Retail theft leads to 546 arrests, 4,033 charges in Toronto ... and more work needed

Targeting what the Retail Council of Canada calls “repeat and prolific offenders,” Toronto police say their Organized Retail Crime Unit has led to hundreds of arrests and thousands of charges against criminals who, video evidence shows, sometimes walk out of stores laden with goods and facing little to no resistance.

In a press conference on Wednesday morning, Police Chief Myron Demkiw outlined the creation almost two years ago of a dedicated unit operating out of 23 Division in the city’s west end.

Its aim is to centralize investigations, strengthen partnerships with retailers and enhance enforcement efforts, and Demkiw said it has borne real fruit. To date, the unit has resulted in 546 arrests, 4,033 charges laid, and more than $1.6 million in stolen merchandise linked to investigations.

Police superintendent Ron Taverner noted that two investigations each involved four suspects but resulted in more than 100 charges in each case. A third resulted in the arrest of 20 individuals with more than 400 charges laid against them. (Due to ongoing court proceedings, specific identifiers on the accused and the charges couldn’t be disclosed.)

Rui Rodrigues of the Retail Council of Canada was also at the press conference. “We’re confronting one of the most rapidly evolving public safety challenges that affects workers, retailers and our communities at large,” he said, adding: “Retail crime is not simple shoplifting and it is absolutely not victimless.”

He spoke of the need for multiple organizations to work together to combat this crime, which he and police argue is being used to fund further organized crime.

“Retailers cannot solve this alone and police cannot solve this alone,” he said. “Prosecutors and government cannot solve this alone. We need to work together as a community. Real progress requires all of us doing this together … treating organized retail crime with the seriousness that it demands.”

Rodrigues lauded the recent passage of Bill C-14, noting that it has led to “things like reverse onus being utilized, aggregated charges being applied, sentencing guidelines changing so retail criminals see severe charges,” and bail reform.

He added: “What Canada needs now is consistency; consistent enforcement, consistent prosecution, which is critical, and consistent use of our criminal code, tools that are already available to meaningfully disrupt organized retail crime networks.”

He also bristled at the term “shoplifters,” noting: “We’re talking the organized, the prolific, the 15 per cent that causes 90 per cent of the issues.”

“Ontario needs to move beyond individual, jurisdiction-led responses,” Rodrigues said, and called for “a provincially funded joint force operation dedicated to retail crime.”

Police also shared security camera video of several retail thefts, noting that in each case arrests had been made.

One shows several suspects entering an LCBO outlet with bags and even a large suitcase, and leaving with store shopping carts full of liquor. They are so laden down that several bottles are dropped, with the final suspect hustling out with numerous bottles cradled in his arms.

A second video showed suspects using pepper spray on store security and passersby who tried to prevent them from driving off.

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