A downtown Portage la Prairie business owner and the city’s mayor are both calling for change after another brazen theft left staff shaken and frustrations mounting.
The latest incident took place on June 17 at 3’s Company Boutique, where a known repeat offender reportedly stole $450 worth of denim in under a minute. Store owner Janna Braaksma shares the experience in a public social media post.
“It’s not always sunshine & roses, as much as I truly wish it was,” notes Braaksma. “Enough is enough.”
Theft in broad daylight
Braaksma says her staff followed all the right steps during the incident, asking the individual to leave her large bags at the door and attempting to recover the items before the suspect fled across the street.
“My staff asked for the denim in her hand and my staff followed her out the door as she stuffed $450 worth of denim in her bag and ran across the street,” adds Braaksma. “40 seconds is all it took.”
She continues that this isn’t an isolated case and says she’s kept quiet about theft in the past, but no longer feels she can.
“I haven’t shared any of the theft’s (trust me, there’s been plenty) that have taken place since I expanded into a storefront,” remarks Braaksma. “This isn’t fair to my staff, nor to myself. Owning a small business is hard enough, we don’t need people like this taking little pieces of our livelihood with no consequences.”
Below is a surveillance video of the theft that took place at 3's Company Boutique:
Mayor calls for bail reform
Mayor Sharilyn Knox says the situation highlights what many cities are facing across the country: a cycle of repeat offences with little accountability.
“Incidents like this just bring to the forefront again the need for bail reform in our country,” says Knox. “Communities and cities across the country like ours are asking for these changes.”
Knox points to the strain placed on first responders, businesses, and residents alike.
“We are finding that these prolific repeat offenders are causing harm to our communities,” she continues. “They're making our first responders’ jobs harder. They're making businesses frustrated, community members frustrated, when they see things happen, and it seems like there's no consequences to these actions.”
Support for businesses and residents
Knox says city council continues to push for change and is working with both the provincial and federal governments to advocate for bail reform.
“We are hopeful with some of the conversations that are being had that we will see some of these changes coming soon,” she says. “Our council just wants citizens and businesses to know that we stand behind you.”
Braaksma shares that while she knows she’s not the only business owner facing these issues, she’s urging the community to take a stand.
“I know I am not alone in this, as many small business owners face theft daily,” mentions Braaksma. “But that doesn’t make it okay. It needs to stop.”
Both Braaksma and Knox say they are committed to speaking out and demanding better, not just for business owners, but for everyone in Portage la Prairie.
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