For much of the 30 years that Phil Nicholls has been operating his high-end running shoe and apparel store in Fairfield Plaza, his storefront has been covered in plywood.
If it isn’t thieves smashing his plate-glass windows to steal Nike merchandise, it’s out-of-control cars, either as a result of medical emergencies or the driver hitting the gas instead of the brake in front of his store.
“It seems to a lot of people that I like being behind plywood,” Nicholls said Wednesday.
But no more, he said.
Nicholls has installed bulletproof glass at 2:18 Run in what might seem like a drastic move for a small shop in a quiet suburban shopping centre.
But Nicholls said he reached a tipping point this fall.
After a smash-and-grab in January, thieves hit the store twice within a few days in September, breaking the glass on either side and making off with merchandise. In one case, a rock was thrown through the glass. In the other, it was likely a hammer that did the damage, he said.
He said “thousands of dollars” in merchandise was taken in this year’s break-ins.
Last week, Nicholls installed two sheets of Riot Glass at a cost of more than $15,000. He admits it’s a hefty price, but considering what he’s lost, he considers the investment worth it to ward off thieves.
Riot Glass is a U.S.-based manufacturer — it has a Canadian distributor in Toronto — that makes panes of glass that are bulletproof, protecting against everything from forced entry to bomb blasts.
It markets its products in regions that are subject to hurricanes, and to guard against rioting and school shootings in the United States.
Nichols said the glass has a rebound effect. “When you throw a big rock through, it bounces back even quicker and it’s the same if someone uses a hammer. You can use a jackhammer, a sledge hammer, even a .9-millimetre handgun — you’re not going to break the glass.
“You’re going to have to pull out the whole frame to get access.”
Nicholls said the number of incidents over the years has left him with skyrocketing insurance premiums and even being dropped by some insurers because of the frequency of his claims.
He’s now working with a new insurance company and is hoping the bulletproof glass installed last week will prevent losses but also get the store insured again.
“It’s a lot of money, and money I didn’t have to spend, but I think I can sleep better now,” said Nicholls, who is also installing video surveillance.
Nicholls lives in the Fairfield neighbourhood and often answers the alarm calls himself, but said thieves are quick, and target specific products that are only available in certain storefronts across Canada.
A report last week from the Canadian Federation of Independent Business said a majority of Canadian small businesses reported a surge in crime over the last year, with the highest jump in British Columbia.
The report said B.C. experienced a 27% increase in crime at small businesses over the past year — higher than the national average of 21%. That was followed by Saskatchewan at 26% and Alberta at 23%.
Overall, 62% of Canadian small businesses reported an increase in crime within their communities over the past 12 months, with 29% reporting a significant increase.
The hospitality and retail sectors, which were among the hardest hit during COVID-19, appear to be disproportionately affected by the surge in crime and safety problems, the report said.
Emily Boston, a senior policy analyst with the business federation, said there are several reasons for the spike in crime in B.C., including the skyrocketing cost of living, lack of housing affordability, addiction issues and repeat offenders.
More than half of business owners consistently file police reports after a crime, the report said, based on a survey of members. However, only one-third of those surveyed were satisfied with police response times and services, the report suggests.
The main reasons for not reporting include the belief that it will not make a difference (83%), the fact that it’s a time-consuming process (55%), and a lack of police response (53%), the federation said.
Only 15% of businesses report always filing insurance claims, with those in professional services (6%) and hospitality (11%) being the least likely to do so.
The federation has drafted recommendations for federal, provincial and municipal governments to improve community safety. These include addressing underlying issues contributing to crime, such as affordable housing and addiction, and increasing funding for small businesses to improve security and do crime-related repairs.
Boston said the B.C. government has made some strides, such as the $10.5-million Securing Small Business Rebate Program, which provides small businesses with funds for commercial property crime and vandalism repairs, or to implement preventative measures.
Under the program, administered by the BC Chamber of Commerce, small businesses can get up to $2,000 back for repair costs for damage due to vandalism on or after Jan. 1, 2023, and up to $1,000 for measures to prevent vandalism, retroactive to Jan. 1, 2023.
But with the median costs for crime damage running around $5,000 a year, the program isn’t enough, Boston said.
The federation also recommends collaboration between all levels of government to address crime and safety, and suggests governments improve safety in commercial areas and public spaces, develop an improved approach to repeat offenders, and support diversity among insurance firms by reducing barriers to entry.
After hearing about Nichols’ move to bulletproof class, which was the subject of a Global News story, federal Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre chimed in on social-media platform X this week, saying: “a Victoria business installed bulletproof glass because they couldn’t handle any more break-ins. It is like a war zone after 9 years of NDP-Liberal catch and release for rampant career criminals.”
— With files from the Vancouver Sun
