There were a total of 34 arrests, 21 criminal charges, seven store bans and six restorative justice referrals from Operation Barcode, a police endeavour that targets shoplifting in cities around Canada.
The program, which has become a nationwide success since the Vancouver Police Department first launched it, targeted repeat shoplifters by working closely with loss prevention officers from several retailers from May 7 to May 11.
“Our team plays a large role in targeting and reducing property theft in our community and this operation continues to show its success,” says Sgt. Scott Powrie of the community safety unit. “Shoplifting remains one of our Crime Severity Index drivers and we will continue these types of initiatives until these figures change and we see more palatable numbers as a community.”
By assisting these officers with the arrests, uniformed and plainclothes officers are able to intervene and protect them from any violent behaviour sometimes exhibited during these incidents, RCMP said in a press release.
Police said despite the shorter-than-usual time frame, officers and their LPO counterparts delivered significant results, including the recovery of just over $6,000 in merchandise.