Winnipeg Police are asking Winnipeggers to take a step back when it comes to witnessing a crime.

Constable Jay Murray of the Winnipeg Police Service (WPS) says officers respond, on average, to 10 to 20 robberies at Manitoba Liquor Marts in Winnipeg every day.

Property crime, as a whole, has increased by 19 per cent from 2017/2018.

These robberies, described as "brazen" by police, have been made known by videos posted on social media. Other robberies have been stopped by witnesses who cannot watch a crime occurring in front of them.

Those who wish to make a citizen's arrest, Murray says they must do it legally. That includes only arresting them at the time of the offence and being the lawful owner of the property that is being stolen.

"As frustrating as it is to watch crime happen in front of you," says Murray.

"Don't intervene. It is only a matter of time until somebody does get hurt and we don't want to see that happen."

Police say if you physically intervene you could be hurt and could be held liable criminally or civilly if someone else gets hurt.

Robberies at Liquor Marts have escalated in number and violence as weapons like guns, machetes, and bottles are being used.

Murray says, "The first concern is safety, a lot of these individuals are carrying weapons. They can be unpredictable or agitated. If you try to restrain them they can become desperate and use that weapon."

Witnesses of these crimes have also taken out their phones in hopes of recording the suspects in the act and to capture the "heroic deeds" of those who intervene.

While a video of someone stopping a thief may be exciting to viewers on social media, WPS cautions Winnipeggers to look at the bigger picture and the danger that 'hero' has put themselves in.

Murray encourages witnesses to weigh in the worth of their life versus the cost of a stolen bottle of liquor: "Is your life worth a bottle of alcohol?"

Phone recordings can aid police, but it can also trigger the suspect and, when posted on social media, can possibly encourage copy-cats.

"We understand how tough it can be to sit back and watch someone take something, seemingly without consequences."

Murray says, the public may only see one side of these crimes, but he assures Winnipeggers that WPS is pursuing these cases: "We're making arrests left, right, and centre."

WPS does not have a singular, root cause for these crimes, but Murray observes that, "Bottles are being used as a form of currency in the criminal underworld here."

Liquor bottles are being traded for money, drugs, weapons and more, says Murray.

"A large number of the bottles that are stolen are being re-sold to individuals who probably aren't behaving while they are consuming it."

Liquor robberies, Murray says, can also have an effect on other violent crimes in the city: "We have to recognize the fact that the alcohol that is being sold can be fuel for other crimes.

"This is a priority for the WPS."