Thefts from NLC Liquor Stores have increased twenty-fold in recent months, leading the corporation to implement greater security measures to stem losses, and protect staff.
NLC CEO Bruce Keating says thefts have increased from approximately $28,000 dollars in losses before the pandemic, to—if current trends continue unchecked—about $500,000 in the current fiscal year.
Keating says more troubling is the violent nature of the thefts.
(Bruce Keating)
Staff Being “Seriously Threatened”
They’ve had numerous incidents where staff have been threatened, “and seriously threatened,” says Keating. In one instance a staff member was threatened with a syringe, in another, a staff member was told that “I’ll be waiting for you” when they got off work. In another incident, says Keating, an off-duty police officer had to intervene, and in the last week or so a security officer was attacked by two people stealing from an NLC store.
Keating says the thefts are becoming more organized. Teams of two to five people are coming in working in concert; in some cases, dozens of bottles of product are being taken, and it appears as though the stores are being cased ahead of time.
NLC Implementing New Security Measures
As a result, NLC is implementing new security measures to help keep staff safe and thwart would-be thieves. That includes closing the access to adjacent grocery stores and teaming up with law enforcement officials.
They’re also moving ahead on enforcement of provisions within the Liquor Control Act which apply to the possession of contraband product.
