RCC’s Loss Prevention Advisory Committee continues to work on the Strategic Objectives they identified as priorities for retail. The following is a nationwide update on the committees’ activities as well as resources for the retail loss prevention community in Canada.
Retail de-escalation training video produced by RCC, EPIC Risk
RCC has partnered with EPIC Risk, RCC's Loss Prevention Advisory Committee, and several training and HR representatives from member companies to create a de-escalation video intended for front-line workers and management.
Incidents of retail violence are on the rise across the country and we hear often from our members that the safety of their workers is their primary concern.
It has been a priority for RCC to create a video that could be used by all retailers as a training aid that could be easily shared with all workers,
Alongside the Retail De-Escalation Training video, RCC has assembled a number of tools and resources to help retailers in preparing for a safe and secure holiday season.
Establishing a comprehensive retail security plan is an important step toward keeping staff and customers safe. The Retail Safety & Security Guide is intended to help businesses of all sizes prevent and reduce incidents of retail crime as well as keep customers and staff safe. The links below provide information to help businesses make their business less vulnerable to crime and identify and select an appropriate response to address a retail crime.
RCC continues to work with police agencies and members to create opportunities to collaborate on initiatives focused on targeting crime. Several police agencies across the country are partnering with retail members in their respective areas to organize "retail blitzes" where officers are dedicated for a specific time frame to support loss prevention with response, investigation, and disposition of criminals arrested during that time frame.
Toronto Police Service, 52 Division (TPS) partnered with the retail loss prevention sector and conducted a retail blitz on Thursday, November 24th, 2022. This blitz focused primarily on the downtown core of Toronto and resulted in 12 arrests and charges, two people detained and held in custody for a show cause hearing, one person wanted on 7 warrants, and one person identified for a robbery. The 52 Division ran another blitz on December 2 and 3, 2022. RCC will be organizing future dates with other TPS divisions.
In Halton Region, RCC National Loss Prevention Taskforce member Superintendent Robert Gourley led Halton Region Police Service (HRPS) to execute warrants on more than a dozen locations on December 6, 2022, and recovered an estimated $2 million in stolen goods. More on HRPS' "Project Kingfisher" can be found here.
RCC will also follow up with these retail blitz dates:
Vancouver Police Service (VPD): Project Aristotle (December 1 to 4, 2022)
Members of District 1 Team 8 partnered with stakeholders and their Loss Prevention Officers "LPO" to coordinate a joint effort in addressing property crime and violent property offenders.
Surrey RCMP: Boost and Bust (December 8, 2022)
RCMP is looking for retailers interested in participating in this initiative. Those interested can send their information to the officer in charge
York Regional Police (YRP): Vaughan Mills Mall (December 8 and 9, 2022)
There will be a briefing with the participating retailers and YRP Officers in the Mall Security Board Room on December 8.
Any RCC members looking to take part in any of these initiatives are asked to contact Rui Rodrigues, Executive Advisor – Loss Prevention & Risk Management, at rrodrigues@retailcouncil.org.
PROVINICAL ADVOCACY UPDATES
Manitoba Retail Crime Task Force updates
In Manitoba, a new first-in-Canada incident reporting project has been launched called Project Safe Shop. This pilot is focused on facilitating better collaboration between retailers, police, and the courts by enabling the participants to leverage a common technology for submitting incidents, and analyzing macro data to identify and convict the most prolific offenders. Over 100 retail storefronts are submitting data through the platform with over 600 incidents reported and just over 60 repeat offenders identified.
The Winnipeg Police Service is now working with the project participants to investigate the progam's repeat offenders, assess the nature of the offenses, and identify the serious and prolific offenders. We will continue to provide updates on this project as we work with police and justice to bring about solutions to help reduce recidivism.
Following RCC advocacy, the Manitoba government has announced its investing more than $3 million in the Winnipeg Police Service, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and other Manitoba police agencies to create an integrated violent offender apprehension unit with the objective of strengthening intensive bail and probation supervision for serious, violent offenders. Investments will support the ability to track and monitor high-risk and violent offenders and dedicate officers and provincial programs to intervene appropriately.
Through the RCC lead Manitoba Retail Security Taskforce and Project Safe Shop, RCC is working very closely with key members of the new unit and anticipate that retail sector interests will continue to be well represented.
RCC’s Retail Secure Conference, Canada’s annual retail loss prevention event, brings together top retail loss prevention experts, industry suppliers, and security and law enforcement professionals for a full-day, in-person event exploring actionable systems and forward-thinking retail solutions.
We collaborate with our members to ensure trending issues are addressed and the most important questions are raised and discussed:
British Columbia introduces repeat violent offences plan
Premier David Eby has launched a new plan to strengthen enforcement to keep those who commit repeat violent offences off the streets. This comes following requests from RCC, retailers, and urban mayors (last April when Eby was Attorney-General) and significant discussions about community safety during B.C.’s local election campaigns this Fall. It also follows an export report by Doug LePard and Amanda Butler to which RCC made both a written and oral submissions.
New “repeat violent offender coordinated response teams," comprising of police officers, dedicated prosecutors, probation officers, and correctional supervisors, will be created. These groups will share information and monitor high-risk repeat offender cases through the criminal justice system.
RCC awarded Ontario government grant to combat cybercrime
RCC has been awarded a grant from the provincial government for a project focused on preventing cybercrime through community collaboration.
RCC has committed to work with retailers, police, and other agencies to create awareness about and reduce the risk of cybercrime and fraud within the retail community.
In the past, the most common crime that the retail community was vulnerable to was shoplifting from bricks and mortar stores. However, as technology has advanced and the online marketplace evolves, the retail industry becomes more technology-dependent making cybercrime an increasingly important threat to the retail community.
We have identified the key elements of this project, including a retail cybercrime webpage; cybercrimes in retail webinar series; eLearning module; guidebook, and retail videos. We have assembled the initial stakeholder committee and are currently working to identify a few retail IT experts to join the stakeholder committee.
RCC has partnered with the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, Ministry of the Solicitor General, Ontario College of Pharmacists, various police agencies including RCMP, OPP, Peel, and Halton to create an Ontario Retail Crime Prevention Program . This committee, which also features several RCC members, will be meeting December 6, 2022 and we will be following up with updates.
Any members looking to take part in any of the provincial initiatives are asked to contact Rui Rodrigues, Executive Advisor – Loss Prevention & Risk Management, at rrodrigues@retailcouncil.org.
FEATURE: Crime Stoppers and GardaWorld podcast episode
RCC’s own Executive Advisor – Loss Prevention & Risk Management, Rui Rodrigues, has been featured on Crime Stoppers' "See It, Say It, Stop It" podcast to provide critical insight into what it takes to protect retail businesses.
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