McDonald's franchisee nominated to police board
A business owner hopes to raise his own concerns about repeated incidents of retail crime as a new member of the Winnipeg Police Board, while Winnipeg's mayor prepares to leave the oversight body.
Mayor Scott Gillingham has nominated Amit Kapoor to join the board that oversees the Winnipeg Police Service, pending a final council vote.
After being on the front lines of retail theft, Kapoor said he hopes to advocate on behalf of businesses in the new role.
MIKAELA MACKENZIE / FREE PRESS FILES
Mayor Scott Gillingham has nominated Amit Kapoor, RIGHT, to join the Winnipeg Police Board that oversees the Winnipeg Police Service, pending a final council vote.
'There have been quite a few break-ins in my restaurants and people have come even in… broad daylight. Sometimes they are armed, and sometimes they're not, but they have threatened our guests as well as my staff,' said Kapoor, in an interview Tuesday. 'Once you're part of retail, you understand and you see what happens around you.'
Kapoor, whose company Kapson Family Restaurants Ltd. owns several McDonald's franchises across the city, believes retail crime began increasing seven or eight years ago and is not limited to a specific neighbourhood or type of business.
In addition to break-ins and threats, he said one of his employee's cars was stolen.
While his restaurants now have multiple cameras and alarms, the business owner said further measures are needed to address the nagging issue.
He said safety concerns have hurt some businesses and forced a few to close.
'I saw a couple of people shut their shops in downtown because of retail crime,' said Kapoor.
He declined to discuss specific changes he'd like the police board to pursue, noting he's still learning about the role he would like to take on.
In the meantime, Kapoor said he welcomes the business community's feedback on crime and safety.
Coun. Markus Chambers, chairman of the police board, said Kapoor will offer valuable insight.
'Given the fact that we're dealing with retail crime, it's great to have that perspective on the board and somebody that can speak to the issue that retailers are going through currently … He also provides another perspective in terms of being from the Indo-Canadian community,' said Chambers (St. Norbert-Seine River).
The mayor noted Kapoor has been on the 'front line' of key public safety concerns.
'He's got a really good view and an understanding of what it means to work in the city of Winnipeg, run a business, the impact of public safety on businesses, and employees and customers. I know he'll bring a wealth of experience,' said Gillingham.
Kapoor will fill the seat recently left vacant when Kevin Selch's term expired.
Meanwhile, the mayor announced his own departure from the board.
During his 2022 election campaign, Gillingham promised to seek council approval to join the board, pitching the move as a way to help hold WPS accountable on crime-prevention strategies.
On Tuesday, the mayor said he's confident police Chief Gene Bowers is now tackling many of the goals Gillingham hoped to achieve as a board member.
'We have a chief… that really fulfils a lot of the vision that I laid out in my campaign platform, one who is a collaborative chief, one who is focused back on crime prevention,' he said.
Gillingham noted leaving the board will allow him to focus on other key issues.
'We have got to get the third phase of the north end (sewage treatment) plant (upgrade) funded. We've got to talk to the federal and provincial governments about other key infrastructure projects that are growth-enabling and trade-enabling, and that includes (expanding) Kenaston/ Route 90 and the Chief Peguis Trail extension. We've got the new Transit network that's got to be rolled out… I'm going to pour my time and energy into those matters,' he said.
While a member of city council is expected to replace the mayor, Gillingham said there's no set date for that appointment.
Weekday Mornings
A quick glance at the news for the upcoming day.
Coun. Evan Duncan (Charleswood-Tuxedo-Westwood) said he is 'strongly considering' seeking the role.
'With my justice background, I think that I could bring some value to the board. I'm interested and I'll contemplate (that) over the next couple of weeks here before council considers people,' said Duncan.
Prior to being elected, Duncan worked for Manitoba Justice in conflict resolution, often with youth as a councillor.
joyanne.pursaga@freepress.mb.ca
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Joyanne PursagaReporter
Joyanne is city hall reporter for the Winnipeg Free Press. A reporter since 2004, she began covering politics exclusively in 2012, writing on city hall and the Manitoba Legislature for the Winnipeg Sun before joining the Free Press in early 2020. Read more about Joyanne.
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