lcbo toronto

LCBO squad car spotted in Ontario has people asking questions

Shoppers have been noticing that certain LCBO locations in and around Toronto are beefing up security measures, but squad cars bearing the "LCBO resource protection" branding have people asking some questions.

One customer saw one of these rare SUVs in the wild (that is, parked outside of their local outpost of the Crown corporation) on Sunday, and took to Reddit to try and see if anyone could shed light on what the heck it was for.

"What in the..." the person wrote along with a snapshot of the all-black vehicle, which was in the parking lot of the LCBO on Speedvale Avenue in Guelph.

The post quickly racked up nearly 2,000 upvotes and hundreds of comments of people wondering — or just joking about — what LCBO Resource Protection might actually do.

What in the …
byu/matt-and-jazz inontario

Amid a slew of drinking-related Trailer Park Boys references, many proposed duties and even mottos for this arm of the provincial alcohol retailer.

"If your family tries to stage an intervention about your drinking, you activate the chip on your LCBO customer card and the LCBO Resource Protection sends in an extraction team," one person suggested.

"He pulls you over to ask if you’ve been drinking enough tonight," another quipped.

"Drop a bottle on the curb, They'll be there. Knock the cherry from your J, They'll be there. Serve red wine with fish, They'll be there. LCBO Resource Protection. There for the Booze," reads another popular comment.

Others chimed in with their own anecdotes of theft they've witnessed at LCBO locations lately, surmising that these officials may be tasked with dealing with the uptick in such crimes. (Just last week, loss prevention officers at an LCBO in Vaughan had a knife pulled on them while trying to stop a theft.)

According to a spokesperson for the chain, this division does tackle criminal activity affecting locations, though not in the way of any direct security presence.

"Combining investigative expertise with leading-edge technology and data and analytics, our Resource Protection team takes proactive, collaborative, and substantive actions to address criminal activity and other incidents at LCBO, working with police services," they told blogTO.

"From time-to-time, they visit stores in marked vehicles to discuss theft challenges or opportunities to employ more measures to deter theft and help keep both customers and employees safe."

One previous bust detailed on the agency's website took down the leaders of an organized theft group that was responsible for more than 120 repetitive, targeted incidents all over southern Ontario.

Some in the comments section of the Reddit thread rightfully deemed these employees "booze investigators," noting that they work with police to record and mitigate "big and reoccurring thefts."

Lead photo by

matt-and-jazz/Reddit


Latest Videos



Latest Videos


Join the conversation Load comments

Latest in Eat & Drink

These men turned their passion for motorcycles into bustling new Toronto cafe

Toronto restaurant known for its rooftop patio shuts down

Toronto man is secretly cooking up some of the best BBQ this side of Texas

5 new Italian restaurants in Toronto you need to try at least once

60 essential bars in Toronto you need to visit at least once

Consumers demand new 'product of Canada' labels in grocery stores

Fired TV hosts Sid Seixeiro and Meredith Shaw dined together at Toronto steakhouse

Mexican restaurant in buzzy Toronto neighbourhood shuts down