Staff at grocery store, pharmacy in Calgary’s East Village to begin wearing body cameras as security measure

A Real Canadian Superstore and Shoppers Drug Mart location in Calgary are taking matters into their own hands when it comes to addressing increasing violence.

The locations are now partaking in a pilot program, in which management employees are equipped with body cameras.

For the next three months, some employees at the East Village Superstore and the adjacent Shoppers Drug Mart will be wearing body cameras throughout their shift.

The locations are participating in Loblaws’ new pilot project aimed at reducing the number of violent incidents in the store, and making it safer for customers and employees.

In a statement to 660 NewsRadio Calgary, Loblaws says these stores, as well as ones in Saskatoon, have been selected for the project, and have been identified as ones with more ‘prominent criminal activity.’

The East Village locations have been a hotspot for social unrest and disturbances in the past. Just last year, Calgary Police Service Chief Mark Neufeld told councillors that Superstore management had requested an ongoing police presence at the store front.

The issue isn’t just threatening the safety of retail workers in Calgary. According to the retail council, violent and aggressive behaviour is increasing at an alarming rate — data from the last year December shows incidents of theft involving violence had increased by 300 per cent over a four-year span.