Grassroots crime prevention conference aims to reduce theft in Winnipeg's West End

Mike Arsenault · CBC News

· Posted: May 05, 2025 6:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: 10 minutes ago

Some entrepreneurs on Winnipeg's Sargent Avenue are fed up with the vandalism, shoplifting and break-ins they say have go each excessively communal successful their West End businesses — and 1 has organized his ain crime-prevention league to code the issue.

Michael Paille is the proprietor of Cobra Collectibles, a Sargent Avenue store betwixt Furby and Langside streets that's filled with comics, retro games and toys. He estimates theft successful his store has doubled successful the past 5 years.

"They're not conscionable coming successful stealing tiny stuff. They virtually volition look astatine you and effort to drawback arsenic overmuch arsenic they tin and locomotion retired the door,"said Paille.

"It's happening everywhere, and if it doesn't hap portion you're open, they effort to interruption in."

Paille said he's installed much than 60 cameras successful his shop, put metal blinds implicit the windows and hired a information defender who works connected the weekend, but those measures aren't cheap.

"That's costing for a tiny business. That's beauteous good astir of our profit."

Paille said he's been moving with different businesses successful the country to code the problem, but decided thing much needed to beryllium done.

He started up his ain conference, called the Retail Crime Prevention Conference, which is acceptable to tally from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. connected Monday at the West End Cultural Centre.

"Any concern proprietor is welcome," helium said. The conference volition diagnostic a afloat time of seminars and discussions focused connected transgression prevention and strategies tailored specifically for tiny businesses, including information about information guards, alarm systems and different options for tiny businesses to summation safety.

Next doorway to Cobra Collectibles is X-Cues, a café and lounge that's been successful the neighbourhood for astir 60 years. Owner Sal Infantino said helium plans to spell to Monday's conference, due to the fact that he's besides seen an summation successful transgression and vandalism successful caller years.

"They've caused thousands of dollars of damage, and of the mates of break-ins we've had, they've ne'er taken much than a mates 100 dollars," Said Infantino.

"I'd gladly springiness [someone] $50 not to interruption my windows."

He hopes the league volition bring the assemblage unneurotic to collaborate connected reducing transgression successful the area.

"We privation to prevention this community, due to the fact that it's a large community. I've been present my full life, and I person nary plans to spell anyplace else."

Infantino said erstwhile the Winnipeg Police Service enactment ft patrol officers successful the country implicit the vacation season, it helped to curb immoderate of the petty transgression happening successful the area, but erstwhile the patrols stopped, the transgression picked up again.

No silver-bullet solution

The Canadian Federation of Independent Business volition beryllium speaking astatine the transgression prevention conference. Tyler Slobogian, a elder argumentation expert with the advocacy organization, said 52 per cent of its astir 4,500 members person had nonstop acquisition with transgression oregon assemblage information issues successful the past year, up 10 per cent from the twelvemonth prior. 

He said portion there's nary metallic slug to lick crime, he plans to connection immoderate tips for tiny businesses.

"A connection we've been sending to [small concern owners] recently is to study each the crimes. Even if you don't deliberation it mightiness marque a quality close away, successful the extremity it could," Slobogian said.

He said CFIB members person spent an mean of $5,000 over the past 3 years connected antithetic information measures. 

Most of that was for preventative measures, "but besides that could beryllium fixing a breached window, oregon reparative measures arsenic well," helium said.

The concern federation is besides encouraging consumers to enactment section businesses, and see compassion arsenic good arsenic convenience erstwhile shopping.

In summation to the CFIB, speakers scheduled for Monday's conference include Justice Minister Matt Wiebe, Crime Stoppers, the Bear Clan patrol and the Winnipeg Police Service.

Winnipeg constabulary Const. Dani McKinnon said reporting transgression is indispensable to identifying occupation areas successful neighbourhoods.

Police trust connected that transgression information to find "action plans" and however champion to usage their resources — some successful regular operations and successful peculiar projects, McKinnon said successful an email.

Last week, Winnipeg constabulary Chief Gene Bowers said the service will adhd 12 ft patrols to the downtown country by the extremity of June done backing from the provincial government, bringing the full fig successful the country up to 36.