Victoria police make 42 arrests in retail theft crackdown

Victoria police patrol the downtown on Friday, May 13, 2022. (VicPD/Twitter)

Police in Victoria say officers have made 42 arrests and recovered approximately $10,000 in stolen merchandise during a four-day retail theft operation targeting repeat offenders.

One suspect, who was arrested twice within an hour at separate locations, had been released from custody on similar charges earlier that morning in Campbell River, B.C., the Victoria Police Department said in a statement Thursday.

Another suspect had been arrested during a previous iteration of the retail theft sting, dubbed Project Lifter, the statement said.

Victoria police Chief Del Manak said the department is "committed to addressing the long-term challenges posed by repeat and often violent theft" while sending "a clear message these behaviours are not acceptable."

Victoria police launched the retail theft enforcement project in December 2023 with funding from the provincial government's Special Investigations and Targeted Enforcement (SITE) program.

The three-year pilot program is intended to address violent and repeat offenders with increased funding and enhanced co-ordination between police departments.

Over three iterations of Project Lifter, the Victoria police have made 174 arrests and recovered more than $50,000 in stolen merchandise, according to the department.

The most recent enforcement effort was carried out on Dec. 6, 7, 13, and 14.

"Our work is not finished," Manak added.