After working at Shoppers Drug Mart in Scarborough for 32 years, Gavin Ramperso said his life changed forever when he was caught by a shoplifter in March 2021.
“He pushed me into the window and I fell and I hit my head and I said, ‘Oh my God, my neck is broken,'” Ramperso told CTV News Toronto.
Police were called and a 21-year-old man was charged with robbery, mischief and three counts of failing to comply with probation.
Ramperso is still recovering from the attack and said he now has to use a walker and take various medications to help with his pain.
“I have three swollen vertebrae in my neck and I was recovering from throat cancer,” he said.
“I used to play sports, cricket and football, but I can’t play them anymore. I’m in a terrible mental state.”
The Retail Council of Canada said since 2019 there has been a 150 to 200 per cent increase in violence and aggravated crime against front-line retail staff, security staff and customers.
Retail workers say they are facing more abuse than ever with more customers shouting and using foul language. There has also been an increase in shoplifting, which has led to violent incidents in which some employees have been seriously injured.
Rui Rodriguez, executive adviser for loss prevention and risk management at the Retail Council of Canada, said “aggression is definitely higher because people are on hold and fed up.”
Rodriguez said abuse and violence against retail workers has worsened during the pandemic — possibly because customers can wear masks and hide their identities — but he notes that even when the masks come off, mistreatment of some workers continues.
Stores like Home Depot already have posted warning signs that aggressive and abusive behavior will not be tolerated.
Rodriguez said some customers may suffer from mental health issues or drug addiction, while others want to shoplift items.
There are many cases of violence in stores caught on camera. In 2018, in Brampton, a woman attacked a Tim Hortons employee by pulling her hair and punching her in the face after she climbed across the aisle through the window. This happened after she was told she couldn’t use the bathroom because it was 3:30 in the morning.
In Vancouver in October 2021, a woman threw hot coffee at a Tim Hortons employee after she allegedly shouted a racial slur.
In November 2020, a Walmart employee in British Columbia was assaulted due to an argument with another man while trying to enforce British Columbia’s mandatory mask policy.
Also in British Columbia, in October 2021, a man walked into a Telus store in Nanaimo with a carton of eggs and began throwing them at employees, saying he was concerned about 5G technology.
“There is also an increase in weapons, some handguns, bear spray, knives and machetes. We are seeing an unprecedented amount of violent crime against frontline workers,” Rodriguez said.
The Retail Council of Canada said it is currently talking with governments across the country about the role the judiciary plays in curbing retail security incidents and taking them seriously when they do occur.
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