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where's the beef? police tackle alarming increase in meat thefts
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police in richmond are investigating a spike in the theft of meats from grocery stores, a trend that’s also happening in other cities as the price of meat has soared.
richmond rcmp say they’ve received 39 reports of meat theft between december 2025 and march.
while retail theft is nothing new, const. frank bryson said the volume and frequency of recent cases suggest something more co-ordinated may be at play.
“there’s always retail theft going on, but that amount in three months seems like there’s something more to it,” he said.
thieves usually target large grocery chains and make off with varying amounts, but in most instances, “it’s a lot of meat being taken.” some of the thefts may be committed by individuals, but police believe organized groups could be behind the recent rash.
“when there’s a spike like that, it’s definitely a possibility, more than just someone shoplifting,” said bryson. “it’s a bit more co-ordinated and (the meat is) being taken and sold somewhere.”
some stores have put in extra security guards or cameras to try to deter thieves. others have resorted to locking up most of their meat instead of putting it on display.
in aldergrove, a sign in the meat section of otter coop store said due to “high theft” meat items are stored in the back.
a sign in the meat section of the otter coop store in aldergrove tells customers many products are now being stored in the back due to theft.
aleesha harris
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superette foods, a small grocery store in nanaimo, started locking its meat cooler in december after repeated instances of theft.
“it’s tough times for everybody. people don’t have enough money and they try to find short cuts,” said owner ravi patel.
since locking the cooler, theft has gone down and the situation is under control.
“you have to keep an eye on it. it happens in big stores too, but being a small store … we can go out of business.”
nanaimo rcmp said reports of meat theft is not uncommon.
“it’s an ongoing situation that’s impacting the bottom line of many stores,” said const. gary o’brien.
he said thieves have smartened up and instead of doing break-and-enters, which carry significantly more jail time if convicted, thieves have started targeting grocery stores.
“that’s theft under $5,000. they keep it frozen and sell it for a marked-down value on the street or flip it for dope.”
o’brien said he’s seen thieves target high-end steaks and cuts worth hundreds of dollars. some stuff the packages inside their jackets or pants, while others fill up their carts and saunter out the front door.
he believes the stolen products are being sold to other people through word of mouth.
in recent blitzes at a local mall and big-box grocery stores, mounties have arrested shoplifters stealing meat and found them carrying a shopping list of desired meat cuts, he said.
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sylvain charlebois, director of dalhousie university’s agri-food analytics lab, said when food prices surge, a black market pops up.
“that’s why we’re seeing more of these thefts happening and frankly, i suspect it’s mostly beef, but chicken and pork are also part of the issue.”
meat prices increased by the highest rate of any food category last year. beef prices jumped 23 per cent higher in 2025 than the five-year average.
the high prices are driven by supply and demand as years of drought has led to smaller herds of cattle, while demand has remained strong, said a 2025 food price report co-written by charlebois.
this year, the price of beef has jumped 13.9 per cent compared to last year, said charlebois. because of that, shoppers are turning to other alternatives but the demand has also driven up prices for chicken and pork, which have gone up about nine per cent in the past year.
charlebois said there’s two kinds of thefts: petty theft by people who steal out of desperation and organized heists.
“my guess is these groups already have clients for stolen goods so they’ll steal and they’ll sell it,” adding some unscrupulous restaurant operators might be looking for cheaper alternatives to make ends meet.
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in some sophisticated cases, thieves target the supply chain and could have people on the inside informing them when shipments arrive, he said. last year, a semi truck containing more than 500 boxes of boneless beef chuck roast worth about $220,000 was stolen from a truck in windsor, ont.
ian tostenson, president of the b.c. restaurant and food services association, said he has not heard of any members buying meat from the black market.
“any respectable restaurant — and 99 per cent of them are — they’re not going to try to buy something that hasn’t gone through a formal process, through their distributor and various health checks.”
the risk is simply too great.
“if something went wrong with one of their guests and it’s traced back that it’s unsanctioned beef they’re buying off some odd black market, there’s huge liability.”
if there was a restaurant buying stolen food, “i wouldn’t even call them a restaurant, and if anyone knows a place operating like this, they should be reported and closed,” tostenson said.
both richmond and nanaimo rcmp said there has been no indication of stolen meat being purchased by restaurants.
in richmond, mounties are urging the public not to buy meat from unverified or informal sources because stolen meat may not have been stored or handled safely.
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shoppers who spot suspicious behaviour in the meat aisle — such as people who appear to concealing products, loading unusually large quantities of meat into personal bags, or acting in a way that’s out of place — are asked to alert store staff and police.
anyone with information about meat theft in richmond, or who has been offered meat for sale through informal channels, is asked to contact richmond rcmp at 606-278-1212.
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