Brazen Theft at Erhard's Orthopedics Underscores Rising Retail Security Risks
A smash-and-grab at Erhard’s Orthopedics in Kelowna shows how quickly retailers can suffer losses when relying on outdated commercial security systems. Despite CCTV footage, the thief escaped with over $1,300 in footwear. With retail crime rising across the Okanagan, the incident underscores the need for verified security that detects intrusions in real time and supports fast police response.
In the early hours of Sunday morning, a thief smashed through the front door of Erhard’s Orthopedics in Kelowna and stole four pairs of specialty orthopedic shoes worth more than $1,300.
The store’s CCTV cameras recorded the break-in, but as is often the case, the footage captured what happened, not who did it, and certainly not in time to prevent the loss.
This incident is part of a growing trend across the Okanagan: retailers being hit by fast, targeted overnight thefts. In almost every case, criminals are taking advantage of outdated commercial security systems that rely solely on motion sensors or silent CCTV recordings.
What This Break-in Reveals
Conventional alarms simply aren’t enough in 2025.
With false alarm rates reaching up to 98%, police do not prioritize unverified alerts, and criminals know it.
The pattern is always the same:
- A smash-and-grab happens in seconds
- The alarm triggers after the intruder is inside
- CCTV records the crime but doesn’t stop it
- Police arrive too late because the alert wasn’t verified
- The business absorbs the loss and cleanup
This Kelowna break-in is another clear reminder that motion-based alarms do not deter determined thieves and do not support police response.
The Solution: Verified Security
To stop these types of crimes, businesses need verified security, not traditional noise-making alarms.
Sonitrol’s Verified Active Audio technology changes the outcome entirely. Instead of waiting for motion sensors, Sonitrol systems detect suspicious activity as it starts, whether that’s glass breaking, prying, forced entry, or movement inside the store.
Trained operators then:
- Hear and verify the intrusion in real time
- Dispatch police immediately with confirmed evidence
- Provide actionable details that support rapid apprehension
This verification is what makes the difference.
It’s why many police departments prioritize Sonitrol alarms, and it’s why businesses protected by Sonitrol see dramatically fewer break-ins.
With more than 188,000 documented criminal apprehensions, Sonitrol’s verified security has decades of proof behind it.
A Sonitrol decal on your front window sends a message criminals understand: “This business is verified and protected.”
Most choose not to even try.
The Takeaway for Retailers
Retail theft is becoming faster, more targeted, and more costly.
In this environment, businesses can’t afford commercial security systems that only record crime.
They need systems that:
- Deter theft before it begins
- Detect entry attempts in real time
- Verify actual intrusions for Priority Police Response
- Help police catch offenders, not watch them leave
If your alarm system can’t prove a crime is happening, you don’t have a security system.
You have a notification system.
Book a free, no-obligation security audit to assess your current system and identify gaps before thieves do.
Our experts will evaluate your risk, review your existing setup, and recommend a verified security solution tailored to your business.