Grassroots crime prevention conference aims to reduce theft in Winnipeg's West End
'If it doesn't happen while you're open, they try to break in,' says owner
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.
