Canada is turning into a nation of shoplifters, which is less an indictment of the criminal and more a sad reflection on our government.

Shoplifting increased 18 per cent in 2023, with 155,280 reported incidents, according to <a data-evt-val="{&quot;control_fields&quot;: {&quot;mparticle&quot;: {&quot;keys&quot;: {&quot;click_source_type&quot;: &quot;click_source_type&quot;, &quot;anchor_text&quot;: &quot;anchor_text&quot;, &quot;target_url&quot;: &quot;target_url&quot;, &quot;layout_section&quot;: &quot;layout_section&quot;}, &quot;mp_event_type&quot;: &quot;Navigation&quot;, &quot;extra_keys&quot;: [&quot;click_vertical_position_percentage&quot;, &quot;click_vertical_position_pixels&quot;]}}, &quot;click_source_type&quot;: &quot;in-page link&quot;, &quot;anchor_text&quot;: &quot;Statistics Canada&quot;, &quot;target_url&quot;: &quot;https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240725/dq240725b-eng.htm&quot;, &quot;layout_section&quot;: &quot;in-page-link&quot;}" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-evt="click" data-evt-typ="click" href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/240725/dq240725b-eng.htm" target="_blank">Statistics Canada</a>. And that increase built on 2022, which saw a <a data-evt-val="{&quot;control_fields&quot;: {&quot;mparticle&quot;: {&quot;keys&quot;: {&quot;click_source_type&quot;: &quot;click_source_type&quot;, &quot;anchor_text&quot;: &quot;anchor_text&quot;, &quot;target_url&quot;: &quot;target_url&quot;, &quot;layout_section&quot;: &quot;layout_section&quot;}, &quot;mp_event_type&quot;: &quot;Navigation&quot;, &quot;extra_keys&quot;: [&quot;click_vertical_position_percentage&quot;, &quot;click_vertical_position_pixels&quot;]}}, &quot;click_source_type&quot;: &quot;in-page link&quot;, &quot;anchor_text&quot;: &quot;31 per cent rise&quot;, &quot;target_url&quot;: &quot;https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230727/t005b-eng.htm&quot;, &quot;layout_section&quot;: &quot;in-page-link&quot;}" rel="noopener noreferrer" data-evt="click" data-evt-typ="click" href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/daily-quotidien/230727/t005b-eng.htm" target="_blank">31 per cent rise</a> from the previous year.

Every crime tells a story, but some generalizations can be made about certain categories of offences.

Auto theft may be getting the PM's attention, but it’s shoplifting that exposes the real crime{ai:summary}<p>Canada's streets are crowded with kleptomaniacs, their pockets filled with government-induced desperation. Shoplifting surged 18% this year, topping 155,000 incidents, a grim echo of a 31% rise last year. </p><p>These numbers don't just highlight a crime spree; they reveal a nation in trouble. #society</p>

Michael Higgins: Shoplifting rates show how tough life has become in Trudeau's Canada

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