Date: Thursday October 26, 2023
File: Various
Victoria, BC – Officers made 20 arrests and recovered over $25,000 in merchandise from one retailer during a three-day retail theft project in downtown Victoria last week.
From October 16 to 18, officers from VicPD’s Patrol division worked with loss prevention staff to identify and arrest shoplifters at a retail store in the 500-block of Johnson Street. More than half of the suspects arrested took over $1,000 worth of merchandise each, with one person in possession of $3,400 worth of stolen merchandise.
Of the 20 arrested, most were released pending future court dates. One suspect was arrested in the first two days of the project and was held in custody after returning on day three to steal another $260 worth of merchandise. Three suspects were found to have outstanding arrest warrants from various Greater Victoria jurisdictions.
A driver was issued a 24-hour driving prohibition for impairment by drugs, after assisting a suspect who was fleeing from police load stolen items into their vehicle.
Shoplifting continues to be an issue for businesses in Victoria and Esquimalt and VicPD is committed to continuing to address this problem in partnership with our community. This project was created in response to ongoing concerns from local businesses about regular retail theft and the impact this has on business operations and staff safety.
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