A new high-security entrance has been installed at a second Liquor Mart in Winnipeg.
The Portage Avenue and Burnell Street location is now the second store to have a secure entrance, after the Tyndall Park Liquor Mart had one installed last month.
The move came after a female employee at that location was punched in the head and knocked unconscious during a violent robbery on Nov. 20.
“We have tried numerous tactics to address this issue, but it’s clear to us that more drastic measures must be taken,” Manny Atwal, president and CEO of MBLL, said at the time.
“As a retailer that prides itself on customer service and offering a modern, shopping experience, we did not want to impose these measures.
“However, we have an obligation to provide a safe environment for employees and customers.”
The Crown corporation has said it plans to have the new entrances added to all city Liquor Marts in an effort to curb a rising tide of thefts that have plagued stores across the province in the past few years, spiking to levels 300 per cent higher than normal.
In many cases, large groups have been caught on camera swarming stores and filling up backpacks with booze.
When reached for comment on the latest secure entrance, a Manitoba Liquor & Lotteries (MLL) spokesperson said they would not provide further details or give a timeline on when other locations will see the retrofit.
“The controlled entrances are in place for the safety and security of our staff and customers,” they said in an email to Global News.
“We will not compromise their effectiveness by sharing details for publication by media.”
Stores with new entrances have the inner door locked, and customers have to have a valid photo ID scanned at a security station before being allowed in.
The MLL has previously said locations retrofitted with controlled entrances will no longer allow minors into the stores, even when accompanied by an adult.
In a media release when the first secure entrance was added to the Tyndall Park Liquor Mart, the MLL said secure doors would also be installed at all other Winnipeg locations in the coming weeks and months.
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