Hundreds of representatives from the business sector, law enforcement and government across the country gathered in Vancouver on Thursday for a forum focused on retail crime.
The event came amid a growing focus on organized retail theft and incidents that have increasingly resulted in violence.
“Theft will always be around, it’s as old as day,” said Rui Rodrigues, executive adviser of loss prevention and risk management at the Retail Council of Canada.
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“The issue is the volume of theft. Not the single items — multiple items, entire shopping carts full of items … it’s also the violence, assaults, the number of illicit marketplaces where items are being resold.”
Vancouver police say shoplifting reports have increased by 12 per cent year-over-year, with nearly a third of all incidents happening in the city’s downtown core.
Police argue the problem is actually far worse, with many incidents of retail crime going unreported.
“It’s …