Two-thirds of B.C. businesses say crime and street disorder are eroding operations and employee safety

Business owners across B.C. say crime, vandalism, and street disorder are damaging both their bottom line and employee safety, according to a survey released by the Business Improvement Association of British Columbia.

Of 100 surveyed businesses from communities across the province, 65% reported public safety and street disorder as significant concerns. Sixty-three percent said operating conditions worsened over the past year. Sixty-eight percent worry about the impact crime is having on their employees, and half said safety concerns are making it harder to recruit and retain staff.

The most frequently cited problems were open drug use, street disorder, aggressive behaviour, vandalism, and shoplifting. Employees regularly deal with harassment, break-ins, graffiti, discarded drug paraphernalia, and difficult interactions with customers worried about safety.

"Business owners continue to tell us that crime, vandalism and street disorder are affecting not only their operations, but the well-being of the people they employ every day," said Jeremy Heighton, BIABC president. "Too many employees are beginning or ending their shifts wondering whether they'll encounter aggressive behaviour, open drug use, vandalism or another break-in."

Ninety percent of surveyed businesses support BIABC's call to pause the planned PST expansion to private security services effective October 1. Eighty-nine percent say governments aren't doing enough to address repeat offending, retail crime, and public safety issues.

BIABC represents 80 business improvement districts and over 55,000 small businesses across the province.