Businesses on Kelowna’s Commerce Avenue say a series of break-ins, vandalism and other incidents are leaving them increasingly concerned about safety.
Security cameras have captured a range of crime-related incidents, including a bicycle being stolen from an RV rack, a glass door being kicked in and open drug use.
“It’s unacceptable to steal, it’s unacceptable to vandalize people’s property,” said Janine Goertsen, who owns a business with her husband Gerald on Commerce.
One of the most recent incidents happened just two weeks ago when the Goertsens found themselves temporarily locked inside their own office building.
“All of a sudden my car alarm is going off and I go and run to the door, and the door was tied shut with a garbage bag,” Gerald Goertsen said. “We saw it on the camera after he tied it with a garbage bag and then went to break into our vehicle.”
The couple has operated a business on Commerce Avenue for more than a decade.
They say conditions have deteriorated significantly in recent years, a change they associate with the opening of Hearthstone Supportive Housing in 2018.
“They walk around with knives and needles and all this stuff. So you never know. Like it’s not safe,” Gerald Goertsen said. “The RCMP have told me, don’t touch them, even to take them off the property because they can stab you. They can hurt you and it’s not worth it.”
The couple says they are now regularly cleaning up drug paraphernalia, garbage and human feces around their business. They also say they have witnessed people carrying weapons and have been threatened multiple times.
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Janine says she was nearly attacked by another woman.
“My husband had to step in and she kept trying to go around him to get to me,” she said.
Alicia Parsons, who works on Commerce Avenue, says she has also witnessed incidents that have left staff feeling unsafe.
“It’s absolutely wild,” Parsons said. “They actually locked themselves into the bathroom and broke in after hours. We’ve had people wander into the office while one of the staff was there alone and actually terrified her.”
Global News did not receive a response from the John Howard Society, which operates the facility.
In an email to Global News, a city spokesperson said the city is engaging with business operators to improve safety.
“While many of the root causes of the rise in crime across communities in British Columbia fall within provincial and federal jurisdiction, the City remains committed to doing everything within our authority to improve safety and livability in Kelowna,” said Kevin Duggan, Community Safety Services Manager.
The City says it has taken additional steps to improve safety for businesses, including Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design reviews at 129 Kelowna businesses this year, resulting in more than 800 recommendations.
It also pointed to a new rebate program, which offers businesses up to $3,000 for security improvements and the business CCTV Registry, which now includes 135 registered cameras.
The Goertsens say they believe more could and should be done at the local level.
Among their suggestions are a call centre that would allow bylaw officers to respond more quickly to complaints, as well as curfews for people staying in shelters.
“We should not have to deal with this,” Janine Goertsen said.
She also suggested community leaders travel to other countries that have much better control of social challenges.
“Visit Japan, visit Austria, visit Switzerland, visit the Middle East. What are they doing? What are some of these cities doing that they don’t have the high percentage of unhoused people?” said Goertsen.
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