String of recent pharmacy robberies leads to search for solutions
Some Waterloo region pharmacists are renewing calls for better protection after numerous pharmacies have been the target of thieves.
Recently, Waterloo regional police charged three Brampton residents in connection to two recent pharmacy robberies in Waterloo region.
According to Waterloo regional police, in both instances, several men entered pharmacies and demanded cash and narcotics from staff.
“They just came in, pointed a gun at me and said open the pharmacy,” pharmacy owner Mairaj Naveed said his business was one of the places targeted this week. “Basically, it's not a robbery. It's an act of terrorism. Everybody was terrorized.”
The Ontario College of Pharmacists will be discussing some preventative measures at their next meeting on Dec. 12. One option is mandatory time-delayed safes. A measure that, if approved, would apply to all community pharmacies.
“If you go in to rob a pharmacy, you will have to wait anywhere from 5 to 10 minutes for that safe to open,” Jen Belcher, the VP of strategic initiatives with the Ontario Pharmacists Association, told CTV Kitchener.
Belcher said they have been effective in other provinces in reducing the rate of pharmacy robberies -- especially when paired with public awareness campaigns.
“In BC and Alberta we saw pharmacy robberies reduce by 95 per cent after the mandatory implementation of these measures,” Belcher said.
The local pharmacist we spoke to said he’s wary of what might happen if robbers are forced to wait and said it could be risky if they don’t trust you and start to panic.
The Ontario College of Pharmacists said action must be taken soon. Adding that over the course of the pandemic the rate of pharmacy robberies as well as the violence associated with those robberies, has been increasing – the association calling it “extraordinarily alarming.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Trend Line Anger, pessimism towards federal government reach six-year high: Nanos survey
Most Canadians in March reported feeling angry or pessimistic towards the federal government than at any point in the last six years, according to a survey by Nanos Research.
BREAKING 14 suspects arrested in grandparent scam targeting seniors across Canada: Ontario police
An interprovincial investigation into an 'emergency grandparents scam' that targeted seniors across Canada has led to the arrest of 14 suspects, Ontario Provincial Police say.
Motion to allow keffiyehs at Ontario legislature fails
A motion to reverse a ban on the keffiyeh within Queen’s Park failed to receive unanimous consent Thursday just moments after Ontario Premier Doug Ford reiterated his view that prohibiting the garment in the House is divisive.
B.C. child killer's lawyer walks out of review hearing
The lawyer representing child-killer Allan Schoenborn walked out of his client's annual review hearing Wednesday – abruptly ending proceedings marked by tense exchanges and several outbursts.
How to avoid the trap of becoming 'house poor'
The journey to home ownership can be exciting, but personal finance columnist Christopher Liew warns about the trappings of becoming 'house poor' -- where an overwhelming portion of your income is devoured by housing costs. Liew offers some practical strategies to maintain better financial health while owning a home.
'A living nightmare': Winnipeg woman sentenced following campaign of harassment against man after online date
A Winnipeg woman was sentenced to house arrest after a single date with a man she met online culminated in her harassing him for years, and spurred false allegations which resulted in the innocent man being arrested three times.
Juror dismissed in Trump hush money trial as prosecutors ask for former president to face contempt
Prosecutors in the hush money trial of Donald Trump asked Thursday for the former president to be held in contempt and fined because of seven social media posts that they said violated a judge's gag order barring him from attacking witnesses.
Why drivers in Ontario, Quebec and Atlantic Canada will see a gas price spike, and other Canadians won't
Drivers in Eastern Canada face a big increase in gas prices because of various factors, especially the higher cost of the summer blend, industry analysts say.
It's the biggest election in history. Here's why few Indians in Canada will take part
In the Indian general election that gets underway on Friday, almost a billion people are eligible to vote, but a vast majority of the overseas Indian community in Canada won't be casting a ballot.