VANCOUVER — Vancouver business owner Caren McSherry, who runs a specialty kitchen-supply store in east Vancouver, is at her wit’s end over the relentless crime she experiences every day.
Someone threw a boulder through a three-metre pane of glass, and stole expensive items, she said. The other day a man walked in dressed in a garbage bag, only to remove it and run around naked scaring off customers.
“There’s no fear with these people,” she said. “And the police don’t come. There’s no government intervention. Why isn’t anything done about this?”
McSherry’s shop, the Gourmet Warehouse, is at Hastings and Clark streets. She had to hire security guards last year and install anti-theft shutters. But that hasn’t stopped the constant destruction and theft, she added. Insurance claims only go so far, and each time she questions how much longer she can stay in business.
“It’s a war zone down there. They steal from me every day,” she said. “We are victims every day … and the victims are left to clean up the mess every day, and I’m so tired of it.”
She’s not alone in her concern over the spike in crime. A report on Thursday from the Canadian Federation of Small Business says a majority of Canadian small businesses reported a surge in crime over the last year, with the highest jump in B.C.
The report says B.C. experienced a 27-per-cent increase in crime at small businesses over the past year — higher than the national average of 21 per cent. That was followed by Saskatchewan at 26 per cent and and Alberta at 23 per cent.
Overall, 62 per cent of Canadian small businesses reported an increase in crime within their communities over the past 12 months, with 29 per cent reporting a significant increase.
The hospitality and retail sectors, which were among the hardest hit during COVID-19, appear to be disproportionately impacted by the surge in crime and safety concerns, the report said.
The news doesn’t come as a shock to dozens of businesses in B.C. that last year created the coalition, SOS: Save Our Streets, to send an urgent message to governments to get crime under control. The coalition, which includes London Drugs, Save-On-Foods, Aritzia and Lululemon among others, say they’re losing millions of dollars due to theft and damage, and must raise prices to cover those losses, which they estimate costs the average consumer $500 annually.
“Where is the law and order? Crime doesn’t happen once a day in our shop, it’s five or six times a day,” said McSherry. “My colleagues at London Drugs are in the same boat, and we are all wondering when something is going to be done about it.”
Earlier this year, high-end vintage consignment store Mine & Yours in Vancouver’s downtown core closed because of rising crime in the neighbourhood.
In Vancouver’s Mount Pleasant neighbourhood, AJs Brooklyn Pizza Joint had their glass door smashed in early Sunday by thieves who made off with two iPads, including one it uses for food deliveries.
The restaurant’s surveillance cameras showed “the perps come in, smash the window and grab a couple things quickly almost as if they knew where they were,” said manager Kenny Kyle.
Kyle, who lives in the area and walks to work, said he’s noticed an increase in break-ins and theft over the last year.
“Almost every week or every two weeks, I notice some business with a window smashed in or a door broken,” he said. “There’s definitely been an increase in crime.”
AJ’s has been relatively unscathed. There’s been instances of theft in the past, but Sunday was the first time thieves damaged property.
Once, a man strolled into the restaurant early in the morning while it was still closed to the public. “He just walked in confidently, walked behind the bar and grabbed a bottle of booze,” said Kyle. “None of us knew what to do.”
When a worker tried to confront the man, the man turned around in an aggressive manner. They backed off due to safety concerns. “We decided no, it’s not worth it.”
Thursday’s report backs up businesses’ complaints, with more than half of B.C. business owners — 57 per cent — reporting they have been directly affected by crime and community safety issues in the last 12 months.
The main concerns include waste and litter (63 per cent), vandalism/breaking-and-entering (63 per cent), and theft/shoplifting (60 per cent.)
Emily Boston, a senior policy analyst with the business federation, said eight in 10 small business owners in B.C. fear for their own safety as well as their staff and customers.
“It’s a pretty jarring number, and that is up from last time we surveyed,” said Boston. “And it’s not just the financial toll but it’s also really demoralizing and frustrating, and unfortunately, they’re having to change the way they operate.”
Boston said there are several reasons for the spike in crime in B.C., including the skyrocketing cost of living, housing affordability, addiction and repeat offenders. She noted the problem isn’t just in Vancouver, but also across B.C.
“What we found is that typically rural businesses are experiencing more things like theft. For example, farms are seeing their equipment stolen off of their property, whereas downtown locations are dealing with more vandalism, loitering, and waste and litter,” said Boston.
Most owners — 79 per cent — said they don’t feel the taxes they pay result in improvements to addressing crime.
More than half of business owners consistently file police reports after a crime. However, only one-third are 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 per cent), it’s a time-consuming process (55 per cent), and the lack of police response (53 per cent.)
“There’s not a lot of trust,” said Boston.
Only 15 per cent of businesses report always filing insurance claims when they experience community safety issues, with those in professional services (six per cent) and hospitality (11 per cent) being the least likely to do so.
The federation has drafted recommendations for federal, provincial and municipal governments to address community safety issues. These include addressing the underlying issues contributing to crime such as affordable housing and addiction, and increasing funding for small businesses to increase security and do crime-related repairs.
Boston said the B.C. government has made some strides, such as the small business rebate program. But with the median costs for crime damage running around $5,000 a year, the program isn’t enough help.
“Especially when we’re seeing low consumption, I mean money’s tight and people aren’t willing to spend like they used to. Many are still dealing with pandemic-related debt, and not getting enough foot traffic back down to the downtown cores,” she said.
“We have business owners that are saying, ‘We feel like we’re working for free right now.’ ”
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 recidivism and support diversity among insurance firms by reducing barriers to entry.
With files from Joanne Lee-Young, Lori Culbert and Cheryl Chan
