Shoplifting violence on the rise in Calgary: experts

Shoplifting is seeing a jump as inflation is causing prices to rise across the country, according to some industry experts in Calgary.

Rui Rodriguez, an executive advisor with the Retail Council of Canada (RCC), says the problem is really getting out of hand as more people become violent with retail workers.

“We’re hearing about it on a weekly basis. So when you compare to previous years, the violence, the robberies, use of weapons, everything from bear spray to actual guns is being reported much more regularly than it has been in the last probably five years,” Rodriguez said.

“We’re not accustomed to seeing the increase of violence being perpetrated at that time. So obviously, with the increase of shoplifting, there’s also an increase of a number of incidents of violence. So that’s more concerning.”

According to Statistics Canada (StatsCan), there were around 5,400 incidents of shoplifting in Alberta in 2021, which is a 200-incident increase from the year before.

StatsCan further states that shoplifting and thefts over $5,000 have decreased nationwide, with Alberta seeing the largest decrease, dropping 17 per cent.

But the concern voiced by retailers is the violence behind the crimes, with inflation being a large contributor to the cause.

As a result of the violence, Rodriguez says many stores are raising their prices and focusing more on security.

While it is difficult to know the exact impact of theft on local businesses because much crime goes unreported, the RCC estimates suggest retail crime cost $5 billion in losses in 2019 in Canada.

The council isn’t collecting data on whether there is any connection between inflation and shoplifting, but “theft tends to spike during economic downturns.”

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Some experts believe that increasing prices further motivates some people to steal as a result.

Saleema Kassam, the leader at RISE Calgary, is an organization focused on helping people get the supports they need, such as food, employment and other opportunities.

She says they are witnessing a huge increase in the demand for their services and that it’s up to all of us to work together to help each other out.

“We all have to come together to fight this … to build more hope, and that’s going to take time. The voice of everyone, including those folks who do need extra support right now who are really struggling to make money really struggling to get through. We need your voices. We need you to tell your story,” Kassam said.

Kassam says there has been a nearly 70 per cent increase in demand for social services over the year around Calgary.

According to a recent report from the Calgary Foundation, about 22 per cent of residents say they feel stress due to health, and 21 per cent say they cannot afford healthy food.

In addition, 79 per cent of Calgarians are concerned with poverty levels, and 19 per cent are “unable to meet basic financial needs.”

Kassam expects the demand for support to grow even more in the new year, further increasing the need for us to work together to support those who might be struggling.

“Everyone needs a little bit of extra support. I think we’re all coming to the end of our ropes. It’s been a very difficult year. If when you’re ready, reach out, and hopefully, you will find some support,” she said.

-With files from The Canadian Press and Taylor Braat, CityNews