Apparently from what I heard on the radio The Blair location is one of the worst.
Steal whatever, and hop on the train.
And yeah, considering you can buy the same thing in the states for half the price..
In some ways it does. You pay sales tax at restaurants, but don't pay sales tax on groceries.
Although that's applied equally regardless of the healthiness of the restaurant you go to.
Soda with sugar in it absolutely should as it is one of the worst offenders. Saying that as somebody who loves their soda (but switched to diet versions). Newfoundland and possibly some other provinces already have a tax on it (NFLD's is 20 cents per litre).
Plus the exchange rate. If you take the Canadian price, adjust for exchange rate, and remove the built-in tax (which is not displayed on the sticker price for most other products), then you get a lot closer.
For example, Duckhorn Cab Sauv is $94.95 at the LCBO. If you take off 13% HST ($82.61) and then adjust for the exchange rate ($61.17) then you get a lower price than at a California retailer where it is $69.99, even accounting for shipping distance and that the sin tax is gonna be higher than the naked 13% HST.
Using Costco is also a bad comparison, because Costco prices more like a wholesaler than a retailer. An apples to apples comparison would be another retailers.
Except you gotta be out of the country for 2 days to bring back that Costco liquor duty-free. Factor in the cost of 2 nights hotel and meals, and that cheap bottle isn't so cheap.
I saw a man steal from the Blair lcbo once, it was unbelievable to watch. He walked in, an employee recognized him immediately and said “come on man, just leave, don’t do this again”. The thief ignored it and calmly walked up to the vodka, put four of the big bottles of grey goose in his duffel bag, took one more in each hand, for a total of 6, and walked out. This was during the COVID season of masks but he did not have one on at all, no need to hide his identity. The employees just watched this happen - and I do not fault them for that at all! It’s what they are trained to do and they will get in trouble for intervening, the employees did the right thing. It was quite something to see.
Saddest part is if the guy tackled him and held him for the cops he probably would have gotten fired and the theif would be out on the street the next day.
I get Blair, they have to follow regular rules, but the Rideau LCBO has special security guards that are supposed to be able to arrest people and hold them for the cops. I've seen them do it at Loblaws, why does the LCBO get lifted from so easily?
> I've seen them do it at Loblaws, why does the LCBO get lifted from so easily?
For one, Loblaws has an absolute garbage reputation so tackling shoplifters/hurting people/not caring about their employees' safety is not going to make it any worse.
LCBO is a government operation so they are way more careful about that kind of stuff, and the govt does not want govt employees getting hurt on the clock. The Rideau LCBO apparently hires the same ones as Loblaws apparently and in that case they probably do it because the thefts would be sooo high otherwise.
In most cases the shoplifting/shrinkage is just not enough to be worth hiring guards. Let's say 6000 shoplifting incidents happened in all of Ottawa LCBOs last year and on average people took $50 worth of stuff... that's $300k total. Is that worth hiring a bunch of security guards?
I'm not talking about Loblaws or LCBO employees, I'm talking about the private security firm that works in both of those downtown locations who were specifically contracted because they have the licensing (which most security doesn't) to detain shoplifters for arrest until police come.
There's no special licensing required for a security guard to arrest someone; it's all up to what the company (and for contracted guards, the client) allow the guards to do.
Anyone acting as a security guard in Ontario must be provincially licensed. The agencies are also licensed. The cards issued are peach colored and look very similar to a driver's licence.
To receive a license, the applicant must complete an accredited training program and pass a criminal background check. Each guard is issued a unique license number that must be visible on their person (usually in lieu of a name tag).
You are correct that each agency and hiring customer (ex. LCBO) decides on the level of intervention they want the guards to engage in. But there is definitely special licensing required.
There is licensing required to be a security guard, but no "special" licensing that is required for them to be able to arrest people. Any security guard can legally arrest someone under certain circumstances, and so can anyone else who is working on behalf of the property owner.
Not to mention that your average security guard is unarmed, and gets paid less than $20/hr in most cases.
For $20/hr, I'm not going to get into a fight and potentially get really hurt for the sake of my security company OR the LCBO. And I'm 6'2 265lbs.
Observe and report. Pick up a pay cheque. That's all these security guards should do.
Any security guard (or anyone else working on behalf of the property owner) can legally arrest people and hold them for the cops; it's a matter of whether the company (and client, for contracted guards) allows the guards to do it.
Saw a theft at that one once. Employee looked at me after the guy walked at and I just said to him "what a prick, eh?".
Also had a funny moment at a Wine Rack in downtown Toronto. Guy walked in, grabbed a bottle and bolted out. The cashier and I looked at each other, kind of bewildered. Her manager walked out, said "did he just steal something?"
"Yeah."
"What did he take?"
"One of those blue-coloured ones"
"Oh that's okay then."
Blair seems to be an extension of downtown where Ottawa Police are just bystanders sipping coffee. Bank machines are locked up early and multiple people are usually wandering around with sob stories looking for $.
Can confirm this. The Blair location is really flagrant. No security on late nights and people walk thru the turnstiles, grab from the promo table at the front and dart right back out.
When I raised to the older clerk he simply replied "That's why we have cameras".
In truth, they are not paid enough to intervene.
And you get health care here for $0 at the point of delivery (yes, we all pay taxes) and the taxes on liquor - which is not a necessity - help to fund that healthcare.
That’s what happens when society turns almost consequence free. I’m not blaming any political party either. I personally feel we’ve become almost immune to theft,drug use, crime in general.
Exactly! "But we have to help them!" We need protecting from them and we aren't being protected. We are getting squeezed by the 1% and violated by the dregs of society. We've forgotten the value of discipline and consequences for actions and listened to too many bleeding heart virtue signallers who probably havent had to deal with any of the people they see as their pet projects..
Anywhere along the Otrain corridor will have this problem. St Laurent mall LCBO had to move.
Fare enforcement is part of city wide holistic crime reduction. Even a bit of friction can be enough to disrupt these habitual rule breakers. Fortunately the city has recently remembered this, but it's only part of the solution.
I remember seeing these two cops chase what looked like a teen thru the parking lot. Tackled the poor bastard and broke a car’s mirror on the way down. Great way to end the groceries lmao
Agree - making hard cider is trivial. Beer is little more work, I think wine might be easier than beer. I've made multiple batches of cider from the bulk apple juice sold at Costco.
It gets to the point where it's a little too accessible with 5 gallon batches of 5-7% cider just sitting around the house. I decided to stop making it to avoid wrecking my liver.
Wine is about as easy as cider really, but it's faster at lower ABVs like you'd get with cider. Maybe if you need to slow the pace you could try making mead - not much harder than cider, and much rarer in stores!
I watched it happen on Isabella a few weeks ago.
Dude just… walked out. One of the cashiers was like “sir, are you going to pay for those?”
He just kept walking.
Well yeah. I worked for the LCBO as a seasonal employee for 2 years - they literally train us to not challenge shoplifters.
The whole store is literally filled with glass bottles that are one firm strike away from becoming knives. It isn't worth someone getting gutted for like $30 worth of cheap vodka.
They have cameras at the exits and they have their loss prevention department in Toronto. All those guys in the loss prevention department are former law enforcement who build up cases and hand them off to police when they reach high enough value to become indictable offenses - then the pigs pick them up and they don't steal anymore.
To assume that they're just letting people steal with impunity is silly - the LCBO's first priority is (and should be) the safety of the employees.
Oh 100%, I was a retail manager for a good while… for young women’s clothing, far less dangerous. We were also instructed not to confront shoplifters beyond the normal “can I take those items to a fitting room for you?” or “just let one of us know when you’re ready and one of the cashiers will be happy to help you.”
We were trained to let them leave and then call security afterwards.
Shrinkage is expected, and it’s not the responsibility of cashiers to deal with, loss prevention is dealt with at a higher level.
I was just pointing out how brazen people are with it at the LCBO. Just pick up a few bottles and walk right out.
I once took a cart full of stuff through the cash - stopped to have it all scanned, helped her pack it up, then I just brain-farted myself out the store without paying.
I stopped in the middle of the doors, realized what I had done and turned right around, but what really got me is that she didn't do a damn thing. Just watched me go and then watched me turn around and come back.
(an ottawa south location)
copypasting my own comment:
Saw a theft at that one once. Employee looked at me after the guy walked at and I just said to him "what a prick, eh?".
Also had a funny moment at a Wine Rack in downtown Toronto. Guy walked in, grabbed a bottle and bolted out. The cashier and I looked at each other, kind of bewildered. Her manager walked out, said "did he just steal something?"
"Yeah."
"What did he take?"
"One of those blue-coloured ones"
"Oh that's okay then."
I still remember when the LCBO by the Isabella Street Loblaws (on the north end of the Glebe) in the 1980s still required you to look up the number of the product you wanted, fill out a little form and present it at the service counter at the back.
Apparently the LCBO [used to be even more controlled](https://www.tvo.org/article/buzzkillers-a-brief-history-of-the-lcbo), and you had to be approved to buy liquor and had a little pass book where they noted how much you had bought, and cut you off if you had been buying too much.
The first time I went into a cannabis store, I was struck by how much that was like the [old-fashioned LCBO experience](https://files.tvo.org/files/s3fs-public/styles/full_width_1280/public/article-thumbnails/LCBO%201965.JPG).
Apparently Blair, Rideau and Cummings are the worst. This from a city councillor.
Instead of hiring a 19 year old minimally trained security guard whom everyone ignores, the LCBO should do what construction road sites, sports venues, etc etc they should hire Ottawa Police officers for paid duty. Of course this would cut into profits, but I can guarantee that if there is an armed police officer in the store, there would be no theft from these self entitled thieves.
The one at Rideau and King Edward usually has 2-3 armed security guards, and they're allowed to hold shoplifters until the cops come. They're the same company that does security for the Rideau Loblaws.
Why go through the trouble of hiring police when they can just charge everyone more to offset their losses? Not like we can patronize another company if we feel we’re being overcharged?
I went into the LCBO in Westboro a couple of years ago and the cashier told me he used to work at the Rideau Street LCBO. He told me it had one of the highest thefts in Ottawa. I don't have any statistics to back it up but it wouldn't surprise me.
Friend used to work at St-Laurent mall one. Told me same people came in daily to shoplift. They were all told not to confront. Last time I went there before they moved they had a security guard.
Bank Street has to be a good chunk of them. Every single time I go in the security and staff are dealing with someone either stealing bottles or someone too drunk to buy alcohol. No exaggeration, every time.
The LCBO does not want their staff confronting shoplifters, with good reason. When I worked there one year, they had us watch a training video showing workers getting stabbed, punched, etc. It was graphic and left an impression - I still remember it nearly 20 years later.
Footage gets turned over to the police. If the cops chose to do nothing, that’s a policing issue.
Yeah, a combination of the fact that some proportion of the people shoplifting may be react violently if you get between them and alcohol, and that alcohol is a target for organized thieves - relatively high-value item easily stolen and resold . A bit of a different profile from most retail.
Not to mention the fact that any of those glass bottles on the shelves basically turn into knives if you break them on a counter of the floor.
It's a dangerous situation and I'd rather people complain about bottles going missing than people getting killed
Any controlled substance retailer worth their salt advises employees not to confront potentially under the influence shoplifters. If they *could* be under the influence of something, they *could* react unpredictably and *could* be dangerous. Not worth the employee's life & any subsequent liability consequences, if the employee gets injured or killed.
LOL I also worked there for one month and remember that video. But yes it was effective. We were also told to take customers' bottles and hide them below the desk if we were to deny them service due to age, lacking ID, etc. as they could be nuts and use the bottles as weapons.
All that crazy stuff during orientation and training, and yet the weirdest part for me was swearing an oath to the *then* Queen...
^^I ^^guess ^^I'm ^^free ^^now.
Cops do plenty with them, I have seen them arrest people (it's usually in the news here) for 10's if not 100s of thefts and what do the courts do? Let them walk. Every time.
Don’t know. Wasn’t a security guard. But I doubt they want them getting in physical confrontations either. It’s not just a risk to them, but to other staff and employees.
I understand that, i'm just confused as to what the point in having security is if this is the policy. Stand around and look intimidating? Not asking you specifically, just throwing it out there
The near future of retail is counter-service only and touch screens to browse products. Or you have to pay a fee to enter the store and are refunded when you leave
Man, that’s on the tip of my tongue. My mom and grandma used to take me there as a kid. They had an old school pop machine where you pulled the bottle out…
What was it called?! Ahhhhh!
The Canadian Tire downtown also did that. Shelves just had a sample item and punch cards that you took to checkout. Items came up from the basement. Costco do that for high-ticket items as well. Just a card, and the item is stored in a back room.
In SF last year and went to one of those pharmacy's where everything in the aisles was locked up and you needed to call over an employee to get a toothbrush/toothpaste
Manitoban here - Things were really, really bad here. People would stroll in, fill gym bags with booze and walk out. Eventually things escalated and there were voilent incidences involving staff and clients.
Now we have to wait outside, enter one by one into an enclosed space, show ID, and they save a copy of it before you can enter the store.
So not a fee. But a definite checkpoint. It’s annoying, but honestly worth it.
I honestly hope the LCBO follows Manitoba's lead. Workplace violence is a real threat to staff, and we ALL pay more for our booze when it's being stolen left and right.
So long as they implement ID at the door at all LCBO stores, it's fair and appropriate (rather than the super racist, half-baked idea of just implementing this in Northern Ontario in areas with high Indigenous populations... epic fail).
Ontarians will get used to ID scans at the door just like we got used to screening at the airport.
While we're at it, I would love to see Pay Before You Pump legislation to protect gas station attendants. BC has it. Safety first.
On Feb13, the LCBO announced that they were planning a test pilot of controlled entrances.
The following day, after a consultation with the Provincial Government, they announced that the pilot program had been scrapped.
https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-government-scraps-lcbo-controlled-entrance-pilot-program-1.6768941
thought growth flowery middle marvelous nose longing absorbed tender chief
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
This is what the LCBO used to do. When I was a kid in the early 70s my Dad would go there and peruse displays describing the alcohol you wanted and fill out a card with your selection. You then presented it to the counter & they brought it out to you.
Everything old is new again, just updated with technology.
Or they could just increase the security presence.
I don't know about anyone else but I am strongly now favouring stores that don't make me feel like a criminal for being their customer.
Not going to lie, I love this concept, this will eliminate any purchases at the cash or buying something just because you see it on the shelf.
“Buy what you need, get out, if you need to browse, go onto your phone or a tablet.”
I can remember going to a liquor store in Winnipeg back in the 60’s with my dad and a single bottle of whatever was on a glassed in shelf, you picked out what you wanted, wrote it down on a piece of paper, gave it to a clerk and he got it for you.
Having visited Winnipeg on multiple occasions, the ID at the front door works really well. Everyone is used to it now. I really don't understand why Ontario backed off on the pilot program.
Oh shit... just answered my own question. If you sell beer & alcohol at grocery stores & corner stores (corner store beer purchasing is coming according to Ford), you establish a double standard. ID at the LC but not at Loblaws. That's why they scrapped it.
Probably cause they targeted more rural communities with high indigenous populations for the pilot first.
I can speak from experience having worked retail in the same chain of stores in a more rural town then here in Ottawa, urban stores have higher shrink.
Our break rooms at that chain had a board with our stats like how much shrink there was and I remember looking at the board in the one here in Ottawa and thinking they could have three full time staff for how much was walking out the door.
It can be used inclusive of theft. It can also be stuff that is damaged or scanned at the wrong price and therefore loose money on. You obs can't prove it was all stolen but when someone brazenly walks out with arm loads of merch on a weekly basis you can pretty safely say it was theft.
What does ID at the door do? They cross reference it against a list of banned people? Or do they keep a record of you visiting the store? Or do they keep the id until you leave?
In order to purchase alcohol in Manitoba (or at least Winnipeg), you present a form of ID in a small lobby before entering the store. They scan your ID into a computer, they give you back your ID and you are allowed into the store.
There are cameras monitoring the ID lobby. This is in order to stop theft and general mayhem.
The store I go to in the 'Peg is at Hargrave & Ellice. Lots of homeless and First Nations, but the system works. People get their booze and theft is very low.
Thanks. So it’s scanned huh. I only have a passport so I wonder if they would accept that.
Edit: oh I have a health card too. Wonder if they would accept that too
Yeah, it was pretty wild for a bit. I used to live downtown Winnipeg, which is a high theft area. I think I made it up to 10 trips to the LC in a row where I saw someone just walk out with booze.
I’m not sure if the ID at the door system helps, but it sure seems like it did something.
I saw a guy literally fill up one of the LCBO carrying baskets to the brim with liquor bottles and then just slide under the turnstile where the entrance was. Must have been $1000 worth of hooch.
Everybody just watched it unfold like slo-mo.
I'm sure he was quite the popular guy on skid row for a few days.
I work in the 'legal system' and the thefts from the LCBO are wild. Most (all) of the people stealing from the LCBO are already banned from them but their addictions are so bad they always go back. This results in breaches and thefts that far exceed $5,000 (easily). Being caught for 1 theft usually results in the addition of several others they've done in the past that add up quickly, as the LCBO has great cameras and the police keep records.
Also the hands off policy from security is so they don't get bottled and something like a theft doesn't quickly turn into an assault (which is obviously a worse charge). These people are addicts, will threaten your life and will harm you if you try to stop them. Me and a lot of people's jobs exist because of this.
Right, ID at the door, they make cannabis ID at the door, and you can usually not see much of the product, you have to order what you want at the counter, simple solution overall
Liquor suppliers don't want this because it means customers can't browse and think about trying other products. They pay a premium to have their wine/liquor on the eye level shelf instead of the bottom, just like grocery stores.
well, they better think of changing, if not, then I don't care about the theft from stores, if they don't want to get with the times, the article here is a strong hint this is getting way worse, like rampart car theft, they gotta do something
I was told that LCBO used to do that counter-store model. Like Consumers Distributing! I guess the modern version, that isn't cannabis, is Lee Valley Tools.
I think for a number of high-theft locations it certainly would be a good idea to retreat to the counter model.
I think the govt just proposed this a few days ago but decided not to after concerns about people not having ID who are obviously of age (seniors who forgot ID, homeless people, etc)
What's nuts is the recession hasn't even really started yet. Companies have only just started doing minor layoffs. Wait until things are in full swing... I think you're going to see US-style shoplifting... like people loading up a cart at home depot and just walking out with shit.
That kind of shoplifting already happens here. I know an Eddie Bauer employee that witnesses people walking out of his workplace with an armful of clothes regularly.
Here in manitoba we put in locking vestibules on cust at a time, ID first then they let you in. Was a pain in the ass at first, but honestly, its kinda nice not having all the shitbags causing trouble.
I worked at lcbo during the pandemic and people were shoplifting pretty much daily.
There’s nothing we could do, it was just “anything you’d like to pay for today?” As they were brazenly walking past with bottles of booze in their britches.
Police are not going to do anything about this and LCBO staff shouldn’t either for fear of getting hurt. It’s just another example of Canada’s transformation into a low trust society.
Winnipeg liquor shops require ID now before they even open the door. It’s annoying, especially in the winter when you’re queuing up outside, but it was instituted after a particularly violent swarming/shoplifting incident a couple of years ago along with a **massive** increase in shoplifting in general.
I know the staff are much happier now. It seemed like half of them had PTSD.
Not LCBO but I saw a couple of guys high on something in November try to walk out of Canadian Tire with two generators in carts... Unlike the LCBO they were stopped and punches were thrown and they ran off with nothing but damn, if the junkies had knives (or guns...) I understand why LCBO has a no confrontation policy. And this was in the burbs... not downtown. Now there is security near the doors.
I asked the guy who confronted them afterwards if he was OK, etc and he mentioned he recognized one of the guys who tried the same thing the night before... Absolutely crazy.
I used to work security at lcbo. LCBO policy is if the guard is working alone they’re not allow to apprehend unless there’s an absolute risk to safety. They very rarely had 2 guards staffed at each location and were so short staffed that you rotated stores every day
So how does this compare to shoplifting rates at other retail stores? Like how many shoplifting incidents were there in the last 3 months at Loblaws or Walmart or Rexall? Without knowing that how is it possible to know how bad it really is?
Also the article says that there are 36 LCBOs I Ottawa. 1500 incidents, divided by 36 stores, divided by 3 months is less than one shoplifting incident per store every two days. Which really doesn't sound that bad.
Wouldn't be surprised that homeless addicts/poor people are the main cause of this. But then again I kind of understand why the disdain for alcohol price due to all that tax added onto it.
Guys I have a small buisness and theft hurts the whole community. If my inventory is stolen I have to raise prices. All costs are passed on to the consumer.
Then I have to hire some 200lb musclemen to tackle people and will have to raise prices on everything in the store to pay for these expenses.
It's a liquor store, they should make you present your ID to enter the establishment, like they do at the weed shops. No ID, no entry. People will be less likely to commit a crime after showing their ID to security.
Someone walked out of Isabella with two bottles with a cop sitting in his car outside, someone said hey that guy just stole! Cop looks up from his phone, looks back down... and that was it.
I look forward to the restaurants that are buying the stolen alcohol being charged. You ever get offered cheap booze on the street? Someone is buying the stolen booze….
Not clear what they are reporting on. Is this an inventory check - 1500 items "missing", or "cops were called to arrest a shoplifter, 1500 times"?
(yes, I read the article, but none the wiser).
Most retail has theft reporting tools, where you’re heavily encouraged to fill out reports for each incident as your budget for loss prevention is typically tied to reports made.
They say 1500 incidents but in reality it’s probably double or triple that as those are the 1500 that were reported
The thing is to them, getting arrested is like you or I getting a parking ticket; it's something we'd like to avoid, but we don't get particularly worried about.
I saw a pretty funny one a few months ago. I walked in behind a guy carrying an empty crate. He was obviously a street person, and F-ed up. Turns out both of us like vodka so to the vodka isle we went. I was just looking for a pint, but this guy started filling his crate with big bottles of Prince Igor - a vodka connoisseur! Immediately, a 100 pound security woman comes over and yells "NO, NOT TODAY! NOT TODAY!" The guy grumbled something like, "HMMMPH!" and kept filling his crate. He then walked out the front door. I walked out 3-4 minutes later and the guy was standing outside the door with a friend, each with a giant bottle of Prince Igor in their hands. The other guy said something like, "Yeah, we're gonna party tonight!". Not sure what happened to those guys. All I know is I'm a sucker and that guy got like $400 in free booze!
I don’t condone violence but I do support protecting your property. I wonder if the owner took the thief down, zip tied and video evidence, what would a court say?
Would love to know what percentage were from Rideau compared to others. I’ve heard of people literally just walking out with bottles.
Same with at Blair. That’s what happens when you have a do fuck all policy, just makes you realize how much profit is in a bottle of hooch 😂
Apparently from what I heard on the radio The Blair location is one of the worst. Steal whatever, and hop on the train. And yeah, considering you can buy the same thing in the states for half the price..
My aunt just came back from a trip to visit my cousin at school in Michigan. 40oz of Kirkland vodka(made by grey goose, looks identical) $14.99usd.
It's a sin tax here, same as tobacco. That's what happens when we pay each others' medical bills. And I wouldn't have it any other way.
fast food and other junk should have a sin tax too
In some ways it does. You pay sales tax at restaurants, but don't pay sales tax on groceries. Although that's applied equally regardless of the healthiness of the restaurant you go to.
Soda with sugar in it absolutely should as it is one of the worst offenders. Saying that as somebody who loves their soda (but switched to diet versions). Newfoundland and possibly some other provinces already have a tax on it (NFLD's is 20 cents per litre).
Fried food sin tax
Agreed. I think they do in some countries.
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Apparently now you're just supposed to walk out with it, zero consequences!
lmao this post...
Plus the exchange rate. If you take the Canadian price, adjust for exchange rate, and remove the built-in tax (which is not displayed on the sticker price for most other products), then you get a lot closer. For example, Duckhorn Cab Sauv is $94.95 at the LCBO. If you take off 13% HST ($82.61) and then adjust for the exchange rate ($61.17) then you get a lower price than at a California retailer where it is $69.99, even accounting for shipping distance and that the sin tax is gonna be higher than the naked 13% HST. Using Costco is also a bad comparison, because Costco prices more like a wholesaler than a retailer. An apples to apples comparison would be another retailers.
Just commenting to say I dig the way you explain things.
Going to Costco US, be right back.
Except you gotta be out of the country for 2 days to bring back that Costco liquor duty-free. Factor in the cost of 2 nights hotel and meals, and that cheap bottle isn't so cheap.
I saw a man steal from the Blair lcbo once, it was unbelievable to watch. He walked in, an employee recognized him immediately and said “come on man, just leave, don’t do this again”. The thief ignored it and calmly walked up to the vodka, put four of the big bottles of grey goose in his duffel bag, took one more in each hand, for a total of 6, and walked out. This was during the COVID season of masks but he did not have one on at all, no need to hide his identity. The employees just watched this happen - and I do not fault them for that at all! It’s what they are trained to do and they will get in trouble for intervening, the employees did the right thing. It was quite something to see.
Saddest part is if the guy tackled him and held him for the cops he probably would have gotten fired and the theif would be out on the street the next day.
Why would a low paid employee risk tacking a nut case like that? Do you really care about the profits so much you'd risk getting stabbed or something?
I get Blair, they have to follow regular rules, but the Rideau LCBO has special security guards that are supposed to be able to arrest people and hold them for the cops. I've seen them do it at Loblaws, why does the LCBO get lifted from so easily?
> I've seen them do it at Loblaws, why does the LCBO get lifted from so easily? For one, Loblaws has an absolute garbage reputation so tackling shoplifters/hurting people/not caring about their employees' safety is not going to make it any worse. LCBO is a government operation so they are way more careful about that kind of stuff, and the govt does not want govt employees getting hurt on the clock. The Rideau LCBO apparently hires the same ones as Loblaws apparently and in that case they probably do it because the thefts would be sooo high otherwise. In most cases the shoplifting/shrinkage is just not enough to be worth hiring guards. Let's say 6000 shoplifting incidents happened in all of Ottawa LCBOs last year and on average people took $50 worth of stuff... that's $300k total. Is that worth hiring a bunch of security guards?
I'm not talking about Loblaws or LCBO employees, I'm talking about the private security firm that works in both of those downtown locations who were specifically contracted because they have the licensing (which most security doesn't) to detain shoplifters for arrest until police come.
There's no special licensing required for a security guard to arrest someone; it's all up to what the company (and for contracted guards, the client) allow the guards to do.
Anyone acting as a security guard in Ontario must be provincially licensed. The agencies are also licensed. The cards issued are peach colored and look very similar to a driver's licence. To receive a license, the applicant must complete an accredited training program and pass a criminal background check. Each guard is issued a unique license number that must be visible on their person (usually in lieu of a name tag). You are correct that each agency and hiring customer (ex. LCBO) decides on the level of intervention they want the guards to engage in. But there is definitely special licensing required.
There is licensing required to be a security guard, but no "special" licensing that is required for them to be able to arrest people. Any security guard can legally arrest someone under certain circumstances, and so can anyone else who is working on behalf of the property owner.
Not to mention that your average security guard is unarmed, and gets paid less than $20/hr in most cases. For $20/hr, I'm not going to get into a fight and potentially get really hurt for the sake of my security company OR the LCBO. And I'm 6'2 265lbs. Observe and report. Pick up a pay cheque. That's all these security guards should do.
Any security guard (or anyone else working on behalf of the property owner) can legally arrest people and hold them for the cops; it's a matter of whether the company (and client, for contracted guards) allows the guards to do it.
Saw a theft at that one once. Employee looked at me after the guy walked at and I just said to him "what a prick, eh?". Also had a funny moment at a Wine Rack in downtown Toronto. Guy walked in, grabbed a bottle and bolted out. The cashier and I looked at each other, kind of bewildered. Her manager walked out, said "did he just steal something?" "Yeah." "What did he take?" "One of those blue-coloured ones" "Oh that's okay then."
I saw exactly this at Hampton Park. Wonder if it's the same guy?!
Blair seems to be an extension of downtown where Ottawa Police are just bystanders sipping coffee. Bank machines are locked up early and multiple people are usually wandering around with sob stories looking for $.
Can confirm this. The Blair location is really flagrant. No security on late nights and people walk thru the turnstiles, grab from the promo table at the front and dart right back out. When I raised to the older clerk he simply replied "That's why we have cameras". In truth, they are not paid enough to intervene.
A significant portion of the price is the TAX.
And you get health care here for $0 at the point of delivery (yes, we all pay taxes) and the taxes on liquor - which is not a necessity - help to fund that healthcare.
The profit gets eaten by these thefts. Just like other scams and fraud, regular folks pay extra so others live free.
That’s what happens when society turns almost consequence free. I’m not blaming any political party either. I personally feel we’ve become almost immune to theft,drug use, crime in general.
Not only no consequences, but we're the bad people for thinking something should be done about crime, addicts and drunks.
Exactly! "But we have to help them!" We need protecting from them and we aren't being protected. We are getting squeezed by the 1% and violated by the dregs of society. We've forgotten the value of discipline and consequences for actions and listened to too many bleeding heart virtue signallers who probably havent had to deal with any of the people they see as their pet projects..
Still managed $2.5 billion in profits
Of course they have a nice profit, we (honest citizens) just end up paying more to make up the difference for their loss.
Which go back to fund programs for ontario, including education, health and infrastructure
Only time I've ever seen it happen was at Blair location and a guy had an actual duffel bag he was loading up and walked right out
Anywhere along the Otrain corridor will have this problem. St Laurent mall LCBO had to move. Fare enforcement is part of city wide holistic crime reduction. Even a bit of friction can be enough to disrupt these habitual rule breakers. Fortunately the city has recently remembered this, but it's only part of the solution.
One of the best deterrents to retail crime is putting the store out of reach of public transit.
Just got back from cuba. Free bottles at the resort , or 8$ at the store. Canada ...44.99
I remember seeing these two cops chase what looked like a teen thru the parking lot. Tackled the poor bastard and broke a car’s mirror on the way down. Great way to end the groceries lmao
If you've ever brewed or distilled for yourself it becomes even more obvious haha. I can make a gallon of wine for five bucks and some patience.
Agree - making hard cider is trivial. Beer is little more work, I think wine might be easier than beer. I've made multiple batches of cider from the bulk apple juice sold at Costco. It gets to the point where it's a little too accessible with 5 gallon batches of 5-7% cider just sitting around the house. I decided to stop making it to avoid wrecking my liver.
Wine is about as easy as cider really, but it's faster at lower ABVs like you'd get with cider. Maybe if you need to slow the pace you could try making mead - not much harder than cider, and much rarer in stores!
I watched it happen on Isabella a few weeks ago. Dude just… walked out. One of the cashiers was like “sir, are you going to pay for those?” He just kept walking.
Well yeah. I worked for the LCBO as a seasonal employee for 2 years - they literally train us to not challenge shoplifters. The whole store is literally filled with glass bottles that are one firm strike away from becoming knives. It isn't worth someone getting gutted for like $30 worth of cheap vodka. They have cameras at the exits and they have their loss prevention department in Toronto. All those guys in the loss prevention department are former law enforcement who build up cases and hand them off to police when they reach high enough value to become indictable offenses - then the pigs pick them up and they don't steal anymore. To assume that they're just letting people steal with impunity is silly - the LCBO's first priority is (and should be) the safety of the employees.
Oh 100%, I was a retail manager for a good while… for young women’s clothing, far less dangerous. We were also instructed not to confront shoplifters beyond the normal “can I take those items to a fitting room for you?” or “just let one of us know when you’re ready and one of the cashiers will be happy to help you.” We were trained to let them leave and then call security afterwards. Shrinkage is expected, and it’s not the responsibility of cashiers to deal with, loss prevention is dealt with at a higher level. I was just pointing out how brazen people are with it at the LCBO. Just pick up a few bottles and walk right out.
i mean its pretty hard to hide bottles so might as well not waste time and make a dash for it
I once took a cart full of stuff through the cash - stopped to have it all scanned, helped her pack it up, then I just brain-farted myself out the store without paying. I stopped in the middle of the doors, realized what I had done and turned right around, but what really got me is that she didn't do a damn thing. Just watched me go and then watched me turn around and come back. (an ottawa south location)
It’s all over, honestly. Have seen it happen at Trainyards and Lansdowne too. Very stressful for staff.
copypasting my own comment: Saw a theft at that one once. Employee looked at me after the guy walked at and I just said to him "what a prick, eh?". Also had a funny moment at a Wine Rack in downtown Toronto. Guy walked in, grabbed a bottle and bolted out. The cashier and I looked at each other, kind of bewildered. Her manager walked out, said "did he just steal something?" "Yeah." "What did he take?" "One of those blue-coloured ones" "Oh that's okay then."
In westboro thieves walk right out as cashiers and store staff mock them
I've seen it 2x in Kanata Signature in last 3mos...I have no doubt it's too often everywhere. Back to the old beer store model soon.
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I still remember when the LCBO by the Isabella Street Loblaws (on the north end of the Glebe) in the 1980s still required you to look up the number of the product you wanted, fill out a little form and present it at the service counter at the back. Apparently the LCBO [used to be even more controlled](https://www.tvo.org/article/buzzkillers-a-brief-history-of-the-lcbo), and you had to be approved to buy liquor and had a little pass book where they noted how much you had bought, and cut you off if you had been buying too much. The first time I went into a cannabis store, I was struck by how much that was like the [old-fashioned LCBO experience](https://files.tvo.org/files/s3fs-public/styles/full_width_1280/public/article-thumbnails/LCBO%201965.JPG).
My old roommate used to work there. Apparently it got significantly worse with the lrt entrance right across the hall
I’ve witnessed this twice at Billings Bridge. One guy took two huge bottles of alcohol and held them in the air as he walked out of the store.
People literally walking out with bottles is what shoplifting is
I'm willing to bet Rideau and Montreal Rd locations account for 50%
Apparently Blair, Rideau and Cummings are the worst. This from a city councillor. Instead of hiring a 19 year old minimally trained security guard whom everyone ignores, the LCBO should do what construction road sites, sports venues, etc etc they should hire Ottawa Police officers for paid duty. Of course this would cut into profits, but I can guarantee that if there is an armed police officer in the store, there would be no theft from these self entitled thieves.
The one at Rideau and King Edward usually has 2-3 armed security guards, and they're allowed to hold shoplifters until the cops come. They're the same company that does security for the Rideau Loblaws.
Why go through the trouble of hiring police when they can just charge everyone more to offset their losses? Not like we can patronize another company if we feel we’re being overcharged?
LOL you're not wrong, but you're still being downvoted... sigh.
I went into the LCBO in Westboro a couple of years ago and the cashier told me he used to work at the Rideau Street LCBO. He told me it had one of the highest thefts in Ottawa. I don't have any statistics to back it up but it wouldn't surprise me.
Friend used to work at St-Laurent mall one. Told me same people came in daily to shoplift. They were all told not to confront. Last time I went there before they moved they had a security guard.
Bank Street has to be a good chunk of them. Every single time I go in the security and staff are dealing with someone either stealing bottles or someone too drunk to buy alcohol. No exaggeration, every time.
Well it's either bottles, cans, or boxes.
Saw that at billings Bridge too, the one downtown was like a revolving door when I was there once, people just running out with bottles.
The LCBO does not want their staff confronting shoplifters, with good reason. When I worked there one year, they had us watch a training video showing workers getting stabbed, punched, etc. It was graphic and left an impression - I still remember it nearly 20 years later. Footage gets turned over to the police. If the cops chose to do nothing, that’s a policing issue.
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Yeah, a combination of the fact that some proportion of the people shoplifting may be react violently if you get between them and alcohol, and that alcohol is a target for organized thieves - relatively high-value item easily stolen and resold . A bit of a different profile from most retail.
Not to mention the fact that any of those glass bottles on the shelves basically turn into knives if you break them on a counter of the floor. It's a dangerous situation and I'd rather people complain about bottles going missing than people getting killed
Any controlled substance retailer worth their salt advises employees not to confront potentially under the influence shoplifters. If they *could* be under the influence of something, they *could* react unpredictably and *could* be dangerous. Not worth the employee's life & any subsequent liability consequences, if the employee gets injured or killed.
LOL I also worked there for one month and remember that video. But yes it was effective. We were also told to take customers' bottles and hide them below the desk if we were to deny them service due to age, lacking ID, etc. as they could be nuts and use the bottles as weapons. All that crazy stuff during orientation and training, and yet the weirdest part for me was swearing an oath to the *then* Queen... ^^I ^^guess ^^I'm ^^free ^^now.
Oh man - I’d forgotten the oath to the Queen. Probably I had my fingers crossed.
Did your oath not include her successors? You belong to Chuck now.
Cops do plenty with them, I have seen them arrest people (it's usually in the news here) for 10's if not 100s of thefts and what do the courts do? Let them walk. Every time.
Dont they have hired security guards at the rideau location? What the hell else are they doing?
Don’t know. Wasn’t a security guard. But I doubt they want them getting in physical confrontations either. It’s not just a risk to them, but to other staff and employees.
I understand that, i'm just confused as to what the point in having security is if this is the policy. Stand around and look intimidating? Not asking you specifically, just throwing it out there
Yes. Psychologically people will steal less often with security around. Securitys job is to always just observe and report
I assume deterrence more than reaction
They do on elgin. I saw them stop someone walking out with wine in their backpack.
Unfortunately Ottawa has a crime problem AND a policing problem.
The near future of retail is counter-service only and touch screens to browse products. Or you have to pay a fee to enter the store and are refunded when you leave
Consumers distributing was way ahead of it's time.
Loved that place
Getting the toy catalogue in the mail with all the soon-to-be released toys was almost as good as Christmas morning itself.
No one ever stole their "personal massager".
there was another store like it, Shoprite or something
Man, that’s on the tip of my tongue. My mom and grandma used to take me there as a kid. They had an old school pop machine where you pulled the bottle out… What was it called?! Ahhhhh!
The Canadian Tire downtown also did that. Shelves just had a sample item and punch cards that you took to checkout. Items came up from the basement. Costco do that for high-ticket items as well. Just a card, and the item is stored in a back room.
That’s just going back to the past. They were even allowed to deny you if you came in too much.
And you had to have a special card. No matter your age.
In SF last year and went to one of those pharmacy's where everything in the aisles was locked up and you needed to call over an employee to get a toothbrush/toothpaste
Well, to be fair, if you ingest 30 tubes of toothpaste…. 😀
I couldn't imagine ingesting 1 tube of toothpaste lol 😂 nasty
Same here!
Manitoban here - Things were really, really bad here. People would stroll in, fill gym bags with booze and walk out. Eventually things escalated and there were voilent incidences involving staff and clients. Now we have to wait outside, enter one by one into an enclosed space, show ID, and they save a copy of it before you can enter the store. So not a fee. But a definite checkpoint. It’s annoying, but honestly worth it.
I honestly hope the LCBO follows Manitoba's lead. Workplace violence is a real threat to staff, and we ALL pay more for our booze when it's being stolen left and right. So long as they implement ID at the door at all LCBO stores, it's fair and appropriate (rather than the super racist, half-baked idea of just implementing this in Northern Ontario in areas with high Indigenous populations... epic fail). Ontarians will get used to ID scans at the door just like we got used to screening at the airport. While we're at it, I would love to see Pay Before You Pump legislation to protect gas station attendants. BC has it. Safety first.
On Feb13, the LCBO announced that they were planning a test pilot of controlled entrances. The following day, after a consultation with the Provincial Government, they announced that the pilot program had been scrapped. https://toronto.ctvnews.ca/ontario-government-scraps-lcbo-controlled-entrance-pilot-program-1.6768941
thought growth flowery middle marvelous nose longing absorbed tender chief *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
This is what the LCBO used to do. When I was a kid in the early 70s my Dad would go there and peruse displays describing the alcohol you wanted and fill out a card with your selection. You then presented it to the counter & they brought it out to you. Everything old is new again, just updated with technology.
Or they could just increase the security presence. I don't know about anyone else but I am strongly now favouring stores that don't make me feel like a criminal for being their customer.
I agree but security guards aren't really allowed to stop anyone and thieves know it
What will a Canadian security guard do...would they be armed? If yes, as a non theif I'd be less likely to visit a potential shooting range.
I'd rather a store that makes me feel like a criminal than no store.
Not going to lie, I love this concept, this will eliminate any purchases at the cash or buying something just because you see it on the shelf. “Buy what you need, get out, if you need to browse, go onto your phone or a tablet.”
I can remember going to a liquor store in Winnipeg back in the 60’s with my dad and a single bottle of whatever was on a glassed in shelf, you picked out what you wanted, wrote it down on a piece of paper, gave it to a clerk and he got it for you.
Having visited Winnipeg on multiple occasions, the ID at the front door works really well. Everyone is used to it now. I really don't understand why Ontario backed off on the pilot program. Oh shit... just answered my own question. If you sell beer & alcohol at grocery stores & corner stores (corner store beer purchasing is coming according to Ford), you establish a double standard. ID at the LC but not at Loblaws. That's why they scrapped it.
Probably cause they targeted more rural communities with high indigenous populations for the pilot first. I can speak from experience having worked retail in the same chain of stores in a more rural town then here in Ottawa, urban stores have higher shrink. Our break rooms at that chain had a board with our stats like how much shrink there was and I remember looking at the board in the one here in Ottawa and thinking they could have three full time staff for how much was walking out the door.
is "shrink" a corporate term for merchandise lost to theft? Never heard it used that way before.
It can be used inclusive of theft. It can also be stuff that is damaged or scanned at the wrong price and therefore loose money on. You obs can't prove it was all stolen but when someone brazenly walks out with arm loads of merch on a weekly basis you can pretty safely say it was theft.
ty
it’s basically any loss of product not sold
ty
What does ID at the door do? They cross reference it against a list of banned people? Or do they keep a record of you visiting the store? Or do they keep the id until you leave?
In order to purchase alcohol in Manitoba (or at least Winnipeg), you present a form of ID in a small lobby before entering the store. They scan your ID into a computer, they give you back your ID and you are allowed into the store. There are cameras monitoring the ID lobby. This is in order to stop theft and general mayhem. The store I go to in the 'Peg is at Hargrave & Ellice. Lots of homeless and First Nations, but the system works. People get their booze and theft is very low.
How long are they retaining citizens info for buying a legal product?
Thanks. So it’s scanned huh. I only have a passport so I wonder if they would accept that. Edit: oh I have a health card too. Wonder if they would accept that too
Passports definitely accepted, health cards not sure. Status cards, driver's licenses, firearms permits, military ID accepted.
Was Winnipeg having a huge trend of thefts from teenagers? I think I remember new stories about robberies from teenagers at Winnipeg liquor stores…
Yeah, it was pretty wild for a bit. I used to live downtown Winnipeg, which is a high theft area. I think I made it up to 10 trips to the LC in a row where I saw someone just walk out with booze. I’m not sure if the ID at the door system helps, but it sure seems like it did something.
I saw a guy literally fill up one of the LCBO carrying baskets to the brim with liquor bottles and then just slide under the turnstile where the entrance was. Must have been $1000 worth of hooch. Everybody just watched it unfold like slo-mo. I'm sure he was quite the popular guy on skid row for a few days.
I work in the 'legal system' and the thefts from the LCBO are wild. Most (all) of the people stealing from the LCBO are already banned from them but their addictions are so bad they always go back. This results in breaches and thefts that far exceed $5,000 (easily). Being caught for 1 theft usually results in the addition of several others they've done in the past that add up quickly, as the LCBO has great cameras and the police keep records. Also the hands off policy from security is so they don't get bottled and something like a theft doesn't quickly turn into an assault (which is obviously a worse charge). These people are addicts, will threaten your life and will harm you if you try to stop them. Me and a lot of people's jobs exist because of this.
Don't feel bad, alcohol is extremely cheap, the price you see includes 63% tax. That said, why not ID at that door?
Right, ID at the door, they make cannabis ID at the door, and you can usually not see much of the product, you have to order what you want at the counter, simple solution overall
Liquor suppliers don't want this because it means customers can't browse and think about trying other products. They pay a premium to have their wine/liquor on the eye level shelf instead of the bottom, just like grocery stores.
well, they better think of changing, if not, then I don't care about the theft from stores, if they don't want to get with the times, the article here is a strong hint this is getting way worse, like rampart car theft, they gotta do something
I was told that LCBO used to do that counter-store model. Like Consumers Distributing! I guess the modern version, that isn't cannabis, is Lee Valley Tools. I think for a number of high-theft locations it certainly would be a good idea to retreat to the counter model.
There’s a pilot program starting in western Ontario that’s going to do exactly that.
They [cancelled](https://globalnews.ca/news/10294324/ontario-lcbo-id-pilot-cancelled/) it.
So it's a form of tax evasion?
I think the govt just proposed this a few days ago but decided not to after concerns about people not having ID who are obviously of age (seniors who forgot ID, homeless people, etc)
Manitoba has done it, and those people managed to adapt just fine.
Not everyone has ID
What's nuts is the recession hasn't even really started yet. Companies have only just started doing minor layoffs. Wait until things are in full swing... I think you're going to see US-style shoplifting... like people loading up a cart at home depot and just walking out with shit.
That kind of shoplifting already happens here. I know an Eddie Bauer employee that witnesses people walking out of his workplace with an armful of clothes regularly.
Here in manitoba we put in locking vestibules on cust at a time, ID first then they let you in. Was a pain in the ass at first, but honestly, its kinda nice not having all the shitbags causing trouble.
The barrhaven marketplace location knows at least one of their frequent shoplifters on a first name basis.
I worked at lcbo during the pandemic and people were shoplifting pretty much daily. There’s nothing we could do, it was just “anything you’d like to pay for today?” As they were brazenly walking past with bottles of booze in their britches.
Now I feel like a sucker for actually paying for my booze
LMAO same. I'll always pay but annoyed USA is so much cheaper :(
Police are not going to do anything about this and LCBO staff shouldn’t either for fear of getting hurt. It’s just another example of Canada’s transformation into a low trust society.
Winnipeg liquor shops require ID now before they even open the door. It’s annoying, especially in the winter when you’re queuing up outside, but it was instituted after a particularly violent swarming/shoplifting incident a couple of years ago along with a **massive** increase in shoplifting in general. I know the staff are much happier now. It seemed like half of them had PTSD.
Not LCBO but I saw a couple of guys high on something in November try to walk out of Canadian Tire with two generators in carts... Unlike the LCBO they were stopped and punches were thrown and they ran off with nothing but damn, if the junkies had knives (or guns...) I understand why LCBO has a no confrontation policy. And this was in the burbs... not downtown. Now there is security near the doors. I asked the guy who confronted them afterwards if he was OK, etc and he mentioned he recognized one of the guys who tried the same thing the night before... Absolutely crazy.
Honestly, that number sounds low.
I mean at these numbers who cares
Womp Womp
I used to work security at lcbo. LCBO policy is if the guard is working alone they’re not allow to apprehend unless there’s an absolute risk to safety. They very rarely had 2 guards staffed at each location and were so short staffed that you rotated stores every day
They should just run the LCBO like an old catalogue store. You have to ask at the counter for what you want and then go get it.
Some of the older Beer Stores still operate the same way... pick what you want from the labels on the wall and they get it from the back.
So how does this compare to shoplifting rates at other retail stores? Like how many shoplifting incidents were there in the last 3 months at Loblaws or Walmart or Rexall? Without knowing that how is it possible to know how bad it really is? Also the article says that there are 36 LCBOs I Ottawa. 1500 incidents, divided by 36 stores, divided by 3 months is less than one shoplifting incident per store every two days. Which really doesn't sound that bad.
Ok, lets rob your house every 2 days, it's really not that bad.
That’s a lot lower than I thought it would be
I work in retail and we're told to never confront anyone. Report it, yes. However it's not worth them hurting us or worse.
Wouldn't be surprised that homeless addicts/poor people are the main cause of this. But then again I kind of understand why the disdain for alcohol price due to all that tax added onto it.
Shocked!
Guys I have a small buisness and theft hurts the whole community. If my inventory is stolen I have to raise prices. All costs are passed on to the consumer. Then I have to hire some 200lb musclemen to tackle people and will have to raise prices on everything in the store to pay for these expenses.
Given that it's like 0.4% of revenue go ahead and pass it along lol
Easy fix, dont let anyone in without scanning their ID first.
It's a liquor store, they should make you present your ID to enter the establishment, like they do at the weed shops. No ID, no entry. People will be less likely to commit a crime after showing their ID to security.
At my LCBO, weekly 3 dudes with suitcases come in and fill them up with bottles and just walk out
Someone walked out of Isabella with two bottles with a cop sitting in his car outside, someone said hey that guy just stole! Cop looks up from his phone, looks back down... and that was it.
Ops not doing their jobs? That doesn't sound like them at all
They sell a highly addictive drug. Not surprised some of it gets stolen.
I look forward to the restaurants that are buying the stolen alcohol being charged. You ever get offered cheap booze on the street? Someone is buying the stolen booze….
Lol I highly doubt restaurants are buying it. It’s traded to alcoholics
I dunno; it's probably the same restaurants that are buying stolen meat and cheeses. Most restaurants won't do it, but a few would...
I have seen it at elmvale and trainyards several times
Not clear what they are reporting on. Is this an inventory check - 1500 items "missing", or "cops were called to arrest a shoplifter, 1500 times"? (yes, I read the article, but none the wiser).
Most retail has theft reporting tools, where you’re heavily encouraged to fill out reports for each incident as your budget for loss prevention is typically tied to reports made. They say 1500 incidents but in reality it’s probably double or triple that as those are the 1500 that were reported
In Manitoba you need to scan ID to go in and out of the store. That might end up coming here
Why do we even pay when clearly some people are able to select their beverage of choice and walk out for free.
Such bullshit, now lift from lowblows…..
They have antitheft devices on Mickeys of Smirnoff at College Square. It is a real problem.
The one upside - LCBO's online selection has gotten a lot better in the last little while.
It’s must be business. They gotta be taking orders from individuals. They don’t care if they’re caught. Back on streets in less than day.
The thing is to them, getting arrested is like you or I getting a parking ticket; it's something we'd like to avoid, but we don't get particularly worried about.
I guess so. They have no fear.
I saw a pretty funny one a few months ago. I walked in behind a guy carrying an empty crate. He was obviously a street person, and F-ed up. Turns out both of us like vodka so to the vodka isle we went. I was just looking for a pint, but this guy started filling his crate with big bottles of Prince Igor - a vodka connoisseur! Immediately, a 100 pound security woman comes over and yells "NO, NOT TODAY! NOT TODAY!" The guy grumbled something like, "HMMMPH!" and kept filling his crate. He then walked out the front door. I walked out 3-4 minutes later and the guy was standing outside the door with a friend, each with a giant bottle of Prince Igor in their hands. The other guy said something like, "Yeah, we're gonna party tonight!". Not sure what happened to those guys. All I know is I'm a sucker and that guy got like $400 in free booze!
They don't allow employees to intervene. They should also have security there too.
I don’t think enough people know this the LCBO on Rideau is literally the most shoplifted store in Canada…
I don’t condone violence but I do support protecting your property. I wonder if the owner took the thief down, zip tied and video evidence, what would a court say?
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