Bathory-Frota. “I also should mention that in Alberta, there’s legislation through the Alberta, Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Act that allows for licensed premises to scan IDs.”

Bathory-Frota said it is no different than scanning an ID when entering a nightclub, which can help determine if someone has a criminal record or is a member of a known gang.

If a crime does occur at a business that has one of these scanners, law enforcement will be allowed to access the system and obtain personal information of the suspect in the crime, and all data is automatically deleted after 21 days. Employees at Alcanna stores cannot access this information, and it won’t be shared with any third-party companies for things such as marketing.

“For us, our main concern is the actual workers and customers in the liquor stores when these thefts and robberies occur,” said Sgt. Nick Wilsher of the Calgary police Crime Prevention Team.

Bathory-Frota said they are still working with the privacy commissioner to ensure everything is on the up and up, and while they expected the investigation to already be complete there’s also a sense of urgency to bring this in.

“For two years now, we’ve been trending towards an avoidable tragedy here, so we can’t sit back and wait for a 15-month investigation while the public safety is at risk,” said Alcanna Director of Corporate Investigation Taylor Mann.

Mann added that they are also trying to work with other businesses to widen the scope of this technology and there’s a possibility it could be rolled out to cannabis stores in the future, as Alcanna owns the Nova Cannabis locations as well.

“Nothing’s off the table here,” Mann said. “The great thing about this technology, it’s really adaptable in so many different fields.”

Starting Thursday, the scanners are operational at ACE Liquor Transcanada, at 14 Ave. and 52 St. N.E., and ACE Liquor Crossroads at 21 St. and 18 Ave. N.E. Next month, they will come online at Liquor Depot Montgomery at 50 St. and 16 Ave. N.W. and Liquor Depot North Hill at 16 St. and 14 Ave. N.W.