EDITORIAL – Business survey puts criminality issue into clear focus
Victoria Street. (Image: Mel Rothenburger)
An editorial by Mel Rothenburger.
A SURVEY INTO THE IMPACT of crime on Kamloops businesses provides some important insights into the problem. Sponsored by the Kamloops Chamber of Commerce and the Downtown and North Shore Business Improvement Associations, the survey found that criminality and social disruptions are doing serious damage to the viability of many city businesses.
Not only is it very costly in terms of damage and security, but the public’s confidence is being eroded, the survey report says.
“Business owners are not only struggling with economic challenges of today such as attracting and retaining labour, supply chain disruptions, the rising cost of business and inflation, in addition to taxation; they are also suffering from a crisis of confidence in our community’s ability to manage our criminal and social disruptions,” it says.
Top issues include littering and loitering, open drug use, hazardous waste, vandalism, needles and defecation. The biggest challenge in dealing with them, according to business owners, is the slow response time by RCMP and Community Services Officers.
There’s a sense of resignation in some of the comments by business owners, who acknowledge the burden those two agencies have in trying to deal with a wide range of serious situations in the city. But it’s something that has long vexed them. By the time a call for help is eventually answered, there’s nothing much that can be done about it.
The response-time issue epitomizes one end of the problem. While social service agencies tackle the daunting task of dealing with root causes, law enforcement tries in vain to control the consequences.
As everyone throws more money at it, one consideration should be the creation of a rapid-response strategy to deal more effectively with incidents as they occur.
The business groups deserve credit for taking the survey — it clearly defines the issue in a way that hasn’t been done before, and offers clear clues about what needs to be done in future.
Mel Rothenburger is a former mayor of Kamloops and a retired newspaper editor. He is a regular contributor to CFJC Today, publishes the ArmchairMayor.ca opinion website, and is a director on the Thompson-Nicola Regional District board. He can be reached at mrothenburger@armchairmayor.ca.
ArmchairMayor.ca 
Most if not all of these people are not Kamloops people , but vagrants , wanderers, with no sense of direction or o f purpose other than surviving. So accommodating them will only encourage an increase in their numbers, and should be avoided .Extending Christian charity to them would do nothing but increase their numbers, Even federal work for food program would attract more and demand decent housing….all free….no thanks .
This might not be the best time to make a performing arts centre the major plank in one’s platform.
Experienced politicians may have the inside scoop about providing safety for those who want to spend time downtown. McDonald’s on Victoria Street recently closed due to chronic violence but the PAC should be a lot safer place.
Since the police priorities should be to respond to criminal activities if they don’t respond it is because they don’t want to.