It was a typical shift in the Rideau Centre mall when a “Code-10,” entered the store and started browsing. For store staff, the term “Code-10” meant this shopper was believed likely to steal something.
After giving the woman a change room for several items, two employees waited for her to finish.
“She walked out of the fitting room with, I kid you not, the jeans on, a skirt over the jeans, plus the dress, plus a shirt over the dress and her jacket,” said an employee.
“We’re like, ‘Oh, where are the items?’ and she was like, ‘Oh, I didn’t bring anything in here.’ And she walked out.” There was no security in the store and staff are not allowed to detain a suspected thief.
Just another case of theft in Rideau-Vanier Ward.
The downtown ward saw more than 4,100 thefts under $5,000 reported between Jan. 1 and Nov. 20, way more than all other wards in the city, according to a Capital Current analysis of Ottawa Police crime data.
Somerset Ward, another downtown ward, had 1,757 cases and Kitchisippi Ward was third with 1,402. Rideau-Vanier’s reported thefts totalled more than Somerset and Kitchissipi combined.
As thefts under $5,000 can range from minor shoplifting to home burglaries. The Criminal Code of Canada classifies the charge as a hybrid offence. A judge decides on what the potential sentence is based on the severity of the crime.
The Lowertown neighbourhood is the ward’s current hotspot. Lowertown’s number of reported thefts has tripled since 2021. In 2024 alone, Lowertown reported more than 1,100 thefts under $5,000, far surpassing pre-pandemic levels.
While Michael Kemper can't be sure, he suspects the opioid epidemic, which some politicians have blamed for a spike in crime, maybe the cause.
“Break-ins and minor theft under $5,000 [are] associated with maintaining the cost of a fentanyl addiction for many individuals – a combination of opportunity and need,” the uOttawa Criminology professor said. “It explains why people are motivated to break into homes and businesses to support their addictions.”
To underline the point, recent data from the Ottawa Public Health shows opioid overdoses in Ottawa have been steadily increasing in recent years. Rideau-Vanier has one of the highest rates of drug use and overdoses in the city.
Impact on Businesses
When walking into Rideau Mall, it's clear many stores are trying to take action against theft, as a security guard is posted at the entrance of almost every store.
From grab and runs to stuffing pockets, Rideau Mall store employees can do little to stop shoplifters, usually just notifying mall security.
“It’s not in our power to. That’s the security guard’s job,” say Simon’s employees at Rideau.
Earlier this fall, Ottawa police opened a Neighbourhood Operations Centre in CF Rideau Mall. As part of its Community Outreach, Response and Engagement (CORE) Strategy, The centre increases a "visible police presence in high-priority areas" like ByWard Market and along Rideau Street.
However, Kemper says he’s skeptical about the new centre's long-term effectiveness.
“[Policing] might displace the crime … forcing it east into the deeper areas of the Vanier as opposed to around the ByWard Market.”
Although the centre is only a few months old, Ottawa Police says they’re seeing positive results. The force has reported a 4.62 per cent reduction in crime and overdose reports across the ByWard Market and Rideau Street.
Impact on Residents
The thefts have residents feeling the impact, too. Sandy Hill resident Jayden Lachhman says the area is no longer safe.
Lachhman lives on Nelson Street which has the highest number of thefts in Ottawa. Between Jan. 1 and Nov 20, 981 reported thefts occurred on the intersection of Nelson and Rideau streets. The intersection accounts for 85 per cent of all reported thefts in Lowertown.
As a seven-resident resident of Sandy Hill, Lachhman says he’s seen the decline in Rideau-Vanier firsthand. Although Lachhman hasn’t been a victim, he’s had to adapt his activities to protect himself from the surge of theft in the area.
“I keep everything inside my house. If I leave [something] outside, it’s going to get stolen.”
