Crime Impacting Winnipeg’s 7-Eleven Stores Being Ignored by Politicians

Winnipeg’s 7-Eleven stores are in trouble. Theft is rampant. Some locations are losing hundreds of dollars daily. Company representatives met with the board to warn that theft levels remain unsustainable. The company previously told city councillors that ten stores were at risk of closing due to financial losses from crime, and some have already shut down. The numbers are staggering—one North End store alone reported over $323,500 in stolen goods. In just the first quarter of last year, nearly 1,000 thefts and robberies were recorded at North End locations. If this doesn’t sound alarms, what will?

We are witnessing the direct consequences of years of leniency. Police are stretched thin, responding to hundreds of calls per shift. The days of regular patrols proactively preventing crime are long gone. There aren’t enough officers to maintain a strong presence in high-crime areas. Instead of giving police the necessary resources, some suggest we should redirect funding elsewhere, arguing that more social programs will prevent crime. But where is the proof? How has this approach worked so far?

Some will argue that we are responsible for the sins of past centuries, that we must continue to pay, and that we must pay more taxes for programs without question. We are told that crime is the fault of an unequal society and that if we simply provided guaranteed income to all, theft would disappear. This is fantasy. The truth is that many hardworking Canadians struggle to make ends meet, yet they don’t resort to crime. They follow the law because they respect the order it provides.

Let’s be clear: The failure here is not a failure of compassion. It is a failure of accountability.

I spoke with someone from Toronto who has family in Winnipeg. They asked, “Do people really walk out of grocery stores with carts full of food?” The answer is yes. And people are afraid to stop them. Afraid of confrontation. Afraid of being labeled. Afraid of cancel culture. Employees are instructed not to intervene. Store owners take the loss, and we pay the cost. The message is clear: There are no consequences. But there should be.

The people who loudly advocate for defunding the police and eliminating jails are often the first to call the police when their own homes are broken into.

We cannot continue down this road. We have laws for a reason. These are not political laws; they are the laws of our land. They exist to ensure order and prevent chaos from overtaking our society. Yet we abandon them at our own peril.

Some say, “We can’t arrest our way out of this.” I disagree. We can’t keep arresting our way out of this, and that’s precisely what we’re doing with catch and release. There has to be a point where repeat offenders face genuine consequences. I am not advocating for excessive punishment. No one is suggesting 20 years in prison for a first-time shoplifter. But how long will we tolerate the erosion of accountability before we take action?

The current situation is unsustainable. The Winnipeg Police Service is trying to respond with a new retail theft initiative. They plan to coordinate closely with retailers and increase police presence in high-crime areas. The province has committed funding for police overtime in retail crime hot spots. These are steps in the right direction, but will they be enough? They are small bandages that are not sustainable, not to mention costly.

Is there a resource solution? Maybe we would be better off utilizing the Winnipeg Police Cadet Program. Right now, we have less than half the cadets we are allowed. These cadets are trained in de-escalation and cost significantly less than the recently developed transit security teams. Why aren’t we putting them in marked police vehicles and getting them on the streets? A visible presence of uniformed personnel patrolling high-crime areas would serve as a deterrent and reduce the burden on full-time officers. If we are serious about stopping retail theft, deploying cadets more effectively should be a priority.

Another tool that has proven successful in reducing crime is the expansion of surveillance cameras. More eyes on the street mean better evidence collection, better deterrence, and a stronger ability to hold criminals accountable. Cities that have increased their use of surveillance cameras have seen crime rates drop. Winnipeg needs to take a similar approach. We cannot afford to sustain overtime costs for police officers just to respond to shoplifting when the justice system is stuck in a cycle of catch and release. If criminals know they will be caught but not punished, the cycle continues. More cameras and better use of cadets can help break this pattern. However, this only works if criminals are held accountable.

If we do not take enforcement seriously and stop excusing criminal behavior under the guise of social justice, businesses will continue to close, and jobs will disappear. Neighborhoods will deteriorate. And honest, hardworking citizens will pay the price.

This is not about left or right. It’s about common sense. It’s about an alternative to the failure we are living through. It’s time to hold criminals accountable. Because if we don’t, who will?