Business owners across the Maritimes are struggling to combat an uptick in retail theft, and are now looking to improve their security measures.

Sue Uteck, executive director for the Spring Garden Business Association, says dedicated foot patrol police officers will begin regularly patrolling the Spring Garden area in May.

“People can’t afford things, so they’re stealing, they’re simply stealing,” she said, adding that her organization is now issuing $500 grants to help the street’s business upgrade security measures, but says more support is still needed from the municipality.

“We can only afford to give out 20 (grants) and I think we’re almost full.”

Half of small business owners across Canada say crime has increased throughout their community over the last year, according to a new report from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business (CFIB). Respondents said they’re increasingly worried about the safety of their customers and staff, and more than three out of four don’t believe their taxes are reducing crime.

“Business owners need to have to spend monies on additional security, additional cameras, changing procedures, making sure that their employees are safe,” said Louis-Philippe Gauthier, the CFIB’s vice-president in Atlantic Canada.

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Philippe-Gauthier says he’s pushing for more assistance from local governments, citing the City of Moncton’s new pilot program to help businesses offset the cost of break-ins as an example.

“The reality is there’s 30 per cent of our members that are saying, ‘We’re not reporting the crime anymore. We just don’t feel there’s any use to it,’” he continued.

“When business owners feel it’s just not getting done, that’s a reality that authorities and decision-makers have to take into account.”

In an email to Global News, Halifax Regional Police shared shoplifting data that highlighted a 64 per-cent jump between 2023 and 2025.

Police said there was 5,164 reported incidents of theft in 2023 — which jumped to 7,079 in 2024. In 2025, there were 8,498 reported cases.

In February, the Nova Scotia Liquor Corporation permanently closed its Scotia Square location in Halifax, citing low sales and safety concerns.

“Theft was certainly part of the reason why we decided to close our Scotia Square location, among other factors, but certainly theft was a part of it,” said NSLC spokesperson Terah McKinnon.

As an effort to combat theft, McKinnon says NSLC has launched a pilot program in several locations throughout the province. Sealed bottle-toppers have been installed onto items that are considered a high risk of being stolen, with an alarm sounding if the items are removed without purchase.

She said this approach has helped reduce thefts by 18 per cent across 11 locations.

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