David Screech doesn含羞草研究社檛 mince words when asked about street disorder and crime around his business in downtown Victoria.
He described vehicle break-ins, people defecating on or near his store property, and someone pulling a knife on an employee in the store含羞草研究社檚 parking lot.
Screech, a former mayor of the Victoria-area community of View Royal, has worked at Greggs Furniture & Upholstery since 1981 and has owned the business since 2000.
But the iconic store is slated to close later this year, and Screech said deteriorating safety around the business was 含羞草研究社渢he tipping point.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淚 think we would have hung in there for a little while longer if those issues hadn含羞草研究社檛 become so difficult in the last little while,含羞草研究社� Screech said.
含羞草研究社淥ne of the most frightening (things) is that we含羞草研究社檝e had in the last 18 months fires set at our back door four or five times. And it含羞草研究社檚 only just by some divine intervention that the whole building hasn含羞草研究社檛 gone up.含羞草研究社�
Business groups and others have raised concerns about crime and disorder ahead of the Oct. 19 provincial election, while police, including Vancouver Chief Const. Adam Palmer, have decried what he called a 含羞草研究社渞evolving door含羞草研究社� justice system for repeat and violent offenders.
The conversation has been punctuated by a series of violent events over the past year or so in B.C.
They include a triple stabbing at a street festival in Vancouver含羞草研究社檚 Chinatown, a swarming attack on paramedics in Victoria, and stabbings near the White Rock pier. On Sept. 4, one man was killed and another含羞草研究社檚 hand was cut off in a pair of gruesome attacks in downtown Vancouver 含羞草研究社� police say the suspect was on probation at the time and has had 60 previous interactions with officers.
How to improve public safety was one of 10 questions posed by a coalition of B.C. business groups to party leaders on Sept. 10, saying the violent crime rate had increased 含羞草研究社渂y 30 per cent since 2018含羞草研究社� with many businesses reporting higher levels of concern around employee and customer safety.
含羞草研究社淟ast week含羞草研究社檚 tragic situation highlighted where we are at and the need for all levels of government to come together,含羞草研究社� said Greater Vancouver Board of Trade president Bridgitte Anderson, referring to the Sept. 4 attacks at a news conference announcing the group含羞草研究社檚 concerns.
含羞草研究社淪imply, what we含羞草研究社檙e doing right now doesn含羞草研究社檛 work,含羞草研究社� Anderson said.
Statistics Canada data show the overall per capita crime rate, based on police reports, is down in B.C. by about 3 per cent since 2018. The violent crime rate cited by business leaders is up by more than 32 per cent, having spiked sharply in 2019 and it has been mostly unchanged since then.
Vancouver and Victoria have both seen a 9 per cent rise in violent crime, per capita, since 2018.
Martin Andresen, professor at Simon Fraser University含羞草研究社檚 School of Criminology, said while many people 含羞草研究社� himself included 含羞草研究社� are seeing evidence of 含羞草研究社渋n-your-face含羞草研究社� public disorder, official statistics do not back up claims that crime and public disorder are worsening overall.
He noted that while there have been a number of high-profile crimes in B.C. in the past year, people should consider how these incidents are portrayed in the media and public discourse, and also look at hard numbers.
含羞草研究社淚 see it myself when I walk down the street,含羞草研究社� Andresen said. 含羞草研究社淭here are a lot more people out. 含羞草研究社� We seem to have a lot of people who are desperate, and there含羞草研究社檚 more panhandling everywhere I go. Violence appears to be, at least, a lot more in-your-face.
含羞草研究社淚t含羞草研究社檚 not out of control,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淐an it go down? Of course it can. We含羞草研究社檙e still having these events, and they are negative events.含羞草研究社�
Andresen said the Statistics Canada data shows most crimes in B.C. cities are down.
Notable categories where crime rates are up include uttering threats, property crimes, such as theft under $5,000, shoplifting, and mischief. But Andresen said rates of most other crime were 含羞草研究社渄own or relatively steady.含羞草研究社�
含羞草研究社淏ased on the data, in some cases, yes, there are things on the increase,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淎lso, maybe just the nature of some of these crimes have become more in-our-face than ever before.含羞草研究社�
Downtown Victoria Business Association CEO Jeff Bray said he had heard the argument that statistics do not back up claims of rising crime and disorder in B.C., but that didn含羞草研究社檛 not mean it wasn含羞草研究社檛 happening.
含羞草研究社淧art of it is businesses just don含羞草研究社檛 bother reporting,含羞草研究社� said Bray, a former BC Liberal MLA who含羞草研究社檚 also president of the Business Improvement Areas of B.C.
Bray said he has heard from downtown businesses across B.C. that disorder was increasing in many communities outside the major centres of Vancouver and Victoria.
含羞草研究社淎s a society, we含羞草研究社檝e kind of accepted some behaviours now that we would never have accepted 10 years ago,含羞草研究社� Bray said. 含羞草研究社淎s a result, we含羞草研究社檙e seeing behaviours get more aggressive, we含羞草研究社檙e seeing people become more brazen, and we含羞草研究社檙e seeing less of a response to these things.含羞草研究社�
A recent survey conducted his group showed that 82 per cent of the roughly 500 business owners and operators asked 含羞草研究社渉ave increased fear and anxiety含羞草研究社� due to crime and disorder in their neighbourhoods.
Both Bray and Screech said the situation around B.C.含羞草研究社檚 downtowns has deteriorated so severely that there was pressure for drastic steps.
含羞草研究社淭here are people in our community who are incapable of functioning without being a harm to themselves or others,含羞草研究社� Bray said. 含羞草研究社淎nd so, involuntary care has to be, I think, part of the policy mix.
含羞草研究社淲e have people now with permanent brain injuries as a result of the toxic drug supply, 含羞草研究社� and all we含羞草研究社檙e offering right now is low-barrier supportive housing 含羞草研究社� where they continue to be able to use drugs, to be exploited by the criminal element. These things are not working.含羞草研究社�
Before the election began, BC NDP Leader David Eby pledged his government would open facilities to provide involuntary care, specifically for those suffering from a combination of severe addictions, mental illness and brain injuries.
Crime and public safety have also been one of the B.C. Conservatives talking points, promising to increase funding to police, applying 含羞草研究社渮ero tolerance含羞草研究社� for violent repeat offenders and appointing judges that prioritize victims含羞草研究社� rights.
Andresen said such tough measures or boosting police resources are unlikely to yield results.
He said solutions need to be based on the opinions of health experts. Housing and support programs are the first key steps, Andresen said.
含羞草研究社淟ocking up people for longer isn含羞草研究社檛 going to solve the problem,含羞草研究社� he said. 含羞草研究社淲hat含羞草研究社檚 being described in a lot of these policies is criminalizing poverty, criminalizing marginalized populations. And that含羞草研究社檚 not the solution to our problem.含羞草研究社�
Screech disagreed.
含羞草研究社淚 think it含羞草研究社檚 a bipartisan issue, and I think what we含羞草研究社檝e done in trying to be a caring, empathetic society and government, we含羞草研究社檝e crossed the line 含羞草研究社� into facilitating a lifestyle. And I think all the parties have to look at that with a clear lens,含羞草研究社� he said.
含羞草研究社淲e want to offer treatment and we want to help people, but we don含羞草研究社檛 want to facilitate a lifestyle that nobody is prepared to change.含羞草研究社�
