Winnipeg business owners want retail theft initiative to be permanent [Video]

Small business owners want to see a temporary program that helps combat retail theft be made permanent.

The $1.9 million initiative was started by the provincial government by funding police overtime to beef up their presence in Osborne, the downtown and the West End.

Cobra Collectibles Shop on Sargent Avenue offers a wide variety of video games, toys, comics, and candy.

Along with the items for sale, they have other accessories that aren’t – security cameras, monitors, and mirrors – all to help with retail theft.

“They just come in, they grab stuff, they run out. (They’re) too quick for us to stop,” said co-owner Kailyn Gregorash.

Gregorash said things had become so bad that they even locked up the drink fridge.

“I don’t even know how many thousands (of dollars) a month it’s costing.”

However, she said the situation has been getting better, all because police officers are making …