Manitoba’s liquor stores are facing questions from some members of the legal community for a new policy of naming those charged with thefts on its website.
Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries’ Wayne Harrison told CTV Winnipeg that the online list “is just one of the many measures we are introducing in an effort to deter thefts.”
The Crown corporation says thefts have been increasing and they pose a safety risk to employees and customers. Since October, police have made at least 113 arrests.
In a series of tweets, lawyer Corey Shefmen called the list “dangerous” and a “government-sponsored shaming campaign” targeting people who are “legally innocent.”
He also said that First Nations people are more likely to get stopped by security or police, “and so those are the names that get published.”
Privacy lawyer Andrew Buck told CTV Winnipeg that although the information is public, decisions that could affect people’s privacy need to be made carefully.
“When you’re doing something that could be potentially privacy invasive, we would expect to see some benefit that countervails and tips the scales in favour of doing whatever it is you’re doing,” he said.
Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries is also using surveillance cameras, security guards, and checking bags and photo IDs when people enter stores in order to cut down on thefts.
The Ontario Public Service Employees’ Union has also raised concerns about employee safety, after more than 9,000 thefts at Toronto Liquor Control Board of Ontario stores over four-and-a-half years.
