A 'Chronic Shoplifter' Stole 47 Pairs Of Pants Worth $5,783 From A Vancouver Store, Police Say

Two people, including one man described as a "chronic shoplifter" by police, have been jailed for stealing 47 pairs of pants from a store in Vancouver.

According to police, the man and woman were wearing face masks when they entered a clothing store on Robson Street and stole clothing worth $5,783.

The 44-year-old man had breached five court orders for previous thefts, while the woman was violating a court order, so the pair were jailed and officers returned the clothes to the store.

Vancouver police had a busy weekend of incidents, arresting 32 people and recovering $18,000 of stolen items.

Sgt. Steve Addison said they are seeing a surge in violence during thefts from stores.

He said, "Store owners and their staff are losing thousands of dollars every day to shoplifters. After a number of violent encounters, many are telling us they don't feel safe coming to work."

"These victims are often young staff members, store managers, and security guards – people just trying to make a living. They shouldn't be subjected to violence for simply doing their jobs," Addison added.

This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.