PoCo property crime drops; shoplifting picks up
As the cost of living increases, so does the shoplifting rate.
Coquitlam RCMP recorded a more than 50 percent increase in shoplifting in the second quarter of 2025. There were 92 shoplifting reports last quarter, compared to a three-year-average of 60, according to a recently released RCMP report.
The jump may be due to economic uncertainty, explained Coquitlam RCMP Supt. Darren Carr.
Local news that matters to you
No one covers the Tri-Cities like we do. But we need your help to keep our community journalism sustainable.
Shoplifting is likely “driven by cost of living challenges,” Carr explained during a recent presentation to Port Coquitlam council.
Grocery stores, liquor stores, and stores that sell used goods, such as Value Village, are the most frequent targets, he stated.
Discussing repeat offenders, Coun. Steve Darling suggested the RCMP publish a list of the Top 10 most prolific shoplifters in the Tri-Cities.
While that information isn’t for public consumption, retailers provide one another with information, Carr said.
“That intelligence is gathered and shared in-house.”
Responding to a question from Mayor Brad West, Carr said some shoplifters might face a prison sentence based on their criminal record.
“It wouldn’t be an overly significant sentence,” he added.
The jump in shoplifting comes amid an overall decline in property crime.
There was a substantial drop in thefts from vehicles, while the number of vehicle thefts was halved, dipping from 22 to 11.
Break-and-enters at businesses dropped slightly, while break-and-enters at residences fell by more than 50 percent, going from 14 to six.
Besides shoplifting, the other outlier was fraud, who rose slightly last quarter compared to the three-year average, ticking up from 64 to 67 crimes.
The amount of persons crimes also dropped, mainly due to a decline in assault cases.
There were 69 assaults in the last quarter, compared to the three-year average of 82.
However, there were 14 sex offences, two more than the average.
The number of mental health calls for service rose slightly, going from 188 to 198. When taking a patient to hospital, police waited an average of one-hour and forty minutes – a five-minute drop compared to the three-year average.
Traffic cops spent more than 61 hours on routes like Mary Hill Bypass, Coast Meridian Road, and Lougheed Highway last quarter.
The extra enforcement resulted in a 55 percent increase in ticketing. A total of 1,483 drivers were hit with fines last quarter, up from the three-year average of 925.
Speeders were hit the hardest, as police handed out 761 tickets to lead-footed motorists. The three-year average for speeding tickets is 400.
Noting issues on Coast Meridian, Coun. Nancy McCurrach asked about deploying the RCMP scarecrow – a life-size cut-out of a police officer.
“I’ll have a word with him,” Carr said.
Author
