Grassroots crime prevention conference aims to reduce theft in Winnipeg's West End
Social Sharing
Some entrepreneurs on Winnipeg's Sargent Avenue are fed up with the vandalism, shoplifting and break-ins they say have become all too common in their West End businesses — and one has organized his own crime-prevention conference to address the issue.
Michael Paille is the owner of Cobra Collectibles, a Sargent Avenue shop between Furby and Langside streets that's filled with comics, retro games and toys. He estimates theft in his store has doubled in the last five years.
"They're not just coming in stealing small stuff. They literally will look at you and try to grab as much as they can and walk out the door,"said Paille.
"It's happening everywhere, and if it doesn't happen while you're open, they try to break in."
Paille said he's installed more than 60 cameras in his shop, put metal blinds over the windows and hired a security guard who works on the weekend, but those measures aren't cheap.
"That's costing for a small business. That's pretty well most of our profit."
Paille said he's been working with other businesses in the area to address the problem, but decided something more needed to be done.
He started up his own conference, called the Retail Crime Prevention Conference, which is set to run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Monday at the West End Cultural Centre.
"Any business owner is welcome," he said. The conference will feature a full day of seminars and discussions focused on crime prevention and strategies tailored specifically for small businesses, including information about security guards, alarm systems and other options for small businesses to increase safety.
Next door to Cobra Collectibles is X-Cues, a café and lounge that's been in the neighbourhood for almost 60 years. Owner Sal Infantino said he plans to go to Monday's conference, because he's also seen an increase in crime and vandalism in recent years.
"They've caused thousands of dollars of damage, and of the couple of break-ins we've had, they've never taken more than a couple hundred dollars," Said Infantino.
"I'd gladly give [someone] $50 not to break my windows."
He hopes the conference will bring the community together to collaborate on reducing crime in the area.
"We want to save this community, because it's a great community. I've been here my whole life, and I have no plans to go anywhere else."
Infantino said when the Winnipeg Police Service put foot patrol officers in the area over the holiday season, it helped to curb some of the petty crime happening in the area, but when the patrols stopped, the crime picked up again.
No silver-bullet solution
The Canadian Federation of Independent Business will be speaking at the crime prevention conference. Tyler Slobogian, a senior policy analyst with the advocacy organization, said 52 per cent of its roughly 4,500 members have had direct experience with crime or community safety issues in the past year, up 10 per cent from the year prior.
He said while there's no silver bullet to solve crime, he plans to offer some tips for small businesses.
"A message we've been sending to [small business owners] recently is to report all the crimes. Even if you don't think it might make a difference right away, in the end it could," Slobogian said.
He said CFIB members have spent an average of $5,000 over the last three years on different security measures.
Most of that was for preventative measures, "but also that could be fixing a broken window, or reparative measures as well," he said.
The business federation is also encouraging consumers to support local businesses, and consider compassion as well as convenience when shopping.
In addition 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 police Const. Dani McKinnon said reporting crime is essential to identifying problem areas in neighbourhoods.
Police rely on that crime data to determine "action plans" and how best to use their resources — both in daily operations and in special projects, McKinnon said in an email.
Last week, Winnipeg police Chief Gene Bowers said the service will add 12 foot patrols to the downtown area by the end of June through funding from the provincial government, bringing the total number in the area up to 36.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
5 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
West End, Osborne Village business owners welcome word of more police foot patrols
With more beat cops ready to hit the street Friday, crime-weary West End business owners are hoping the result is a safer neighbourhood for them and their customers. The 12 new recruits are the second instalment of the provincially funded cohort, doubling the dozen officers first announced when the Manitoba government made its retail anti-crime program permanent in November. Regular foot patrols checking in on businesses has made a difference, said West End BIZ Executive Director Joe Kornelsen. MATTHEW FRANK / FREE PRESS Mayor Scott Gillingham meets with West End business owner Michael Paille, owner of Cobra Collectibles, to discuss safety concerns. 'Our members really appreciated that relationship-building aspect,' he said earlier this week, while touring the neighbourhood and meeting business owners with Mayor Scott Gillingham. 'I think the neighbourhood, overall, likes to see the human faces of law enforcement.' A West End BIZ survey of 54 businesses on Sargent and Ellice avenues last July found 67 per cent of the owners felt safer with regular police foot patrols. The West End, Exchange District and Osborne Village were the focus of the Winnipeg Police Service retail theft crackdown last year. Kornelsen said the dedicated patrols in the West End began a year ago and continued through the winter months. Michael Paille, owner of vintage video game and comic book shop Cobra Collectibles on Sargent Avenue near Furby Street, has had to deal with graffiti, shoplifting and assaults in the decade he has been in business. Although he has 60 cameras inside and outside the building, Paille said he doesn't feel safe staying open past 6 p.m. 'There's a lot we deal with, whether it's thefts or individuals trying to sell illegal stuff outside,' he said. 'It's harder to stay open with the way the streets are. But the main thing is to just fight it day by day.' Paille said he feels safer when he notices patrols in the area, and he'd like to see more police boots on the ground. Osborne Village BIZ executive director Zohreh Gervais said foot-patrol officers returned to the neighbourhood Tuesday and business owners were pleased to have a regular police presence again. WPS didn't respond to Free Press questions about where the graduating officers will be patrolling and how regular the patrols will be scheduled. On the neighbourhood walk, Gillingham touted the new Safer Winnipeg Initiative, which he announced during his March State of the City address. The plan will put police and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service under one umbrella, along with other groups, including the Downtown Community Safety Partnership. Gillingham said the strategy will boost resources, data collection and communication to improve emergency responses. Wednesdays Sent weekly from the heart of Turtle Island, an exploration of Indigenous voices, perspectives and experiences. 'Rather than having the overlaps and the gaps, let's do a better job of co-ordinating so our downtown is safer and businesses get the help they need,' the mayor told reporters. There's no timeline for the plan's launch, but Gillingham said two city staff members have begun co-ordinating among various groups. The initiative is intended to be implemented citywide, but there will be an initial focus on central neighbourhoods, because that's where community safety groups — such as Bear Clan Patrol — operate, said Colin Fast, the mayor's spokesperson. He said consultations for hiring a public-safety adviser, also announced in March, are still underway.
Winnipeg Free Press
6 hours ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Charges stayed in sextortion case against Winnipeg man
Prosecutors have stayed charges against a Winnipeg man accused of blackmailing men and boys in several provinces in a so-called 'sextortion' scheme after the alleged victims said they couldn't bring themselves to testify. Tongun Justin Tongun, who was 21 when he was charged by Winnipeg police with 10 counts of extortion in 2023, was accused of soliciting images from males on the internet, then threatening to post them online unless the victims sent him money. All 10 counts against Tongun were stayed in May, court records show. 'In preparation for this matter, the Crown contacted a number of victims,' a provincial government spokesman wrote in an email. 'After reviewing the matter and taking into consideration the impact to the victims, their unwillingness to relive the experience by testifying, the Crown determined not to proceed but did seek restitution for all the victims as per their wishes.' The Winnipeg Police Service began investigating Tongun after a man in his 20s came forward with allegations of extortion in February 2023. The victim told investigators he had shared intimate photos with someone online who pretended to be a young woman, before the person demanded cash and threatened to release the pictures. The victim transferred the scammer money, police said at the time. City sex crimes detectives charged Tongun with four counts of extortion that February after locating three more victims in Winnipeg, before later finding another six victims across Canada and filing more charges in June 2023. Police and cybersafety experts call the scams 'sextortion.' The scam typically involves a suspect threatening to distribute intimate or sexual images of a victim after they've gained their trust through 'sexually charged' conversations online, typically through social-media platforms such as Instagram and Snapchat, officials have said. The suspect will usually demand payment. Victims are often male teenagers or young adults who believe they are communicating with a woman. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
a day ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Help sought to identify suspect who beat man at The Forks
Winnipeg police are warning the public about a man who beat a stranger until he was unconscious at The Forks late Friday. The attack, around 11:15 p.m., took place in the outdoor sitting area between the main market building and the Johnston Terminal. Witnesses told police the attacker approached a 30-year-old man and hit him. He knocked him unconscious and stole an item from him. SUPPLIED Police are searching for a man who randomly attacked a stranger at The Forks on June 6. 'Everything points to it being a random assault,' said Winnipeg Police Service spokesman Const. Stephen Spencer. The suspect ran toward the river walk, where he threw the stolen item at a woman who was walking a dog. 'It's certainly a unique incident,' said Spencer. He could not reveal what item was stolen. The suspect was last seen near Bonnycastle Park, at Assiniboine Avenue and Garry Street. The victim was taken to hospital in stable condition and was later released. 'This is a shocking attack no one wants to see,' said Adam Dooley, spokesman for The Forks. 'We're very happy to hear his condition has stabilized and he's been released from hospital.' Dooley said Forks security guards had quickly arrived to give the victim first aid and call police. 'Our security are always doing patrols, so we found the victim of the attack immediately and were able to provide some first aid and comfort,' said Dooley. The site has security guards on duty 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, along with a network of surveillance cameras, said Dooley. He said officials at The Forks are confident in the security team and systems they have in place. 'We work very hard to make The Forks a safe and welcoming place and thankfully, incidences like this are very rare,' said Dooley. 'We're constantly upgrading and adapting to make sure we're doing the very best we possibly can to genuinely keep the site safe (and) make sure everyone feels safe as well.' He said he hopes members of the public can help police apprehend the suspect. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'The more we as a community can pull together to stand against this kind of violence, the better it will be for everyone,' said Dooley. The attacker is described as Indigenous, 25 to 35 years old, with a medium to heavy build and tattoos on both arms. Police released an image of the man, who was wearing a black T-shirt, black pants, a black New York Yankees baseball cap and black shoes. Major crimes investigators want to speak with the woman who was walking the dog. They can be reached at 204-986-6219, or witnesses can call Crime Stoppers anonymously at 204-786-8477 (TIPS) or online. Erik PinderaReporter Erik Pindera is a reporter for the Free Press, mostly focusing on crime and justice. The born-and-bred Winnipegger attended Red River College Polytechnic, wrote for the community newspaper in Kenora, Ont. and reported on television and radio in Winnipeg before joining the Free Press in 2020. Read more about Erik. Every piece of reporting Erik produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
