Saskatoon police work to tackle spike in retail crime

WTACH: Saskatoon police joined a national initiative this week to crack down on escalating retail crime.

Businesses on Saskatoon’s west side know all too well how thefts and violent crimes have become increasingly common over the last few years, and they’re looking for help.

“We have to keep our doors locked now just to keep our clients safe and to keep our thefts down,” Karen Kobussen with the Saskatoon West Business Association said.

“It’s just sort of becoming the trend … and we don’t want that.”

Kobussen says that’s why the Saskatoon West Business Assocation was started — to advocate and help address concerns like crime and safety for businesses on the west side.

With more businesses having to hire security and restrict access to the store, some business owners are beginning to wonder about overall sustainability.

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“Let’s be honest, businesses cannot operate unless they’re profitable,” she said. “If people aren’t coming to support these businesses out of fear of their safety or the business closes because of losses that they’ve encountered in theft or shrinkage or vandalism — that’s just not good for anyone.”

Saskatoon police are looking to help. The police service partnered with the Retail Council of Canada to launch Project SHIELD, which coincides with the Retail Council of Canada’s national “Retail Blitz” campaign, which aims to crack down on retail crime across the country.

As part of the blitz, officers were patrolling Confederation Drive, a known hot spot of crime, on Wednesday and Thursday.

“In the last two years alone, shoplifting has almost doubled,” Sargeant Erica Weber of the Restorative Justice Unit said.

“It’s likewise for weapons in retail spaces, for assaults in retail spaces, for robberies in retail spaces. The violence associated with retail crime now is unprecedented. We have definitely seen a trend, and it’s not dipping.”

Data from Saskatoon Police Service shows thefts of under $5,000 have increased by 79 per cent, from 1,253 in 2022 to 2,244 in 2024. Robberies have increased by more than 40 per cent, and weapons possession and violent incidents where a weapon is present have both increased by 30 per cent.

A final tally of this week’s results wasn’t available, but Weber said multiple arrests were made and a number of weapons were seized.

By collaborating with local businesses, and organizations like the National Retail Council of Canada, Weber hopes to make more inroads and stop the recent trend from getting any worse.

The retail blitz isn’t just intended to show a physical presence. Once the data is compiled, The National Retail Council of Canada and other partners will be able to take the information and help lobby the federal government for more support and resources.

Weber said that’s exactly what happened in Winnipeg, which has seen great success with the program over the last two years. Weber said Winnipeg was able to hire 12 officers tasked specifically to retail crime, and subsequently saw numbers plateau. “When you look at the opportunity that exists for us, it just truly makes sense and our community truly needs it,” Weber said.

Saskatoon police is the first law enforcement agency in Saskatchewan to join the national initiative. Two more blitz days are planned for later in May, with plans to hold retail blitzes every few months.