More Winnipeg business owners are increasing security amid a rise in break-ins.
Marcos Silva, manager of Winnipeg Shutters, told 680 CJOB’s the Jim Toth Show that he is seeing the change first-hand.
“We’ve noticed a very large increase from last year in quotes. Basically about 50 per cent more compared to what we used to quote last year,” he said.
“I think everybody’s trying to find a solution for what’s happening right now in the city.”
Silva says for some people, shutters are about having a visual deterrent, while for others, it’s more of a necessity.
“Over 80 per cent of the time they call us because they had a break-in the day before,” he said, adding the business has even started to get calls from people who want to put shutters on their homes.
“One lady wanted to cover everything completely — the windows, the doors. Then at night she would shut down everything and go to sleep in peace. Unfortunately, that’s what’s happening nowadays,” he said.
Silva said the shutters have three levels of security, including a heavy-duty bottom bar and an anchor lock. They range from around $3,000 to $6,000 in price depending on the size and strength, he said.
Winnipeg police have been cracking down on crime in the city with the Retail Theft Initiative, which has seen hundreds of arrests since its launch in November 2023.
The program was launched after nearly 4,000 incidents of shoplifting for items under $5,000 happened between January and August 2023, officers said. It represented a 44-per cent increase over the same time period in 2022.
“We will be out there. I won’t say when and I am not going to say where, (but) if you are going to shoplift, we are going to be there,” said Insp. Jennifer McKinnon.
— with a file from Talha Hashmani