In this encore episode from January 2025, meet Sgt. Craig Reynolds & Arezo Zarrabian, a Senior Crime Analyst from the Vancouver Police Department. Together, they take us behind the scenes for a comprehensive discussion of both the criminal justice system & an update reflecting the work of their innovative and data-driven task force, Project Barcode, investigating and fighting violent retail crime on the streets of Vancouver.
In this encore episode of The Voice of Retail from January 2025, I’m joined by Sergeant Craig Reynolds and Arezo Zarrabian, Senior Crime Analyst at the Vancouver Police Department, for an exclusive look inside Project Barcode—a pioneering effort to combat organized retail crime in Vancouver.
Sparked by a staggering 260% increase in retail theft involving weapons, Project Barcode was launched in 2021 and has evolved into a city-wide operation. Combining targeted police action, strategic analytics, and cross-agency collaboration, the project has become a blueprint for combating retail crime across Canada—and beyond.
Craig and Arezo take us behind the scenes of Barcode’s design and deployment. With more than 1,400 arrests, 166 repeat offenders apprehended, and $1.4 million in goods and criminal assets recovered, Project Barcode is delivering measurable results. Arezo’s data-driven insights guide every phase—from identifying hotspots by time and geography, to profiling offender patterns and predicting retail theft surges. One key innovation? Deploying officers based on real-time trends, such as peak theft hours or common entry points into the city.
Yet the team doesn’t just tackle frontline offenders. A major focus is upstream—targeting fences and organized resellers who drive demand for stolen goods. With the help of anti-fencing units and civil forfeiture laws, Project Barcode has disrupted the black-market supply chain while building stronger partnerships with the retail community.
Craig and Arezo also share deeply human perspectives on the systemic issues behind the crimes: homelessness, addiction, lack of mental health support, and underfunded social services. They stress that many offenders are exploited and desperate—often stealing not out of greed, but obligation to pay off debts. They advocate for wraparound solutions that go beyond law enforcement, including judicial reform, community policing, and better data sharing.
The episode closes with a look ahead: more coordination, smarter deployment, and a renewed call for nationwide efforts to recognize retail crime as a serious threat to public safety and economic stability.
If you’re a retailer, policymaker, or security professional, this is essential listening on how cities can combine compassion, innovation, and accountability to fight retail crime—and win.