Businesses ‘under siege’

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This article was published 09/08/2023 (759 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The head of Manitoba’s restaurant association is calling for immediate action on crime following a meeting with the province’s justice minister.

“Our government’s solutions are all mid- to long-term solutions for a short-term problem,” said Shaun Jeffrey, the Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association’s CEO. “We need short-term solutions.”

Jeffrey and colleagues met with Justice Minister Kelvin Goertzen Tuesday. The goal was to understand how the Progressive Conservatives were addressing “rapid increases of crime in our industry,” Jeffrey said.

“Our business community feels like they’re under siege in their own city,” he stated, adding the restaurant association can’t keep track of all the incidents.

In recent weeks, restaurateurs from Tommy’s Pizzeria, Four Crowns Restaurant and Corrientes Argentine Pizzeria have spoken out about new property damage and theft at their buildings.

“These used to be few and far between, and now they seem like a regular occurrence,” Jeffrey said.

He made several suggestions during his meeting with the minister, including a crime roundtable bringing together government, police forces and business groups; more security cameras around the city; and a grant program to reimburse businesses paying for property damage and installing security units.

British Columbia announced such a program last month. They’ve earmarked $10.5 million for the rebates; businesses can apply for up to $2,000 to cover repair costs, and up to $1,000 for vandalism prevention, beginning this fall.

“(The program) was of interest to me, and of interest to department officials, and I think it aligns well with everything that we’ve been doing previously,” Minister Goertzen said Wednesday.

He noted he couldn’t announce new programming during the government’s blackout period, which prohibits the Tories from advertising information about its programs or activities 60 days before the provincial election.

Goertzen highlighted recent government announcements, including more police officers and security cameras downtown, and an integrated warrant task force.

“I think that they’ll make a difference,” Goertzen said, indicating the downtown safety measures will not be a quick transition.

He pointed to the Criminal Code, which is federal government territory: the laws need to be updated to give serious offenders appropriate sentences, Goertzen said.

“We’re just bringing people in and letting them go,” he added.

An election blackout shouldn’t halt change, Jeffrey stated.

“Over the next 60 days, the amount of crime (affecting business)… is going to be monumental, and we don’t have any solutions to it,” he said, adding he senses Goertzen “does take this seriously.”

Bruce Borrer, the owner of Academy Road Service, estimates he’s spent between $20,000 and $25,000 fixing property damage in recent years.

“It’s frustrating,” Borrer said. “You see it everywhere.”

He’s considered nailing bars to his door. However, they’re expensive — especially for a business that’s paid out of pocket for four break-ins — and the security measures can reflect negatively on the neighbourhood.

“What’s it say if you see all the businesses with bars on (them)? Tourists come through, and it’s like, ‘OK, this might not be a great area,’” Borrer said.

He’s considered erecting bars that are hidden from street view, like his neighbour at Jupiter Cannabis.

The weed shop has several layers of protection on its front door, plus motion sensors and an army of cameras.

“The amount of break-ins and property offences in the city (is) horrible,” said owner Tom Doran. “If they get caught, it’s pretty much catch and release.”

He checks his security cameras in the middle of the night. In the past, pre-increased security, his company lost more than $20,000 of product to theft and paid for more than $10,000 in property damage, Doran said.

“It’s not just porch pirates — it’s strategic, it’s organized (and) it’s predatorial,” he said.

Staff at nearby boutiques described their own break-in experiences. Emily Gannon, an employee at retailer Margot + Maude, believed a grant for vandalism clean-up and reduction would be helpful.

Some, like Monique Noschese at Chestnut Lane Boutique, expressed hesitation. Security cameras don’t seem to be a deterrent anymore, Noschese said.

The Manitoba Restaurant and Foodservices Association plans to speak to Manitoba’s NDP party.

Mark Wasyliw, the party’s economic development critic, blamed the Stefanson government for increased crime against business.

He called for an “absolute, comprehensive” safety plan from the Tories and said Manitoba “needs to start taking public safety seriously.”

People committing crimes must be held accountable, but also, the province must deal with an addictions crisis, Wasyliw said.

gabrielle.piche@winnipegfreepress.com