Victim Impact Statement - Sechelt Downtown Businesses

GROUP VICTIM IMPACT STATEMENT – DOWNTOWN SECHELT

Crime in Downtown Sechelt has increased dramatically in the last two years. In 2019 during one five-day stretch in August there was a business break-in every night and from July 1 to September 1 there were a total of 17 commercial break and enters. RCMP also reported an increase in residential break-ins, thefts from vehicles and smash-and-grab thefts from businesses in Downtown Sechelt. COVID-19 has also greatly impacted our business community as most businesses have been forced to shut their doors. This has created greater opportunity for theft and vandalism.

Small businesses are the backbone of our economy. They make up 98 per cent of all business operations in Canada and employ over 70 per cent of the total labour force in the private sector. Therefor we need to put more effort into helping those who support our community. Many Sechelt businesses struggle each year to keep their doors open and should not have to worry about their businesses getting broken into, vandalized or items stolen from their shelves.

In November 2019 the SDBA in partnership with the RCMP, and various social support organizations, hosted a Safety Forum due to the increasing concern from business owners. Business owners are being victimized daily from people shoplifting, breaking and entering, vandalising their storefronts and city property, and some leaving used needles and feces in and around their place of business. Our drugstores and retail shops are experiencing shoplifting on almost a daily basis, but many have stopped reporting it because they feel that nothing is being done as they see the same offenders come back to their stores. They feel unsafe when they go to their cars in the evenings, their stress levels are heightened when known offenders enter their store, and the amount of money lost to theft is causing financial hardship.

We receive emails and phone calls from businesses pleading for support from the RCMP who responded swiftly by implementing foot patrol in the summer months to create a greater presence and deter crime. The SDBA has coordinated a Business Block Watch headed by volunteers and Block Watch Facebook Page for businesses to share information and look out for one another but this has not been effective in reducing crime in our neighbourhood and theft in the shops.

It is distressing for business owners and residents to see images caught on camera of criminals with knives, crowbars, and other items that can seriously injure someone or cause damage to a home or building. We understand that jail time may not be appropriate for petty theft and many of the offenders suffer from mental health problems or addiction so what are other options or solutions? For example would the following be possible:

·      First time offenders be given community service (work for the business community - garbage pick up, highway clean up, beach clean up, window washing for storefronts etc.) so that they can develop respect and positive relations with business owners which may deter future criminal behaviour

·      Repeat offenders with a known drug addiction ordered to receive intervention and treatment in facilities with the capacity to house them, or place the offender on house arrest where they are required to receive treatment for x amount of weeks along with community service

·      More severe punishment for violent crimes and repeat offenders – increased jail time, implement fines that pay back the business owner for loss or damage, incarceration off coast

Business owners should not be afraid of being victimized or afraid of going out of business due to a select few who have no respect for others or other people’s property. Our businesses are already facing challenging times with the COVID19 crisis, and cannot afford loss of inventory due to theft. Something more needs to be done to protect our downtown business owners, as they are the ones who make the biggest impact on our community both socially and economically.  

Sincerely  

Sechelt Downtown Business Association    

Sechelt Downtown Business Association    Contact the author of the petition