New Guelph Police Service initiative targets organized retail theft

Protecting Ontario Together means supporting local businesses. Retail crime is a growing concern in our community. According to a recent Retail Council of Canada report, retail losses grew to $9.2 billion in 2025. The 2025 Statistics Canada Crime Severity Index, which tracks police-reported crime in Canada, shows that shoplifting under $5,000 is the most frequently reported offence in Guelph. 

That’s why the Guelph Police Service is launching Project Safeguard, a focused initiative to examine how the service identifies, investigates and helps prevent organized retail theft. 

Project Safeguard officially launches during Crime Prevention Week and will run over the next year. It will explore ways businesses and police can work more closely together to identify, prevent and respond to shoplifting and retail theft. The project will look to streamline how incidents are reported and evidence is gathered, and to strengthen relationships with the retailers most often affected. 

Together, police and retailers will explore crime prevention strategies, identify barriers to reporting and providing evidence, and gain a better understanding of the concerns of businesses and their employees. At the same time, police will review their internal processes to develop a consistent approach to property crime and retail theft, strengthen analysis and data tracking, and undergo training. 

By sharing information, raising concerns and taking proactive steps, we can help protect local businesses and build safer, stronger communities.