Timmins police say shoplifters are getting 'brazen'

While statistics indicate shoplifting is on the rise in Canada, it appears thieves are getting bolder in their efforts.

Police in Timmins said numbers are not up year over year, but they are noticing that incidents are becoming more "brazen."

An incident at a convenience store in Schumacher in March has yet to be solved by police. They are now appealing to the public for help in tracking down the suspects.

Police said surveillance footage shows a man using a garbage bag from a store trashcan, and filling it with cigarettes.

"The person waited for the clerk to be distracted and made their way behind the counter, so this is an added element of being brazen, and so forward that it actually puts the store clerk in jeopardy," said Marc Depatie of the Timmins Police Service.

A theft this week was at a local drug store, where a 54-year-old man left the premises with $250 in merchandise after being confronted by employees. He was later found by police

"There is an uptick in the brazen nature of some of the shoplifting that goes on. Some persons will engage in threatening store staff when confronted, and there has been some physical confrontation as well, so this is a concern for the Timmins Police Service," said Depatie.

And, the Retail Council of Canada agrees.

In a statement to CTV News, it said:

"Some members have said that from 2019 to this year, they have seen an escalation of between 150 to 200 per cent in violence and aggravated offences with front-line staff, security and customers. We are also seeing an increase in use of noxious substances, bladed and blunt weapons and firearms in store robberies. And, even a surge in incidents involving arson.”

The council said it’s speaking with the various levels of government about the role the justice system plays in curbing incidents and treating them seriously when they do happen.

Depatie said this year, 184 shoplifting cases have been reported to police, down from 199 for the same time period last year.