Windsor Police crack down on shoplifters

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The Windsor Police Service is reporting an increase in the number of complaints that are leading to charges.

Chief of Police Jason Bellaire provided the update Thursday to the Windsor Police Services Board.

“We’ve got a 23 per cent increase in shoplifting cases that were cleared by charge,” Bellaire said. “And then, a corresponding 28 per cent decrease in shoplifting cases where the complainant did not wish to fulfill their obligations.”

According to Bellaire, shoplifting accounts for 20 per cent of all property crimes in the city — property crimes overall are down 28 per cent.

Bellaire was unavailable for an interview after the meeting to clarify if local retailers are legally obligated to report retail theft.

However, he did tell the board more and more retailers are coming to police.

“We’ve secured very strong partnerships with these primary corporate locations that, you know, are driving those statistics up,” Bellaire said.

The WPS website has an online reporting tool which features a specific spot for retailer to file shoplifting complaints.

The website indicates “..the complainant must be prepared to provide a witness statement and participate in the judicial process” in order to file a complaint online.