New Heights Convenience Store located in Northwest Crescent Heights

By Lisa Parent

‘Just don’t hurt anyone’: New Heights convenience store targeted in another robbery

Jan 5, 2024 | 5:00 PM

It wasn’t the start to the new year anyone would wish for.

On the evening of January 1st, around 8 pm, Harmanjeet Singh was manning the till at New Heights Convenience. A seemingly ordinary customer entered, but within moments, a male suspect brandished a knife, demanding money from the till.

“I was like, ‘okay, go ahead, just don’t hurt anyone,’ and just do your work,” Singh told CHAT News about the incident.

Besides the shock he felt, Singh was unharmed during the encounter.

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Using security footage, the police were able to locate and charge a 55-year-old Medicine Hat man the following day. It was a relief for Singh, but still frustrating for the brothers who took ownership of the store just nine months ago and have already been robbed three times, including an after-hour break-in this summer where an ATM was ripped through the front door of the store.

“People think it’s an easy target,” explained Singh.

Now, Singh is hopeful that the Medicine Hat Police Service will take notice of the increased crime at their store and start patrolling the area more.

New Heights Convenience store is located at a strip mall in Northwest Crescent Heights. Singh believes the store’s proximity to the highway plays a role in the high frequency of break-ins and robberies. The adjacent liquor store has also fallen victim to similar crimes, and North Hill Services, an auto repair shop sharing the same strip mall, shares similar concerns about the rising criminal activity.

“We’re going to be investigating putting up video cameras in the front and in the back,” said the owner of the car shop, Barbara Faulkner.

Faulkner has lived in the same area as her business for 25 years. She feels safe as a resident, but as a business owner, it’s a different story.

“I would like to see a stronger police presence,” Faulker mentioned.

North Hill Services had a vehicle stolen years ago but doesn’t believe they are a high target for crime because they don’t hold cash on the premises.

However, for Singh at New Heights, it’s his best guess of when something like this may happen to them again.

“They told me even if someone comes in and shows you a knife, don’t offend him, don’t argue, just let him do his work,” Singh said. “Your life is for sure more worth than the $500 that he might take.”

Now, Singh and his brother are considering putting up glass around the till to slow down potential attackers in the future.”