South Simcoe police are investigating the alleged theft of multiple bottles of alcohol from the LCBO store on Innisfil Beach Road.
The department confirmed to Village Media that the incident occurred at the Alcona retailer May 21, shortly before closing time. A witness reports the apparent thieves stuffed the items into two bags, then walked out of the store while customers were present. They fled the area in a vehicle.
Sgt. Dave Phillips noted the witnesses handled the situation properly by avoiding confrontation.
“Apparently, social media is abuzz about why more wasn’t done by witnesses,” he said. “Police generally don't recommend getting involved, as we are seeing an increase in violence related to retail thefts. The best thing the public can do is be a great witness if safe to do so.”
Phillips said few other details are being released by police at this time.
“It is under investigation and we are working on leads,” he said.
A few weeks ago, the department partnered with several local businesses to conduct a 10-day retail blitz, resulting in what police call a “significant dent in criminal activities and the identification of numerous accused individuals.”
More than 90 criminal charges were laid during the blitz and it included cases connected to organized crime that spanned multiple jurisdictions.
Retail theft poses a significant economic burden on communities, with hundreds of thousands of dollars in losses reported by a just handful of Bradford and Innisfil stores in 2023, police say.
“Our retailers are allocating a large amount of resources directed at combatting retail theft,” Phillips said. “As witnessed with our recent … blitz, police and retailers, when they combine efforts, can be very effective at identifying persons responsible.”
Anyone with information about an alleged crime should contact the department at 905-775-3311 or 705-436-2141. They can also leave an anonymous tip through Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-8477 or crimestopperssdm.com.
