The recent announcement that Starbucks will be temporarily closing its Osborne location due to staff safety concerns is a glaring indicator of a much deeper societal issue. It’s not just about a coffee shop; it’s about the alarming state of public safety in our city — a problem that is beginning to have real and costly consequences for all of us.
This isn’t an isolated incident. Just take a stroll near Polo Park Mall, and you’ll hear about the rampant thefts that plague businesses like Home Depot, which reportedly suffers more thefts than most other locations in North America. It’s evident that crime is not just a buzzword used during election campaigns but a palpable threat that is already costing us all more at the checkout lines.
Over the last decade, Winnipeg has seen a worrying uptick in violent crime rates. In 1999, the city was patrolled by 27 cars per shift. Fast forward 25 years, despite significant increases in both population and geographical size, only 28 patrol cars are on duty per shift. This stark number is not just a statistic; it is a testament to the inadequate response of our local and federal governments to the growing needs of our community.
Read more in the Winnipeg Sun, click here.
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