14 THE ASSINIBOIA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE • FALL 2024
A S S I N I B O I A C H A M B E R O F C O M M E R C E
Prevention
and Protection:
Retail Theft and
the Winnipeg
Police Service
BUSINESS SECURITY & CRIME PREVENTION
By Wendy King
L
oss crimes can make it tough for
businesses to maintain their margins.
Loss crimes are the kind of black mark
that can put a ledger in the red.
Constable Justin Remillard says there
are strategies that can help reduce those
losses and keep staff safer. A 17-year
veteran of the Winnipeg Police Service,
he specializes as a crime prevention
officer trained in Crime Prevention
Through Environmental Design from the
National Institute of Crime Prevention.
To start, understand that prevention and protection
are two different things.
He explains that prevention is proactive. It's taking
measures to discourage ongoing crime or prevent it
from happening in the future.
"Say the business is trying to reduce theft - preven-
tion could be locking up high-end items behind the
counter," he says.
One often overlooked measure is to control access to
the premises.
continued on page 15
(Adobe Stock Photo)
