Merchants at a Chinatown mall in the downtown are calling for increased police presence in the area after a bold daytime robbery of a jewelry store.

Calgary police were called to the Dragon City Mall at 328 Centre Street SE around 4:20 p.m. on Dec. 11 and set off four smoke devices on the west side of the mall. According to police, four suspects then forced their way through a locked glass door of a jewelry store and smashed several cases and stole an undisclosed amount of jewelry.

Police said the suspects also deployed bear spray into the mall hallways and one suspect was seen carrying a handgun. According to police, it’s believed the suspects fled the area in a 2020-2023 silver Volkswagen Atlas.

“Investigators believe this was a targeted attack and are asking to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the event or who may have information,” read an email from the Calgary Police Service.

Ward 7 Coun. Terry Wong said there was a similar incident in the Far East Mall on 3 Avenue. Someone had allegedly “smoked” up the area with a fire extinguisher and broke into a series of places. In another incident, a restaurant on 2 Avenue had their doors broken and cash was stolen.

“The issue of crime and safety in Chinatown has escalated to the point that we’ve gotten a lot of comments, concerns as to what is the council and Calgary Police Service doing about it,” he said.

Wong met with shop owners in the early afternoon alongside a constable from CPS District 1. The Ward 7 Coun. said they need to increase foot patrols in the area.  

“As much as we can put more… policemen in cars that doesn’t help. We need people on the street to walk them,” Wong said.

“Whether it be in Chinatown, Stephen Avenue Mall, whatever that is. I think that’s the sense of safety and concern our business community looking for.”

Merchants taking new steps to protect their properties

Wai Ying Wong, one of the owners of Silver Treasures Jewellery, which sits kitty-corner to the store that was robbed, said through a translator that there’s a safety worry among business owners in the mall.

“They’re also worried about their business as well because Christmas is coming,” said Wai Ying Wong through

“With what happened and it’s spreading out to the communities they worry about, like people’s just like us trying to stay away and not coming here.”

Wai Ying Wong said they would be working with Calgary police and would incorporate some of their measures for improving safety. One immediate thing they’ll do is remove all of the valuables in the display cases any time they leave the store. They also want to maintain their working security cameras.

When asked if she believed a stronger police presence would help, Wai Ying Wong answered: “Yes.”

She said they’ve also had to lock public washrooms in the building because of ongoing social disorder from members of Calgary’s vulnerable population who frequent the area.

“They feel very unsafe because right now they don’t really see anything nearby, especially with the police presence here,” Wai Ying Wong said through the translator.

“They really worry, and it’s been a long time the issues have been going on.”

Coun. Terry Wong said that he’s hoping with a public safety announcement made in Edmonton, that something new is in the works for Calgary. That might put more boots on the ground in Calgary very soon.

In the meantime, he said it would go a long way to have one beat cop in the area who could speak the language and understand business sensitivities and cultural differences.

“They look forward to having that day back and that’d be one of the questions I’ll be asking the District 1 Inspector, is the chance of dedicating a person who can relate and speak and understand the issues that they’re facing,” Wong said.