GOLD: One man’s campaign to protect stores, shame and hold thieves accountable

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He hesitated for a week, before posting a dramatic video of loudly confronting thieves at his local 7-Eleven. Now he’s being lauded as a hero for speaking out and he’s encouraging people to follow his lead.

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Despite the delay, the video of Lyndon Williams standing up to two shameless shoplifters at the 791 Arlington St. location on Aug. 17 had over 140,000 views. The next Saturday, police were called six times to the West End store, already on the list of 10 possible closures, to deal with even more criminals.

“So, I recorded that video on August 17th. I recorded it and I was, like I don’t know, I don’t need to put it on (Facebook)… but then somebody posted about the robberies, so I figured you know what? It is, enough is enough.”

His video starts inside the convenience store around 11:45 a.m., as Williams yells at two adult women who’ve grabbed drinks and snacks, and records one of them as she hustles through the aisles and tries to hide her face.

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“Put the s— down and get out, this is why our Sevs are closing, you f—— bums!”

One leaves the store and the other follows, after threatening to charge Williams.

“You get out, we don’t want you here no more,” he bellows.

He follows them outside and the first woman plays the race card, but when he replies “I’m a Metis, baby!,” the second woman chucks a cup of ice at his head and the pair scurry towards Notre Dame.

“The police did show up after everything happened, they did show up,” Williams says. “The girls were walking around the building and we told them where they went. One officer pulled his taser and ran after them … I didn’t stick around to see what was going on but they did try to go after them.”

This occurred one day before my column West end retailers struggling to stave off crime. It referenced a number of problem spots, including that 7-Eleven. Williams was well familiar with the plague threatening the store’s future.

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“That’s happened a few times with me that was the only time on video. They just walk in (grab a slurpee) and walk out. This is not people struggling.”

Williams is a drywaller who grew up in the North End, in a tough working-class environment. In those days, he recalls, “People used to have to stick that in their pockets and watch around and look and make sure no one’s watching us, and sneak it out. That’s a thief, these guys are worse. These are scum, they’re beyond thieves.”

When he posted the video and some photos of the incident on Facebook, he made an impassioned plea.

“Enough is enough. People have to stop stealing. Giant Tigers closing, 7-Elevens are closing, everything is getting so expensive. I know I’m fed up of it. if you see somebody stealing, STOP THEM, TAKE VIDEOS OF THEM,SHARE THE VIDEOS. Clean up the city.”

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A lot of support was expressed online for his actions, and Williams supports calling out the criminals. He maintains theft from store shelves has become normalized in Winnipeg — and it’s not “racist” to call the perps out.

“What I’ve noticed is it’s gotten so bad, kids like 13-year-olds, I’ve stopped a black man, a white man, an aboriginal man, women, I’ve stopped lots,” he says.

In his day, “You’d learn because you got punished. When you got caught stealing you got in trouble — community service, got in trouble by your parents, something happened to you.”

Not any more.

Some commented on his post that he should have bought the items for the thieves or let them go, but he says, “that‘s not what happened to me when I was younger.”

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“I had an addiction for 13 years and I didn’t steal. It’s choices you have to make. It’s out of control. People see that people can get away with it, just walk in, grab what they want, and leave. Like, everybody’s doing it, it’s just crazy. It’s not just poor people.”

Even though he’s just quickly in and out of the Sev, Williams says he still sees blatant theft weekly. And it’s not just at the convenience store.

“Me and my wife see them rolling out with carts at Superstore all the time.”

Williams says the cops can’t go it alone, and the community has to stand up for what’s right, the old-fashioned way.

“Civilians, a couple of big guys, people that have more courage are out there that can stop somebody, then they’re going to think twice to walk in there.”

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To those who disagree, he emphasizes the thieves “need to be held accountable. They walk out proud thinking, this is what I get and I’m allowed.”

If the stores continue to rack up thousands of dollars a month lost in stolen goods, Williams asks, “Are we going to order our groceries from a little take-out window?”

As for the role political leaders can play in addressing the “root causes,” Williams has a message, “Stop giving them their supplies. For the addicts, they got to really cut down.”

He estimates about 80% of the shoplifting scenes he witnesses involves sketched-out instigators.

“I’m driving down Main Street and can see people injecting needles into their arms. Stop driving around with trucks giving out free needles. Look for the dealers.”

Shame the thieves, crack down on the drug dealers. What Lyndon Williams says may not be politically correct, but to a lot of Winnipeggers, it’s the right thing to do.

— Marty Gold is a Winnipeg journalist. You can find more of his work at The Great Canadian Talk Show.

Have thoughts on what’s going on in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada or across the world? Send us a letter to the editor at wpgsun.letters@kleinmedia.ca

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