Special safes led to a dramatic drop in pharmacy robberies in Toronto: police

Pharmacies across Toronto have seen a dramatic drop in robberies following the implementation of a device that makes it harder for thieves to access narcotics quickly, police announced Wednesday.

Pharmacy robberies in Toronto more than doubled from 49 in 2021 to 123 in 2022, sparking concern over violence for customers and employees. Speaking at a news conference Wednesday, Inspector Joseph Matys of the TPS Hold Up Squad said that trend was continuing last year until the introduction of time-delayed safes.

The safes are used for securing narcotics such as oxycodone, morphine, and codeine. They have electronic timers, which prevent them from being opened until a preset period of time has passed after someone enters the combination. There is no bypass mechanism for the waiting period.

The TPS Hold Up Squad began working with local pharmacies and other external partners, like the Ontario College of Pharmacists and the Ontario Pharmacists Association, in 2022 to disseminate tips and best practices for preventing robberies. They included investing in good surveillance cameras, panic alarms, and time-delayed safes which stay locked at all times.

The safes were mandated in March 2023 and police said Wednesday that all 4,900 community pharmacies in Ontario are now using the special safes. While there were 60 pharmacy robberies in Toronto by this time last year, so far in 2024 there have been just 10.

"Year to date, pharmacy robberies are down 82 per cent compared to the same period in 2023,” Matys said. “This success speaks to the impact of time-delayed safes, but also demonstrates the importance of collaboration among stakeholders to address issues that impact the safety and well-being of our communities.”

The Ontario College of Pharmacists said data from other provinces indicated that the safes would be helpful in preventing robberies. Pharmacies are also posting signage at entrances, indicating to would-be thieves that the narcotics cannot be accessed quickly.

“The use of time-delayed safes to keep our pharmacy teams and the communities they serve safe based on the evidence that they will prevent pharmacy robberies from happening is a welcome initiative,” Ontario Pharmacists Association CEO Justin Bates said.

Speaking as the Co-chair of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police Community Safety and Crime Prevention Committee,” Peel Regional Police Deputy Chief Mark Dapat said the devices have reduced pharmacy robberies in Peel Region as well by making them less appealing to criminals.

“Time delayed safes are designed to open only after a pre determined delay, making immediate access to controlled substances more difficult,” Dapat said. “This feature significantly diminishes the appeal of pharmacies as targets for criminals looking for quick theft opportunities.”

Police said similar results have been reported in Alberta and British Columbia following mandates for time-delayed safes in pharmacies. Mandates were recently introduced in Saskatchewan and Manitoba as well.