Balcaen Calls on Province to Establish Crown Prosecutor Office for Retail, Property Crime
WINNIPEG — Progressive Conservatives are urging the Kinew government to immediately establish and appropriately staff an office of Crown prosecutors dedicated to retail and property crime.
“Property crime is more than just the loss of material belongings—it’s the violation of one’s home or livelihood, which is incredibly personal,” said Brandon West MLA Wayne Balcaen, who introduced the Private Member’s Resolution on Thursday. “These crimes often have deep psychological impacts on victims. My resolution calls on the Province to act on this growing issue and show Manitobans that they deserve to have a sense of security in their own homes and communities.”
Statistics Canada reports that 56% of crimes in Manitoba are property crimes—which can include robbery, theft, breaking and entering, fraud, mischief, and arson, among others. In recent years, Manitoba residents and municipalities have raised concerns about the need to take greater action to address property crime, particularly in rural communities.
A Canadian Federation of Independent Business survey found 61% of Manitoba small-business owners believe that crime has increased over the past year in their respective communities—the second-highest rate in Canada. Likewise, according to the Brandon Chamber of Commerce, businesses in the city have experienced a 40% increase in retail theft over the last year.
Despite the province experiencing a shortage of Crown prosecutors, the Manitoba Association of Crown Attorneys noted that the NDP’s 2026 budget did not include any funding to hire more prosecutors. Also according to the group, the Kinew government “has done nothing to expand the roster in the face of increasing workload demands.”
“Boosting policing resources only addresses one part of the equation,” said Balcaen, who is the PC Critic for Justice and a retired police chief. “When charges are laid, we need appropriate prosecution capacity. Unfortunately, repeat offences are not getting meaningful attention under the current NDP regime.”
Balcaen’s resolution builds on previous PC work to address property crime, retail theft, and prosecutorial capacity in Manitoba. In 2020, the previous PC government established a collaborative retail crime task force and launched a joint initiative with the Winnipeg Police Service targeting chronic retail theft offenders. In 2022, PCs introduced the Scrap Metal Act to combat a growing trend of metal theft. Within two years, police and auto repair shops credited the legislation for virtually eliminating catalytic converter thefts. To help address increased workloads within the Manitoba Prosecution Service, PCs announced the largest increase in Crown attorneys in the past 18 years.
“Manitobans are demanding answers, accountability, and action when it comes to property crime and retail theft,” said Balcaen. “Progressive Conservatives are calling on the Kinew government to rebuild Manitobans’ faith in our justice system and the rule of law.”
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