The Kelowna RCMP’s Community Safety Unit arrested more than 50 people in an operation that targeted shoplifters and was spearheaded by partners at the Vancouver Police Department.
Image Credit: SUBMITTED/RCMP
December 20, 2023 - 9:39 AM
The Kelowna RCMP’s Community Safety Unit arrested more than 50 people in an operation that targeted shoplifters and was spearheaded by partners at the Vancouver Police Department.
On Dec. 8, the week-long Project Barcode was initiated in response to crime analysts and local retail businesses voicing growing concerns over the rise in retail theft and the violence it was sometimes associated with, according to an RCMP media release.
During this seven-day project, uniformed and plainclothes officers worked with local businesses to identify, monitor and apprehend shoplifters. At the end of the week, more than 50 individuals were arrested and more than $10,000 of merchandise was recovered. As a result, close to 30 criminal charges will be recommended to the BC Prosecution Service as well as a myriad of referrals to the Restorative Justice Program.
The Project Barcode also allowed officers to locate and arrest multiple individuals with outstanding warrants one of which was a Canada Wide Warrant. Multiple crime vehicles were also impounded for Motor Vehicle Act and Criminal Code related offences.
“This project was a tremendous success and we owe most of that to our security and loss prevention partners who do this every day,” Sgt. Scott Powrie Operations Non-Commissioned Officer Community Safety Unit, said in the release. “They act professionally and are key figures in reducing incidents of theft in our community. These acts of violence against them will not be tolerated and it is our job to swiftly remind those who are putting them at risk.”
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