'It's a strain mentally': Winnipeg businesses see spike in break-ins, robberies

Jesse McDowell walked into what looked like a disaster scene when he came into his business Monday morning: shattered glass, empty beer cans and rubble from broken walls were scattered through his office in the Pacific Industrial neighbourhood. 

His company, Align Sewer and Water, was broken into over the weekend — the fourth time in a string of robberies at his property that have spanned over the past two months. 

After the first two break-ins, he said his business was "cleaned out." Several belongings — including computers, a popcorn machine and McDowell's grandmother's electric wheelchair — were stolen. An alarm system McDowell had installed with surveillance cameras and the hard drive containing the security footage were also stolen.

On a different day, the store's staff found a man sleeping in a back office.

McDowell said his business was broken into again on the weekend, but this time around, there was "not much left to steal."

"It's a strain mentally," he said. "It's a consistent problem, something we have to worry about all the time, and it's just something that we don't need." 

The construction business operates off Notre Dame Avenue on Myrtle Street, a side street with little vehicular traffic. He said police patrols in area are scarce, and with high foot traffic, even outside office hours, businesses are facing a spike in robberies.

McDowell said people have resorted to prying open his office's garage door, smashing windows and even tried tunnelling through his shop's walls to break in.

Winnipeg businesses see spike in break-ins, robberies

4 months ago

Duration 2:14

Jesse McDowell walked into what looked like a disaster scene when he came into his business Monday morning: shattered glass, empty beer cans and rubble from broken walls were scattered through his office in Winnipeg's Pacific Industrial neighbourhood.

"They've broken through concrete cinder blocks," McDowell said. "The plywood stopped them, but it doesn't seem like anything really is out of the realm of possibility for them getting in."

Damage and losses to McDowell's business have amounted to about $100,000. But his business isn't the only one impacted by the spate of crime.

'Not scared of being caught': business owner 

Down Myrtle Street, Tyler Whitlaw — president of On Time, a contracting company — said he has filed over 40 police reports for break-ins and robberies at his business. 

To prevent robberies, Whitlaw and his staff have stopped leaving tools or equipment at his business's office or in the parking lot, even during the daytime. The business has also asked staff members to take the company's vans home at the end of their shifts. 

"Everything's in our secure facility where it would take much more effort for them to break into my warehouse," he said. 

But that has not stopped passersby from smashing windows, climbing over the wire fence, or clipping the front gate lock to break into the property and steal. 

"We don't leave much for them to take, but they still do damage trying to take a look," he said. "If you parked your car here, tomorrow it would be rooted through."

Vans out of circulation sitting on the business parking lot get broken into almost weekly. With no belongings left in them, they are almost being pieced apart robbery after robbery, with parts of their motors removed, their doors missing and windows broken. 

The break-ins, Whitlaw said, happened usually between midnight and 5 a.m., and while these incidents are recorded on surveillance cameras with a speaker system that alerts intruders of dispatched police presence, Whitlaw said that is not enough to discourage them from leaving the property.

"The camera says people are dispatched and will be there in five minutes, and they just smoke a cigarette and keep doing what they're doing," he said. 

"They're really not scared of being caught." 

Damage to his business during the break-ins has escalated to "tens and tens thousands of dollars," while robberies have claimed hundreds of dollars more. 

Pacific Industrial is not the only neighbourhood affected. Back in July, Sage Creek residents noticed a sudden increase in vehicle and garage break-ins, thefts and vandalism.

WATCH | Sage Creek break-ins, thefts worry residents:

Sage Creek break-ins, thefts worry residents

5 months ago

Duration 1:58

People living in Winnipeg's Sage Creek neighbourhood say they've noticed a sudden increase in vehicle and garage break-ins, thefts and vandalism. They're calling for more police in the area.

To help businesses and homeowners, renters and small business owners fight crime, the province quadrupled its home security rebate program, allocating $1.5 million in funding to allow thousands more Manitobans access rebates for the purchase of security systems.

McDowell said other short-term solutions are needed to tackle soaring crime in the neighbourhood. One solution could be to bolster the police presence patrolling the streets, especially at times when businesses are not open to the public, he said.

In the meantime, Whitlaw said penalties for break-ins should be increased to deter repeat offenders, and not wait for someone to be physically injured or assaulted for action to be taken. 

"I just hope for change," Whitlaw said. "It's pretty tough to run your business where you have to essentially accommodate where things are fully secured like a bank." 

CBC News reached out to the Winnipeg Police Service for comment.