TORONTO - Citizens who witness a crime can now arrest the perpetrator within a "reasonable" period of time, but not everyone??s happy about it. The Ontario Convenience Store Association said that the law??s scope is too wide and citizens who act on it could be in danger, the Globe and Mail reports.

The Citizen??s Arrest and Self-Defense Act, hailed by Federal Justice Minister Rob Nicholson, came about after a shopkeeper captured a man who had returned to the store he had robbed hours earlier. The retailer was subsequently charged with forcible restraint.

The convenience stores association expressed its concern that members shouldn??t be detaining criminals. "We would not, under any circumstances, urge our employees to chase a car that??s stealing gas, or jump over the counter to try and take the law into their own hands," said Dave Bryans, CEO of the association. "How long is 'detain,?? and what is 'detain???...You don??t know who you??re chasing."

"We don??t support vigilantism, we??re clear on that," said Nicholson. "But people have a legitimate right to protect themselves and their families and their property. The laws in this particular area were very much out of date. ... Those who have been the victim of a crime should not be re-victimized by the criminal justice system."

NACS does not recommend detaining suspected criminals in its Robbery Deterrence and Personal Safety Program.