Retail theft charges in Mississauga and Brampton are already matching the total from all of last year, with police warning that organized networks are increasingly behind the crimes.

Peel Regional Police laid 2,241 retail theft-related charges in the first eight months of 2026, just 69 fewer than the 2,310 charges laid during all of 2025.

Deputy Chief Marc Andrews revealed the figures Tuesday (Oct. 6) as Peel Police hosted a two-day conference in Mississauga focused on organized retail crime.

With four months still remaining in the year, the current pace puts Peel on track to significantly surpass last year’s total. If charges continue at roughly the same rate through the end of the year, the total could reach more than 3,300.

But Andrews said the numbers represent more than a rise in isolated shoplifting incidents.

“What we have seen across Peel and across Ontario is something far more coordinated, sophisticated, sinister and far-reaching,” he said.

Andrews said police are finding that crimes initially believed to be unrelated are often connected to the same repeat offenders and criminal networks.

“What looked like individual crimes were often part of a larger organized operation extending beyond a single community or jurisdiction,” he said.

The conference, being held Oct. 6 and 7, brings together law enforcement agencies, retail industry leaders and public safety partners from across Ontario to discuss ways of disrupting those networks.

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Peel Police have already created a specialized unit to target them.

The Break and Enter, Auto and Retail Theft (BEAR) unit was launched as a pilot in Mississauga in September 2025, initially focusing on break-and-enters and auto theft.

Investigators later identified connections between those crimes and organized retail theft, prompting Peel Police to formally expand the unit’s mandate in May.

Since spring, the BEAR unit has made 53 arrests, laid 263 charges and recovered more than $1 million worth of property connected to retail theft, according to police.

Andrews said the results have prompted Peel Police to expand the unit across the region in 2027.

The expansion will bring the BEAR model to all divisions in Mississauga and Brampton, giving police dedicated resources to investigate organized property crime and retail theft.

“Organized retail crime requires dedicated resources, intelligence-led investigations, and relentless focus on identifying and disrupting criminal networks that are responsible,” Andrews said.

Police are also working with the Retail Council of Canada on targeted retail blitzes and intelligence sharing.

Through the RCC’s Organized Retail Crime Task Force, Peel Police have arrested 63 people, laid 158 charges and recovered more than $29,000 in stolen property so far this year.

Andrews said police are trying to move beyond responding to individual thefts and instead identify the networks behind them.

“Through stronger partnerships, stronger intelligence sharing, and stronger coordination, we’re building a model that not only responds to crime, but disrupts the networks behind it,” he said.

The police chief’s comments came as Ontario is also pursuing changes aimed at tackling organized theft.

Solicitor General Michael Kerzner attended Tuesday’s event and highlighted Bill 119, the Protecting Ontario Streets and Communities Act.

The proposed legislation would establish major theft prosecution response teams intended to prioritize serious cases and provide early investigative support and advice to police services.

Andrews said the growing problem has consequences beyond the financial loss suffered by retailers.

He pointed to the safety of retail employees, business owners and customers as a central concern.

“Ultimately, this work is not about the merchandise. It’s about the people,” Andrews said.

The Peel Police conference continues Wednesday as police, retailers, government representatives and other partners look at ways to prevent retail crime, share intelligence and coordinate investigations across jurisdictions.


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