Mounties in Richmond say a crackdown on retail theft in the city has been successful with a 22 per cent increase in arrests for the crime.
R-C-M-P officers responded to more than 17-hundred shoplifting reports in the city last year -- an increase of 25 per cent compared with 2023.
Police say those calls led to 527 arrests and a total of 266 charges being laid, which marks a 63 per cent increase from the year before.
They say crime analysis reveals most offenders travel from outside of Richmond, and that recovered merchandise typically includes clothing, electronics and food items.
