You can save this article by registering for free here. Or sign-in if you have an account.

At the Winnipeg Sun Town Hall on March 18 at the Cork and Flame, the restaurant’s owner, Mike Vogiatzakis, took me aside and said, “Let me tell you about a break-in.”

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Subscribe now to read the latest news in your city and across Canada.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

Create an account or sign in to continue with your reading experience.

It wasn’t at his restaurant on Portage Avenue but at his funeral home on Kirkfield Street, about 900 meters away. The alarm went off, and as he watched security footage of thieves pilfering his property, he immediately called 911.

“They stole all the computers, electronics, some urns, and funeral-related products like jewelry.”

I was stunned that anyone would break into a facility housing the deceased. You’d think police would treat such a call with urgency. The Winnipeg Police Service (WPS), however, didn’t even show up.

On March 28, I followed up with Mike: “They still haven’t come,” he said. “Not a priority.”

Whether it’s taking a bus, working at or owning a store, or simply grabbing a coffee, law-abiding citizens are witnessing the disintegration of public safety in Winnipeg. It used to be rare to witness a crime. Now, it’s an everyday occurrence. Under former Police Chief Danny Smyth, crime in formerly safe neighborhoods skyrocketed.

Take St. Boniface, for example. Between 2014 and 2019, the crime rate surged by 92.9%. It has only worsened since. The area has seen violent attacks, break-ins, and arsons, with social disorder becoming the norm along the Marion-Goulet corridor. With so many medical workers and patients in the vicinity, tackling crime should have been a priority. It wasn’t.

Three years ago, the 7-Eleven store at 183 Marion Avenue cut its 24-hour........

© Winnipeg Sun