(rdnewsNOW file photo)

By rdnewsNOW staff

51 arrests

Red Deer RCMP takes part in national retail crime blitz

Oct 28, 2025 | 1:13 PM

Two Red Deer residents were arrested following a national retail crime blitz that involved multiple RCMP detachments in the province.

Detachments in Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Airdrie, St. Albert, and Fort McMurray took part in the crime blitz, which was held in partnership with the Retail Council of Canada.

As a result, 51 arrests were made, with 27 of them being repeat offenders. In total, 11 arrest warrants were executed.

One of those arrests was a 41-year-old resident of Red Deer who was captured after stealing two electronic items and assaulting the store’s Loss Prevention Officer. After arresting the individual, the Red Deer RCMP seized crystal meth, fentanyl, and other stolen items. They now face charges of robbery and two counts of possession of a controlled substance.

In addition, a 46-year-old Red Deer resident was arrested after stealing numerous tools and assaulting the store’s LPO. The man has 32 convictions on his criminal record dating back to 1997.

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“Retail Council of Canada and its members appreciate and thank RCMP for making retail crime a priority and collaborating with the retailers on targeted enforcement projects to disrupt repeat prolific offenders and organized retail crime groups,” said Rui Rodrigues, Retail Council of Canada.

The results from the retail crime blitz, police say, suggest that a large portion of retail crime is perpetrated by recidivist criminals and crime groups willing to commit violent acts.

Below is a selection of the offenders:

• This 52-year-old resident of Edmonton was apprehended after stealing a power tool in St. Albert. In 2025, he was charged on over eight occasions for retail-related crimes, with a value of stolen items totalling $11,258.99. Since 2006, he has 48 convictions, 27 of which are theft-related. He was charged with one count of theft and one count of failing to comply with a probation order.
• This 43-year-old resident of Wood Buffalo was arrested after stealing a bottle of liquor. He has been charged eight times this year with a variety of offences, was charged twice in 2024 for robbing liquor stores, and has 176 convictions on his criminal record dating back to 1996.
• This 38-year-old resident of Grande Prairie stole several items and evaded capture from the LPO. In 2025, she has been charged seven times with retail-related offences valuing over $7,500. She has 40 convictions dating back to 2006. A warrant has been issued for her arrest.
• This 48-year-old resident of Calgary was arrested after stealing $1,040 worth of clothing at a mall in rural Airdrie. The offender’s car had a stolen licence plate. She was arrested and found to be on a Conditional Sentence order for house arrest.

“Retailers across the province are seeing increased violence and huge costs related to shoplifting, which ultimately get passed on to law-abiding citizens,” said S/Sgt Luke Halvorson, Community Safety and Wellbeing Branch. “This retail crime blitz was a snapshot of what’s happening out in the community, in which recidivist criminals and crime groups are often behind this type of crime.”