Business owners and front-line staff across B.C. say they are still dealing with fear and anxiety around persistent crime, vandalism and street disorder.
A new survey from the Business Improvement Areas of BC (BIABC) asked business owners and staff across the province if conditions have been improving.
Sixty-seven per cent of those surveyed reported that street disorder has increased in the past year, citing drug and mental health-related activity, more homeless encampments, broken windows and doors, theft, violence, and aggression.
Seventy-four per cent said staff have reported increased fear and anxiety due to these conditions.
Fifty-seven per cent reported a reduction in customer and street traffic and 61 per cent told BIABC that they have had to increase costs to increase security measures to deal with crime and vandalism.
Nearly one in five (19 per cent) said their business may not be financially viable beyond the next year if conditions do not improve.
The BIABC represents 80 business districts and more than 55,000 businesses and it surveyed more than 350 owners in late June and early July.
“Small and medium-sized business owners and their staff simply want to come to work without worrying about violence or disorder,” Jeremy Heighton, president of BIABC, said in a statement.
“This is not about blaming those struggling with mental health or addictions — it’s about ensuring people can come to work each day without worry, and those experiencing mental health, addiction and homelessness have access to on-demand, wraparound services that provide proper treatment.”
The BIABC wants the provincial government to work with business owners to ensure safer working environments.
The BIABC said similar numbers from the 2024 survey show that concerns about safety, crime and disorder remain deeply entrenched in communities and situations have not really improved.
Teri Smith, executive director of the West End Business Improvement Association and a member of the BIABC Board, said with the minimal changes, there has not been a lot of progress when it comes to incidents of street disorder and crime.
“I think one of the most striking things, too, is that we’re not seeing a change in how businesses feel they can make it viable past a year,” she said.
“I think there’s still a discussion happening that it’s not as public, that a lot of things are happening behind the scenes and we need to work with all levels of government in order to try and address some key issues.”
The association is now calling for a comprehensive, province-wide plan — with targeted investments, policies to address prolific non-violent offenders, and a clear pathway to sustained, intensive treatment services available regardless of where someone lives in the province.
“We’re not seeing the evidence on the street,” Smith said. “We want to see the prioritization of safety, compassion and accountability.”
John Clerides, owner of Marquis Wine Cellars on Davie Street in Vancouver, told Global News that nothing has really changed in the last year.
“I don’t really see any foreseeable change in the future,” he said.
Clerides said he and his staff are still dealing with shoplifters, street disorder and clearing garbage from in front of the store.
“It’s not part of regular day-to-day business, but it has been normalized,” he added.
“This is not a way to live a life or live in a city, but it seems to be more and more the norm these days.”